Scientists find out what imparts sparkle to fish scales and insect wings
Discovery of ‘universal explanation’ for iridescence in natural world could help humans develop super-reflective surfaces
Electric idea
College students in Delhi make and sell solar-powered lamps to promote use of renewable energy
JNU to establish new centre for research in natural products
The main objective of the centre is to screen natural products to identify potential candidates for further optimisation and preclinical and …
This Hawaiian tree snail is the first extinction of 2019
George, of the species Achatinella apexfulva, died on New Year’s Day, 2019
Will the new Yamuna River Project clean up the river?
A study by the University of Virginia on cooperation between India and Spain aims at rejuvenating the Yamuna as it flows through India’s …
Publishing biggies target Delhi University photocopy shop
Students demand right to access study material after Cambridge and Oxford university press move move court against neighbourhood photocopy shop …
Fast-spreading banana fungus poses major threat to African food security
High risk as same banana strain grown in most plantations; Staple food for millions can be affected
Trio win physics Nobel for studying universe's expansion
The laureates studied several dozen exploding stars, called supernovae and made the discovery
'South Asia, Africa show poor progress towards MDGs'
India fares worse than Bangladesh and Nepal, says report
Rice yields could plummet 40% by 2100 due to climate change: Stanford University
At least 2 billion people, especially in Asia, could be affected due to the scarcity
Lateral Thoughts: Mix and match research
We still need to find the best vaccination protocol
Sudden stratospheric warming may be behind recent cold weather
Europe and Northern Asia could be in for another ‘Beast from the East’
India at high risk to a little-known disease, says an Oxford study
Melioidosis is caused by a highly pathogenic bacterium and currently has no vaccine
Can uterus control the brain too?
A study shows that hysterectomy causes memory loss in patients
Energy in news on May 2
Here’s a round-up of today’s news reports and developments on energy
Your phone and your brain - what we know so far
The evidence indicates that there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the long-term impacts of digital device use on cognition
Bacteriophages: An answer to antibiotic resistance
Research on new antibiotics have hit a wall. Bacteriophages that kill disease-causing bacteria provide an alternative treatment
UN 2023 Water Conference: I am hopeful Great Salt Lake won’t go the Aral Sea and Lake Urmia way, says Kevin Perry
Down To Earth speaks to Kevin Perry from the University of Utah on the Great Salt Lake in the American West
Research finds toxins in fracking fluid and wastewater
Out of the 240 chemicals analysed, 157 were associated with either developmental or reproductive toxicity
‘India’s statements about Zika virus in Rajasthan are detrimental to public awareness’
Yale scientist Nathan Grubaugh criticises the central and state response to the Zika crisis, praises Down To Earth’s Madhya Pradesh …
Translocation can stop extinction: new salamander study
A Purdue University research tracked 41 Hellbenders, a type of salamander found in the midwestern US
Scientists develop transgenic rice that can grow under high salinity, drought
A team of Indian and international scientists hit upon the idea while studying a wild rice variety, Pokkali, grown in coastal regions of Kerala
Smart device developed for precise use of herbicides
Indian and American researchers have developed a weed removal device for precise application of herbicide that can reduce crop damage and …
Here’s what people in their 90s really think about death
Death was part of life for many of the older people who often said they were taking each day as it comes and not worrying too much about tomorrow
Common drugs can affect our minds and morals—but should we be worried about it?
A study shows that propranolol, sometimes prescribed for hypertension, affects normal people’s memories, making them less likely to …