Science

While scientists believed that asteroid Bennu had a smooth and plain surface, they were recently astonished to learn the true nature of its exterior. An analysis of the data gathered by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft revealed that Bennu’s surface consists of loosely packed particles that resemble a pit filled with plastic balls. The latest revelation was

A group of scientists have identified that the fossil records of yunnanozoans, an extinct creature that lived 518 million years ago in the Cambrian Period, are the oldest known stem vertebrates. Stem vertebrates refer to creatures that were vertebrates, i.e. possessing a spinal column, but have now gone extinct though have closely related living vertebrates.

Paving the way for the fabrication of artificial hearts, bioengineers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have successfully created a biohybrid model of human ventricles. The fabrication of a human heart is crucial as a heart cannot repair itself after injuries like other organs. But, to do so,

Researchers have found that certain drugs used for treating ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) could help deal with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. In a new study, researchers analysed how noradrenergic drugs, used in ADHD patients, can also be used for treating Alzheimer’s. These drugs tend to target the noradrenergic system which has locus coeruleus, a

Twitter employees expressed disbelief and exhaustion on Friday after billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said he was terminating a deal to buy the social media company in what could be the start of months of legal wrangling. Musk said Twitter breached multiple provisions of a $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,49,060 crore)  merger agreement struck in April, including

While clouds are made of water on Earth, their composition is quite different on other distant planets. Scientists have noted that some of these planets have sand clouds of silicates but could not unravel the conditions under which they are formed. Now, a new study has revealed the common trait that is conducive to sand

Scientists have managed to determine one of the biggest mysteries in recent astrophysics – the formation of quasars in the early universe. These cosmic entities were first spotted in 2003, and soon after, over 200 quasars were identified by supermassive black holes. These 200 quasars had formed within the first billion years after the formation

NASA has a provided a tantalising teaser photo ahead of the highly-anticipated release next week of the first deep-space images from the James Webb Telescope –- an instrument so powerful it can peer back into the origins of the universe. The $10 billion (roughly Rs. 79,300 crore) observatory — launched in December last year and

Researchers have developed a new bioplastic that can disintegrate into its derivative components upon a disintegrate “command”. In the latest successful attempt in solving the problem of creating easily recyclable plastics, the new bioplastic can be broken down into reusable components in the form of high-quality biopolymers for various uses. The new development may prove

Detroit airport in the United States recently added a futuristic information board that shows travellers personalised information about their flight. The “Parallel Reality” board, currently in its beta stage, has been developed by Misapplied Sciences in collaboration with Delta Airlines. As per a release by the airline, the screen caters to up to 100 people

Space travel company Virgin Galactic on Wednesday said it had reached an agreement with Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to build two new air launch carrier aircraft for its spaceships. These new motherships will replace Virgin Galactic‘s existing carrier plane — the VMS Eve built by Scaled Composites — with the first of the new

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) — the modular space station orbiting the Earth — conducted experiments on Tuesday to explore space physics, artificial intelligence, the human nervous system, and the effect of microgravity on the human body in space. Conditions in space, such as zero gravity, allow astronauts the ability to explore phenomena

Researchers have found unique carbon crystals having unusual shapes in the grains of preserved meteorite dust. The dust was the result of a space rock explosion that took place over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013. The meteorite fell on February 15, 2013, in Chelyabinsk city in Russia’s southern region. It measured 18 metres across and weighed

Scientists revealed a large, all-season ozone hole in the lower stratosphere over the tropics comparable in depth to that of the well-known springtime Antarctic hole, but roughly seven times greater in area. The observed data agree well with the cosmic-ray-driven electron reaction (CRE) model and strongly indicate the identical physical mechanism working for both Antarctic

Researchers have developed a method to make plastics more degradable in natural environments, with the use of Ultraviolet (UV) light. According to scientists at the Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technology (CSCT) of the University of Bath, the degradability of a polymer used in the material used to create disposable plastic items can be changed

Researchers have developed new lithium-ion batteries that perform well at both freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures while packing a lot of energy. The batteries, described in the journal PNAS, could allow electric vehicles in cold climates to travel farther on a single charge. They could also reduce the need for cooling systems to keep

A satellite the size of a microwave oven successfully broke free from its orbit around Earth on Monday and is headed toward the moon, the latest step in NASA’s plan to land astronauts on the lunar surface again. It’s been an unusual journey already for the Capstone satellite. It was launched six days ago from

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, have designed an affordable ‘radiative cooler’ coating material, an alternative to air-conditioning system that needs no electricity to operate. According to officials, this material is an electricity-free cooling system as it can be applied on the rooftops, and functions both during day and night time to provide