Jatropha powers India’s first biofuel flight
A blend of oil from jatropha seeds and aviation turbine fuel propelled the country’s first ever bio jet fuel-powered flight on Monday between Dehradun and Delhi.
Green process cuts water use, pollution in textile industry
A completely green method developed by researchers from the University of Calicut, Kerala, can potentially do away with using water for sizing and desizing cotton and polyester yarn. Textile industry is highly water-intensive and also one of the biggest water polluters.
ISRO telemedicine nodes for soldiers in high-altitude areas
In a major effort to improve emergency medical support to soldiers posted in high-altitude areas, especially Siachen, the Integrated Defence Staff of the Defence Ministry and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to set up telemedicine nodes in critical places across the country.
ISRO awaits advanced materials
A national effort is needed to develop and produce advanced and exotic materials to drive the future space programme, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Sivan has said.
Antidepressants may counter effects of brain ageing: study
A commonly used antidepressant medication Prozac can counter some of the effects of brain ageing, such as sensory and cognitive decline, an MIT study suggests.
Drones to space Internet, IISc incubates start-ups
Better known for his former role as the programme director and chief designer of India’s indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA), 75-year-old Kota Harinarayana is the founder-chairman of General Aeronautics, an Indian Institute of Science (IISc) incubated start-up.
IISc duo’s claim of ambient superconductivity may have support in theory
In July, a two member team of chemists, Anshu Pandey and Devesh Kumar Thapa, posted a preprint on the arXiv server claiming to have observed superconductivity at ambient temperature and pressure in samples in their lab in the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Scientists to test land for LIGO
The Environment Ministry has allowed scientists to test the suitability of land in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district to host the India wing of the ambitious Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project.
Small launcher will have a big impact
A small Indian satellite launch vehicle that was made in three days by a handful of people at about 10% of current costs looks set to revolutionise the global satellite launch industry.
Genetic ‘barcodes’ reveal three frogs unreported in India
Each species can be recognised by its unique genetic ‘barcode’ and using this method, a team of scientists has identified three frog species not recorded in India before.