💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (August Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Subject: Science and Technology

  • Person in news: Ramkinkar Baij

    Ministry of Culture’s has organised virtual tour titled “Ramkinkar Baij | Journey through silent transformation and expressions” to commemorate his 115th Birth Anniversary.

    We can expect a description based question in prelims like-

    Q. “In 1925, he made his way to Kala Bhavana, the art school at Santiniketan and was under the guidance of Nandalal Bose. Encouraged by the liberating, intellectual environment of (Tagore’s) Santiniketan, his artistic skills and intellectual horizons blossomed, thus acquiring greater depth and complexity. One of the earliest modernists in Indian art, he assimilated the idioms of the European modern visual language and yet was rooted in his own Indian ethos.”

    Who is the imminent personality discussed?

    Who was Ramkinkar Baij?

    • Ramkinkar Baij (1906-1980), one of the most seminal artists of modern India, was an iconic sculptor, painter and graphic artist.
    • He was born in Bankura, West Bengal, into a family of little economic and social standing and grew by his sheer determination into one of the most distinguished early modernists of Indian art.
    • In 1925, he made his way to Kala Bhavana, the art school at Santiniketan and was under the guidance of Nandalal Bose.
    • Encouraged by the liberating, intellectual environment of (Tagore’s) Santiniketan, his artistic skills and intellectual horizons blossomed, thus acquiring greater depth and complexity.

    His works

    • One of the earliest modernists in Indian art, he assimilated the idioms of the European modern visual language and yet was rooted in his own Indian ethos.
    • His themes were steeped in a deep sense of humanism and an instinctive understanding of the symbiotic relationship between man and nature.
    • Both in his paintings and sculptures, he pushed the limits of experimentation and ventured into the use of new materials.
    • For instance, his use of unconventional material, for the time, such as cement concrete for his monumental public sculptures set a new precedent for art practices.
    • The use of cement, laterite and mortar to model the figures, and the use of a personal style in which modern western and Indian pre-classical sculptural values were brought together was equally radical.

    Popular recognition

    • Although his work was passed over for quite a while, gradually it began to get both national and international attention.
    • He was invited to participate in the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in 1950 and in the Salon de Mai in 1951.
    • In the national honours began to come his way one after the other.
    • In 1970, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan for his irrefutable contribution to Indian art.
    • In 1976 he was made a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi.
    • In 1976, he was conferred the honorary Doctoral Degree of ‘Desikottama’ by Visva Bharati, and in 1979 an honorary D. Litt by Rabindra Bharati University.

  • What is a Parallel Universe?

    Twitter and other social media platforms are abuzz with the so-called ‘parallel universe’ that NASA has discovered. According to the claims, NASA has detected a parallel universe in Antarctica, where time runs backwards.

     

    ANITA experiment is significant for prelims. It can be asked in prelims in such match the pair questions-

    Q. Consider the following pairs :

    Terms sometimes seen in news                                Context / Topic

    1. Belle 2 experiment –                                        Artificial Intelligence

    2. Blockchain technology –                               Digital Cryptocurrency

    3. CRISPR – Cas9 –                                               Particle Physics

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (CSP 2018)

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    What is a Parallel Universe?

    • In quantum mechanics, a parallel universe is theorized as existing alongside our own, although undetectable.
    • The recent reports claiming that there is evidence of a parallel universe appear to be based on ANITA findings that are at least a couple of years old.
    • A science magazine had published a feature, discussing some anomalous results coming from neutrino detection experiments in Antarctica.
    • It discussed a speculative cosmological model that posits there’s an antimatter universe extending backwards from the BigBang.
    • This theorem was also proposed by famous scientist Stephens Hawking.

    What were the anomalous detections in Antarctica?

    The ANITA experiment

    • Four years ago an experiment had spotted a handful of instances of what seemed to be highly energetic neutrinos coming through the Earth.
    • It was named Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment — a high-altitude helium balloon with an array of radio antennas, partially funded by NASA.
    • The telescope could spot these neutrinos coming from the space and hitting the ice sheet in Antarctica.
    • ANITA detected these particles, but instead of coming from the space, the neutrinos were found to be coming from the Earth’s surface without any source.
    • These detections happened in 2016, then again in 2018, but there was no credible explanation.
    • Physicists have been working to figure out if these results can be explained with our current models of physics or have something to do with the experimental set-up itself, or if something like the parallel universe does exist.

    Back2Basics: Neutrinos

    • A neutrino is a subatomic particle very similar to an electron.
    • But it has no electrical charge and a very small mass, which might even be zero.
    • Neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe.
    • Because they have very little interaction with matter, they are incredibly difficult to detect.

  • [pib] Kangra Tea and its medicinal properties against the coronavirus

    The chemicals in Kangra tea are found to be effective in boosting immunity as they can block coronavirus activity better than anti-HIV drugs.

    It would be no surprise to expect a question based on worldwide tea production:

    Q. Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years? (CSP 2019)

    (a) China

    (b) India

    (c) Myanmar

    (d) Vietnam

    Kangra Tea

    • Kangra tea is a tea from the Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, India.
    • Both black tea and green tea have been produced in the Kangra Valley since the mid-19th century.
    • After a feasibility survey in 1848 showed the area of being suitable for tea plantation, a Chinese variety of Camellia sinensis was planted across the region.
    • Kangra tea is known for its unique colour and flavour.
    • The unique characteristics of the tea are attributed to the geographical properties of the region.
    • Kangra tea was given the Geographical Indication status in 2005. Tea was first grown in the Kangra region in the mid-19th century.

    Benefits of Kangra Tea

    • Using computer-based models, the scientists screened 65 bioactive chemicals or polyphenols that could bind to a specific viral protein more efficiently than commercially available anti-HIV drugs approved for treating COVID-19 patients.
    • These chemicals might block the activity of the viral protein that helps the virus to thrive inside human cells.

    Back2Basics: Lopinavir/ Ritonavir

    • Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), sold under the brand name Kaletra among others, is a fixed-dose combination medication for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.
    • It combines lopinavir with a low dose of ritonavir.
    • It is generally recommended for use with other antiretrovirals.

  • Demo-2 Mission by SpaceX

    NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight will lift off for International Space Station (ISS) becoming the first crewed flight to launch from American soil since the conclusion of the space shuttle era in 2011.

    We can get a match the pair type question in prelims asking various space missions and their purposes. Make note of similar space missions from here.

    Try this:

    Q. Which of the following pair is/are correctly matched? (CSP 2014)

    Spacecraft Purpose
    1. Cassini-Huygens Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
    2. Messenger Mapping and investigating the Mercury
    3. Voyager 1 and 2 Exploring the outer solar system

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    a) 1 only

    b) 2 and 3 only

    c) 1 and 3 only

    d) 1, 2 and 3

    Demo-2: What is the mission?

    • The Demo-2 mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program with the aim of developing reliable and cost-effective access to and from the ISS.
    • Essentially, the lift-off is a flight test to certify if SpaceX’s crew transportation system can be used to ferry crew to and from the space station regularly.
    • After its launch, the Crew Dragon will perform a series of phasing manoeuvres to gradually approach and autonomously dock with the ISS.
    • After docking, the two astronauts will go aboard the ISS. They will perform tests of the Crew Dragon and conduct research with Expedition 63, the space station crew currently in residence at ISS.

    About the Commercial Crew Program

    • The main objective of this program is to make access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew can be easily transported to and from the ISS, enabling greater scientific research.
    • Secondly, by encouraging private companies such as Boeing and SpaceX to provide crew transportation NASA wants to focus on building spacecraft and rockets meant for deep space exploration missions.
    • Boeing and SpaceX were selected by NASA in September 2014 to develop transportation systems meant to transfer crew from the US to the ISS.

    Back2Basics: SpaceX

    • Space Exploration Technologies Corp., trading as SpaceX, is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation Services Company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
    • It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars.
    • SpaceX has developed several launch vehicles and the Dragon spacecraft.

  • What is the ‘Sonic Boom’ that rattled Bengaluru city?

    The ‘loud sound’ heard in Bengaluru a few days back, which puzzled lakhs of city dwellers, was revealed to have emanated from an IAF test flight involving a supersonic profile. The sonic boom was probably heard while the IAF aircraft was decelerating from supersonic to subsonic speed between 36,000 and 40000 feet altitude.

    Note:

    We often get to hear about updates in  India’s missile programme. UPSC may ask a basic physics question asking fundamental differences between various Mach number and its differences.

    What is a ‘sonic boom’?

    • Sound travels in the form of waves which are emitted outwards from its source.
    • In air, the speed of these waves depends on a number of factors, such as the temperature of the air and altitude.
    • When an aircraft travels at supersonic speed – meaning faster than sound (>1225 kmph at sea level) – the field of sound waves moves to the back of the craft.
    • A stationary observer thus hears no sound when a supersonic flight approaches since the sound waves are at the rear of the latter.
    • At such speeds, both newly created as well as old waves, are forced into a region at the aircraft’s rear called a ‘Mach cone’, which extends from the craft and intercepts the Earth in a hyperbola-shaped curve, and leaves a trail called the ‘boom carpet’.
    • The loud sound that is heard on the Earth when this happens is called a ‘sonic boom’ (resembles bomb-blast sound).

    Impacts

    • When such aircraft fly at a low altitude, the sonic boom can become intense enough to cause the glass to crack or cause health hazards.
    • Overland supersonic flights have thus been banned in many countries.

    Supersonic flights

    • In 1947, the American military pilot Chuck Yeager became the first to breach the sound barrier, flying the Bell X-1 aircraft at 1127 kmph.
    • Since then, many supersonic flights have followed, with advanced designs allowing speeds of over Mach 3, or three times the speed of sound.
    • According to the IAF website, India’s fastest jets include the Sukhoi SU-30 MKI (Mach 2.35) and the Mirage-2000 (Mach 2.3).

    Back2Basics: Traverse of sound

    • From a stationary source, such as a television set, sound waves travel outwards in concentric spheres of growing radii.
    • When the source of sound is moving – e.g, a truck– the successive waves in front of the truck get closer together, and the ones behind it spread out.
    • This is also the cause of the Doppler effect– in which bunched waves at the front appear at a higher frequency to a stationary observer, and spread out waves that are behind are observed at a lower frequency.
    • As long as the source of the sound keeps moving slower than the speed of sound itself, this source– say a truck or a plane – remains nested within the sound waves that are travelling in all directions.

    Mach number

    • The ratio of the speed of the aircraft to the speed of sound in the gas determines the magnitude of many of the compressibility effects.
    • Because of the importance of this speed ratio, aerodynamicists have designated it with a special parameter called the Mach number in honour of Ernst Mach, a late 19th-century physicist who studied gas dynamics.
    • Subsonic conditions occur for Mach numbers less than one, M < 1.
    • As the speed of the object approaches the speed of sound, the flight Mach number is nearly equal to one, M = 1, and the flow is said to be transonic.
    • Supersonic conditions occur for Mach numbers greater than one, 1 < M < 3.
    • For speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, M > 5, the flow is said to be hypersonic.
    • The Space Shuttle re-enters the atmosphere at high hypersonic speeds, M ~ 25. Under these conditions, the heated air becomes ionized plasma of gas and the spacecraft must be insulated from the high temperatures.

  • [pib] Certification of ‘Quantum Entanglement’

    Indian scientists have developed a novel protocol to find out whether a pair of electrons are in an entangled state so that they can be safely used as resources for facilitating quantum information processing tasks.

    Trending in news this year is the Quantum Technology, (As it used to be until last year were- the Internet of Things (IoT) CSP 2019, Artificial Intelligence (AI) etc.)

    Must read all this news in a loop:

    National Mission on QC

    Quantum Coin

    Quantum Supremacy

    What is Quantum Entanglement (QE)?

    • QE is the name given to a special connection between pairs or groups of quantum systems, or any objects described by quantum mechanics.
    • It is one of the biggest parts of quantum mechanics that makes it hard to understand in terms of the everyday world.
    • When we look at particles, we usually say that each particle has its own quantum state. Sometimes, two particles can act on one another and become an entangled system.
    • When a pair or group of particles can only be described by the quantum state for the system, and not by individual quantum states, we say the particles are “entangled”.

    Going bit technical here-

    • It is the physical phenomenon that occurs when a pair or group of particles is generated; interact, in a way such that the quantum state of each particle of the pair or group cannot be described independently of the state of the others.
    • Entangled states are key resources to facilitate many quantum information processing tasks and quantum cryptographic protocols.

    Why decode the Entanglement?

    • Entanglement is fragile and is easily lost during the transit of photons through the environment.
    • Hence it is extremely important to know whether a pair of photons are entangled, in order to use them as a resource.
    • Verification of entanglement requires the use of measurement devices, but such devices may be hacked or compromised.

    How to secure QE?

    • Device-independent self-testing (DIST) is a method that can be used in order to overcome such a possibility.
    • This method enables the verification of entanglement in an unknown quantum state of two photons without having direct access to the state, or complete trust in the measurement devices.
    • The theory relies on the application of the quantum uncertainty principle while implementing full device independence is a difficult task.

    Back2Basics: Quantum Mechanics

    • Quantum mechanics (QM) is a fundamental theory in physics which describes nature at the smallest scales of energy levels of atoms and subatomic particles.
    • It is the body of scientific laws that describe the wacky behaviour of photons, electrons and the other particles that make up the universe.

  • [pib] Alternative Dwarfing Genes in Wheat

    Scientists at Pune based Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology has mapped two dwarfing genes Rht14 and Rht18 in wheat that can reduce stubble volume.

    Note: One may wonder why the name of research institution has not been skipped here!

    Q. With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements:

    1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests.
    2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization.
    3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (CSP 2018)

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Rht14 and Rht18

    • The researchers have mapped the dwarfing genes on chromosome 6A in durum wheat, and DNA-based markers were developed for a better selection of these genes in wheat breeding lines.
    • These genes are associated with better seedling vigour and longer coleoptiles (sheath protecting the young shoot tip).
    • These DNA based markers are being used at ARI for marker-assisted transfer of these genes in Indian wheat varieties, so as to make them suitable for sowing under rice stubble-retained conditions and dry environments.
    • Wheat lines with these alternative dwarfing genes, apart from reducing crop residue burning, can allow deeper sowing of wheat seeds to avail advantage of residual moisture in the soil under dry environments.
    • Wheat lines with these alternative dwarfing genes, apart from reducing crop residue burning, can allow deeper sowing of wheat seeds to avail advantage of residual moisture in the soil under dry environments.

    Significance

    • In India, close to twenty-three million tonnes of leftover rice residues are annually burnt by farmers to get rid of the straw and prepare their fields for sowing wheat, which is the next crop, resulting in air pollution.
    • Burning of leftover rice crop residue has serious implications for the environment, soil, and human health.
    • Therefore, there is a need to include alternative dwarfing genes in wheat improvement programs.
    • The dwarfing genes Rht14 and Rht18 in wheat conferred a plant height reduction comparable to the Rht1 alleles while retaining early vigour in wheat seedlings, but do not affect coleoptile length and seedling shoot length.
    • These can, therefore, be utilized as an alternative dwarfing gene to Rht1 for deep sowing conditions or in fields with retained stubble.
    • The improved wheat lines which are being developed at ARI will help reducing stubble burning incidences under the rice-wheat cropping system.
    • These lines will also allow deeper sowing of wheat seeds to avail advantage of residual moisture in the soil, therefore, saving valuable water resources and reduce the cost of cultivation to farmers.

  • ‘Agappe Chitra Magna’ kit for COVID diagnosis

    Agappe Chitra Magna, a magnetic nanoparticles-based RNA extraction kit has been commercially launched.

    The peculiarity of the name ‘Agappe Chitra Magna’ creates a possibility of a prelims question. One may confuse it with any sort of Artform.

    Agappe Chitra Magna (ACM) Kit

    • The ACM kit is developed by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) and manufactured by Kochi-based Agappe Diagnostics Ltd.,
    • It uses innovative technology for isolating RNA using magnetic nanoparticles to capture the RNA from the patient sample.
    • The magnetic nanoparticles beads bind to the viral RNA and, when exposed to a magnetic field, give a highly purified and concentrated RNA.
    • As the sensitivity of the detection method is dependent on getting an adequate quantity of viral RNA, this innovation enhances the chances of identifying positive cases.
    • The commercial launch of the kit is a major step to make India self-reliant in detecting COVID-19 and can help increase the rate of testing and bring down its costs, a crucial step for combating the pandemic.

    Significance of the kit

    • The commercial launch of the kit is a major step to make India self-reliant in detecting COVID-19 and can help increase the rate of testing and bring down its costs, a crucial step for combating the pandemic.
    • The RNA isolation kit will reduce the dependence on imported kits and make COVID testing more cost-effective.

  • What is Solar Minimum?

    The sun is said to have gone into a state called the ‘solar minimum’ and is about to enter the deepest period of ‘sunshine recession’ as sunspots are virtually not visibly at all.

    Practice question for Mains:

    Q. What are Solar minima and maxima? Discuss its impact on space weather and the Earth.

    What is a solar minimum and why is it happening now?

    • Sun has a cycle that lasts on average 11 years, and right now we are at the peak of that cycle.
    • Every 11 years or so, sunspots fade away, bringing a period of relative calm.
    • This is called the solar minimum. And it’s a regular part of the sunspot cycle.
    • While intense activity such as sunspots and solar flares subside during solar minimum, that doesn’t mean the sun becomes dull. Solar activity simply changes form.

    What about Solar Maximum?

    • Solar minima and maxima are the two extremes of the Sun’s 11-year and 400-year activity cycle.
    • At a maximum, the Sun is peppered with sunspots, solar flares erupt, and the Sun hurls billion-ton clouds of electrified gas into space.
    • Sky watchers may see more auroras, and space agencies must monitor radiation storms for astronaut protection.
    • Power outages, satellite malfunctions, communication disruptions, and GPS receiver malfunctions are just a few of the things that can happen during a solar maximum.

    What are its effects on Earth?

    a) On space weather

    • The Solar wind from coronal holes will temporarily create disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere, called geomagnetic storms, auroras, and disruptions to communications and navigation systems.
    • The space weather during solar minimum will also affect Earth’s upper atmosphere on satellites in low Earth orbit changes.
    • This means that the Earth’s upper atmosphere will cool down which is generally heated and puffed up by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
    • However, the heat at the upper atmosphere of our planet helps Earth to drag debris and keep the low Earth orbit clear of manmade space junk.
    • Apart from this, the solar minimum will change the space weather significantly which will lead to an increase in the number of galactic cosmic rays that reach Earth’s upper atmosphere.
    • These Galactic cosmic rays are high energy particles which are a result of distant supernova explosions and other violent events in the galaxy.

    b) On astronauts

    • According to NASA the sun’s magnetic field weakens and provides less shielding from these cosmic rays during a solar minimum which will directly increase the threat to astronauts travelling through space.
    • This may cause health risks to astronauts travelling through space as the sun’s magnetic field weakens and provides less shielding from these cosmic rays.

  • [pib] Iron-Manganese based Biodegradable Alloy

    Indian scientists have jointly developed new generation Iron-Manganese based alloys for biodegradable metal implants for use in humans.

    Do you remember the Johnson and Johnson’s faulty hip implants case?? The alloy mentioned in the newscard can prove to be a gamechanger in the field of medical implants.

    Iron-Manganese based Biodegradable Alloy

    • Biodegradable materials (Fe, Mg, Zn, and polymer) can participate in the healing process and then degrade gradually by maintaining mechanical integrity without leaving any implant residues in the human body.
    • They are better alternatives to currently used metallic implants which remain permanently in the human body and can cause long-term side effects like systemic toxicity, chronic inflammation, and thrombosis.
    • The ARCI team employed both conventional melting and powder metallurgy techniques in the manufacturing of the new Fe-Mn based biodegradable alloys.
    • The alloy Fe-Mn (having Mn composition of more than 29% by weight) is a promising biodegradable metallic implant which exhibits a single austenitic phase (a non-magnetic form of iron) with MRI compatibility.

    Easy degradation

    • The alloy also showed a degradation rate in the range of 0.14-0.026 mm per year in the simulated body fluid.
    • It means that the Fe-Mn alloy exhibits mechanical integrity for 3-6 months and completely, disappears from the body in 12-24 months.
    • During the degradation process, calcium phosphate deposits on the implant due to local alkalization and saturation of calcium and phosphate, allow cells to adhere onto the surface to form tissues.

    Benefits

    • The Fe-Mn alloy produced at ARCI exhibited 99% density with impressive mechanical properties and behaved as a nonmagnetic material even under a strong magnetic field.
    • These properties are comparable to presently used permanent Titanium (Ti) and stainless-steel metallic implants (which is very costly).