The best of Indian science

In this and the following issue, DOWN TO EARTH presents a review of India's ten best scientific research projects. The selection is based on the …

The s- and d- of it

While the conflicting theories and functions to explain the phenomenon of high temperature superconductivity point to scientists' continuing …

A model in dispute

Fermilab's observations of large numbers of hard and violent collisions in an accelerator brings the revered Standard Model of particle physics …

New era semiconductors

From missiles to VCRs, a scintillating change is foreseen, At a smart new breed of semiconductors enter the realm of electronics

Exotic denizens of the particle zoo

From ancient Greece to the world of today, humans have always believed that the amazing diversity of objects in the universe can be interpreted …

Top quirk

It took almost 2 decades of squinting at the microverse to finally pin down, on March 2, an accomplished atomic escape artist, the top quark

Light matters

Every kid knows that E=mc 2 . But this time, physicists are working backwards, converting energy into matter

Invisible particles do matter for the air we breathe, finds studies

Ultrafine particles having almost negligible weight, surface area do have an effect on haze formation, visibility and air pollution, the studies found

Cosmic radiations originate in earth's galaxy

Latest satellite observations provide an answer to the long-standing query: What is the source of cosmic rays -- high energy radiations -- that …

The halo is hotter than the star

An astrophysicist tries to explain why, in violation of the laws of thermodynamics, the corona is hotter than the Sun.

From beyond the back of

If some recent findings hold water, the mysterious gamma ray blasts emanate from the most distant celestial objects

Power for the future

The Institute of Plasma Research in Gujarat is working to make power generation from nuclear fusion a reality.

Molecules made to order

Restructuring molecules for specific purposes -- be it symmetry of design or to develop medicinal drugs -- has come of age in India.

Speeding up in the fast lane

India's largest particle accelerator installed in Delhi is a boon for scientists studying the behaviour of particles at high speeds.

A ray of hope for leprosy patients

Two groups of Indian scientists have developed anti-leprosy vaccines that they claim are also effective in helping victims recover.

First indirect evidence of baryons

Existence of these sub-atomic particles has been long suspected, but yet to be conclusively proven

Elusive top quark

The pulse of speed

A theory is taking shape which might enable us to observe the motion of electrons

Constant inconsistency

Sharper limits set on how much quantities so far considered to have a fixed value can vary

A matter of mass

The neutrino, an elementary particle, may not be massless, as assumed

Chaos and order

...have a strange relationship. And this is how a red blood cell loses its nucleus

A fitting answer to anthropocentrism

Collision course

One of the enduring mysteries of particle physics is probably heading for a solution

Heated within

Neutral source