Survival of the fittest has been the norm in nature. Every organism that has to survive, has to find ways to escape from its predators or develop skills to adapt to the adversities of its environment. But, how does the immobile and defenseless pupa of a butterfly survive from being caught by predators? A new study has now explored strategies used by the pupa during its developmental stages to hide from the prying eyes of the predators. It says that based on environmental factors, the pupal colors change, which might help them survive by camouflage.
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Migration of birds is a fascinating story. Many birds across the world travel to different locations in search of food and a warm place to breed. A new study has now found a dark side of the fascinating tale of migration -- the risk of spread of diseases. The researchers have studied two species of migratory birds and have identified the presence of two strains of parasites in them that could potentially spread the disease to the local bird population, which do not have the required immunity to fight against them. The researchers warn that their finding could put the entire local bird population at the risk of contracting the diseases.
The theory of evolution has long been an interesting subject for scientists around the world, ever since Darwin’s proposal. Many new findings have shaped our understanding of evolution and some have changed what we knew thus far. Now a new study by scientists on fruitflies might further change how we have understood the importance of ‘trade-offs’ in evolution. The study has discovered that fruitflies develop immunity to a type of bacteria over a few generations without losing any other desirable trait, prompting scientists to believe that they have obtained immunity for free, a concept that was always associated with trade-offs.
Kala-azar or visceral leishmaniasis is the second most deadliest tropical diseases after malaria and is spread by the bite of infected sandflies. India is one of the few countries still affected by this disease and has launched many programmes to eliminate the spread of the disease. Now, a new study has proposed a mathematical model that can help control the disease by monitoring the numbers of infected individuals and sandfly population, and has suggested that a combination of the drug based treatment and the use of insecticides to control sandflies could be our best strategy to eliminate the disease from the country.
The oceans make up 75% of our Earth and is home to a wide range of plants and animals that thrive in marine ecosystems around the world. Thanks to human actions, these ecosystems face a mounting threat, far too inconspicuous, for us to observe. Ocean pollution, raise in its temperature and rampant overfishing have threatened many species and have pushed them to the brink of extinction. On World Oceans Day, perhaps it is time to reflect what roles these oceans play in helping life on the land and think about how our activities have disturbed the fragile balance nature maintains in the deep blue seas.
Dogs are long considered our best friends. Since the days of our civilizations, it is thought that dogs have started to share the cities that we build and have lived in them - eating up our wastes, protecting our livestocks, guarding us and sometimes irking us with their behaviour. Stray dogs are now seen as a menace more than as loving inhabitants of our cities. An increasing number of huma-dog conflicts are a testimony to that. A new research has thrown some insights into the behavioural aspects of stray dogs and has identified factors and measures that can help us make peace with the strays. By being aware and understanding of the behaviours of strays, a lot of such conflicts can be avoided, say the researchers.
India’s Information and Technology industry has served as a great success story for the outsourcing model. However, in order to sustain the growing competition and provide increasing value proposition, the industry must innovate and carve a niche for domestic talent too. In the recent past, the rise of IT clusters - geographical aggregation of related companies in IT -- have emerged as a ray of hope that not only provides jobs, but also enhances the value proposition, thanks to the ample talent pool. A new study has now identified factors that have led to the growth of these IT clusters in the metropolitan cities of India and the model followed by these clusters to spread to other cities.
The 5th of June every year is celebrated across the world as ‘World Environment Day’. People mark this event by planting saplings, spreading awareness about the importance of the environment to our survival and ways we can conserve this gift of nature for the future generations to come. But, have you ever wondered how we go about our lives on the rest of the days? What if we stopped a moment to think of the change it would bring about if we chose to walk to work instead of the car or take the bus? Of course it would change the climate for the good. Find out some tales of inspiration and alarming facts in this special on World Environment Day.
In you childhood days, you might have killed an ant by squeezing or poking it. Or may be smashed a pest like cockroach. But how about killing bacteria by poking them? What if that means a bacteria-free world? A new study by scientists has tried to exactly that using nanoscale surface undulations on titanium surface to kill bacteria by rupturing their cells. This innovation, the scientists say, serves as a great alternative to getting rid of bacteria instead of using antibacterial drugs.
Bengaluru is today famous for the number of technology companies that have sprung up, be it domestic or multinational. A new addition to this list are the home-grown technology start-ups who have transformed Bengaluru into a hub of technology start-ups. But what factors led to this transformation of a city that was once a ‘pensioner’s paradise’ into one that is bustling with the energy of the youth? A new study has now tried to identify those factors and analyse how each of them helped Bengaluru transform into what it is today. Read on to learn about this exciting journey.