Category: Science and Technology Current Affairs

Microwave Ovens : Microorganism Study Microorganisms thriving in extreme environments like microwave ovens have been studied to understand their evolutionary adaptations. The dominant ones belonged to the Bacillus, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus genera, which commonly live on human skin and surfaces that people frequently touch. A few bacteria types associated with food-borne illnesses, including Klebsiella and […]

Tantalum : List Of 24 Minerals The Central Government recently notified a list of 24 minerals, including Tantalum, in Part D of the First Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR) Act, 1957, as Critical and Strategic minerals. Tantalum is a rare metal with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. […]

Fruit Rot Disease: The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, recently issued an advisory to farmers to control ‘kole roga’ (fruit rot disease) in arecanut plantations. Fruit Rot Disease is a plant disease that can cause significant losses for farmers, as it can reduce the quality of the crop and make it unmarketable. In […]

Nankai Trough: Japan’s meteorological agency said the likelihood of strong shaking and large tsunamis is higher than normal on the Nankai Trough. Nankai Trough is a “subduction zone” between two tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean, where massive earthquakes have hit in the past. This underwater subduction zone (nearly 900 km long) is where the […]

Silicosis: Researchers warned that silicosis could become as big a health problem as exposure to asbestos. Silicosis is a respiratory disease which causes a hardening of the lungs. It is caused by silica dust or silica crystals, which are found in soil, sand, concrete, mortar, granite and artificial stone. It is common in construction, mining, […]

NEOWISE Telescope: Nasa’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) has concluded its mission, marking the end of a journey spanning over a decade. NEOWISE Telescope was launched in 2009 by NASA as the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. The space telescope was originally designed to survey the sky in infrared, detecting asteroids, stars […]

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar: The central government recently announced the full list of the first-ever Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) 2024 awardees. The ISRO-Chandrayan 3 Team will be awarded the Vigyan Team award for their contribution in the field of Space Science and Technology. Celebrated biochemist Govindarajan Padmanabhan has been selected as the first recipient of the […]

Eta Carinae: Astronomers are closely monitoring Eta Carinae, as it may be on the verge of a spectacular explosion. Eta Carinae is a hypergiant star with a mass approximately 100 times that of our Sun. It is located about 7,500 light-years away in the Carina Nebula, Eta Carinae is one of the most massive and […]

Neutron Stars: Astronomers recently discovered ten strange dead stars, or “neutron stars,” lurking near the heart of the Milky Way. Neutron Stars are extremely dense and compact celestial objects formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses. The very central region of the star, ‘the core’, collapses, crushing together every proton and […]

Bluetongue Disease: Bluetongue disease has been confirmed in all 12 Dutch provinces, according to official data released recently. Bluetongue Disease is an infectious, non-contagious, vector-borne viral disease that affects wild and domestic ruminants such as sheep, goats, cattle, buffaloes, deer, most species of African antelope and camels. The bluetongue virus is transmitted by biting midges […]