'We may have tracked one of the sources of the gravitational waves'

Earth is not big enough for the apparatus required to sense gravitational waves of the kind scientists announced having detected on June 28. In fact, the solar system is not big enough for it. Scientists overcame the problem by turning the Milky Way galaxy into an observatory

FAUX FISH

A herb that tastes and smells like fish, and has traditionally recognised health benefits

COOL SOLUTIONS

India can significantly reduce the energy consumed by its building and construction sector by promoting contextual cooling mechanisms

HASTE MAKES WASTE

Non-profits and civil society organisations are increasingly opting for quick-fix solutions to all issues, a tendency that needs to be moderated

More give than take in secret trade deals

The tight secrecy over trade negotiations means citizens are not privy to the deals that affect them directly

A DEVELOPING CRISIS

Most big pharmaceutical companies have all but quit research and development of new antibiotics since it is a low-return venture. Rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance means the old ammunition is misfiring. Without effective antibiotics, global healthcare will lose the treatment framework it stands on. A report by AMIT KHURANA, RAJESHWARI SINHA and GAURI ARORA on the precipitating global health crisis

Watered down

Most states have recently started reviving their small rivers, but the progress remains far from satisfactory

Heal the system

Hurdles in practising Ayurveda are limiting its potential to help India improve healthcare access

A job not done

As multiple states launch urban employment guarantee schemes, the need for a Central Act similar to MGNREGA becomes stronger

Al Throws The Patent System Into Turmoil

Artificial intelligence is overturning the conventional idea of intellectual property rights, especially in drug discovery

Should India Cap Tiger Population

In April 2023, India announced that its wild tiger population has increased to a healthy 3,167 from just 1,400 in 2006. However, almost 30 per cent of the tigers roam outside the protected areas and regularly enter human habitations. There is also concern over shrinking tiger corridors-patches that connect two large areas of forest-due to the construction of linear infrastructure such as railway lines, highways and canals. Moreover, tigers are believed to be leaving forests in pursuit of herbivores that are increasingly foraying into human-dominated landscapes since the natural flora on which they survive is overtaken by invasive species such as lantana, a plant introduced to India by the British. Does this mean that India's forests are nearing their carrying capacity to support tigers, who are apex predators? Should the country consider capping its tiger population or look at other solutions?

Engage

Time we solved the population question

Empowered by water

Access to water in households helps women save time to earn additional income and improve their quality of life RUBY SARKAR

Third pole melting away

Himalayan glaciers disappearing 65% faster since 2010. This will drastically reduce water flows in the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra

GREEN PROMISE

Although a weed, silver cockscomb is high in nutrients and shows potential for use as a leafy vegetable

Fix at source

Bengaluru must close data gaps, rope in bulk waste generators to cope with its growing piles of rubbish

TIME AFRICA SWITCHED

Africa has always been energy-poor, and the scenario has gotten worse in the past decade. The continent must leapfrog to renewables to become energy-secure, and the West would do well to aid the transition.

ALARMING TRENDS

Cyclone Biparjoy in the Arabian Sea provides yet another example of the changes that storm systems are exhibiting due to warmer waters

Writing on the wall

Excessive groundwater extraction is triggering subsidence in the Indo-Gangetic plain

Money matters

The last meeting before COP28 gets little work done as developed and developing countries fight over climate finance

TOXIC TRAIL

How a polluted seasonal rivulet in Ludhiana causes cancer, cognitive impairment and organ damage cases in districts 200 km away

Conflict Of Existence

Humans have an affinity for certain species. This is perhaps the reason stray dogs, monkeys and pigeons have always been part of Indian life. Their numbers have, however, reached unmanageable levels in urban areas in recent decades, so much so that they now pose a threat to public safety. Zoonotic diseases like rabies, caused by dog and monkey bites, and lung ailments, caused by pigeon droppings, are on the rise like never before. The behaviour of these city-bred species has also undergone changes. They now feed and breed profusely, and are fast adapting to urban settings. For peaceful coexistence, curbing the population of these species may not be enough. It requires a change in people’s etiquette so that these benign species do not become an urban menace

Climate counsel

Farmers in Maharashtra alert each other about local weather conditions and share new agricultural strategies to cope with climate change SHEKHAR PAIGUDE

Delay tactics

Slow progress on treaty to end global plastic pollution as countries hold up negotiations with procedural objections

Act of faith

Why is Mendha fighting for community ownership of land under gramdan law at a time when most other villages want to give up the tag and states are diluting it?

Ominous change

A clear change evident in western disturbances that bring the crucial winter rains to India

India has lost its way on open access

New Delhi’s focus on striking a deal with the scientific publishing industry ignores the true spirit of open access and knowledge sharing

Rise Of The Fungus

Fungal infections often go undiagnosed. Even when identified, they are among the most difficult diseases to manage. They are now quietly spreading across the globe, preying on people’s weakened immune system and taking advantage of the high diabetes burden. Some are even showing resistance to the existing arsenal of drugs and are becoming virulent in a warming world