News: A Thiruvananthapuram court recently sentenced a 24-year-old woman to death for poisoning her boyfriend in 2022 with the herbicide paraquat. About Paraquat Paraquat, also known as paraquat dichloride or methyl viologen, is one of the world’s most-used herbicides. It a highly toxic chemical which is mainly used to control weeds and dry out crops… Continue reading Paraquat poisoning
Category: Factly: Science and Technology
This category contains all Current Affairs Factly Articles for Prelims, related to Science and Technology. You can find all relevant Science and Technology related updates on this page. This page is specifically useful for UPSC Prelims exam.
Mission SCOT
News: The Prime Minister has congratulated Digantara for the successful launch of Mission SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking). About Mission SCOT It is the world’s first commercial satellite for surveillance of Resident Space Objects (as small as 5cm) orbiting the Earth to ensure safer space operations. Surveillance of Outer Space or Situational Space… Continue reading Mission SCOT
IMD Celebrates 150 Years and Improves Weather Forecasting Accuracy
Source: The post IMD Celebrates 150 Years and Improves Weather Forecasting Accuracy has been created, based on the article “150 years of IMD: What the weather agency has planned for the future” published in “Indian Express” on 17th January 2025 UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3- Disaster and disaster management. Context: The article discusses the India… Continue reading IMD Celebrates 150 Years and Improves Weather Forecasting Accuracy
Pink Fire Retardant
News: Authorities in the United States are using planes to drop pink fire retardant to curb the Southern California Wildfires. About Pink Fire Retardant Fire retardant is a mix of chemicals used to extinguish or slow down the spread of fires. Authorities in the US most commonly rely on Phos-Chek, a type of fire retardant,… Continue reading Pink Fire Retardant
Earthquakes in Himalayas Threaten Lives and Infrastructure
Source: The post Earthquakes in Himalayas Threaten Lives and Infrastructure has been created, based on the article “Damage control: Adherence to existing regulations can limit the impact of earthquakes” published in “The Hindu” on 10th January 2025 UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3-Disaster and disaster management. Context: The article discusses a recent earthquake in Tibet that… Continue reading Earthquakes in Himalayas Threaten Lives and Infrastructure
MicroRNAs and Caenorhabditis elegans
News: The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) in Caenorhabditis elegans transformed our understanding of gene regulation. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2024 for discovering miRNAs in C. elegans. About MicroRNAs (miRNAs) Definition– MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules, typically around 20-22 nucleotides long, that play a crucial… Continue reading MicroRNAs and Caenorhabditis elegans
Sonobuoys
News: India and the U.S. announced cooperation on co-production of U.S. sonobuoys for Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA) for the Indian Navy. About Sonobuoys Sonobuoys are expendable, electro-mechanical acoustic devices used to detect underwater sounds, such as those made by submarines or ships. Working Mechanism: Sonobuoys are dropped from aircraft or ships in canisters and activate… Continue reading Sonobuoys
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) Explanation
News: Several state governments have issued health advisories after detection of the first Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Bengaluru. About HMPV It is a respiratory virus that causes upper respiratory infection and mild infections that are like common cold. Sometimes, it can also cause lower respiratory infections like pneumonia, asthma flare-ups or may deteriorate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary… Continue reading Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) Explanation
Working of in-flight Internet
News: Air India has announced the rollout of Wi-fi Internet connectivity services on selected domestic and international flights. Technologies used to provide in-flight internet It operates primarily on two kinds of technology: Ground based cellular towers- An antenna, placed around the plane’s belly, picks up signals from the nearest tower on ground to… Continue reading Working of in-flight Internet
Need of Cyclone prediction in India
Source: This post onNeed of Cyclone prediction in Indiahas been created based on article “Why better prediction of cyclone intensity, heavy rainfall is needed” published in The Hindu on 30th December 2024. UPSC Syllabus topics: GS 3- Disaster Management Context: The article underscores the urgent need for improving the prediction of tropical cyclone intensity and… Continue reading Need of Cyclone prediction in India
