US biologist found dead during Crete conference, police suspect homicide
Suzanne Eaton was working as a developmental biologist at Germany’s Max Planck institutes
My PhD supervisor just won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for designing a safer, cheaper and faster way to build molecules and make medicine
How do chemists make the correct version of a molecule so that drugs work as intended
Animals can feel an upcoming earthquake, says study
Animals might sense ionisation of the air caused by large rock pressures in earthquake zones with their fur. They can also smell gases released …
Moon is shrinking, causing moonquakes
In the past millions of years the Earth’s natural satellite has shrunk by almost 46 meters
Space Race 2.0: Littered backyard
There have been about 70 anti-satellite missile missions by four countries, but only a few have been catalogued for creating debris
Notre-Dame de Paris: From searing emotion to the future rebirth of a World Heritage Site
Of all the historic monuments on earth, Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the “superstars”: its unique history, exceptional architecture …
Robots develop new semiconductor materials in tests that are 10 times faster & greener
With the technology, scientists have been able to develop alloys with perovskites materials that can improve solar cells
A pirate loved by academics
Alexandra Elbakyan's Sci-Hub is putting up a spirited fight against publishers who shackle science behind high cost paywalls
How did gold and silver come into existence?
As we celebrate Dhanteras, auspicious for purchasing gold and silver, here's some perspective on where these metals originated
Ice Man of Ladakh: Chewang Norphel who builds artificial glaciers
Mr. Norphel is a retired civil engineer from Ladakh. He is popularly known as 'Ice Man of Ladakh' as his innovative method of water conservation …
Seeking a fair price for drugs
The WHO is working on finding a fair pricing model for medicines but will Big Pharma accept it?
An ode to the cloudy skies
We asked our readers to send photographs of clouds. In response, we received a stunning collection of evocative clicks with clouds as the …
India's first CNG kit for scooters and motorcycles
Sriram M Bhat, Director of iTuk—the company that manufactures CNG kits for two wheelers—talks to Down to Earth on the advantages of …
Unbuttoning the gender straitjacket
Attempts at subverting the delusions of gender should begin with a progressive fashioning of young minds
Nitrogen overload
Human-induced nitrogen emissions have surpassed natural emissions, damaging health and the environment
What is fake meat?
Artificial or lab-made meat will hit our dining tables in the near future. But there are certain issues that will have to be resolved before this …
25 years of the Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope has completed its 25 years in the lower Earth orbit. In all these years, the telescope has sent some stunning pictures …
Methane's metal link
Fresh evidence suggests that the presence of certain metals is essential for the natural production of methane
Curtain falls over aurora borealis
The aurora borealis is caused not by solar flares but by gigantic portions of the corona flowing out of the Sun
On Stygian shores
Technology is opening up new vistas for the world's underworld, as crooks learn to manipulate it to outwit their pursuers and captors
A will where there is a hill
Ants have found ways by which to make up for the loss of the queen. The perpetuation of the species and the continued use of the elaborate nests …
An ink to baffle cheats
Secret documents are now safe from the threat of being duplicated as a new ink has been developed which disappears when exposed to the bright …
Friendly home-spy
A radar which can check oil in your car engine and can be used in many of your daily chores has been developed by the Lawrence Livermore …
Flexible software
A new software which is less expensive, swift and easily adaptable will soon be used in computer-assisted clinical trials
Slick click
Five famous brands of the photographic industry are throwing their combined weight behind a new innovation. The camera they have developed will …