Feat of filigree
Even modern technology cannot equal the uniformity discovered in fine gold and silver threads found in a 17th century Mughal tent
Big is out, small is in
A financially squeezed NASA has been forced to look for cheaper ways to explore the solar system
Fingering the keyboard
Indian scientists are developing computers that can understand and respond to the spoken wordIndian scientists are developing computers that can …
Sweet rediscovery
A staple for many Asian and African nations, sweet potato is only now beginning to catch the attention of scientists
Smaller and faster
A new technique could result in particle accelerators small enough to be accommodated in any university laboratory
Eating oil
Fertilisers accelerate growth not only in plants but also in certain microbes that feast on oil
Antidote to cancer
Scientists have discovered an oestrogen derivative that controls tumours and could be effective against other diseases like arthritis
How much of the world did the muskox see?
Recent evidence suggests that the muskox, believed to have become extinct 10,000 years ago, may have actually survived till much later.
A gene that follows its own drum-beat
A team of Russian scientists have found in mice a gene, which, unlike others, decides when to express itself
Ants take the shortest route to success
An Israeli mathematician offers proof of how ants, without a bird's eye view of their terrain, are still able to follow a straight route to food
Faster than the Concorde, bigger than the jumbo
The aviation industry is working on producing two 21st century aircraft: the HSCT, which can cut flying time by half; and the super jumbo, which …
Just a radio signal to whisk you to office
The concept of teleportation or moving people and objects instantaneously, which was made popular by the American serial Star Trek, is now …
Was the Archaeopteryx: Bird or dinosaur?
An American ornithologist says he has found fresh evidence that the world's oldest bird-like creature, the Archaeopteryx, was undoubtedly a bird. …
Ancient Mexican script yields up its secrets
A hieroglyphic script in which the earliest Central American texts were written has been partly deciphered, thanks to an engraved slab found by …
New form of carbon opens up exciting possibilities
The discovery of a simple procedure for synthesis of a new crystalline form of carbon has opened up immense possibilities in the field of …
A long step forward in nerve communications
Agrin, a protein released by nerve cells, helps in triggering off the formation of a machinery through which neurons communicate.
Geysers can help predict quakes
Erratic eruptions of gushing hot springs have been recorded before the occurrence of tremors. Though scientists are not sure why this happens, …
Dead brain cells may be replaceable
Certain mouse brain cells have been found to be capable of producing neurons. Scientists say if similar cells are found to exist in the human …
New theory explains the evolution of sexes
An Oxford biologist says sexes exist to prevent chaos within cells during reproduction. And why only two sexes? Because life would get too …
And now, "calculating" babies
Babies less than six months old have the surprising abilities to distinguish shapes, sizes and colours. Now, a study indicates infants can even …
Scientists seek clues to properties of water
A molecular theory is being put forward to explain why water behaves the way it does, but proof still eludes the researchers.
Caught between athletes and technology
Technology is taking sports to new highs, triggering a debate on whether competitions should be between people or between machines.
Learning Sanskrit on computers
A software programme project that will be a boon to those who want to learn Sanskrit is threatened by a lack of funds.
The magic eye
Sounds almost like a sci-fi movie, but there is light in the dark for those who have lost their eyesight. A high-tech curing device is on the anvil
The central truth
Latest studies lend credence to the theory that the Milky Way has a large black hole at its center
