Articles by Kalyan Kumar
ESA Funding Approved Despite Schiaparelli Setback
The European Space Agency has been assured adequate funding by the ministerial council of ESA member states. This will ensure that ExoMars part two will go ahead, where a UK-made robotic rover will be placed on Mars to drill terrain and detect extant or extinct life.
Tornado Outbreaks On The Rise: Is Climate Change Cause For Blame?
A new study has raised questions about possible linkages between the rising number of tornado outbreaks and climate change though it has no hard evidence. The research highlights the possibility of certain meteorological factors being influenced by some aspects of climate change.
Russian Cargo Spacecraft Progress 65 Suffers Malfunction En Route To The ISS
The Russian cargo spacecraft Progress MS-04/Progress 65 launched by the Soyuz-U rocket broke down almost six minutes after blastoff on Thursday, Dec. 1. It was on the way to the ISS with food and other supplies, the bulk of which burned up in the atmosphere while a portion fell on the Earth.
Magic Mushrooms Show Promise In Easing Anxiety And Depression In Cancer Patients
Two research papers published recently have asserted that terminally ill cancer patients facing depression and pain can gain immense relief from the use of psilocybin — an active ingredient present in psychedelic or magic mushrooms.
Empty Space Around Neutron Stars May Be Subject To Quantum Effect Predicted 80 Years Ago
A new study at the ESO with focus on a neutron star emitting a faint light revealed that the quantum particles in the empty space had been distorting the light under a quantum effect called 'vacuum birefringence.'
Some Early Life Forms May Have Existed Fine Without Oxygen, Says Study
According to new research, life forms have existed on Earth prior to the formation of oxygen in the atmosphere. This was established on the basis of fossils of bacteria belonging to the geologic time known as the Neoarchean Eon that is more than 2.5 billion years ago.
NASA Cassini Spacecraft Begins Ring-Grazing Orbits Phase Of Saturn Mission
NASA’s Saturn probe Cassini spacecraft will be entering a thrilling phase from Nov. 30 with the mission of grazing the outer edge of the planet’s rings. The passes will take it closer to the dusty outer reaches of the F ring.
Biggest Exposed Fault On Earth Documented: Geologists Figure Out How The Indonesia’s Banda Detachment Fault Formed
A team of Australian geologists has detected Earth’s biggest exposed fault known as Banda Detachment in eastern Indonesia. It explains the long abyss formed under the Pacific Ocean and the reason for huge sea depths at Weber Deep.
Record Coral Deaths Reported In Australia’s Great Barrier Reef For 2016
Coral die-offs in Australia's Great Barrier Reef for 2016 have been a record due to the warming of oceans. A study said the most affected has been a 700-kilometer patch at the northern part of the reef.
Aquatic Environmental DNA Atlas: Largest Aquatic Species Map Of Western US To Be Released Next Summer
In the United States, the Aquatic Environmental DNA Atlas is underway, designed to map biodiversity in aquatic species found in the streams and rivers of the country's western region.
A Warming Arctic: Svalbard Archipelago To Experience Average Annual Temperatures Above Freezing Point For The First Time
Temperatures in the Arctic are rising alarmingly as evidenced at Svalbard archipelago’s temperature in 2016 going above the freezing point. Other vagaries of climate change include vanishing sea ice and permafrost.
New Perovskite With Unique Properties May Herald Next-Generation Hard Drives
Scientists have developed a new perovskite material that has the properties of a magnetic photoconductor. The discovery shows promise in the development of a new generation of magneto-optical data storage devices.
NASA Turning To High-Calorie Food Bars For Deep-Space Sustenance For Orion Astronauts
Considering the long drawn nature of the Orion mission to Mars and limited storage facilities, NASA is mulling a plan to offer high-calorie food bars for the astronauts for breakfast. This will also help on mass reduction efforts and achieve fuel efficiency and energy conservation in the spacecraft.
Big Earthquakes Occur Where Faults Are Mostly Flat: Study
A new study has said the biggest earthquakes happened on faults that were mostly flat. It debunked previous theories that big quakes erupt at the border of young tectonic plates, implying curved faults are unlikely to cause huge earthquakes.
A Quantum Computing Breakthrough? Scientists Invent Groundbreaking Method To Simplify Construction Of Quantum Computers
Researchers at the Sussex University have claimed breakthrough in making large-scale quantum computers. The simple technique involves applying voltages to a quantum computer microchip, a process that is deemed easier than other existing methods.
Schiaparelli Update: ESA Identifies Error Responsible For Mars Lander Mishap
The European Space Agency disclosed preliminary findings on what led to the crash of the lander on Martian surface in ESA Mars project ExoMars. It hinted a computer glitch led to the wrong descent of the lander Schiaparelli.
Coconut Crab Claw Pinch The Strongest In Crustaceans, Stronger Than Bites Of Many Terrestrial Animals
According to a new study, Coconut Crab can pinch with a super force of 750 pounds, which is surpassed only by alligators and a few others. The study of Okinawa Churashima Foundation in Japan measured the pinching prowess of 29 Coconut Crabs.
The Dead Sea Is Dying: World’s Saltiest Salt Lake Shrinking 3 Feet Every Year, Says Environmental Group
The Dead Sea is dying fast with water levels plunging every year. According to an eco group, the Dead Sea has fallen more than 80 feet since the year 2000, and its salinity is also increasing alarmingly.
Ice Deposit Under Mars As Big As Lake Superior
Studies made on Mars' Utopia Planitia region by the ground-penetrating Shallow Radar (SHARAD) aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have suggested the presence of giant deposits of buried ice containing water as much as Lake Superior.
Microsoft Betting Big On Quantum Computing, Focusing Approach On Topological Qubits
Microsoft has unveiled big plans to enter the commercial market of Quantum Computers as a leap from today’s sequential computers. It also revealed the details of the team behind the project.
Large Fleet Of UFOs Leaving The Moon? Aliens May Be Protecting The Moon From Humans, Says Veteran Alien Hunter
The recent supermoon showed numerous blob-like objects moving away from the moon, trggering speculation that they are UFOs manned by aliens who are protecting their lunar base from humans.
Researchers Can Create A Sketch Of Your Lifestyle From The Molecules You Leave On Your Phone
A new study has said molecular traces found in the mobile phones can lead to personality profiling of the users to define personality traits including gender. They are useful not only in forensics but also for medical and environmental purposes.
NASA's 'Impossible' Propulsion Engine EmDrive Passes Peer Review
NASA's paper on EmDrive has passed peer review, with the technology having a promising outlook despite the apparent denial of Newton’s third law of motion. The technology holds great potential for a new leap in rocket propulsion.
Air Pollution Discovered As A Means Of Transmission For Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Researchers at Gothenburg University have found that antibiotic drug-resistant bacteria can utilize polluted city air as a medium of transmission. Polluted air in Beijing was used as a sample for the study.
Researchers Turning To Transforming Carbon Dioxide Into Rocks To Reduce Global Carbon Emissions
Greenhouse gases play a big role in global warming so researchers have been exploring ways how to minimize them. In a study, a team from Iceland details how carbon dioxide can be turned into rocks as one potential solution.
GOES-R Now In Space: NASA’s Most Advanced Weather Satellite Successfully Launched With Atlas 5 Rocket
NASA’s most advanced all-weather satellite GOES-R has been launched successfully on Nov. 19. It is a collaborative mission between NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Taste Receptor Discovered In Animals Found 50 Times More Efficient At Capturing Light Than Human Eye
Researchers have discovered a new photoreceptor that is 50 times more efficient than the photoreceptors in human eyes. The amazing receptor LITE-1 was discovered in a group of eyeless roundworms known as nematodes.
Scientists Observe, Narrow Down Source Of Brightest Fast Radio Burst To Date
Scientists made headway in explaining the mysterious phenomenon of flash radio waves from deep space known as fast radio burst after observing the 18th and brightest FRB.
Yellowstone Grizzly Bears To Be Removed From Endangered List After Conservation Strategy Approval
The 'Endangered Species' tag bestowed on grizzly bears living at Yellowstone National Park may be lifted. This follows a pitch by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that their numbers had stabilized as conservation efforts succeeded.
1000 Years: Time Humans Have, Says Stephen Hawking, To Find Another Planet Or Face Mass Extinction
Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has said mankind is running short of time and in 1000 years they must find another planet to colonize as life on Earth is turning risky and a mass extinction is not ruled out.
