PSLV-C61 mission was not accomplished after it encountered an anomaly in the third stage. It lifted off successfully initially. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could not accomplish its 101st launch, the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission on Sunday (May 18, 2025). Minutes after PSLV-C61 with the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite lifted…
The urban heat island effect contributes to an increase in human heat exposure and subsequent death globally during hotter seasons. | Photo Credit: AP Cities having higher ambient temperatures than rural surroundings (known as the urban heat island effect) could offset some of the negative effects of increased heat-related mortality by reducing the number of…
Two independent clinical trials demonstrate the safety of stem cell therapies for Parkinson’s disease. The papers, published in Nature, investigate the use of cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells, respectively. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by the progressive loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Cell therapy, specifically replenishing dopamine-producing neurons (dopaminergic) in the…
All three cats that tested positive for H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1a died one-three days after sampling | Photo Credit: REUTERS A two-year-old girl from Narasaraopeta in Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, who was infected with H5N1 died on March 16, 2025; she was admitted to AIIMS-Mangalagiri on March 4. ICMR’s Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) identified…
A study which examined the spatial rainfall trends across India has found that the amount of rainfall per day in certain parts of India has increased during the last decade 2011-2020 compared with the previous decade (2001-2010) while certain other parts have witnessed a reduction in the rainfall amount. The study has used the GSMaP-ISRO…
Local climate can be used to predict the venom characteristics of Russell’s viper, a deadly snake that is widespread in India, helping clinicians to provide targeted therapies for snake bite victims, according to a study published by IISc researchers on April 10 in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) is found across…
India has made impressive gains in adapting aquaculture for the nutritional demands of its population. It is the third largest producer overall, ranking second in the production of prawns. Andhra Pradesh is by far the largest producer, with other West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Odisha making sizeable contributions along with Gujarat. Dietary preferences too have…
“Induction of the Semi cryogenic propulsion system along with an uprated cryogenic stage in the LVM3 vehicle enhances its payload capability from 4 tonne to 5 tonne in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO),” ISRO added. File | Photo Credit: Reuters ISRO has announced significant progress in the design and development of a Semicryogenic engine or Liquid…
Challenging assumptions about infant memory, a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study shows that babies as young as 12 months old can encode memories, researchers report in a study published in Science. The findings suggest that infantile amnesia — the inability to remember our first few years of life — is more likely caused by memory retrieval failures rather…
The importance of preserving old grasslands as reservoirs of biodiversity, even if it is just as ski slopes, has become clear. Recovered grasslands need more than 75 years of continuous management to regain their biodiversity because specialised pollinators are slow to return. It takes 75 years of continuous management for the plant diversity in recovered grasslands…
