SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AFFAIRS JULY 2014
- Scientists discover new genes linked to Schizophrenia
(New gene, linked to Schizophrenia, Scientists discover)
Scientists have discovered more than 100 genes that play some kind of role in the development of schizophrenia, one of the most common psychiatric disorders.
As part of a multinational, collaborative effort, 300 scientists in 35 countries helped identify the locations in the human genome associated with the risk of developing the illness. The findings point to biological mechanisms and pathways that may underlie schizophrenia, and could lead to new approaches to treating the disorder, which has seen little innovation in drug development in more than 60 years. Schizophrenia, which affects about one in every 100 people, is characterized by hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking and often emerges in the teens and early 20s. The discovery, scientists say, will provide vital new clues in understanding what causes the condition and will kick-start the search for new treatments. - Melting glaciers giving rise to new lakes in Himachal Pradesh
(Melting glaciers, giving rise to new lakes, Himachal Pradesh)
Melting of glaciers is resulting in the formation of smaller lakes in the high hills of Himachal Pradesh and is posing threat to the population living downstream. A recent visit of forest officials had revealed that around 6-7 smaller lakes have come in the area during the last couple of years. A flood caused by glacial lake outburst in Chenab took place in the 1880s and it had smashed bridges beyond national borders.
Himachal Pradesh has 249 glacial lakes, of which 11 have been identified as having high potential for breach. Glaciers and ice-bodies cover a total of 2472.49 sq km (4.44%) of the total area of 55673 sq km in the state.To study the glacier behavior in the wake of concerns on melting glaciers due to global warming a field station is being set up in Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. The proposed station would be set up either at Menthossa glacier of Miyar valley or Gangsten glacier right above Keylong town. The Himalayas have the largest concentration of glaciers outside polar caps with a staggering number of 9575 glaciers within India territory and of it 1239 lies in Himachal Pradesh alone. - Planet with longest known year found
(New Planet, with longest known year, scientists found)
Astronomers have discovered a transiting exoplanet with the longest known year - circling its star once every 704 days. In comparison to the planet named Kepler-421b, Mars orbits our Sun once every 780 days. Most of the 1,800-plus exoplanets discovered to date are much closer to their stars and have much shorter orbital periods. The host star, Kepler-421, is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Lyra. - Panel clears field trials for 4 GM crops
The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) on 18th July gave the green signal for field trials of genetically modified (GM) rice, mustard, cotton, chickpea and brinjal. While the GEAC has approved the commercial release of Bt Brinjal, it has been stayed by the Ministry of Environment So far, about 20 GM crops are under trial at various stages - Navy gets its largest destroyer Kolkata (D63)
The Indian Navy has got its largest-ever destroyer after the addition of the 163 metre-long vessel Kolkata (D63) to its arsenal.
Kolkata (D63) is India’s first domestically built guided missile destroyer to feature a Western-style air search radar and stealth technology, Shipbuilder MazaDock Limited which delivered the vessel The warship, which is more versatile than the destroyers that preceded it, and with a displacement of around 7,500 tonnes, is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of August. Kolkata has an all-round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft.
It incorporates modern weapons and sensors having advanced information warfare suite, an auxiliary control system with sophisticated power distribution architecture and modular crew quarters, news website USNI News reported. Kolkata is the first in a new class (P15A) of guided missile destroyers.
The Kolkata-class (Project 15A) are a class of stealth guided-missile destroyers constructed for the Indian Navy. The class comprises three ships - Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai, all of which are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in India, and are the largest destroyers to be operated by the Indian Navy. Due to delays in their construction, and a problem found during the sea trials, the initial commissioning date of the first ship of the class has been pushed back from 2010 to 2013. - NASA gets new eye in sky to track Carbon pollution
In the first-ever mission of its kind which will make 24 measurements each second,Nasa on 2nd July launched a flight dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced gas driving changes in the earth's climate. It will allow scientists to make daily detailed measurements of carbon dioxide at a global level amounting to nearly 100,000 measurements of the gas every day.
To carry out the scientific study, the spacecraft will be positioned 438 miles above earth and the first science observations are expected to begin in 45 days after launch.
According to Nasa, the mission will produce the most detailed picture to date of natural sources of carbon dioxide as well as what is known as their ``sinks'' -places on earth's surface where CO2 is removed from the atmosphere. The observatory will study how these sources and ``sinks'' are distributed around the globe and how they change over time.
About 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide are released yearly from factories and cars. About half of the greenhouse gas is trapped in the atmosphere, while the rest is sucked up by trees and oceans. The goal of the $468 million mission, designed to last at least two years, is to study the processes behind how the environment absorbs carbon dioxide. - Satellite to measure Carbon dioxide
NASA has sent a space craft, to get the most detailed picture about release of Carbon Dioxide. It is first-ever mission of such kind, it makes 24 measurements each second
On 2nd July NASA launched a flight dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced gas driving changes in the earth's climate. It will allow scientists to make daily detailed measurements of carbon dioxide at a global level amounting to nearly 100,000 measurements of the gas every day.
To carry out the scientific study, the spacecraft will be positioned 438 miles above earth and the first science observations are expected to begin in 45 days after launch.
According to Nasa, the mission will produce the most detailed picture to date of natural sources of carbon dioxide as well as what is known as their ``sinks'' -places on earth's surface where CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
The observatory will study how these sources and ``sinks'' are distributed around the globe and how they change over time.
About 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide are released yearly from factories and cars. About half of the greenhouse gas is trapped in the atmosphere, while the rest is sucked up by trees and oceans. The goal of the $468 million mission, designed to last at least two years, is to study the processes behind how the environment absorbs carbon dioxide. - Agreement to build powerful rocket
NASA and Boeing have inked a USD 2.8 billion deal to develop a giant rocket which is set to be the largest and most powerful ever built, paving the way for manned missions to Mars. Boeing has finalised a contract with NASA to develop the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built.
In addition, Boeing has been tasked to study the SLS Exploration Upper Stage, which will further expand mission range and payload capabilities. The agreement comes as NASA and the Boeing team complete the Critical Design Review (CDR) on the core stage – the last major review before full production begins. - NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958 with a distinctly civilian (rather than military) orientation encouraging peaceful applications in space science. The National Aeronautics and Space Act was passed on July 29, 1958, disestablishing NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The new agency became operational on October 1, 1958 - The importance of mission to Mars
There are about hundreds of questions are burning in scientists, about existence of life in Mars, hence most of them preferring mission to Mars. Even India has also involved in missions to Mars India has send Mars Orbiter Mission on 5th November 2013. - Importance to India sending Mars Mission
India sees the Mars mission as an opportunity to beat its regional rival China in reaching the planet, especially after a Russian mission carrying the first Chinese satellite to Mars failed in November 2011. Japan also failed in a similar effort in 1998.
China has beaten India in space in almost every aspect so far: it has rockets that can lift four times more weight than India's, and in 2003, successfully launched its first human space flight which India has not yet embarked on. China launched its maiden mission to the Moon in 2007, ahead of India.
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