Tamil Nadu may encounter El Niño differently from rest of India
A view of the Kothapatnam beach. In an El Niño year, India has recorded deficient rainfall and more incidence of droughts, on average. However, Tamil Nadu has reported a strikingly different pattern. | Photo Credit: Kommuri Srinivas/The Hindu The El Niño Southern Oscillation is a climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that happens every two […]
The Nobel for IceCube and the search for neutrinos from outer space | Explained
The story so far: Belgian-born U.S. physicist Francis Halzen has won the physics Nobel Prize for 2026 for helping build the IceCube observatory in Antarctica — a telescope that has no mirrors or lenses and doesn’t even point at the stars. Using 5,000 sensors buried deep in the ice, IceCube has explored what natural processes […]
Indian research can shape the world
‘For science from India to have global impact by developing transformative technologies, four things need to be addressed.’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto People fret about the buses India has missed in its technological growth. The list is familiar: aircraft, advanced weapons, new materials, and biotechnology. In each, we look at what others built decades […]
Analysis: Why NASA wants to build nuclear reactor on the moon
NASA wants to install a nuclear reactor near the moon’s south pole by 2030. Its planned output, 20 kilowatt (kW), could power a few households on earth. Russia’s planned reactor for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), led by China, will produce around 10 kW. But the fact that they are nuclear makes them significant. […]
Delhi breathes worst AQI of the season, experts warn of more polluted days | Delhi News
On Sunday, Delhi reported its poorest air quality this season with an AQI of 187, indicating a movement towards unhealthy conditions NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded its worst air quality of the season at 187 Sunday, slipping to the higher end of the ‘moderate’ category. However, at least 19 monitoring stations recorded a poor AQI during […]
Sikkim Government Partners with Google to Enhance AI Education, ETEducation
The partnership will see the rollout of the Google AI Educator Series, a hands-on programme aimed at training higher education faculty in the use of Google’s latest AI tools, according to a press statement issued by the Education department. Gangtok, The Sikkim Education Department and Google have partnered to promote the use of artificial intelligence […]
Space Wrap newsletter: Buzz on space privatisation upstages ISRO’s moment of glory
The successful predawn launch of the advanced earth observation satellite EOS-05, on board the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket on September 4, 2026 from the spaceport in Sriharikota brought considerable relief for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO): it had finally successfully launched a rocket and place a satellite in orbit after a gap of […]
How a Bihar Village School Is Bringing Digital Lessons to 660 Students
This story is part of “How Tech Changed It” — The Better India’s series that looks at how technology has transformed the sectors, systems and everyday experiences around us. From how we travel and learn to how we farm, build, communicate and access healthcare, each story traces the journey from what it was like before […]
IceCube neutrino observatory: The big, chill neutrino-spotter
The IceCube neutrino observatory is a device at the Earth’s South Pole that detects subatomic particles called neutrinos. It was built and is maintained by the IceCube Collaboration, which consists of many universities worldwide led by the University of Wisconsin, Madison. IceCube consists of thousands of sensors buried more than 1.4 km beneath the ice […]
Physics Nobel 2026 goes to Francis Halzen for discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin”. Image courtesy: @NobelPrize / Illustration: Niklas Elmehed The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2026 has been awarded to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube […]