Aditya Pandya, at the age of 17, achieved something most adults would dream of. He became India’s youngest male analogue astronaut after completing a simulated lunar habitat mission in Dholavira. A teenager, living inside a container-based habitat for eight days, cut off from the outside world, following strict mission rules. And on top of that,…
The South West Monsoon (SWM) brings more than 75 per cent of India’s rainfall between June and September. But it is characterised by break periods within that period when rains stop in most of the country and increase in the foothills of the Himalayas and the Northeast. These monsoon break periods are caused by dry…
Astronomers find a solar system in the Milky Way that breaks the rules of planet formation (AI-generated) A small red dwarf star in the Milky Way has drawn attention after astronomers mapped four closely orbiting planets around it. The system, known as LHS 1903, does not follow the layout many scientists associate with planet formation….
Those who have grown up on Bollywood movies have frequently viewed the courts as the messiah of the unheard and often, overlooked. Fighting for them, the hero, usually also the counsel  secures evidence against all odds and with an impassioned speech, convinces the judge (not to mention, the audience) that justice must prevail. The story ends, with the judge passing an order in favour…
A new study examines the difference in parental care between urban and rural house sparrows as well as between their sexes. The effort in raising the young was observed to be more in urban nests than in rural ones, led by female house sparrows. Despite increased parental effort, urban nests show significantly lower hatching…
After India pushed for 20% ethanol blending in petrol, Bihar introduced an ethanol policy that spurred 19 plants dedicated to manufacturing ethanol mostly from grains. The plants had assured orders from oil companies. However, a change in priorities was observed in tenders in 2025, favouring cooperative sugar mills as the primary suppliers. Ethanol producers…
The passing of T Madhava Menon on February 12, 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram at the age of 96 marks the end of a remarkable public life that helped shape discourse on tribal welfare, forest governance, sustainable agriculture and anthropological scholarship in Kerala and far beyond. Though his formal administrative career was largely within Kerala, the reach…
Men tend to lose the Y chromosome from their cells as they age. But because the Y bears few genes other than for male determination, it was thought this loss would not affect health. But that when people who have a Y chromosome lose it, the loss is associated with serious diseases throughout the body,…
Across history, humans have always been drawn to the idea that love isn’t random. In ancient Greece, Plato imagined that we were once whole beings with four arms, four legs and two faces, so radiant that Zeus split us in two; ever since, each half has roamed the earth searching for its missing other, a…
Available for over a year Elon Musk says his company Space X will focus on establishing a ‘self-growing city’ on the moon before going to Mars. Why the pivot? And what would it take to build a lunar metropolis? Victoria Gill speaks to head of space at the Science Museum Libby Jackson. Can we stimulate…