Category: Science and Technology Current Affairs

Coal Gasification: The Ministry of Coal has signed the Coal Gasification Plant Development and Production Agreement (CGPDPA) with selected applicants under Category II of the Coal Gasification Financial Incentive Scheme. Coal gasification is a thermo-chemical process that converts coal into syngas, a synthetic gas composed mainly of Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrogen (H₂), Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), […]

Lead-to-Gold Transmutation: CERN’s ALICE detector has experimentally confirmed the conversion of lead into gold through a process of nuclear transmutation at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The concept of turning lead into gold, known as chrysopoeia, was a medieval alchemist’s dream, based on the similar density of the two metals, but modern science clarified that […]

World Thalassaemia Day: World Thalassaemia Day is observed on May 8 every year to raise awareness and promote action around the genetic disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Thalassemia  is an inherited blood disorder. Thalassemia causes the body to have less of the protein hemoglobin than usual. Hemoglobin is present in red blood cells […]

NASA’s IXPE Unlocks X-ray Emission Mystery in Black Hole Jets: The mission aimed to solve the long-standing mystery of how X-rays are generated in black hole jets. Two competing theories existed: Proton-based models (would result in high X-ray polarization). Electron-based models (would result in low X-ray polarization). IXPE’s observations found that the X-rays emitted from […]

Palaeofires: Scientists have traced evidence of palaeofires (ancient wildfires) from the Permian Period (~250 million years ago) in the Godavari Basin. The team successfully distinguished between in situ (on-site) and ex situ (transported) charcoal, helping resolve a long-standing debate in geology regarding the origin of charcoal found in coal-bearing formations. Stratigraphic patterns (rock layering) revealed […]

Kerala has demanded changes to the Animal Birth Control: Kerala has demanded changes to the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules as increasing stray dog attacks and rabies cases spark public health concerns.The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, notified under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, regulate stray dog population control through sterilisation […]

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed a strategic MoU with Rhenus Logistics India: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed a strategic MoU with Rhenus Logistics India, a global logistics firm, to operate 100 cargo barges and pusher tugs across multiple national waterways, starting in late 2025. This aims to boost […]

Yangtze Finless Porpoise: Scientists use classical poems to map decline of Yangtze finless porpoise from Tang Period to People’s Republic of China.Chinese scientists have utilised classical Chinese poetry to reconstruct the historical distribution of the Yangtze finless porpoise, the only known freshwater porpoise species in the world. This study demonstrates the scientific use of ancient […]

Pulsar G359- Galactic ‘Bone’: Astronomers have identified the likely cause of a fracture in a long, bone-like structure in the Milky Way Galaxy, known as G359.13142-0.20005 (G359.13 or “The Snake”), using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and MeerKAT radio array. These galactic “bones” are elongated structures seen primarily in radio waves and aligned with […]

Shear-Wave Splitting: University of Oxford scientists have proposed a new method for monitoring volcanic eruptions using a seismic phenomenon called shear-wave splitting at Mount Ontake, Japan.Shear-wave splitting refers to the phenomenon where seismic shear waves travel at different speeds based on their polarisation, especially when passing through aligned cracks or fractures in rocks. As magma […]