Dire efforts: On de-extinction and conservation
Colossal Biosciences is an American company with an unusual marketing line: combining genomics with conservation — not in its traditional form, but through de-extinction, which is resurrecting species extinct for thousands of years. Leading this project is Harvard geneticist George Church, a prominent promoter of the company, who aims to bring back the woolly mammoth, […]
ATREE researchers rediscover long-lost species after 111 years
Typhloperipatus williamsoni was spotted in the Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A team of researchers at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and The Environment (ATREE) had reported rediscovering a long-lost species of the velvet worms (phylum Onychophora), one of the oldest living fossils in the world, after 111 […]
Mughals, Delhi Sultanate dropped; ‘sacred geography’, Maha Kumbh added, ET Education
When contacted, NCERT officials said these are only first part of the book and second part is expected in coming months. They, however, did not comment on whether the dropped portions will be retained in the second part of the book. All references to Mughals and Delhi Sultanate have been dropped from class 7 NCERT […]
Trump’s NASA chief nominee boasts business experience in uncertain time
Jared Isaacman, billionaire, CEO and nominee to become the next NASA administrator, faced questions on April 9, 2025, from members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation during his confirmation hearing for the position. Should the Senate confirm him, Isaacman will be the first billionaire – but not the first astronaut – to […]
Ecological disruptions are a risk to national security
When the natural environment is stretched beyond its ability to meet basic human needs for food, clean air, drinkable water and shelter, it is not just a humanitarian concern for the world community. Research shows that these crises are a matter of national security for the U.S. and other countries. The Pentagon and the U.S. […]
RNA-based antiviral offers strong defence against deadly agri virus
Every year, farmers battle an invisible, relentless, formidable enemy: plant viruses. Unlike bacteria or fungi, which can be controlled with pesticides or fungicides, there is no straightforward way to cure crops of viral infections. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), plant pests and diseases destroy nearly 40% of the world’s annual crop, […]
White House aims to eliminate NOAA climate research in budget plan
The NOAA logo is seen behind Florida governor Ron DeSantis as he talks to the media during a news conference as Hurricane Dorian approaches the U.S. state, August 29, 2019. | Photo Credit: Reuters The administration of President Donald Trump aims to eliminate the arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that oversees research […]
IISc: Venom characteristics of Russell’s viper depend on local climate
Local climate can be used to predict the venom characteristics of Russell’s viper, a deadly snake that is widespread in India, helping clinicians to provide targeted therapies for snake bite victims, according to a study published by IISc researchers on April 10 in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) is found across […]
Can fruit fly larvae sense electric fields?
Researchers have found that besides sharks, bees and platypus, even fruit fly larvae can sense electric fields and navigate toward the negative electric potential using a small set of sensory neurons in their head. Researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara immersed a fruit fly larva in an electric field and they found […]
Study finds a shift in peak time of maximum rainfall
A study which examined the spatial rainfall trends across India has found that the amount of rainfall per day in certain parts of India has increased during the last decade 2011-2020 compared with the previous decade (2001-2010) while certain other parts have witnessed a reduction in the rainfall amount. The study has used the GSMaP-ISRO […]