Stable steriods
Capable of reducing bone destruction and pain, steroids lend a strong hand to arthritis patients
Red planet rumbles: NASA’s recordings of ‘marsquakes’ let us listen to the martian heartbeat
Sounds and vibrations are important, they tell us about the medium they’re travelling through
Scientists create first portrait of a Denisovan by analysing chemical changes to DNA
The ancient hominins shared many traits with Neanderthals: Low foreheads and wide rib cages, an elongated face and a wide pelvis; but differed in …
Study paves the way for new approach to boost rice yield
The new development represents a new approach towards developing rice varieties that produce bigger and consequently heavier grains
Rakesh Sharma on space exploration and technology
Wing Commander (retired) Rakesh Sharma recently completed 35 years of being the first Indian to have ever set foot in space. He talked to Down To …
Kashmir’s Dal Lake harbours bacteria that can degrade pesticides
The presence of naturally-occurring bacteria that is resistant to an insecticide widely used in the region may help in bioremediation …
Bacteria can breakdown biodiesel waste into useful products
Indian scientists have developed a technique to breakdown glycerol into commercially-useful products using bacterial strains
The fine science of copying
Scientists and academics in India plagiarise liberally and come up with ingenious excuses for unethical practices
What's the best way to go to the toilet – squatting or sitting?
Pauline Hanson’s concern about the ATO installing squat toilets to cater for its increasingly diverse workforce has prompted debate about …
Have scientists stumbled upon the brain of a plant?
Scientists have shown how a 'decision making centre' of a plant that assesses environmental conditions and determine when seeds will germinate
Kerala botanists discover 2 new ginger species in Arunachal
The first species is named after a sacred abode of a spirit invoked by Mishmi community in Lohit district, & second acknowledges …
Wild red fox can help monitor antibiotic resistance in the environment: study
This information is needed to access the impact for humans and enables implementation of possible control measures for antimicrobial …
How biological response may help avert another mass extinction of species
A new study shows that starfish can resort to rapid genetic selection when subjected to mortality shock due to a wasting disease
Early warning system to predict dengue possible by mining data
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun, attempted to estimate how weather conditions can lead to a more severe …
Artificial membrane inspired by fish scales may help in cleaning oil spills
Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a membrane that can separate water from various forms of oil-contaminations
Judicious use of bioinsecticide may help control filariasis vector
A public health problem in some parts of the country, filariasis is caused by parasitic worms
A mobile app that can help you track Zero Shadow Days
An app is enabling school children to understand history of measuring time and navigation
New book explodes myth about cost of instruments used by Sir C V Raman
The book provides full account of how Raman and his students created and perpetuated myth that Raman Effect was discovered by spending just 200 …
Glycogen in neurons of degenerating brains is beneficial: study
A new study by IIT Kanpur suggests that glycogen has a protective role in neurons of patients suffering with neurodegenerative disorders
Why are birds able to perceive magnetic fields? Scientists now have an answer
A protein called Cry4, which is present in the eyes of birds, responds to earth’s magnetism and helps them navigate
Did a hunting technique make humans more artistic than Neanderthals?
Throwing spears from long distances to hunt big prey helped evolve hand-eye coordination in humans, which also allowed them to make art in caves, …
Stone Age tools found in Tamil Nadu suggest re-framing of ‘Out of Africa’ theories
New evidence suggests that a Middle Palaeolithic culture was present in India around 385,000 years ago—roughly the same time that it is …
DNA and grey cells
Book>> GENES, CELLS AND BRAINS, THE PROMETHEAN PROMISES OF THE NEW BIOLOGY • by Hillary Rose and Steven Rose • Verso • Rs 1,550
Our complex world
Book>> The quantum universe, everything that can happen can happen •Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw • Allen Lane • Rs 699
Power shoe
Apart from fitness there is another good reason one should walk: charging mobile phone. Mandar Tulankar, an engineering student in Nagpur, has …