Latest news with #ChethanKumar
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
How dengue mosquitoes outsmart even scientists
How dengue mosquitoes outsmart even scientists - their secret hunting techniques revealed Chethan Kumar TNN Updated: Jun 23, 2025, 18:12 IST IST While the dengue mosquito is a smarter predator than previously thought — it can detect you with its legs, too — Indian scientists have detected that a stealthy group of immune cells could be the unsung heroes in fighting the infection It's tough to outsmart a mosquito out for your blood. Here's some consolation. The buzzing insect outsmarts even supersmart scientists. 'Aedes aegypti', the mosquito behind dengue , Zika, and yellow fever , hunts down its prey — humans — primarily by its sense of smell. So, when researchers from the Rockefeller University stripped Aedes aegypti of its primary olfactory gene, Orco — knocking out their sense of smell — they reckoned the female mosquito will lose her hunting instinct. But she was smarter than they were. As a new study published in Science Advances details, when deprived of their olfactory power, Aedes use their ability to sense body heat. Typically, it's the mosquito's antennae that detects odours and heat. But Orco mutants deploy their forelegs to detect human skin temperature.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
'It's an exciting time to be part of space exploration': Peggy Whitson
Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is no stranger to firsts. She's spent more days in space than any other American, and is now leading Axiom-4 mission to ISS. In an interview to TOI's Chethan Kumar, Whitson talks about adapting to life in orbit, rise of commercial spaceflight, and why diversity will shape the future of space exploration. Excerpts: You've seen spaceflight evolve dramatically. How different is the landscape now? It's changed a lot. When I started, spaceflight was almost entirely govt-led. Now, companies like Axiom Space are transforming how we explore space. They're not only accelerating innovation but also opening doors for more people and more science ... It's an exciting time to be involved in space exploration. How do you maintain physical and mental health during extended space missions? Staying healthy in space is a top priority. We follow a strict exercise routine to counteract the effects of microgravity - things like muscle loss and bone density reduction. Nutrition is key, too. Mentally, staying sharp means staying connected with loved ones and keeping ourselves intellectually engaged. Whether it's science, reading, or crew activities, it's about finding ways to stay focused and fulfilled. The ground team's support and the camaraderie with fellow astronauts play a huge role. You've conducted many spacewalks. What's one challenge that truly caught you off guard? During one spacewalk, we unexpectedly lost a thermal and micrometeoroid shield. Despite meticulous planning, space has its surprises. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40대 이상이세요? 한 번 시작하면 멈출 수 없어요. 준비되셨나요? Sea of Conquest 플레이하기 Undo The shield drifted away, and we had to rely on the ground team's rapid thinking to come up with a workaround. What makes the Axiom-4 mission stand out? Ax-4 is setting a new benchmark. We're conducting more research studies than any private ISS mission before. It's not just about science-it's about international collaboration... And for countries like India, which have bold space ambitions, missions like this demonstrate how commercial partnerships can help achieve those goals faster.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
How homegrown satellites can take India's defence to next level
How homegrown satellites can take India's defence to next level Chethan Kumar TNN May 26, 2025, 15:15 IST IST Operation Sindoor showed what satellite intelligence can do. Now, India is racing to build a network big enough to protect every inch of its land, sea and sky They were the unseen heroes, invisible but vigilant eyes in the sky during Operation Sindoor. Cartography satellites (Cartosats), radar imaging satellites (Risats), and Earth-observation satellites (EOSs) played a key role in the precision hammering of Pakistan's air defence systems and air bases. That has driven home the importance of having more such silent sentinels in space in the era of high-tech warfare.
AFP
26-05-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Video shows pilot injured in 2019 crash, not 'shot down' by Pakistan
"A video circulating in social media claims that Pakistani security forces shot down an Indian fighter jet after it entered Pakistan airspace and dropped bombs," reads part of a Tamil-language Facebook post shared May 7, 2025. The video attached to the post shows a pilot with wounds to his face lying on his back, as people around him try to comfort him. The video circulated on the day India launched deadly missile attacks on Pakistan, which sparked days of intense fighting that killed at least 70 people on both sides before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10 (archived here and here). Pakistan's military claimed it had shot down five Indian jets during the fighting, but India has not officially confirmed the loss of any of its aircraft (archived here and here). Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured May 19, 2025 The video also spread in similar posts elsewhere on Facebook. But AFP previously debunked posts that misrepresented the clip in 2019. A reverse image search using keyframes from the falsely shared video and subsequent keyword searches led to the same footage published on the verified Facebook account of Indian media organisation Bangalore Mirror on February 20, 2019 (archived link). Bangalore Mirror reported a student named Chethan Kumar comforted the pilot, who was injured after two aircraft collided mid-air during a rehearsal for the 12th edition of the Aero India show on February 19, 2019 (archived here and here ). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (L) and the Bangalore Mirror video Karavali TV published the same footage on YouTube on February 19, 2019 (archived link). Kumar also spoke to Indian outlet The Quint about the incident (archived link). AFP has debunked other misinformation about the India-Pakistan conflict here, here and here.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Rare PSLV Failure Is A Setback, But Isro Will Bounce Back
Rare PSLV Failure Is A Setback, But Isro Will Bounce Back Chethan Kumar TNN Updated: May 18, 2025, 21:45 IST IST Still boasting a 93.7% success rate, the space agency's workhorse for over three decades is expected to return to the launchpad soon It has helped launch satellites to Mars and Moon . It has underpinned India's commercial space business for decades. And it boasts a success rate that rivals — or even betters — the world's best. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle ( PSLV ), long dubbed Isro 's 'workhorse', has more than earned that moniker. It's a rocket that has routinely defied the oft-quoted adage: 'Rocket science is tough, and rockets have a way of failing.' PSLV fails rarely — and a glitch in its solid stage, the most mature of its systems, is rarer still. Before Sunday, it had a success rate of 95.2%. That has now dipped to 93.7%, which is perhaps still better than any other rocket that has seen as many launches as PSLV.
