Science News, Nature, Technology, Gadgets

Did you know that the “T-shirt plastic bags” – the ones that we can find literally everywhere in our everyday lives – were invented with the objective of helping the planet. Now seen as a symbol of the endless problems caused by plastic pollution, these bags might still actually be able to help. A.S.Ganesh talks about the beginnings of the plastic bag and provides hints for choosing the right bag...

Coronavirus | Covaxin to cost ₹600 per dose for States

By comparison, Covishield, this week said their vaccines are priced at ₹400 for states and ₹600 for private hospitals

International Space Station | A space for science, experiments and unity

Global cooperation in space research faces challenges with Russia considering leaving the ISS and launching its own station

Coronavirus | India may have 8 to 10 lakh cases a day in mid-May, says Michigan University epidemiologist Bhramar Mukherjee

Complacency with a false sense of security has led to the spike in cases, she says.

Coronavirus | Centre contradicts Serum Institute of India on Covishield pricing, to purchase at ₹150 per dose

Poonawalla silent on Health Minister’s tweet that govt of India’s procurement cost remains ₹150/dose.

Green Humour by Rohan Chakravarty

Sunday Quiz: What has April 25 ever given us?

Easy like Sunday morning

Weekly Bytes | Ask Alexa for COVID-19 vaccine info, Facebook’s tool for transferring posts, and more

Here's our curated list of important tech news from this week in byte size.

Instagram’s new tools to prevent abusive content in direct messages

Instagram’s new tool will automatically filter DM requests containing offensive words, phrases, and emojis, preventing recipients from seeing the messages in the first place

116 districts in India reported zero malaria cases in 2020: Health minister Harsh Vardhan

The minister said the World Health Organisation has attributed India's success to rejuvenated political commitment, strengthened technical leadership, and increased domestic funding

Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | What went wrong with India's vaccine diplomacy?

Diplomatic Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar discusses what led to the country's current vaccine crisis

Who lives on Chennai’s beaches? The Chennai Coastal Biodiveristy Guide has the answer

Our beaches are not ours alone. We share them with a host of species including crabs, birds, and mangroves. The Chennai Coastal Biodiveristy Guide attempts to document our coastal neighbours

Cotton Pygmy Goose: Is this Thumbelina among water lilies reduced in numbers too?

Though a resident, this pint-sized bird remains largely elusive in Chennai’s urban waterbodies. State of India’s Birds 2020 report has raised concerns over its declining numbers

Potential new malaria vaccine shows promise in Burkina Faso trial

The candidate vaccine, developed by scientists at Oxford University showed up to 77% efficacy

Zydus Cadila’s antiviral drug gets emergency use nod

Virafin reduces oxygen demand in moderate COVID infection

All about AirTag, Apple’s native tracking device for the absent-minded

We delve into the intricacies of AirTag; from design to the ultra wideband technology to the inevitable privacy concerns

Designs for the future

Anupama Mohanram writes on the message behind Earth Day and why it needs to be sustained all year round

Coronavirus | Covishield protects against double mutant: study

Convalescent plasma from people who were infected and those who had recovered was tested

Turkey probes cryptocurrency exchange for possible $2 bln fraud

Crypto exchange Thodex’s owner Faruk Fatih Ozer deactivated his social media accounts and is believed to have fled Turkey for Tirana, Albania, Turkish broadcaster Haberturk reported

Chipmaker TSMC approves $2.8 bln for capacity expansion

The company this month said that it plans to invest $100 billion over the next three years to increase capacity at its plants, days after Intel Corp announced a $20 billion plan to expand its capacity

Facebook begins testing ads in Instagram Reels

The effort is Facebook's biggest move yet to let brands advertise alongside content subjects. Advertisers typically use Facebook to target certain users by their interests.

Apple plans to expand ads business

The report comes as Apple plans to send prompts to iPhone users to allow apps to use their data for personalised advertising

Mumbai foodtech company helps farmers earn profits while the sun shines

S4S is promoting solar dehydration as a means to empower women farmers and reduce food waste

Data | Kancheepuram’s COVID-19 case rate 10 times that of Porbandar, but vaccination rate 14 times lower

Rural and semi-rural districts such as Parbhani, Agar Malwa and Durg recorded among the sharpest increases in cases in the last month

Facebook Messenger users in over 80 countries hit by large-scale scam

According to analysts at a Singapore-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB, cybercriminals distributed ads promoting an allegedly updated version of Facebook Messenger to harvest users’ login credentials.

A supermoon and a meteor shower: astronomical events this April

The mild Lyrids meteor shower has been gracing our night sky without fanfare every April, for centuries. This year, it has to tussle with a supermoon for attention

Wellbeing quiz: Dangers lurking within the four walls

Take this quiz on indoor pollution and their impact on health

Encrypted chat app Signal alleges flaws in Cellebrite equipment

Signal's allegations come as Cellebrite prepares to go public through a merger with a blank-check firm, valuing the equity of the combined company at around $2.4 billion.

Intel defeats VLSI Technology in $3.1 billion patent trial

VLSI, a unit of the hedge fund Fortress Investment Group, had sued Intel in April 2019, alleging that products using “Speed Shift” technology infringed patents it had been assigned.

How social media platforms have become ‘COVID-19 helplines’ to combat second wave in India

While social media users are commending the solidarity and promptness, misinformation around urgent COVID-19 needs remains rampant on these platforms

All about missions to Space: The Hindu Science Quiz

Correct answers are highlighted in green. Click on the correct answer for further reading on the topic.

Watch | A robot to save drowning people

A video showing how a robot developed by an institute in Germany can help save drowning in people in lakes and swimming pools

A whale chorus reveals how climate change may be shifting migration

The team suspects water temperature is playing a key role in the unusual behaviour, with bowheads known to avoid water outside a narrow range of around -0.5 to 2 degrees centigrade.

Other Articles