Science

From high above Earth, satellites have captured a sight so extraordinary that scientists initially thought it was a camera malfunction. Across the deep blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean stretches a colossal brown ribbon, twisting and turning for more than 8,850 kilometres. This is not a living serpent or a strange current, but a vast…

Starship test flight launch SpaceX conducted another test flight of its massive Starship rocket on Monday, successfully completing half a global journey while deploying mock satellites as in the previous mission.The world’s largest and most powerful rocket, Starship, lifted off from Texas’s southern edge. The booster separated and entered the Gulf of Mexico in a…

Isro opens XPoSat observatory to Indian scientists BENGALURU: Isro on Monday announced the first Announcement of Opportunity (AO) cycle for its X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), inviting Indian scientists and researchers to submit proposals for observations using the space-based observatory.Launched on January 1, 2024, aboard the PSLV C-58 rocket from Sriharikota, XPoSat is India’s first dedicated…

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne, and Omar M Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, “for the development of metal–organic frameworks.“Announcing the award, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the trio received the prize for “creating new…

In a major scientific breakthrough, scientists have identified two specific types of brain cells linked to depression for the first time, offering a clearer biological understanding of the disorder. Researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Institute discovered that neurons and microglia, two key cell types responsible for regulating emotion and inflammation, show significant genetic…

India, the land of golden summers and clear blue skies, is quietly losing its sunlight. A comprehensive scientific analysis titled Long-term trends in sunshine duration across India (1988–2018) has revealed a steady and widespread decline in sunshine hours across the country. Conducted by researchers from Banaras Hindu University, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune),…

A spectacular and rare view of Mount Everest has recently captured worldwide attention, offering perspectives both from space and the Indian plains. NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared a striking image from the International Space Station (ISS), showcasing the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas in vivid detail. The photograph highlights Everest’s iconic summit rising above Nepal’s…

File photo: Scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Omar Yaghi and Richard Robson STOCKHOLM: Scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel chemistry prize for developing a new form of molecular architecture, yielding materials that can help tackle challenges such as climate change and lack of fresh water.The three laureates worked to create molecular…

In a rare cosmic discovery, scientists have detected an interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, releasing water vapour while still far from the Sun, a phenomenon that has left astronomers astonished. Using NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, researchers identified ultraviolet signatures of hydroxyl (OH), a byproduct of water molecules broken apart by sunlight. What makes this extraordinary is…

Deep in the Pacific Ocean, a tiny bright yellow worm called Paralvinella hessleri thrives where almost nothing else can, around boiling hydrothermal vents that gush metal-rich, poisonous fluids. These underwater chimneys are packed with toxic substances, including arsenic and hydrogen sulphide. Yet, instead of dying, the worm uses these poisons to its advantage. According to…