India selects 2 crew members for Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station Subject: Science and Tech Sec: Space sector Context: Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captains in the IAF, will train in U.S.; experience gained during the mission will be beneficial for human space programme, says ISRO. More on News: A […]
‘Zombies’ in our genes helped us evolve, and could help fight cancers Sub : Science Sec: Health Context: Most viruses can’t really affect the genome but retroviruses buck this trend as they can integrate and reshape the genomes of the hosts they infect. What are retrovirus? Retroviruses are viruses with RNA as genetic […]
Athletes worldwide turn to genetic screening for improved performance. Experts, though, caution against over-reliance on this emerging science Subject: Sci Sec: Health Context: After winning seven gold medals in Commonwealth Games, 41-year-old table tennis player Sharath Kamal left no stone unturned in his preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which began on […]
Indian scientists build breakthrough gene-editor Sub: Sci Sec: Biotech Context: Researchers at CSIR-IGIB and the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute has engineered new versions of an enzyme that can make CRISPR more precise. More on the news: Scientists have developed an enhanced genome-editing system that can modify DNA more precisely and more efficiently than […]
Announcing the first Machine Unlearning Challenge Sub: Sci Sec: Awareness in IT Context: Google announced the first Machine Unlearning Challenge, which will be held as part of the NeurIPS 2023 Competition Track. What is Machine Unlearning: Machine unlearning refers to the process of selectively removing specific training data points and their influence on […]
What are the various efforts being taken to mitigate caller ID spoofing? Sub: Sci Sec: Awareness in IT and Computer Context: What is caller ID spoofing? Caller ID spoofing is a technique with which the phone number that a call appears to originate from can be falsified. Spoofing techniques have been honed by […]
Kargil Vijay Diwas: How India conquered Kargil’s inclement conditions, 25 years ago Subject: Sci Sec: Defence Context: The Kargil War officially ended 25 years ago, on July 26, 1999. The Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on this day, commemorates India’s victory against Pakistan, and the sacrifices of her soldiers, who braved much more than […]
Why and when are puberty blockers prescribed Sub: Sci Sec: Health Context: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has alleged that his transgender child was (figuratively) “killed by the woke mind virus” after he was “tricked” into consenting to the use of “puberty blockers. What are puberty blockers? Puberty blockers are drugs that […]
Kerala breaks free from centralized testing, sequencing Sub: Sci Sec: Health Context: On July 20, the Thiruvananthapuram-based Institute of Advanced Virology tested the Nipah virus sample in four hours and conveyed the result to the State government. Institute of Advanced Virology, Kerala: The Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) has been established by the […]
Why AI’s present and future bring some serious environmental concerns Sub: Sci Sec: AWARENESS IN IT and computer Context: Google reported a 13% increase in emissions in 2023 compared to 2022. The rise was mainly due to increased electricity consumption in data centres and supply chains. Data centres used 17% more electricity in […]