To save the planet, first save elephants
Wiping out all of Africa’s elephants could accelerate Earth’s climate crisis by allowing 7% more damaging greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, scientists say. But conserving forest elephants may reverse
Wiping out all of Africa’s elephants could accelerate Earth’s climate crisis by allowing 7% more damaging greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, scientists say. But conserving forest elephants may reverse
The much-delayed Kudankulam project is set to be commissioned within the next two weeks as nuclear scientists have entered the final lap of a series of tests on its safety and efficacy. “Within this month 100 per cent. It will take about two weeks,” Ratan Kumar Sinha, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission told PTI in Kolkata on the sidelines of the 100th Indian Science Congress when asked about the commissioning of the first 1,000 MW unit of the project.
‘State not fully prepared to meet disasters’ With scientists across the globe warning of massive earthquakes of magnitude 8.5 in the Himalayas, the hilly Jammu and Kashmir, which lies in seismic zone IV and V, may witness the worst ever tremors that could cause “immeasurable destruction” owing to “faulty planning” and “ill-preparedness” on part of the state government. Worried over the state government’s “laid-back approach on latent but imminent danger”, experts say the authorities should do holistic planning instead of getting into a fire-fighting mode during a disaster.
Prof. A. Ajayaghosh, a scientist with the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, has won the Infosys Prize 2012 in physical sciences for his pioneering research in the field of supramolecular architecture. This research can play a key role in early cancer diagnosis and in the early detection of the presence of different kinds of explosives. Explaining the details of this innovation, Prof. Ajayaghosh explained, “We assemble molecules using weak forces in order to create different kinds of architecture in varying sizes and shapes. This special class of molecules, called pi-systems, can communicate with each other and when they do so, they undergo a change in their properties which can be utilised for different applications.”
The second Indian Biodiversity Congress (IBC 2012) held at Bangalore earlier this month has called for a ban on field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India and a 10-year moratorium on Bt food crops. The three-day event, which witnessed a large turnout of scientists, conservationists, environmentalists, civil society groups and local communities from across the country, stressed the need to bring the regulation of biotechnological processes and products under the purview of the Biodiversity Act. For the purpose, the Department of Biotechnology should be brought within the Ministry of Environment and Forests, it suggested.
In what can have huge implications for countries like India, scientists have warned of massive earthquakes in the Himalayas, especially in areas where the surface is yet to be broken by a tremblor. A research
A ‘life map’ of biodiversity showing the organisation of terrestrial life on Earth has been updated after more than a century. The original map, drawn up by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace
Scientists using an intra-galactic speed gun have detected five new planets, relatively close to Earth, and one of them is orbiting a star’s habitable zone, where conditions are suitable for life. It would
Scientists using an intra-galactic speed gun have detected five new planets, relatively close to Earth, and one of them is orbiting a star’s habitable zone, where conditions are suitable for life. It
Scientists including two Indian-origin researchers have developed a fleet of portable pollution sensors that allow users to monitor air quality on their smartphones. The sensors could be particularly
Sea-dwelling fossil shells reveal 60,000-year-old link relating to climate change Link dating back to 60,000 years between sea surface temperature of Northeast Indian Ocean (NEIO) and North Atlantic climate oscillations, probably through ocean atmospheric connection, was found by researchers. In a study on oxygen isotopes deposited in fossil shells in the ocean sediment through AMS radiocarbon dating, it was also found that the Indian monsoon was much more intense 6,000-8,000 years ago than the present period. In the study carried out by scientists from CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute here, researchers from the School of Geography Science, Nanjing Normal University and the School of Earth Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China collaborated in dating the fossils.