Science news

A file photo. Drilling is a vitally important part of Curiosity’s capabilities to study Mars. Photo: Reuters

Nasa Curiosity rover drilling Mars rocks again

1 min read . 24 May 2018

A representational image showing Tibetan plateau Yak cheese in Turin. A new enzyme from yak cheese has been identified by students at IIT Roorkee that has the potential to improve the nutritional value of cereals. Photo: AFP

IIT students identify new enzyme from Yak Cheese that can help vegetarians

1 min read . 07 May 2018

A representational photo. A giant asteroid gave Earth a surprise close shave this week, flying by at a distance of 192,000 kilometers, just a day after astronomers discovered the object. Photo: AFP

Giant asteroid makes surprise flyby past Earth

1 min read . 17 Apr 2018

Despite the many impressive discoveries humans have made about the universe, scientists are still unsure about the birth story of our solar system. Photo: iStockphoto

How our solar system formed in bubbles around massive star

2 min read . 26 Dec 2017

A hybrid species forms when two parental species mate to produce a hybrid population, which then stops being able to freely interbreed with the parental species. Above, a golden-crowned manakin. Photo: Wikimedia commons

First-ever hybrid bird species from the Amazon discovered

2 min read . 26 Dec 2017

NASA illustration shows a comparison of the planets in the solar system and those orbiting the star Kepler-90. An eighth planet, Kepler-90i, has been found in the faraway solar system, matching our own in numbers. Photo: NASA via AP

Artificial intelligence finds solar system with 8 planets like ours

2 min read . 15 Dec 2017

GW170608 is the lightest black hole binary that LIGO and Virgo detectors have observed. Photo: iStockphoto

Gravitational waves from black hole collision detected

1 min read . 19 Nov 2017

A Nasa image shows the edge of iceberg A68 in the distance over the Antarctic on 1 November. The NASA image of the A68 iceberg is the first human level image of the massive iceberg, the size of the US state of Delaware, and is one of the largest ever observed on Earth. Photo: AFP

Nasa tool predicts which cities will flood due to melting ice

1 min read . 16 Nov 2017

A file photo. RAD monitored radiation levels inside the encapsulated spacecraft that carried Curiosity from Earth to Mars in 2011 and 2012 and has been steadily monitoring the radiation environment at Mars’ surface for more than five years. Photo: AFP

Large solar storm sparks global aurora on Mars

2 min read . 01 Oct 2017

This image captured by an underwater robot shows a part of a control rod drive of Unit 3 at Fukushima nuclear plant. Photo: AP

Japan captures more photographs of likely melted Fukushima fuel

3 min read . 23 Jul 2017

The Gemini telescope is providing high-resolution images to help guide its exploration of Jupiter. Photo: iStockophoto

NASA unveils stunning image of haze-covered Jupiter

1 min read . 02 Jul 2017

NASA and other global space agencies are working hard on sending astronauts to Mars by the 2030s. Photo: NASA

Japan reveals plans to put a man on moon by 2030

1 min read . 30 Jun 2017

The planet has most likely not been found yet because we have not searched the entire sky for distant solar system objects, researchers said. Photo: Nasa

Mysterious ‘Planet 10’ may be lurking at edge of solar system

2 min read . 25 Jun 2017

Scientists have used silkworms to create a tiny silk implant that can enable a person’s damaged eardrum. Photo: iStockphoto

Silk implants may help hearing

1 min read . 29 May 2017

ISRO enters into a bold new world muscling its way to make its mark in the world’s heavy weight multi-billion dollar launch market. Photo: Hemant Mishra/Mint

ISRO braces to tame GSLV Mark-III that could launch Indians into space

4 min read . 28 May 2017

Researchers used a technique called single-cell genomics to analyse gene expression patterns in individual human blood cells. Photo: iStockphoto

New types of blood cells discovered

1 min read . 23 Apr 2017

Having been unable to keep pace with satellite fabrication, the ISRO has now roped in the private industry to bridge the gap. Photo: Mint

ISRO embraces private sector to outsource satellite manufacture

2 min read . 02 Apr 2017

Brown dwarfs are located 750 light years away in the outermost reaches of our galaxy. File photo: AFP

Most massive brown dwarf discovered 750 light years away

1 min read . 26 Mar 2017

A Navy P-3 Orion aircraft used for a Nasa-led experiment called SnowEx, on an airfield at Peterson air force base in Colorado Springs. Photo: AP

Nasa aims to measure vital snow data from satellites

3 min read . 21 Feb 2017

As with all metals, the atomic-scale crystal structures of iron change depending on the temperature and pressure the metal is exposed to. Photo: AFP

Why Earth’s inner core does not melt decoded

2 min read . 19 Feb 2017