Tag: science

Donna Lu: Record number of new gravitational waves offers game-changing window into universe

Astronomers have detected a record number of gravitational waves, in a discovery they say will shed light on the evolution of the universe, and the life and death of stars. An international team of scientists have made 35 new observations of gravitational waves, which brings the total number of detections since 2015 to 90. Gravitational waves… Read More Donna Lu: Record number of new gravitational waves offers game-changing window into universe

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Albert Einstein and Lev Landau: Scientific geniuses as well as anti-capitalists and anti-Stalinists

Almost everyone knows the name of Einstein, but that of Lev Landau is familiar only to a few followers of the exact sciences. And yet, both of them share several common features: They occupy first-rank positions in the short list of the greatest geniuses of the past century. They distinguished themselves by their freedom of thought and… Read More Albert Einstein and Lev Landau: Scientific geniuses as well as anti-capitalists and anti-Stalinists

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CODE RED for Humanity – The IPCC report is clear: nothing short of transforming society will avert catastrophe

NB: In the midst of an unprecedented global catastrophe, political leadership is engaged in ruthless quest for power, destruction of democratic institutions, clampdown on honest journalism, instigating communal and racial hatred, and increasing defence budgets. Whenever society faces mortal danger, we attack the poor, invent enemies and scapegoats on all sides, and engage in verbal… Read More CODE RED for Humanity – The IPCC report is clear: nothing short of transforming society will avert catastrophe

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Environmental impact of bottled water ‘up to 3,500 times greater than tap water’

The impact of bottled water on natural resources is 3,500 times higher than for tap water, scientists have found. The research is the first of its kind and examined the impact of bottled water in Barcelona, where it is becoming increasingly popular despite improvements to the quality of tap water in recent years. Research led by the Barcelona Institute… Read More Environmental impact of bottled water ‘up to 3,500 times greater than tap water’

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Australian mathematician discovers applied geometry engraved on 3,700-year-old tablet

Old Babylonian tablet likely used for surveying uses Pythagorean triples at least 1,000 years before Pythagoras    An Australian mathematician has discovered what may be the oldest known example of applied geometry, on a 3,700-year-old Babylonian clay tablet. Known as Si.427, the tablet bears a field plan measuring the boundaries of some land. The tablet… Read More Australian mathematician discovers applied geometry engraved on 3,700-year-old tablet

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LIV GRJEBINE: Politicized science drove lunar exploration — but polarized scientific views are worse than ever

People often assume that the objectivity of science requires it to be isolated from governmental politics. However, scientists have always gotten involved in politics as advisers and through shaping public opinion. And science itself – how scientists are funded and how they choose their research priorities – is a political affair. The coronavirus pandemic showed both the benefits and risks of this relationship – from the controversies surrounding hydroxychloroquine to the efforts… Read More LIV GRJEBINE: Politicized science drove lunar exploration — but polarized scientific views are worse than ever

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Bharat Bhushan: Who destroyed India's vaccine self-sufficiency? // Top Virologist Shahid Jameel Quits Covid Panel After Criticising Government

On May 8 the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court while hearing a PIL wondered why India, a pioneer in vaccine production before the current pandemic and a big exporter of vaccines, had to rely on just two private domestic manufacturers–Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech–to produce Covid-19 vaccines. It has also baffled… Read More Bharat Bhushan: Who destroyed India's vaccine self-sufficiency? // Top Virologist Shahid Jameel Quits Covid Panel After Criticising Government

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India, Brazil and the human cost of sidelining science

Last week, Brazil’s total death toll from COVID-19 passed 400,000. In India, the pandemic is taking around 3,500 lives every day and has prompted a global response, with offers of oxygen, ventilators, intensive-care beds and more. Although these two countries are thousands of miles apart, the crises in both are the result of political failings:… Read More India, Brazil and the human cost of sidelining science

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