Science and Technology - Briefs

CHEMISTRY Nano guard

Science and Technology - Briefs

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Making waves

Artificial reality

Ban paves the way

Chinese suplex

Companies that mine rare earth elements, which power mobile phones and car batteries, keenly await the outcome of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Japan in mid-November. The two countries are likely to reach an agreement that would facilitate setting up of a rare earth-processing plant in India by Japanese auto giant Toyota Tsusho. This could open a new business chapter for both the countries.

Railways pulled up over scavengers

ON October 10, the Delhi High Court came down heavily on the Union Ministry of Railways and asked it to submit a detailed plan with “specific time frames and targets” to eliminate manual scavenging. It has asked the ministry to submit the plan by November 21. But the relief may be short lived as Parliament has cleared a bill that allows manual scavenging if individuals are provided with protective gears.

The right call?

Leakage plugged

LEAKY pipes are a major concern for water utilities across the globe. An estimated 20 to 40 per cent of water is lost through leakages in distribution systems that often remain undetected. Finding accurate methods to pinpoint the leak so that the pipes can be repaired is a necessity. But tracking leaks in water pipes can be tricky.

Pocket air sensors

What is this new device and how would it help? It is a small hand-held device that can detect the levels of 16 different air pollutants in ambient air. It warns you with a beep sound when the levels of a pollutant exceeds the safe limit. This alerts people and they can move out of the area. What are the gadget’s unique features? Interviewee:  M D Shirsat

Potential help

BESIDES inducing extreme rainfall and prolonged droughts, changing climate has made traditional wisdom of farmers defunct. Earlier, they would read signs of nature— flowering time of trees to egg laying by birds—to predict weather and decide on sowing and harvesting. But with climate change, farmers find they can no longer rely on their native wisdom.