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Science News

Dogs may get addicted to toys like humans to gambling: Study

  • Dogs may show signs of addiction to their toys that are similar to the behavioural addictions in humans, such as gambling or internet gaming, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Researchers found that some dogs refused to eat treats or showed cravings and withdrawal symptoms when their toys were taken away. The study was conducted on 105 dogs.
    • -Nature

Researchers develop 'killer' cells that hide from immune system & destroy cancer

  • Researchers from MIT and Harvard Medical School have engineered a new cell, called CAR-NK (natural killer) cells, which can "hide" from the immune system and effectively destroy cancer cells. For this, the researchers removed the cells' surface proteins. "This enables us to do one-step engineering of CAR-NK cells that can avoid rejection by host," an author of the study said.
    • -MIT News

How scientists sharpened Webb telescope's vision from mn kms away?

  • Scientists from the University of Sydney restored the sharpness of the James Webb Telescope, the world's most powerful telescope, from 1.5 million km away from Earth. The team fixed a blur in Webb's aperture masking interferometer using physics modelling and AI. Their correction produced clearer images of planets, black holes and Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io.
    • -Moneycontrol

COVID-19 may cause changes in sperm, says study

  • A father's SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) infection before conception can alter their offspring's brain development and behaviour through changes in sperm, a new study on mice has shown. The mice were allowed to recover for a few weeks before mating and the resultant offspring showed more anxious behaviours than those born from uninfected fathers. The findings were published in Nature Communications.
    • -ABP

Skyroot's Raman engine 'sings' Saare Jahan Se Acha

  • Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace shared a video showing Raman Mini thrusters "singing" to the rhythm of 'Saare Jahan Se Acha'. The video was captured during an Orbital Adjustment Module test. The team called it a "goosebump-inducing moment". Reacting to the video, an X user wrote, "That’s not engineering, that’s emotion in propulsion."
    • -X (formerly Twitter)

What are ghost flowers?

  • Ghost flowers (Monotropa uniflora) are rare, ghostly white plants that thrive in shaded forests. Lacking chlorophyll, they survive by parasitising underground fungi linked to tree roots, stealing nutrients. These plants, which bloom in summer or early autumn, are pollinated by bumblebees. Due to their unique survival needs, they can't be grown in gardens.
    • -Indian Express

Warming oceans could raise dangerous mercury levels: Study

  • A study from Umea University warns that climate change may increase methylmercury in oceans, a toxic substance that accumulates in fish and seafood. Research shows low-oxygen "dead zones" in warm waters promote toxin-producing microbes, posing serious risks to the brain and nervous system. Experts urge urgent action to protect marine ecosystems and food safety.
    • -Asianet Newsable

Wild honeybees in Europe declared endangered for the first time

  • Wild honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Europe were classified as at risk by the IUCN for the first time. These bees nest in hollow trees or rock crevices as opposed to managed colonies, facing threats from habitat loss, diseases, parasites, and hybridisation. Conservationists warned that their depletion risks biodiversity and demanded urgent measures to safeguard remaining wild populations.
    • -Moneycontrol

Scientists simulate 99.9% light-speed illusion in lab test

  • Physicists in Vienna have recreated an optical illusion predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity. They mimicked objects moving at up to 99.9% of light speed, using ultra-fast laser pulses and cameras. Instead of appearing squashed, the objects looked rotated, confirming the Terrell-Penrose effect in the lab for the first time, as reported in Communications Physics.
    • -Moneycontrol

SpaceX's Starship successfully completes 11th test flight

  • SpaceX on Tuesday launched its 11th Starship test flight to assess the giant rocket's reusable design. It launched from Texas' Starbase and flew for more than an hour before successfully splash landing into the Indian Ocean. It was the last flight before SpaceX begins test-launching a new version of the rocket outfitted with more features for Moon and Mars missions.
    • -Reuters

Salt-tolerant microbes may boost farming in Indian Sundarbans

  • Researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, found abundant salt-tolerant bacteria in the Sundarbans' agricultural soils, especially in Bakkhali and Sagar Island. These resilient microbes enhance nitrogen availability, a vital nutrient for crops. The discovery offers potential to boost soil fertility and crop yields in saline-affected farmlands using natural solutions.
    • -Research Matters

Drug-resistant superbugs' spread increasing globally, warns WHO

  • World Health Organization (WHO) flagged rise of drug-resistant bacterial infections, warning that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections globally were resistant to antibiotic treatments in 2023. Antimicrobial-resistant superbugs directly account for over 1 million deaths annually, WHO said. "We're running out of treatment options and we're putting lives at risk," said a WHO official.
    • -News Bytes

New way to produce blood in lab discovered

  • University of Cambridge scientists used human stem cells to create three-dimensional embryo-like structures that replicate some aspects of early human development, including production of blood stem cells. The structures, dubbed 'hematoids', are self-organising and start producing blood after around two weeks of development in lab, mimicking development process in human embryos, scientists said.
    • -UoC

Nearest alien civilization could be 33,000 light-years from Earth

  • Scientists have estimated that the nearest advanced civilization could lie roughly 33,000 light-years away. Presented at EPSC-DPS 2025 Joint Meeting in Helsinki, the study by Dr Manuel Scherf and Professor Helmut Lammer from Austrian Academy of Sciences in Graz underscores how rare complex life may be. The study also considers how long civilisations must endure to overlap with our own.
    • -Asianet Newsable

World surpasses its first climate tipping point

  • According to 'Global Tipping Points Report' released today, the world has surpassed its first climate tipping point. Warm-water coral reefs, on which nearly a billion people and a quarter of all marine life depend, have crossed their tipping point, it said. The study predicts that global average temperature will rise by 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within the next few years.
    • -Exeter University

Tiniest black hole ever discovered

  • Astronomers have detected the smallest known supermassive black hole, weighing about a million Suns, located nearly 10 billion light-years away from Earth. They identified it as they noticed a tiny "pinch" in images captured by radio telescopes. The mysterious object could be pure dark matter or an ultra-compact, starless galaxy, offering new insights into cosmic evolution.
    • -NewsBytes

Indian doctor couple's study inspires WHO to update TB care guidelines

  • World Health Organization (WHO) recently updated its consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis and undernutrition, using evidence from Indian doctor couple Dr Anurag and Dr Madhavi Bhargava's study. It has introduced recommendation for food assistance to household contacts of people with TB in food-insecure settings. The study showed nutritional support can reduce TB activation among close contacts.
    • -Linkedin

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt awarded Economics Nobel, get ₹10-cr prize

  • The 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel has been awarded to American-Israeli economic historian Joel Mokyr, French economist Philippe Aghion and Canadian economist Peter Howitt. They've been honoured for "having explained innovation-driven economic growth". Mokyr will get one half of ₹10-crore prize, while Aghion and Howitt will share the remaining half.
    • -Nobel Prize

Moon’s South Pole hides 4-billion-year-old impact clues

  • NASA's Artemis astronauts will land near the Moon's south pole, site of the South Pole-Aitken Basin formed by a colossal asteroid strike over 4 billion years ago. New research shows the asteroid hit from the north, spreading deep material rich in KREEP elements. Samples could reveal the Moon's ancient magma ocean and its volcanic history.
    • -Asianet Newsable

How do volcanoes erupt?

  • Volcanoes erupt when molten rock, or magma, emanates through weak spots in the crust of Earth because it's low in density than the surrounding rock. When magma gathers in underground chambers, gases like water vapour, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide build up, increasing pressure. When this pressure exceeds the strength of the overlying rock, it bursts out as an eruption.
    • -Moneycontrol

How will La Niña impact North India this winter?

  • During La Niña winter, there are usually fewer western disturbances, which bring rain and help cool temperatures. This is due to cooling in Pacific Ocean, which makes jet stream stronger and pushes away rain-carrying systems. North India may experience reduced precipitation and prolonged dry spells. Cold waves can be severe as clear skies allow rapid radiational cooling during nighttime hours.
    • -ABP

How a rare sinus cyst surgery saved 76-year-old woman’s vision

  • A 76-year-old woman regained her vision after doctors treated a rare sphenoid sinus mucocele, a cyst pressing on her optic nerves. Initially mistaken for a stroke, the condition was corrected through a minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, restoring her eye function within 24 hours.
    • -Healthcare Radius

Future of open science in India

  • Preprints accelerate scientific communication, allowing researchers to rapidly share findings before journal publication. This speed fosters quicker peer feedback and boosts research visibility. As a cornerstone of open science, they make research freely accessible, breaking down paywalls to promote global collaboration and knowledge exchange.
    • -Research Matters

Why do leaves change colour in Autumn?

  • Leaves appear green in spring and summer because of chlorophyll, pigment that helps trees convert sunlight into energy. In autumn, chlorophyll production slows down as daylight shortens and temperatures drop, fading the green pigment. This exposes carotenoids that create yellow and orange shades and anthocyanins that add reds and purples. A mix of these pigments produces the autumn foliage.
    • -Moneycontrol.com

Pacific Ocean sediments hint at supernova explosion 10 mn yrs ago

  • A sharp rise in beryllium-10 detected in Pacific Ocean sediments suggests a supernova exploded about 10 million years ago. Beryllium-10, a radioactive isotope, forms when cosmic rays hit Earth. Scientists used ESA's Gaia data, and their analysis shows a 68% likelihood that a supernova occurred within 326 light-years around the time of the beryllium-10 spike, altering Earth's cosmic surroundings.
    • -Moneycontrol

Vitamin B3 might prevent skin cancer recurrence by 54%, says study

  • An observational study on 33,000 US veterans found nicotinamide, form of vitamin B3, might significantly reduce risk of new skin cancers, especially for those with past diagnosis. Nicotinamide helps reduce inflammation, strengthens immune system's ability to detect abnormal cells, says study. It further shows that if started immediately after first diagnosis, B3 reduced risk of new cancers by 54%.
    • -NewsBytes

Quantum simulations now possible on laptops

  • Physicists at the University at Buffalo in New York, have upgraded the truncated Wigner approximation (TWA), enabling complex quantum simulations to run efficiently on regular laptops. Published in PRX Quantum, the new method simplifies dense equations, making advanced research in quantum physics and materials science accessible to more scientists worldwide, with no supercomputers needed.
    • -Asianet Newsable

Mt Everest visible from space, astronaut shares pic

  • An image of Mount Everest, as seen from the International Space Station, has been shared on X by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. "Orbiting the Himalayas mountain range. Mount Everest is in this photo, with much of Nepal visible as well," he wrote. The image was taken during his most recent six-month science mission aboard the Space Station.
    • -X

Earth's ring current leaks

  • A rare red arc seen near New Zealand's Nugget Point Lighthouse revealed a leak from Earth's ring current. The ring current system is a donut-shaped circuit carrying millions of amps around the planet, created by opposing motions of electrons and ions in Earth's rotating magnetic field. Sometimes, thermal energy from this current leaks into the atmosphere below.
    • -Space Weather

Astronomers spot million-solar-mass invisible object

  • Astronomers have uncovered a mysterious object weighing about a million Suns - possibly a dark matter clump or a dormant dwarf galaxy. Detected through its gravitational lensing effects, the object offers rare clues about the universe's hidden structure. The finding, backed by a global telescope network, marks a breakthrough in dark matter research.
    • -Asianet Newsable

Magnetic ‘Chinese Lantern’ redefines shape-shifting tech

  • Engineers at North Carolina State University have created a polymer "Chinese lantern" that can rapidly snap into multiple 3D shapes. With a thin magnetic layer, the structure can be remotely controlled to twist, compress, or expand. This breakthrough opens new possibilities in soft robotics, adaptive materials, and energy-efficient mechanical systems.
    • -Asianet Newsable

Scientists create a paper-thin light that glows like the sun

  • Chinese researchers have developed paper-thin quantum dot LEDs (QLEDs) that emit warm, sunlight-like light, closely mimicking the full spectrum of natural sunlight. These LEDs improve colour rendering, reduce eye strain, and minimise sleep disruption. They promise next-generation indoor lighting, digital displays, making artificial light safer, natural and healthier for humans.
    • -Asianet Newsable

What is La Niña?

  • According to meteorologists, India can expect colder-than-usual winter this year due to La Niña. La Niña, also known as El Viejo or 'cold event', is a weather phenomenon that occurs in Pacific Ocean. During this phase, strong trade winds push warm surface waters from South America toward Indonesia, allowing cooler water to rise. It typically occurs once every four-five years.
    • -Indian Express

Why astronauts' helmets have thin layer of gold?

  • The astronauts' helmet visors have thin layer of gold to protect them from Sun's harmful radiation in space. Acting as a highly effective filter, this super-thin gold film reflects dangerous infrared & ultraviolet rays while also allowing visible light to pass through for clear vision. Gold is exceptionally malleable, allowing it to be beaten thin enough to not obstruct vision.
    • -NASA

Red Sea completely dried up for 1,00,000 years: Study

  • A study by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) found that Red Sea completely dried up around 6.2 million years ago, becoming a salt basin disconnected from the Mediterranean. The dry phase lasted about 1,00,000 years until a powerful flood from Indian Ocean breached volcanic ridges, opening Bab al-Mandab strait and reconnecting Red Sea to world oceans.
    • -eurekalert.org

Covid infection in male mice alters sperm, raises anxiety in kids

  • A Melbourne study has found that COVID-19 infection in male mice alters sperm, leading to increased anxiety in their offspring. Female offspring, in particular, showed changes in hippocampal gene activity, suggesting epigenetic effects on brain development. Researchers warn that the pandemic could have long-term impacts on future generations if similar changes occur in humans.
    • -Asianet Newsable

Scientists discover brain circuit that can switch off chronic pain

  • Scientists have identified Y1 receptor neurons in the brain that can override chronic pain. Acting as a neural switchboard, these cells become more active following injury, and survival cues like hunger or fear can switch off pain by inhibiting these neurons through neuropeptide Y (NPY) release. The discovery could lead to personalised treatments targeting pain at its brain source.
    • -Nature

Comet Lemmon to be visible from Earth on October 22

  • Comet Lemmon, discovered earlier this year, will be visible from Earth between October 22 and October 28. The comet is getting brighter as it approaches the Sun. It'll pass closest to Earth on October 21 and can be seen in the constellation Bootes near Arcturus. Astronomers say it could become one of 2025's brightest comets visible to the naked eye.
    • -NewsBytes

Some birds sang like a new day dawned during solar eclipse: Study

  • During the total solar eclipse on 8 April 2024, which lasted around four minutes, researchers documented changes in the behaviour of several bird species. Some species began singing their dawn chorus as sunlight returned, while others fell silent or remained unchanged. The study showed birds are extremely sensitive to light, showing that even brief darkness can alter birds' behaviours.
    • -Reuters