Vaccine-Derived Polio in Meghalaya Sub: Sci Sec: Health Context: A recent case of polio in a two-year-old child from Tikrikilla, Meghalaya has garnered significant attention. Announced on August 20, 2024, by a senior official from the Union Health Ministry, this case is notable as it represents a vaccine-derived form of polio rather than […]
JUICE mission Sub: Sci Sec: Space sector The JUICE mission’s primary aim is to explore Jupiter and its major moons, which are thought to have subsurface oceans beneath their icy crusts. These moons—Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa—are of immense interest because they could harbor conditions suitable for life. By studying these celestial bodies, JUICE […]
Hayflick limit: Why immortality remains out of humans’ reach Subject: Science Section: Health Context: Biomedical researcher Leonard Hayflick, known for his discovery of the Hayflick limit, passed away on August 1 at the age of 98. The Hayflick Limit: Hayflick’s work fundamentally altered the understanding of aging by demonstrating that normal somatic cells […]
Super Blue Moon on Raksha Bandhan: What is it and how will it be different? Sub: Sci Sec: Space sector Super Blue Moon on Raksha Bandhan: On August 19, Raksha Bandhan coincides with a rare “Super Blue Moon,” a combination of a super moon and a blue moon. The event is significant as […]
Scientists discover liquid water on Mars for the first time: What a new study says Sub: Sci Sec: Space sector Context: According to a new study, there could be oceans’ worth of liquid water deep in the rocky outer crust of Mars. While scientists have known about water ice at the Martian poles […]
Mandyam Srinivasan of bee studies fame faces misconduct allegations Sub: Sci Sec: Msc Context: Two scientists have flagged what they have called evidence of “problematic behaviour” in multiple scientific papers co-authored by Mandyam Srinivasan, an eminent scientist. The papers are concerned with the honeybee waggle dance, a mode of communication between bees that plays […]
fMRI may reveal depression ‘subtypes’ and treatments that could work Subject: Sci Sec: Health Context: Antidepressants and therapy can provide much needed relief to people with mental health illnesses. Antidepressants can provide much needed relief to people with mental health illnesses. Brain biomarker: Like the heart, the brain has electrical activity, too. A functional magnetic […]
Mpox declared a global health emergency: will it trigger another pandemic? Sub: Sci Sec: Health Context: WHO has declared the ongoing outbreaks of mpox in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency, requiring urgent action to curb the virus’ transmission. Sweden has since announced it had found the first case […]
Rajnath Singh inaugurates new maritime rescue coordination centre in Chennai Sub: Sci Sec: Defence Context: The defence minister inaugurated a new Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Coast Guard in Chennai. Healso inaugurated two new Coast Guard units – the Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre (RMPRC) in Chennai and a Coast Guard […]