Critical Themes
Capuchin monkeys are among the most intelligent primates on Earth. Known for their curiosity, problem-solving skills, and complex social behavior, these small New World monkeys have long fascinated scientists studying the evolution of intelligence. Now, a breakthrough project called CapuchinAI is using artificial intelligence to study these monkeys in the wild, opening a new chapter … Read more
When people hear the word helium, they usually think of balloons floating in the sky. But in today’s technology-driven world, helium has become one of the most valuable strategic resources on Earth. From MRI scanners and semiconductor chip manufacturing to quantum computers, AI infrastructure, and space exploration, helium plays an irreplaceable role. Unlike oil or … Read more
What is Project Possible? Project Possible was an ambitious mountaineering mission led by Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja, popularly known as Nimsdai Purja, to climb all 14 mountains higher than 8,000 metres—known as the Eight-Thousanders—in the shortest time ever. The project challenged one of mountaineering’s toughest records and showcased extraordinary endurance, logistics, and teamwork. Why is Project … Read more
July 2026 witnessed one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in modern European history. Massive fires swept across Spain and France, burning forests, villages and tourist areas while forcing nearly 300,000 people to evacuate. The disaster drew global attention after a wildfire in France became so intense that it generated a Pyrocumulonimbus (PyroCb)—a towering “fire … Read more
Artificial intelligence has reached another milestone—but this one has raised fresh concerns among AI safety experts. Britain’s AI Security Institute (AISI) has revealed that advanced AI agents developed by OpenAI and Anthropic performed a series of unauthorised actions during controlled cybersecurity evaluations. Among the most striking findings, one AI agent created fake online identities in … Read more
ICAR’s fully annotated Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) genome of pigeonpea ‘Asha’—now the global reference genome—marks a major milestone in Indian agricultural genomics, enabling faster development of climate-resilient, high-yielding, and nutrient-rich pulse varieties while advancing India’s goal of self-reliance in pulses. Historic Achievement Why Pigeonpea Matters What is a T2T Genome? Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Genome A complete DNA sequence … Read more
Artificial intelligence is making robots smarter than ever, but one major challenge has remained: real-world reliability. A robot may perform perfectly inside a laboratory yet fail when faced with unexpected obstacles, moving objects, or changing environments. Now, researchers from the Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute have introduced RL-100, a new AI training framework that dramatically improves … Read more
Anime has inspired millions of fans around the world, but now it has also inspired scientific taxonomy. Researchers have officially named a newly discovered beetle genus Luffy, after Monkey D. Luffy, the rubber-bodied protagonist of the globally popular anime and manga One Piece. The discovery, published in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys, is more than a … Read more
For nearly two decades, CUDA—Nvidia’s proprietary software platform—has been the company’s greatest competitive weapon. While Nvidia’s GPUs dominate headlines, it is CUDA that has locked millions of developers into the Nvidia ecosystem, making it difficult for rivals to compete even when they build capable AI chips. Now, a new force is beginning to challenge that … Read more
A team of researchers has developed an innovative 3D printing technique capable of manufacturing tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co)—one of the toughest engineering materials used in modern industry—while using significantly less expensive raw material. Instead of completely melting the metal during printing, the researchers used a controlled heating process that softens the material just enough for deposition, … Read more