Global warming began in the 18th century glaciers, both in the northern and southern hemispheres, started melting in the mid-eighteenth century, triggered by climate change. Researchers from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Dehradun tracked the age of lichens (a composite organisms formed by the association of fungi and algae) that develop on glacial moraines and came up with

Broad consensus on use of open source software POLITICAL parties may have different ideologies, but when it comes to e-governance they seem to agree on the type of computer software the country needs. The Bharatiya Janata Party

Indian companies wait for cer price to rise COMPANIES in India that hoped to profit by investing in technologies that minimize carbon emissions are holding on to their carbon credits. The value of these credits or certified emission reduction units (cers) has fallen steeply world over. In EU, for instance, the price of one cer has fallen from

Warming of the seas is rerouting monsoon THE monsoon winds are avoiding India for one-third of the months of July and August and taking a route south of its peninsula. This is because the winds have found a highly attractive low pressure region in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean near the equator. According to a study, warming of the sea surface in this region is happening at a faster

Life term under new cyber law SOFTWARE professionals working in the IT industry will have to be more vigilent now. They could serve a life term in prison if their employers decide to prosecute them for stealing computer data. This is because a simple theft case too may get treated as a case of cyber terrorism under the amended cyber law, cleared by Parliament on December 25. It is awaiting

Imbalance of calcium causes strokes, heart disorders THE element that is a major constituent of blackboard chalk, teeth and bones is also the one that regulates almost every function a cell performs. Scientists recently traced diseases ranging from irregular heartbeats to strokes to mental disorders to this element

Earthquake study centres to be linked for integrated analysis THE Chinese claim to predict earthquakes by observing animal behaviour and phenomenon such as sudden disappearance of water from lakes and wells. Scientists around the world have tried to do the same by studying parameters like changes in seismic activity and electromagnetic radiations and checking water bodies for increase in

Patent bill may be pushed through Parliament without debate THE Ministry of Science and Technology has introduced a bill in the Parliament that may make life-saving drugs unaffordable for poor people. The bill gives scientists and researchers in government-funded universities the right to patent innovations and research outcomes. This includes medical research and patenting drug

Blood test made easy with paper and adhesive tapes TESTING of blood for iron, glucose and protein levels is a time-consuming and costly affair requiring a series of chemical tests in a laboratory. Researchers from the Harvard University in US invented a device called the 3D

Battery driven cars may now have faster pick-up LITHIUM ion batteries are popular in consumer electronics. With maximum energy capacity and slow loss of charge when not in use, they figure in battery driven cars too. But there is a drawback. When in use, lithium (Li) ions take a long time to move through the electrolyte between the cathode and the anode. This generates electric current