In a major step toward creating artificial life, US researchers have developed a living organism that incorporates both natural and artificial DNA and is can create entirely new, synthetic proteins. The work, published in the journal Nature, brings scientists closer to the development of designer proteins.
Nov 30, 2017
World’s Lightest and Smallest Satellite to be Showcased at IIT Techfest
The world’s lightest and smallest satellite, Kalam-Sat, weighing only 0.64gm, which broke an international space record on June 22, will be showcased at IIT Bombay’s Techfest 2017-18 between December 29-31. The event will be an effective platform to display KalamSat as it is Asia’s largest science and technology festival with footfalls of more than 1,60,000 people. KalamSat was launched on June 22 by a Nasa sounding rocket from the Wallops Island facility. The hand-held satellite was designed and developed by some Tamil Nadu students belonging to the Chennai-based Space Kidz India.
Nov 29, 2017
TRAI Gives a Boost to Net Neutrality
India’s telecom regulator has backed an open and free internet, saying internet service providers cannot discriminate on how people access web content. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) upheld the concept of so-called net neutrality and said no Internet Service Provider (ISP) can grant preferential data speeds or treatment to any web content.The global debate over net neutrality revolves around whether ISPs should be treated like public utilities to ensure the internet is open and free, or be allowed to prioritise access to content of their choosing for an extra fee from websites and services. India’s stand on net neutrality contrasts that of the US telecom.
Mitra- The Robot who Greeted Ivanka
Mitra, a humanoid robot developed by Bengaluru based Invento Robotics, greeted Ivanka Trump and PM Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad Convention Centre (HICC). The robot, named after the Vedic god of friendship, is a poster child for cooperation in artificial intelligence between India and China.
Mitra is designed to be an “indoor autonomous robot” or one that can be deployed in offices, hospitals and even multiplex cinemas. “The computer-aided designing has been done in India. Its plastic mould is being made in a factory in Dongguan and the printed circuit boards and motor controls are being manufactured in Shenzhen.
Nov 27, 2017
Mi-17 to Get Advanced Navigational System
The Indian Air Force has approached Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for retrofitting part of its Soviet origin Mi-17 medium lift helicopter fleet with advanced navigational aids. Nearly 60 helicopters will be retrofitted with the Tactical Air Navigation system (TACAN) as well as the VHF Omni-directional radio Range (VOR) equipment and instrument landing system.
Nov 26, 2017
New Norms to Check Misuse of Stem Cells
In the backdrop of proliferation of indiscriminate use of stem cell-based therapies and misleading claims by private entities, the Central government has come up with a set of draft national guidelines for stem-cell research to curb malpractices in the field. The guidelines prepared jointly by ICMR and DBT seek to impose a ban on the commercial use of stem cells as part of the therapy