Articles by Kalyan Kumar
99 Percent Of World’s Coral Reefs On Track To Experience Severe Annual Bleaching, Predicts New Climate Model
A UN-sponsored study has warned that coral bleaching will become an annual affair because of rising heat in ocean waters by mid-century. This is despite Paris climate accords on emission reduction exceeding the targets.
2016 Warmest Year On Record Globally, Beats Out 1998
The year 2016 has been reported as the warmest year in 38 years, bumping off 1998 from the top spot. The main contributing factor to rising temperature was the El Niño event, according to data.
US Atlantic Coast To See More Frequent But Not Necessarily Stronger Hurricanes
A new study has suggested that active Atlantic hurricane periods are no big threat to the U.S. East Coast, thanks to a protective shield formed by rising wind shear and cooler ocean temperatures, which weakened Hurricane Matthew recently.
Species Rapidly Evolving In Response To Human Urbanization: Study
Human activities and hectic urbanization are impacting the evolution of many species. A study by researchers from the University of Washington examined phenotype changes across several species and has called for conservation efforts to handle such changes.
First Tuna Sold In Tsukiji Fish Market New Year Auction Fetches Over $600,000
The New Year tuna auction on Jan. 5 at Japan’s Tsukiji market has fetched an astounding price of 74.2 million yen ($642,310). The winner of the bid was Tuna king, Kiyoshi Kimura, for the sixth consecutive year. He runs the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain of Japan.
Skywatching In 2017: Here’s When To Look Up To Catch The Planets
A complete guide on star gazing shows everything needed to catch astronomical sights in 2017. It will also list the best constellations each planet will occupy during the year in broad details covering conjunctions, oppositions, and elongations.
Ancient Inhabitants Of New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon Likely Imported Food To Survive: Study
New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon area had problems in growing crops as the soil was salty, leading the inhabitants to import food. This was revealed in a new study by CU-Boulder scientist Larry Benson highlighting the plight of that ancient society.
SpaceX, Boeing Secure ISS Crew Rotation Mission Contracts From NASA
NASA has announced four more contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for crewed flights to the International Space Station in 2018. This takes the total number of missions to SpaceX and Boeing to six each.
Trouble In Paradise: Songbirds Divorce, Fail To Reproduce In Face Of Suburban Development
Expanding development in suburban areas is forcing out songbirds from their shelter. In the process, they lose mates, and relocation imposes hardship in breeding and hampers successful reproduction.
NASA, Hubble Capture Images Of Cosmic Megamaser Radiating Intense Microwaves
The latest images released by Hubble Space Telescope have brilliantly captured the inner turbulence of a Megamaser located 370 million light-years away from Earth. Unlike masers of regular galaxies, megamasers are 100 million times brighter and emit intensely strong microwave radiations.
NASA Chief Scientist Leaves Space Agency For ‘New Adventures’
NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan has left the agency to pursue “new adventures”, which she confirmed in an exit interview. No official reason has been given for the exit and NASA also did not comment on a successor or an interim arrangement.
SpaceX Wraps Up Falcon 9 Investigation, Returns To Flight With Jan. 8 Iridium Satellite Launch
SpaceX has announced Jan. 8 as the launch date of new satellites using the Falcon 9 rocket, which suspended its flight services following the Sept. 1 explosion. The company updated that the investigation into the explosion is complete after the problem has been identified as a burst in helium canisters.
How Will Humans Live On Mars? NASA Releases Sustainable ‘Ice Home’ Concept For The Red Planet
To tackle the risks of extreme temperature and low protection against radiation, NASA engineers are working on a home for Martian explorers, which will be using ice as the unique building material so that the explorers are well protected.
Slime Mold Doesn’t Have A Brain But Researchers Say It Can Learn And Teach
Slime mold, a unicellular organism living in forest litter, offers a curious case of learning without a brain. This blob-like creeping organism learns from experience and imparts the knowledge to peers.
Researchers Fight Against Ash Dieback With Ash Tree Genome Sequencing
For the first time, the genome of Ash tree has been decoded by researchers at the Queen Mary University of London. The results have indicated that Ash trees in Britain carry a higher resistance to the fungal disease, Ash Dieback.
New Material Developed From Silk Proteins Can Be Programmed With Biological, Chemical Functions
Tufts University engineers have created programmable silk-based materials with embedded, pre-designed functions for biological, chemical and optical roles. This paves way for many new medical applications as in a surgical pin that changes color upon reaching mechanical limits and is about to fail.
Magnetic Storage Device Breakthrough: Skyrmion Hall Effect Investigation Yields Surprising Results
Researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have achieved a breakthrough in exploring magnetic storage innovations with new tests on skyrmions for spintronic applications in racetrack memories and logic devices.
METI Scientists Planning To Send Radio Signals To Closest Earth-like Exoplanet Proxima B To Initiate Alien Contact
San Francisco-based METI has announced plans to send signals to communicate with aliens, rather than waiting for them to call Earth. Aiming the project by the end of 2018, METI will be sending the first radio or laser signal to Proxima b - the nearest exoplanet before reaching out to other planets.
Fingernail-Sized Baby Cardinal Fish Find Their Way Home At Night Thanks To Internal Magnetic Compasses
Scientists have found the answer to the puzzle as to how the larvae of tiny Cardinalfish in marine coral reefs swim back to native reefs even at night. The larvae are internally enabled by a compass-like mechanism, according to a new study.
Hubble Chases Down, Snaps Detailed Image Of Stellar Galaxy Located 22 Million Light-Years Away From Earth
The Hubble telescope has captured an image of NGC 4707, a spiral galaxy discovered two centuries ago by astronomer William Herschel. The telescope was able to 'chase down' the galaxy, located in the constellation Canes Venatici, to view it in greater detail.
How To Win At Chess? Here’s What Goes Inside The Head Of Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen
It has always been intriguing what goes on in the heads of chess players. The mystery has now been resolved, as research by CITEC at Bielefeld University studied player eye movements and facial expressions to understand what makes a winner.
Researchers Uncover What Goes Into Firefly ‘Wedding Gifts’
How do male fireflies attract mates? They present 'wedding gifts,' the contents of which have been analyzed for the first time by researchers from Tufts Univeristy and MIT.
Vera Rubin, Astronomer Who Confirmed Dark Matter Existence, Dies At 88
Vera Rubin, the famous astronomer who proved the existence of dark matter, died on Dec. 25 at the age of 88 in a Princeton hospital. Rubin’s pioneering contribution on “black matter” studies had been path breaking and made it one of the cardinal principles of the universe.
Hack-Proofing Devices: Researcher Develops Better Safeguards For RFID Technology
Despite the sense of security shared by RFID, the concern is high that any lapse will invite bad consequences. To address the lacuna, a Singapore-based management has offered new security enhancements in RFID application areas.
Space Cucumbers Shed Light On Mysteries Of Plant Survival in Microgravity
The important role of gravity in the growth of plants has been amply demonstrated in the changes noticed in cucumber grown at the space station. Japanese researchers who examined seedlings germinated at the International Space Station drew many conclusions as ISS is known for microgravity conditions.
9 New Species Of Desert Bees Identified, One ‘Ant-like’ In Appearance
Some nine species of desert bees have been discovered by researchers from the Utah State University. Belonging to the vast genus Perdita, the new bees are part of the desert bees of United States, in which the researchers found ant-like males as a peculiarity.
There’s A Ravenous Black Hole In The Middle Of The Milky Way And Researchers Have Simulated How It Feeds
The puzzle of a massive black hole in Milky Way emitting faint glow and diffused X-ray emissions has been answered by a new simulation model. The model was presented by scientists at Princeton University and their associates.
Behind Champagne’s Fine Taste: Bubbles Affect Aroma Release And Flavor Perception, Say Researchers
Champagne cheers occasions with its splendid aroma, fine taste, and magical bubbles. According to an expert, the neuro-physico-chemical process makes the bubbles, which are the real arbiters of the wine’s ultimate taste.
What Drives Biodiversity? It’s Temperature, According To Researchers
The uneven distribution of animals on the planet has more to do with temperature differences as evidenced by skewed diversity in arctic regions when compared to the tropical regions’ abundance, says a new study.
Wind Shear Effects Observed On Tropical Cyclone Yvette: NASA
Thanks to vertical wind shear, the intensity of tropical cyclone Yvette, expected to strike Western Australian coast, has abated, according to a NASA update. This followed a visible-light image taken by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite on NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP.
