A full-scale 70-feet long model of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has been displayed at the Super Bowl Live festival in Houston. NASA has plans to launch the 70 feet x 70 feet James Webb Space Telescope in 2018, and it is hoped that the device will further add to our knowledge of the universe. […]
Science
Frog’s Tongue is Sticky due to Saliva that Switches from Thin and Watery to Thick and Sticky to Catch the Prey
The most amazing feature of a frog’s tongue is its stickiness, which allows the amphibian to catch passing insects without moving an inch towards them. There are more than 4,000 species of frogs and toads which can catch their prey faster than a human can blink. The tongues of frogs are so sticky that they […]
Bat Bot: An Advanced Robotic Bat which Mimics the Flexible Flight of Real Biological Bats
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Caltech have got success in developing an ultralight robotic bat – dubbed Bat Bot (B2) weighing just 93 grams – which can mimic the key flight mechanisms of a real biological bat. Researchers have given this robotic bat soft, articulated wings to mimic morphological properties of […]
March for Science to be Held in the US on Earth Day, April 22
In 1970, people in the United Stated had mobilized on first Earth Day to protest against policies thought to be devastating for the Earth. Now, almost 50 years after that protest, there is a new call for The March for Science to be held on April 22 in San Francisco, Washington D.C. and other cities […]
Space Travel Changes the Shape of Astronauts’ Brains, the University of Michigan Study Suggests
A new study carried out by researchers from the University of Michigan suggests that longer stay in space may cause changes in the shape of an astronaut’s brain. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) technique to analyze the shape of the brains of 12 astronauts’ who had spent two weeks in space on Space Shuttle […]
Spaceflight may Shift Balance between Gut Bacteria in Astronauts, Study Suggests
A new study carried out by researchers from the Northwestern University suggests that space travel may shift the balance between gut bacteria in astronauts. The Northwestern team is one of 10 NASA-funded research groups that have been studying Scott and Mark Kelly, identical twin brothers and NASA astronauts, as part of a unique human study […]
Congressional Investigators Worried about SpaceX Rocket Engine Defect: WSJ
Congressional investigators are concerned about the safety of astronauts due to a newly discovered defect in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The defect involves a pattern of cracking in turbine blades of the rocket. The main function of turbine blades is to drive the turbopumps that funnel propellant into the engines. […]
Harvard Scientists Create Metallic Hydrogen by Putting Intense Pressure on Hydrogen Gas
Scientists from Harvard University have got success in creating metallic hydrogen. The new material was formed when scientists squeezed hydrogen so intensely that it changed to attain a metallic form, which according to scientists, might work as highly efficient electricity conductor at room temperatures. In 1935, physicists Eugene Wigner and Hillard Bell Huntington had […]
NASA Develops New Technique – Based on Capillary Electrophoresis – to Find Signs of Life on Other Planets
NASA has developed a new technique to aid scientists in their search for life on other planets. The new technique works by analyzing amino acids—the structural building blocks of life on Earth. According to NASA, the new technique is 10,000 times more sensitive than the method currently used by Mars Curiosity rover. The new technique […]
Saccorhytus, a Bag-like Creature with Big Mouth, could be Our Oldest Ancestor
A new study carried out by researchers from Northwest University in China and the University of Cambridge in the UK suggests that a microscopic, bag-like sea creature, named Saccorhytus, was probably the earliest known prehistoric ancestor of humans. This creature lived about 540 million years ago and was found in China. According to researchers, Saccorhytus—named […]
Now Indians Can Send Their Name to Moon for Just Rs 500 through this Indian Space Startup
If you are an Indian and want to get your name fly to moon and be immortalized forever, here is what you need to do. Just pay Rs 500 to Team Indus— an India-based aerospace startup that is striving to be the first Indian private entity to soft-land their rover on moon. Team Indus is […]
Japanese High-Tech ‘Space Junk’ Collector Made of Thin Wires of Stainless Steel May be in Trouble
An experimental ‘space junk’ collector, built and launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), may be in trouble, according to Japanese scientists. It is believed that over 100 million garbage pieces, including pieces of rockets and cast-off equipment from old satellites, are orbiting the Earth. Scientists believe this space junk – generated in the […]
Westminster City Council Introducing Pilot Program to Trial Diesel-based Parking Surcharge in Marylebone, London
London’s Westminster City Council is planning to introduce a pilot program from April 3 this year to trial emissions-based charging for diesel cars parking in Marylebone area in London. With this pilot program, the Westminster will become the first council in the UK to charge extra money from the drivers of diesel vehicles to park […]
RSPB Calls People across the UK to Participate in Big Garden Birdwatch
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is calling all nature lovers in the UK to participate in Big Garden Birdwatch that will take place on 28, 29 and 30 January 2017. This will be the 38th year for the world’s largest garden wildlife survey, the results of which will be announced in […]
NASA’s Study of Astronaut Twin Brothers Suggests Space Travel may Cause Changes in Genes
A new study conducted by NASA suggests that space travel may cause changes in genes and other biological markers in astronauts. NASA scientists used Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly—two American astronauts and also identical twin brothers—in this study and observed genetic differences in them after completion of Scott Kelly’s space travel. In 2015–16, American astronaut […]
British Astronaut Tim Peake Meets Students from His Two Former Schools at Chichester
On Saturday, British astronaut Tim Peake was at his hometown in Chichester and surprised school children from his two former schools during a special appearance at the Novium Museum in Chichester. Most students from Westbourne Primary had no idea they are going to meet Maj Peake until the staff at the museum announced it. […]
Florida Hires Two Indian Snake Catchers to Catch Burmese Phython in the State
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is seeking the help of two Indian Snake catchers to catch Burmese Phython in the state. This snake has rapidly increased its population in Florida, and according to some estimates, there might be around 5,000 to 10,000 Burmese Pythons in Florida. Florida is the southernmost city of US, […]
Missing BARC Scientist Returns Mumbai, Says She was Given Only Paperwork in BARC
Babita Singh, a scientist from BARC who had gone missing from Mumbai and was later traced to the Aurobindo ashram at Puducherry has returned to Mumbai. She has now given statement to Nerul police, saying that she was handed only paperwork in BARC in the past five years and was never assigned any scientific research […]
Pilgrim’s Skeleton Found at a UK Burial Site Suggests Leprosy Patients were Not Treated as Outcast during Medieval Period
British archaeologists have found, at a UK burial site, the skeleton of a young man who had died of leprosy. According to researchers, this man was not treated as an outcast but was given a traditional pilgrim burial. The new finding challenges modern misconceptions that during medieval period, leprosy was linked to sinfulness and […]
Australian Archeologists Discover Four 19th-century Shipwrecks off Queensland Coast
A team of Australian archeologists have discovered four 19th-century shipwrecks at Kenn Reef, more than 500 km off central Queensland coast. The vessels were found by eight archeologists from Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM)—the same team which had found, in 2009, the government schooner Mermaid lost in 1829 off the coast of Cairns. This time, […]
New Image Captured by Juno Reveals the Great Red Spot of Jupiter
NASA has a released a new image of Jupiter captured on Dec 11, 2016 by JunoCam imager on NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The image has been processed by citizen scientists Gerald Eichstaedt and John Rogers. The caption of the image was also drafted by them. NASA posts JunoCam’s raw images at www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam to allow the public […]
Remains of an Ancient Otter Discovered in China Indicate It was a Giant, Wolf-sized Creature
In 2010, the remains of an otter were discovered from a geological site in Yunnan province, China. After 6 years of their study, researchers have published their findings on these creatures, suggesting that they were giant, wolf-sized otters which used to roam China about 6.6 million years ago. According to scientists, this animal, Siamogale melilutra, […]
Japan’s First Military Communications Satellite Kirameki-2 Launched from Tanegashima Space Port
On Tuesday, 24 Jan 2016, Japan launched its first military communications satellite aboard an H-IIA rocket at 0744 GMT. The lift-off took place from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. According to a spokesman for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the satellite successfully entered the orbit. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries builds the launcher for […]
China to Launch Its First Lunar Sample Return Mission Chang’e-5 Later This Year
China is planning to launch Chang’e-5, its lunar sample return mission, in November this year, reported state-run People’s Daily newspaper, citing the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) – the main contractor for China’s space program. According to CASC, this will be China’s first automated moon surface sampling mission and first moon take-off mission. […]
New Video from NASA Lets You Feel and Enjoy Landing on Pluto’s Surface
NASA has released a new video letting viewers experience landing on the surface of Pluto. The colorful video has been created using 100 images obtained from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft during its close flyby of Pluto in July 2015. The team at NASA used these shots from onboard cameras to create the clip. The video […]
Astronomers Focus on Exoplanet Wolf 1061c to Search for Signs of Alien Life
Astronomers have now started focusing on exoplanet Wolf 1061c to look for signs of life in nearby star systems. Wolf 1061 is a red dwarf star located just 126 trillion kilometers (78.3 trillion miles), or 14 light years, from Earth. This nearby star to our Sun has three planets orbiting it. Scientists call them exoplanets […]
Xion Nan Robot Writes a Short Article in Seconds
Surprising the whole world, Xion Nan, a robot journalist has successfully achieved its purpose by writing a 300 characters article in seconds for a Chinese daily newspaper. According to Wan Xiaojun, a professor at Peking University, who heads the research team, the journalist robot Xion Nan has been designed to write both short and long […]
ISRO Defers Launch of Its Heaviest Rocket GSLV Mk-III to March-April
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said that it is postponing the launch of GSLV Mk-III to March-April this year. GSLV Mk-III is ISRO’s heaviest rocket and its launch was tentatively scheduled for January 20. The rocket was to put 3.2 tonne GSAT-19 satellite in orbit. According to Deccan Chronicle, the launch has been […]
A Leopard Shark Reproduces Live Hatchlings Asexually After Being Separated from Her Mate
A leopard shark in Australia has perplexed researchers by reproducing live hatchings asexually after being separated from her mate in 2012. According to researchers, this is the first reported case of a shark switching from sexual to asexual or parthenogenetic reproduction. Leopard sharks are also known as zebra sharks (stegostoma fasciatum) and get their name […]
NASA Reveals Plan to Launch a Mission to 16 Psyche, a Giant Metal Asteroid worth $10,000 Quadrillion
In association with the Arizona State University, NASA is planning to launch a future mission to a giant metal asteroid 16 Psyche that is believed to be worth $10,000 quadrillion. According to NASA, this giant asteroid is made of nickel and iron and might be holding the secret to how our solar system was formed. […]