Tag: Science

Of all the irreconcilable splits in science journalism, the one concerned with what we write about and how we go about has been my bugbear. On the one hand there are journalists focused on telling stories through people. On the other are journalists like me who believe there is more to acknowledging the world and...

As the global population increases, the need for more sustainable and nutritious food sources becomes greater. In this context, the book Biomass Conversion and Sustainable Biorefinery edited by Lubis et al. in 2024,highlights recent advances in using wasted biomass from conversion and biorefinery concepts and discusses how biomass waste and by-products can be minimised by...

When pregnant women experience higher ambient temperatures during gestation, fewer males are born, a recent analysis of demographic and health surveys in sub-Saharan Africa and India, showed.   A paper titled ‘Temperature and sex ratios at birth’ in the journal Demography, by Jasmin Abdel Ghany et al., concludes after a detailed analysis that experiencing higher ambient temperatures during pregnancy is associated with changes in the natural sex ratio at...

While the death of James Watson on November 6, 2025, closed a famous chapter in the history of DNA, it also opened a necessary conversation about who we choose to remember, how, and why. The discovery of the double helix structure of the DNA remains a scientific triumph but it’s also a cautionary tale of...

Girls and women represent half the population of the world yet their participation in scientific research is lagging. In many countries, this disparate contribution starts as early as school. In the U.S., for example, girls are less likely to take advanced calculus, physics, mathematics, and biology at high school level. In many other countries, the...

The story so far: In its quest for energy security, on March 2, India signed a CAD 2.6 billion deal with Canada’s Cameco. The deal ensures a supply of around 10,000 tonnes of uranium between 2027 and 2035 to India. What uranium ‘stocks’ does India have? India has both domestic reserves and imported stockpiles of...

A: Most believers of this idea follow an argument made by the philosopher Nick Bostrom. In half a century, video games have gone from dots on a screen to lifelike 3D worlds. Believers argue that in future, we will eventually create simulations indistinguishable from reality. If an advanced civilisation creates millions of such simulations, simulated...

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on March 4 launched a moonshot project to develop brain co-processors that combine neuromorphic hardware and AI algorithms to enhance or restore brain function. The project is funded by the Pratiksha Trust, founded by Senapathy ‘Kris’ Gopalakrishnan and Sudha Gopalakrishnan. “India is emerging as a global leader in neuroscience...

In India, urban noise is relentless yet it is largely under-recognised as a public health concern. The average Indian urban traffic reportedly routinely reaches 80-100 dB, exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended 70 dB limit, creating a recognised risk of hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has long been viewed as an occupational disease of...