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Jack: That, my dear Algy, is the whole truth pure and simple.
Algernon: The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
—  Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest

In a series of articles, Research Matters tries to explain the commonly accepted process of scientific methodology, the interpretation of scientific studies and the obvious pitfalls. It is hoped that this series will help lay public in analysing any understanding published scientific studies for what they are, instead of believing just because ‘scientists say so’. This article is the first in the series.

A team of the local Idu Mishmi people led by Dr Sahil Nijhawan from ZSL and UCL, placed cameras in the jungles of Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh to understand the distribution of medium and large-sized mammals. Among the images, they found many pictures of differently coloured, medium sized cats—all of which were Asiatic golden cats. The study also marks the first discovery of the tightly-rosetted morph of the golden cats in the world.

Bengaluru, once called the ‘garden city’, has today traded its greenery for the grey tones of cement. The mushrooming buildings have not only changed the city for its human inhabitants but also for animals that once called this land home. Like us, these animals try to adapt to a new and ever-changing world by learning the tricks and trades necessary to thrive. Now, a study by researchers from IISc has discovered that lizards in the city’s suburbs are street smart, and learn faster than their rural brethren, to stay safe.

ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತ ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅದೃಶ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಅಪಾಯವನ್ನೊಡ್ಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ವಾಯುಮಾಲಿನ್ಯವು ಕಡಿಮೆ ಮತ್ತು ಮಧ್ಯಮ ಆದಾಯದ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಆರೋಗ್ಯದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ದುಷ್ಪರಿಣಾಮವನ್ನು ಬೀರುತ್ತಿದೆ. ವಿಶ್ವದಲ್ಲಿನ 15 ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಲುಷಿತ ನಗರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತವೊಂದೇ 14 ನಗರಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದೆ.

சிலவகை பல்லிகளில் காணப்படும் வரிகளும் வண்ணமிகு வால்களும், அவற்றை தங்கள் கொன்றுண்ணிகளிடமிருந்து தற்காத்துக்கொள்ள பயன்படுவதாக கண்டறிந்துள்ளது ஆய்வு!

The monsoon is here; humming with the pouring rain are the croaks of frogs, for it is the season of love for most of them. But not for Micryletta aishani, the newest of the frogs discovered from the state of Assam. Unlike most frogs that breed during the monsoon, this elusive frog breeds before the onset of monsoon and then goes into hiding for the rest of the year. The discovery is the result of six years of extensive fieldwork in the northeastern states of India by a team of researchers from the University of Delhi, Wildlife Institute of India, Indonesian Institute of Sciences and the University of Texas at Arlington, USA. 

About five earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or higher on the Ritcher scale occur on our planet every day. Researchers from the IISc, Bengaluru, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, and BARC, Mumbai, have reported a method to better identify building sites with soil that could be susceptible to damage from earthquakes.

In this digital age, ruled by smartphone apps, how about one to tell you how fresh your milk is? Although there are stringent safety rules concerning the quality of milk, almost 68% of what is available in the country does not conform to them. In a recent study, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have come up with a paper-based detection system to detect if a sample of milk is pasteurised and fresh. This technique, they say, is cost-effective, rapid, user- and environment-friendly.

कर्नाटक में खोजी गयी छिपकली की एक नयी प्रजाति को हेमिडेक्टीेलस विजयराघवानी नाम दिया गया है, जो भारत सरकार के प्रधान वैज्ञानिक सलाहकार, प्राध्यापक विजयराघवन के नाम से प्रेरित है।

काही जातिमधील सरड्याच्या अंगावरील पट्टे आणि रंगीबेरंगी शेपटी यांमुळे त्यांना शिकाऱ्यांपासून बचाव होण्यास  मदत होते, असे नुकत्याच झालेल्या एका अभ्यासात दिसून आले.