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  ISRO-NASA joint space mission on cards for 2022 launch; blueprint discussed in Modi-Trump talks

  February 26, 2020 8:42 IST

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump met in New Delhi for bilateral talks when the US President embarked on his first state visit to India. Amongst other things, on agenda was a possible joint collaboration between Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on prospects like Mars exploration and commercial space cooperation.

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  NASA's InSight lander helps decode Martian weather

  February 25, 2020 13:07 IST

  InSight's onboard equipments included a seismometer for detecting Mars' quakes, sensors for gauging wind and air pressure, a magnetometer for measuring the planet's magnetic forces, and a probe designed to take the planet's temperature, the American space agency had said in a statement.

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  Exposure to alcohol advertising linked to teen drinking: Study

  February 24, 2020 16:41 IST

  Exposure to alcohol advertising can change the attitudes of teens about the beverage, and can cause them to start drinking, according to a study which may lead to new policy recommendations for television commercials.

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  25% climate change messages on Twitter written by bots: Study

  February 22, 2020 23:37 IST

  A lot of messages denying the effects of global warming might actually have been written by bots as new research from Brown University in the US found that about 25 per cent of the tweets about climate change that they analysed were produced by automated accounts.

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  Australian fusion startup promises unlimited, safe energy

  February 22, 2020 18:35 IST

  An Australian fusion startup called HB11 which is a spin-off from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, has secured patents for its ground-breaking, laser-driven technique for fusion energy generation that promises clear, safe energy.  

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  NASA discovers water in Jupiter's atmosphere

  February 22, 2020 14:46 IST

    NASA scientists have recently discovered that Jupiters contain water in its atmosphere, albeit in a fractional amount. According to a statement on NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's website, nearly 0.25 percent of Jupiter's atmosphere comprises of water, especially around the equatorial regions. 

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  46,000-year-old frozen horned lark bird found in Siberia

  February 22, 2020 11:35 IST

  Scientists have recovered genetic material from the well-preserved remains of the bird horned lark, trapped in frozen Siberian soil, and have found that that the bird is 46,000-year-old, a finding that can help understand how the region transformed at the end of the last ice age when the Earth was largely covered in ice and snow.

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  MIT scientists use AI model to identify powerful new antibiotic

  February 21, 2020 23:20 IST

  US researchers used an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify a powerful new antibiotic compound, which could kill many of the world's most problematic disease-causing bacteria in lab tests.

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  Tiny prehistoric lizard sheds light on reptile evolution: Study

  February 21, 2020 14:16 IST

  Researchers have unearthed a new prehistoric reptile species which they claim to be an ancestor to modern-day lizards and snakes, a finding that sheds more light on the early evolution of four-legged creatures.

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  How newborn stars prepare for birth of planets

  February 21, 2020 7:24 IST

  Astronomers want to know exactly when these disks start to form, and what they look like. But young stars are very faint, and there are dense clouds of dust and gas surrounding them in stellar nurseries. 

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  Indian scientists develop new, improved method to survey lion populations

  February 20, 2020 18:32 IST

  An alternative method for monitoring endangered lions in India could improve estimates of their abundance, according to a study which may help inform conservation policy and management decisions

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  New engine to make rockets fuel-efficient, lightweight

  February 19, 2020 18:58 IST

  A new type of engine -- called a rotating detonation engine -- promises to make rockets not only more fuel-efficient but also more lightweight and less complicated to construct, say researchers.

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  Water may be variably distributed across Jupiter's atmosphere: NASA

  February 19, 2020 16:51 IST

  Water makes up about 0.25 per cent of the molecules in Jupiter's atmosphere along its equator -- almost three times that of the Sun, according to a study based on data from NASA's Juno mission launched in 2011.

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  Coronavirus vaccine: Sanofi joins hands with US govt to expedite development

  February 19, 2020 15:57 IST

  Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of French pharma major Sanofi, on Wednesday said it will leverage its previous development work for a SARS vaccine to develop a potential vaccine for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease).

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  Starting schools late may help reduce rates of vehicle accidents involving teens: Study

  February 19, 2020 15:48 IST

  Later school start times are associated with a significant drop in vehicle accidents involving teen drivers, according to a study which may lead to more optimal school time tables which take student safety into account.

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  Saliva can predict excess body fat in teenagers

  February 19, 2020 11:44 IST

  In addition to keeping the mouth moist and protecting us against germs, saliva can also be used for early detection of the risk of developing diseases associated with surplus body fat, a new study suggests.

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  Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to fight climate change

  February 18, 2020 22:51 IST

  The world's richest man Jeff Bezos on Tuesday announced a donation of $10 billion to fund scientists, activists and NGOs to help preserve and protect the Earth from climate change.

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  Old people, patients with existing conditions most prone to die from coronavirus infection: Study

  February 18, 2020 16:56 IST

  People infected with the novel coronavirus who are more than 80 years old have the highest chances of dying from infection of all age groups, according to the largest study since the highly contagious outbreak began in China, with details of nearly 44,000 cases.

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  'Brain circuit involved in generating conscious awareness unravelled in monkeys'

  February 17, 2020 12:49 IST

  Researchers have demonstrated that a small jab of electricity delivered to a particular point in the brain can snap a monkey even out of deep unconsciousness, an advance that may lead to the discovery of nerve circuits key to conscious awareness, and potential treatments for brain disorders.

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  Key NASA science, cargo head to space station

  February 16, 2020 21:54 IST

  A Northrop Grumman rocket carrying the Cygnus resupply spacecraft has been successfully launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia in the US.

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  80% children with cancer do not survive beyond teenage

  February 15, 2020 13:56 IST

  It is estimated that nearly 300,000 children up to the age of 19 years are diagnosed with cancers worldwide; and only 20 per cent of them survive to live beyond their teenage. 

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  ICRISAT launches new facility to accelerate plant life-cycle

  February 14, 2020 23:32 IST

  Giving a major boost to the efforts to modernise crop breeding, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on Friday launched new facility, which is projected to significantly lower time and cost of crop varietal development.

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  Asteroid larger than any man-made structure to hurl past Earth on February 15: NASA

  February 14, 2020 9:28 IST

  Asteroid bigger than any man-made structure is hurling towards earth at a speed of 34,000 miles per hour. NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has said that the 'potentially hazardous' asteroid could come into contact with the earth on February 15 2020, at 6:05 am EST.

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  Earth just witnessed its hottest January on record!

  February 13, 2020 23:57 IST

  The Earth experienced its hottest January in recorded history last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday. According to NOAA, it was the 44th consecutive January, and the 421st consecutive month, with temperatures above the 20th-century average.

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  NASA hiring more astronauts to explore Moon, Mars

  February 13, 2020 18:34 IST

  As NASA prepares to land the first woman and the next man on the South Pole of the Moon by 2024 under its Artemis programme and then send humans to Mars, the US space agency wants to hire more astronauts.

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  Mars may periodically see formation of salt water, says research

  February 13, 2020 7:48 IST

  For Mars, the first day without carbon dioxide ice in spring is called the "crocus date." Melting occurs on or immediately after the crocus date, and therefore the term "crocus melting".  

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  Taller men may have lower dementia risk in old age: Study

  February 12, 2020 17:49 IST

  Men who are taller may have a lower risk of dementia later in life, according to a Danish study. Finding ways to identify individuals at risk of dementia can help people take preventive measures, or plan for their future care, the researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark noted.

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  Scientists discover massive newborn planet close to Earth

  February 12, 2020 14:20 IST

  The planet orbits its sun at 600 times the distance of the Earth to the Sun. How this young, giant planet could have ended up so far away from its young "parent" star is a mystery.