EXPLAINED SCI TECH NEWS - Page 33

Artist's illustration of NASA's DART spacecraft. (Image credit: NASA)

Why NASA has deliberately crashed a spacecraft into an asteroidSubscriber Only

September 28, 2022 13:03 IST

The collision was a technology demonstration, and an experiment to assess the capabilities to do such maneouvers in future should a need arise.

This illustration shows Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, Mediatek and Qualcomm logos near a satellite model placed on a map. (Reuters: Dado Ruvic)

What is NavIC, India’s home-grown alternative to the GPS navigation system?

September 27, 2022 09:24 IST

Below are the details of NavIC's inception, why India wants smartphone makers to adopt it and how the system compares to other global or regional navigation systems.

There are other methods to calculate the age of inanimate things (such as rocks), but carbon dating can also be used in an indirect way in certain circumstances. (File photo)

What is carbon dating, and can the Gyanvapi ‘Shivling’ be dated by this technique?Subscriber Only

September 25, 2022 08:19 IST

In the Gyanvapi case, the petitioners want to establish that the ‘Shivling’ existed in its place much before the mosque came into being through carbon dating.

Why a NASA spacecraft will crash into an asteroid

September 23, 2022 08:26 IST

NASA is about to clobber a small, harmless asteroid millions of miles away. A spacecraft named Dart will zero in on the asteroid, intent on slamming it head-on at 14,000 mph (22,500 kph).

One of the key changes is inclusion of new-age over-the-top communication services like WhatsApp in the definition of telecommunication services. (File Photo)

What is the draft Telecom Bill, and what changes it aims to bringSubscriber Only

September 23, 2022 18:45 IST

Why has the government issued a draft Telecommunication Bill? What are some of the key amendments to existing telecom laws? Does the proposed Telecom Bill also look to address issues being faced by the telecom industry? We explain.

Representation of Ethereum, with its native cryptocurrency ether, is seen in this illustration taken November 29, 2021. (Reuters: Dado Ruvic)

The significance of Ethereum Merge and its impact on blockchain architectureSubscriber Only

September 17, 2022 13:28 IST

One of the biggest benefits being touted about ‘The Merge’ is that it will make transactions on the Ethereum network extremely secure.

The dangerous extortion racket run by instant loan apps and their link to ChinaSubscriber Only

September 13, 2022 18:20 IST

In February this year, two Chinese nationals, along with 115 Nepali nationals, were arrested for their involvement in running an online fraud loan scheme that targeted Indians.

One of the key principles listed by the White House is to remove special protection available to social media platforms under Section 230 of the US’ CDA. (Image: Pixabay)

Keeping Big Tech in check: ‘Safe harbour’ under lens in US, IndiaSubscriber Only

September 13, 2022 07:54 IST

The US is looking to remove special protection available to social media platforms, called 'safe harbour'. In India, too, the IT Rules place significant due diligence requirements on large platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Why is the Google logo grey?Subscriber Only

September 11, 2022 13:07 IST

Google's logo usually appears in bright red, yellow, blue and green colours, but now wears a sombre look. What's the reason for this?

A dolphin swims along a boat in Ten Thousand Islands, off the coast of Everglades City, Fla., Dec. 2019. (Erik Freeland/The New York Times)

Dolphin, porpoise: First time, avian flu is seen in cetaceansSubscriber Only

September 10, 2022 16:13 IST

This version of the virus, which has spread widely among North American and European birds, has affected an unusually broad array of species.

A photograph of the cyborg insect (Source: Nature)

Coming: cyborg cockroaches to help in urban search-rescue missions

September 9, 2022 12:01 IST

Researchers claim these insects will be able to conduct surveillance in procedures like urban search and rescue, environmental monitoring and inspection of areas dangerous to humans.

Intranasal vaccines are also expected to cut down on the dependence on various trained personnel to administer the vaccine, according to experts. (Representational/ Getty)

Nasal vaccine gets emergency use nod, how will it help combat Covid-19?Subscriber Only

January 26, 2023 16:43 IST

Intranasal vaccines help overcome potential difficulties with mass vaccination and reduce the cost by doing away with the need for needles and syringes. But how do such vaccines work? We explain.

Key details on Arshdeep Singh’s Wikipedia page about his nationality were edited with references to ‘Khalistan’. (Twitter/BCCI)

Arshdeep Singh’s page vandalised, here’s why govt summoned Wikimedia executivesSubscriber Only

September 6, 2022 14:13 IST

The Indian government has summoned executives of the Wikimedia Foundation, the organisation that runs Wikipedia, after cricketer Arshdeep Singh's page was vandalised. What are its concerns? How are edits made? How has Wikipedia reacted?

Cricketer Arshdeep Singh's Wikipedia page was distorted following India's loss to Pakistan in the Asia Cup match.

Arshdeep Singh’s Wikipedia page vandalised: who can edit which pages, what happens if you put wrong infoSubscriber Only

September 6, 2022 08:32 IST

Who exactly can edit Wikipedia pages, and can all editors access all pages? How does Wikipedia protect itself against misinformation? Is there a mechanism to penalise those who vandalise a page? We explain.

Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) complex at Hanle, Ladakh

Ladakh to have India’s first ‘Dark Sky Reserve’ to promote astronomy tourismSubscriber Only

September 7, 2022 13:31 IST

Scientists and experts will identify locals and train them to use particular telescopes for the purpose of basic night sky gazing, identification of constellations, and locating the pole star, among others.

NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), with the Orion crew capsule, stands on launch complex 39B during the fueling process shortly before its attempted launch for the Artemis I mission was scrubbed, at Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. September 3, 2022. (REUTERS/Steve Nesius)

Why NASA aborted the launch of its Moon rocket for the second time, and what happens nowSubscriber Only

September 4, 2022 09:01 IST

NASA Artemis 1 launch aborted: The hydrogen leak problem that had stopped the August 29 launch came back on September 3. There are launch windows in the next few days, but NASA could make its next attempt only in October.

Popularly used between the 1970s and 1990s, a floppy disk is a removable disk storage device used to save computer data and programmes. (Image Source: Japan)

Why Japan has ‘declared war’ on floppy disks (what’s that?)Subscriber Only

September 5, 2022 10:56 IST

Japan’s digital minister Taro Kono said he was working towards moving administrative procedures online. “Digital Minister declares a war on floppy discs,” he tweeted in English earlier this week.

Artemis-1 | Artemis-1 Launch | NASA | Moon Mission

NASA scheduled its Artemis-1 mission launch at 11.47 pm, why so precise?Subscriber Only

September 5, 2022 04:30 IST

Space missions cannot be launched anytime they are ready to go. Very precise timeslots are calculated for their launch. What are some of the factors that go into deciding launch timings?

On these alternate payment systems, developers will see their service fee of 15-30 per cent reduced by 4 per cent.

Google to accept 3rd-party app payments in India: what this means for developersSubscriber Only

September 4, 2022 08:45 IST

The development follows increased global regulatory scrutiny on Google and Apple over the companies mandating their own in-app billing systems and charging commission on each transaction. We break down what it means for developers in India.

Twitter says the slow rollout is to ensure that the platform can identify and resolve potential issues, before ‘editing a tweet’ becomes an option for all users. (Reuters)

Twitter’s new Edit Tweet feature: How will it work, when can you start using itSubscriber Only

September 1, 2022 21:48 IST

The ‘Edit Tweet’ feature will first be rolled out to select Twitter Blue users. The service is limited to the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, so those of us in India will have to wait for now.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s biggest. (Photo: The New York Times)

Explained: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Russia-Ukraine war zoneSubscriber Only

August 31, 2022 12:47 IST

Fighting is raging around Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. This poses extraordinary risks — the reactors may be sturdy, but a disaster can take place in other ways.

The Delhi government’s Forest Department has started a process of empanelling companies that have the expertise to carry out the transplantation of trees. (Representational/File)

Explained: What it takes to transplant a full-grown treeSubscriber Only

August 31, 2022 05:30 IST

Transplanted trees in general have a poor survival rate, but which kind of trees can be transplanted and how expensive is transplantation? What are the the steps involved in transplantation? We explain.

The NASA moon rocket stands on Pad 39B after today's launch for the Artemis 1 mission to orbit the Moon was scrubbed at the Kennedy Space Center, Aug. 29, 2022, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP)

Explained: Destination Moon and beyond for NASA’s Artemis 1Subscriber Only

September 3, 2022 21:22 IST

NASA Artemis 1 mission to the Moon: It has been 50 years since the six Apollo human moon landings between 1969 and 1972. There has been huge progress in space exploration since then.

Reliance Jio said it will launch its 5G services on a “standalone” 5G architecture, against the “non-standalone” approach that other operators are betting on. (Image Source: Pixabay)

Explained: Reliance Jio 5G in the 4 metros by Diwali, how will its ‘standalone’ architecture work?Subscriber Only

August 30, 2022 15:22 IST

5G will allow for much faster Internet speeds and lower latency compared to 4G. Peak speeds could touch 10 Gbps, compared to the 100 Mbps for 4G. While 4G latency is 10-100 millisecond, on 5G it is expected to be under 1 millisecond.

NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) , with its Orion crew capsule on top, is readied for launch of the unmanned Artemis 1 mission at Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., August 29, 2022. (REUTERS/Joe Skipper)

Explained: The significance of NASA’s Artemis mission, the beginning of a new age of human exploration of the MoonSubscriber Only

August 29, 2022 18:25 IST

The program’s first step is the upcoming test flight of NASA's new Moon rocket, the Space Launch System, with the Orion capsule on top where astronauts will sit during future missions. This is an uncrewed flight, and Orion will swing around the Moon and return to Earth.

BEST OF EXPRESS

India moves to evacuate its nationals from Iran: 10K at last count — students to pilgrims

US-Iran tensions, Indian airlines, IndiGo, Air India, Iranian airspace,

Sports U-19 World Cup: Why parents of USA cricketers sang Jana Gana Mana at start of game

Entertainment Border 2 trailer: Army, Navy and Air Force unite as Sunny Deol returns to the frontline

Entertainment Shah Rukh Khan's co-star quit Bollywood, started his business from a stall, bagged Rs 2.5 crore funding from Shark Tank India 5

US comedian spoofs Donald Trump sells H1-B visas