Science

[ad_1] Three fish species that live in the Laccadive Sea, off the southwest corner of the Indian coast, are capable of using tools, we recently found. All three species used live or dead coral structures as anvils to break the hard shells of sea urchins so they could get to the edible bits inside. The Jansen’s wrasse (Thalassoma jansenii) and the checkerboard wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus) have never been reported…

[ad_1] DUBAI: Dubai’s major international airport diverted scores of incoming flights on Tuesday as heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates, causing widespread flooding around the desert country.The world’s busiest air hub for international passengers confirmed a halt to arrivals at 7:26 pm (1526 GMT) before announcing a “gradual resumption” more than two hours later.Earlier the airport, which had been expecting more than 100 flight arrivals on Tuesday evening,…

[ad_1] Astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) have identified the biggest stellar black hole, named Gaia BH3, discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun. This black hole was detected “by chance” during data collection from ESA’s Gaia mission and it imposes an odd ‘wobbling’ motion on the companion star orbiting it.“Remarkably, this black hole is also extremely close to us —…

[ad_1] Millions of people had recently travelled from far to experience the total solar eclipse in the regions where it would be visible. The entire event was spellbinding with the Moon covering the Sun in its entirety and exposing its ghostly corona. However, that is gone and now, the European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to create an artificial solar eclipse and that too, very soon. All it needs…

[ad_1] Asteroids have been depicted in the negative light since the time humanity first got to know their potential power for destruction. Their purpose seems to be to aimlessly wander around empty space and once in a while crash into a hapless planet and (possibly) alter the balance between species (as happened with the asteroid that killed off all the dinosaurs some 66 mn years ago on Earth). While…

[ad_1] SINGAPORE: Despite the growing global attention on climate transition, former British prime minister Tony Blair pointed out at the ongoing Philanthropy Asia Summit (PAS) 2024 in Singapore that funding towards renewable energy projects in developing nations has actually declined in recent years, while developed nations have seen an increase. Blair, therefore, stressed the need to create more investable projects in developing regions to leverage public-private-philanthropic partnerships (PPPP), enabling…

[ad_1] ENGLAND: A study by King’s College London found that spaces with a variety of natural features are associated with better mental health than spaces with less natural diversity.Published in Scientific Reports and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Wellcome, this citizen science study used the smartphone application Urban Mind to collect real-time reports on mental well-being and natural diversity from nearly 2000…

[ad_1] Hyperlocal warning systems, vulnerability mapping of cities, and climate-resilient housing policies are some of the measures recommended by a “model heat action plan” commissioned by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Researchers recently submitted the model plan which aims to guide states and cities in formulating local action plans in the face of rising extreme heat.Such heat action plans (HAPs) have proliferated in recent years, however assessments have…

[ad_1] In a first, ESA’s Gaia mission researchers have discovered a huge black hole that is of stellar origin, hiding in plain sight in our very own Milky Way Galaxy. This sleeping giant was found in the constellation Aquila and that is just under 2000 light-years away from Earth. The intriguing part is that galaxies of such nature have not been found in the Milky Way before. They were…

[ad_1] ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Tuesday announced that India aims to achieve debris-free space missions by 2030. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath (ANI) Addressing the 42nd Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) annual meet here, he said ISRO has a very clearly laid out plan as far as space exploration and space utilisation are concerned for the coming days. Unlock exclusive access to the story…

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: In response to budget cuts and escalating costs, Nasa is reevaluating its ambitious Mars sample return mission, aiming to develop a more feasible and cost-effective approach. The US space agency announced on Monday that it will issue a formal request for proposals to simplify the current project, which has been challenged by technical difficulties and financial overruns.Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the urgent need for innovation…

[ad_1] Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath made the declaration at the 42nd Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) annual meet in Bengaluru on April 16, 2024. | Photo Credit: File photo India has made a declaration to achieve debris-free space missions by 2030. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath made the declaration on April 16, at the 42nd Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC)…

[ad_1] Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef is suffering one of the most severe coral bleaching events on record, leaving scientists fearful for its survival as the impact of climate change worsens. For 33 years marine biologist Anne Hoggett has lived and worked on Lizard Island, a small slice of tropical paradise off Australia’s northeast tip. She affectionally dubs it “Blizzard Island”. The only relief from the wind and teeming…

[ad_1] In a groundbreaking declaration earlier this month, Indigenous leaders of New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a treaty, He Whakaputanga Moana, to recognise whales as legal persons. Image for Representation. | Photo Credit: AP In a groundbreaking declaration earlier this month, Indigenous leaders of New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a treaty, He Whakaputanga Moana, to recognise whales as legal persons. Aotearoa New Zealand has already granted legal…

[ad_1] The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a report on Monday that the world is experiencing a major coral bleaching event following months of record levels of heat in the oceans.This is the second such event in 10 years, according to the agency. It is caused by warming oceans as part of climate change.2023 was the hottest year on record.What else did the agency say…

[ad_1] The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unfolded the mystery behind an unknown object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month. The US space agency said that it was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station (ISS). A cylindrical object that tore through a home in Naples was taken to the Kennedy Space Center on March 8…

[ad_1] NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station. International Space Station (ISS) (NASA)(Nasa) The cylindrical object that tore through the home in Naples on March 8 was subsequently taken to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral for analysis. Unlock exclusive access to the…

[ad_1] An object that crashed from the sky into an American man’s home was a hunk of debris ejected from the International Space Station, NASA confirmed Monday. HT Image The strange tale came to light last month when Alejandro Otero of Naples, Florida posted on X that a metallic item “tore through the roof and went 2 floors” of his house, almost striking his son, on March 8. Unlock…