Let us discuss about the current events on Science & Technology in this section. I have clubbed together the information under five sections:
I) Space Research and Technology
II) Military Technology
III) Material science and Energy Technology
IV) Biotechnology and Life sciences
V) Robotics, Computer, IT and Consumer electronics
I. Space Research and Technology
1. Gravitational waves
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric
of space-time created out of giant explosions in the Universe. They propagate
as waves, travelling outward from the source. The existence of such waves was predicted in
1916 by Albert Einstein on the basis of his theory of general relativity. There have been great advancements in research regarding the gravitational waves as follows
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory (LIGO) – An L shaped interferometer in Lousiana, United States that detected the presence of gravitational waves. The LIGO captured the final moments of the merging of two giant black-holes to a single spinning black hole, about 1.3 billion years ago.
IndIGO – The Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observation(IndIGO) is a consortium of Indian gravitational wave physicists who are in the process of setting up a similar observatory, known as LIGO-India in the country.
Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) project – It is a proposed European Space Agency Mission consisting of three spacecrafts massively apart forming the corners a giant equilateral triangle. This is for the accurate detection of gravitational waves.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory (LIGO) – An L shaped interferometer in Lousiana, United States that detected the presence of gravitational waves. The LIGO captured the final moments of the merging of two giant black-holes to a single spinning black hole, about 1.3 billion years ago.
IndIGO – The Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observation(IndIGO) is a consortium of Indian gravitational wave physicists who are in the process of setting up a similar observatory, known as LIGO-India in the country.
Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) project – It is a proposed European Space Agency Mission consisting of three spacecrafts massively apart forming the corners a giant equilateral triangle. This is for the accurate detection of gravitational waves.
2. Detection of elementary particles
Large Hadron Collider – It is a particle accelerator in the form a huge circular underground tunnel in the France-Swiss border and is maintained by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva. Application of a high potential leads to acceleration of particles like protons that collide to create a condition similar to that of the Big Bang. It had successfully detected the presence of Higgs Boson in 2012. Currently the LHC has gone for an upgradation that enables it to accelerate protons to very high energy levels of 13 Tera electron volts (TeV). Recently it was able to find a new family of particles known as tetra-quarks. Quarks are the elementary particles that constitutes protons and other hadrons, but they were assumed to exist in group of two or three.
Indian Neutrino Observatory – This is an underground observatory coming up in 1,300 meter deep cave under the Bodi West Hills in the Theni region of Tamil Nadu in India. It will used to study the atmospheric neutrinos, a major component of cosmic radiations coming from outer space. It includes a massive Iron Calorimeter to detect the chargeless neutrinos.
3. Space Observatories across the globe
Thirty Meter
Telescope – It is an Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) with an aperture of 30
metres diameter and thus the name. The aim of the project is to study about the dark matter and dark energy in the Universe. The project has
government-level support from nations like U.S, China, Japan, Canada and India. India supports the project in kind providing
the mirror fabrication like edge sensors and actuators. The initial location of the TMT was decided as the Mt. Mauna Kea in
the Hawaiian Islands. But, due to some issues the scientists are mulling of shifting the location to Hanle in Ladakh region of India.
James Webb Space Telescope – Space observatory to be launched by NASA in 2018. It is also known as Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST)
ARIES Telescope - Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences. It is a joint collaboration between India, Belgium and Russia. With the mirror having a diameter of 3.6m, it is the largest optical telescope in Asia. It is situated in Nainital in Uttarakhand. It will be used in the study and exploration of planets, stars and astronomical debris.
James Webb Space Telescope – Space observatory to be launched by NASA in 2018. It is also known as Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST)
ARIES Telescope - Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences. It is a joint collaboration between India, Belgium and Russia. With the mirror having a diameter of 3.6m, it is the largest optical telescope in Asia. It is situated in Nainital in Uttarakhand. It will be used in the study and exploration of planets, stars and astronomical debris.
Multiple Application Solar Telescope (MAST) - It will be used for the detailed study of the Solar activity including its
magnetic field. It has recently been operationalised at the Udaipur
Solar Observatory (USO)
GRAVITY -
The most powerful Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) in the world.
It is a four
beam combiner, near-infrared astrometric and imaging equipment. It is being
developed by consortium of European nations and is located in Chile.
Five Hundred metres Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) - It is large radio telescope being developed by China in the Karst depression of Guizhou province. It is nicknamed Tianyan.
4. Space expeditions
Five Hundred metres Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) - It is large radio telescope being developed by China in the Karst depression of Guizhou province. It is nicknamed Tianyan.
4. Space expeditions
Juno mission
– It is NASA's mission to study about Jupiter including its composition, gravity field and magnetic field. It is the second mission to Jupiter after Galileo that was launched in 1989. Juno is powered by three massive solar arms and it is the most distant solar-powered space-craft currently breaking the record of
Rosetta. The missions to outer Solar system (outside the asteroid belt) generally use nuclear fuel.
Space X rocket - NASA has outsourced the launching capabilities to the private firm Space-X Technologies. It uses the Falcon 9 rocket for launch and the Dragon capsule that docks with the International Space Station (ISS). Recently a reusable booster was employed in the Falcon rocket and it successfully touched down on land and sea in separate tests. This would bring down the cost for launch.
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) - It is an experimental expandable space station module developed by Bigelow Aerospace, under contract to NASA, for testing as a temporary module on the International Space Station (ISS). Expandable habitats greatly decrease the amount of transport volume for future space missions. They can also be deployed on Earth during extreme conditions like a disaster.
Mars InSight mission – It is a NASA project to study how rocky planets like Earth and Mars evolved. The mission scheduled for launch in 2018 involves placing a stationary lander equipped with a seismometer and heat transfer probe on the surface of Mars.
New Horizon – It is a NASA mission to study about Pluto and other dwarf planets in the outer region of the solar system post Neptune (known as the Kuiper belt). Pluto and its satellite Charon which happens to be about half its size form a fascinating pair. The space-craft revealed Pluto’s twilight zone recently.
Dawn spacecraft - A NASA spacecraft launched in 2007 to study about the two dwarf planets in the asteroid belt - Vesta and Ceres. It orbited Vesta in 2011 and entered Ceres orbit in 2015. Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt. The study would help in getting information on the evolution of planets.
Kepler Planet orbiting two stars - NASA's Kepler Mission has discovered a circumbinary planet i.e. one which orbits two stars. The Kepler spacecraft was launched by NASA in 2009 to study about Earth-like planets (also known as exo-planets) in probable life sustaining Habitable Zones of other stars.
5. Indian Space Technology
Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System - India's own navigational system consisting of seven satellites - IRNSS 1A to 1G. Of these, four satellites are geo-synchronous while the other three are geo-stationary. The system will be used for both civilian and military purposes and will have navigational capacity in South Asia.
Re-usable Launch Vehicle – Recently a technology demonstrator (known as RLV-TD) vehicle was successfully tested. The major technologies tested were atmospheric re-entry, hypersonic acceleration and scramjet propulsion. The scramjet propulsion otherwise known as air-breathing technology uses atmospheric oxygen for combustion of fuel during initial stages. This helps is to accelerate to hypersonic speeds (more than 5 Machs)
Astrosat – India's multi-wavelenght space telescope that can work in optical, UV and X ray bands. It will study stars, galaxies, black-holes etc
Adithya – The objective of this mission was to study the solar corona. Now the project has been renamed as Adithya L1 referring to the Lagrangian orbit it would use for its expedition. Adithya L1 would be a pair of satellites placed between the Earth and the Sun. They have a bigger objective of studying the solar weather and its impacts on the Earth.
NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) - It is a project between NASA and ISRO to co-develop and launch a dual frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite. The satellite will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequency (L & S band) and it is planned to be used for remote sensing to observe and understand natural processes of the Earth.
Geo-Imaging Satellite (GISAT) – Geostationary satellite carrying a GEO Imager with multispectral (visible, near infra-red and thermal) and multi-resolution (50m to 1.5km) imaging instruments. Generally, imaging satellites have a polar Low Earth Orbit. But the GISAT has a geo-stationary orbit and is at an altitude of 36,000 km from Earth.
Cartosat 2C – It is an Earth observation satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit that can take high resolution images of up to 60cm resolution. It carries a panchromatic camera capable of taking black and white pictures.
Space X rocket - NASA has outsourced the launching capabilities to the private firm Space-X Technologies. It uses the Falcon 9 rocket for launch and the Dragon capsule that docks with the International Space Station (ISS). Recently a reusable booster was employed in the Falcon rocket and it successfully touched down on land and sea in separate tests. This would bring down the cost for launch.
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) - It is an experimental expandable space station module developed by Bigelow Aerospace, under contract to NASA, for testing as a temporary module on the International Space Station (ISS). Expandable habitats greatly decrease the amount of transport volume for future space missions. They can also be deployed on Earth during extreme conditions like a disaster.
Mars InSight mission – It is a NASA project to study how rocky planets like Earth and Mars evolved. The mission scheduled for launch in 2018 involves placing a stationary lander equipped with a seismometer and heat transfer probe on the surface of Mars.
New Horizon – It is a NASA mission to study about Pluto and other dwarf planets in the outer region of the solar system post Neptune (known as the Kuiper belt). Pluto and its satellite Charon which happens to be about half its size form a fascinating pair. The space-craft revealed Pluto’s twilight zone recently.
Dawn spacecraft - A NASA spacecraft launched in 2007 to study about the two dwarf planets in the asteroid belt - Vesta and Ceres. It orbited Vesta in 2011 and entered Ceres orbit in 2015. Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt. The study would help in getting information on the evolution of planets.
Kepler Planet orbiting two stars - NASA's Kepler Mission has discovered a circumbinary planet i.e. one which orbits two stars. The Kepler spacecraft was launched by NASA in 2009 to study about Earth-like planets (also known as exo-planets) in probable life sustaining Habitable Zones of other stars.
5. Indian Space Technology
Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System - India's own navigational system consisting of seven satellites - IRNSS 1A to 1G. Of these, four satellites are geo-synchronous while the other three are geo-stationary. The system will be used for both civilian and military purposes and will have navigational capacity in South Asia.
Re-usable Launch Vehicle – Recently a technology demonstrator (known as RLV-TD) vehicle was successfully tested. The major technologies tested were atmospheric re-entry, hypersonic acceleration and scramjet propulsion. The scramjet propulsion otherwise known as air-breathing technology uses atmospheric oxygen for combustion of fuel during initial stages. This helps is to accelerate to hypersonic speeds (more than 5 Machs)
Astrosat – India's multi-wavelenght space telescope that can work in optical, UV and X ray bands. It will study stars, galaxies, black-holes etc
Adithya – The objective of this mission was to study the solar corona. Now the project has been renamed as Adithya L1 referring to the Lagrangian orbit it would use for its expedition. Adithya L1 would be a pair of satellites placed between the Earth and the Sun. They have a bigger objective of studying the solar weather and its impacts on the Earth.
NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) - It is a project between NASA and ISRO to co-develop and launch a dual frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite. The satellite will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequency (L & S band) and it is planned to be used for remote sensing to observe and understand natural processes of the Earth.
Geo-Imaging Satellite (GISAT) – Geostationary satellite carrying a GEO Imager with multispectral (visible, near infra-red and thermal) and multi-resolution (50m to 1.5km) imaging instruments. Generally, imaging satellites have a polar Low Earth Orbit. But the GISAT has a geo-stationary orbit and is at an altitude of 36,000 km from Earth.
Cartosat 2C – It is an Earth observation satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit that can take high resolution images of up to 60cm resolution. It carries a panchromatic camera capable of taking black and white pictures.
II. Military Technology
Ballistic missiles
They are passively guided i.e. the control is only during launch and then the flight of the missile is according to the laws of motion. The important ballistic missiles in news are:
Prithvi - It is a surface-to-surface category Short Range Ballistic Missile. Maximum range is 700 km (Prithvi III)
Agni - It is a surface-to-surface category ballistic missile. Agni I and II are Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBM) with maximum range of 3000 km. Agni III and IV are Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM) with a maximum range of 5000 km. Agni V and VI are called as Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with range more than 5500km.
Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) – This is otherwise known as the K family of
missiles. It is also known as the Black Project since the DRDO is covertly
working on it. The K15 (also known as Sagarika) is the SLBM variant of the
Shaurya and has a range between 700km to 1500 km. The K4 is the SLBM variant of
Agni V and has a range of more than 3500km.
Such missiles have IR seekers that help them to "home in" on targets. Important heat seeking missiles are:
Astra – It is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) that flies in supersonic, tail chase mode possessing Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP). It has an active radar homing system to focus up on the targets. It has been tested on all the major fighter jets including the Sukhoi.
Akash – It is a medium range surface-to-air missile. The missile system has array radars to track the targets and can target air-crafts up to 30 km away, at altitudes up to 18000 m.
Nag – It is a fire-and-forget anti-tank missile. It consists imaging infra-red (IIR) passive seeker that ensures high hit accuracy. HELINA is the helicopter launched version of Nag.
Barak-8 - It is an India-Israel Surface to Air Missile and is also known as LR-SAM. It is designed to defend against any type of airborne threat including aircraft, helicopters and UAVs out to a maximum range of 70 km.
Cruise missiles
They are actively guided missiles and control is applied throughout their flight. The two cruise missiles with India are
Brahmos – These are supersonic in nature and have a range of 295 km.
Nirbhay – These are sub-sonic in nature. They fly very close to surface (500m to 4km) and hence escape detection. They have a range of around 1000 km.
Anti-Radiation Missile - Air-to-Surface missile with a range of 100 to 125 km. It is a tactical missile and will be deployed on the Tejas (Light Combat Aircraft) and the Sukhoi fighter aircrafts. It will target RADARs and communication facilities.
Missile Defence Systems - India's military arsenal consists of missile defence systems to intercept any incoming missiles. Following are important missile defence systems
Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) – It is used for high altitude interception (up to 80 km) and is used to intercept exo-atmospheric ballistic missiles. It is otherwise known as Pradyumna
Advanced Air Defence (AAD) – It is used for low altitude interception (up to 40 km). It is otherwise known as “Ashwin”. It can intercept cruise missiles, UAVs and aircraft.
War planes
There have been news about war-planes. The important among them are:
Sukhoi Su-30MKI - Primary air superiority fighter of the Indian Air Force. It is Russian made fourth generation fighter
Dassault Rafale – The Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) that India plans to purchase from France. It is a fourth generation fighter aircraft.
PAKFA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) - The Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being jointly developed by India and Russia. It combines supersonic cruise, stealth and advanced avionics. It will be armed with Astra - BVRAAM.
Tejas – The Light Combat Aircraft indigenously developed in India. The Kaveri engine of this plane was found ineffective and has been replaced by that of GE Aviation of the US. Recently the Government has decided to induct the upgraded version i.e. Tejas-Mark-1A to the Air Force rather than acquiring more Rafales. Tejas is a fourth generation fighter aircraft.
Lockheed Martin- F16 - It is a multi-role fourth generation fighter produced by US based Lockheed Martin. The F16 is eyeing a contract with India for shifting its manufacturing base.
C-17 Globemaster III – They are transport aircrafts acquired from US. They would replace the ailing Russian made Il-76s. Recently they were deployed evacuation missions in South Sudan and Yemen.
C-130J Hercules – They are transport aircrafts used for combined Army-Air Force operations. They are acquired from US.
Advanced RADARs to detect incoming objects
PHAROS – Multi-tracking RADAR being developed by BEL in collaboration with Thales, France
AWACS - Advanced Early Warning And Control System. They are advanced radars mounted on an aircraft to give 360 degree coverage to detect incoming aircraft and missiles at long ranges.
III. Material sciences and Energy Technology
Graphene – It is an allotrope of Carbon and exists in the form of a two-dimensional array of Carbon atoms. Graphene is strong, transparent and conductor of heat and electricity. The Carbon Nano Tubes are made from it. Ultra-thin graphene sensors have been designed to detect air-pollution at home by adsorption of CO2 onto graphene.
Silica aerogel
– world’s lightest material ever developed by man. Also called “frozen smoke”
or “blue air”. Heat resistant since 95% of it is air. They would be very useful in manufacturing heat insulators in applications like space crafts.
Q carbon –
Allotrope of carbon. It is reported to be ferromagnetic and electrically
conductive and is able to glow when exposed to low levels of energy. It is assumed to be harder than Diamond and some scientists claim it as an easy way to manufacture diamonds.
Shale gas and Coal Bed Methane - The major component of all these substances is methane. Hence they are more efficient and less dense compared to LPG and petroleum. Shale gas is found trapped within impermeable shale rocks that are sedimentary in
nature. Methane gas absorbed into solid matrix of coal is called Coal Bed Methane. It is called 'sweet gas' because of its lack of hydrogen sulfide
Prototype
Fast Breeder Reactor - This test reactor at Kalpakkam generates fuel as a by-product. Mixed Oxide (MOX) obtained from Plutonium and
natural Uranium is given as fuel. It forms the second stage of the three-stage nuclear programme started by Homi J Bhabha after the thermal reactors in the first stage. The Thorium-Uranium cycle would form the third stage, but this has not been achieved anywhere in the world.
International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) - being developed at Cadarache in France. It is an international nuclear fusion
project run by seven member entities including India. A Tokamak design of the reactor is employed in the project.
Important vaccines
Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) - It is also called as injectable polio vaccine. Instead of using a live attenuated virus, the IPV contains a dead strain of the Polio virus which is injected into the body.
Rotavac - Vaccine indigenously developed in India jointly by the Government and Bharat Biotech in PPP mode. It is administered against Rotavirus that causes diarrhoea in children.
Typbar TCV - It is an indigenously developed vaccine against Typhoid.
Dengvaxia – It is a new vaccine developed against Dengue. WHO recommends its introduction in countries in South America and Asia.
Zika virus – Zika virus is spread by Aedes mosquitoes and causes macrocephaly i.e. abnormally large head in newborns. The Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Corporation (Mahyco) has created GM mosquitoes to fight Zika virus. The male mosquitoes render the disease causing female mosquitoes unable to reproduce, thus reducing their population.
Bacterial resistance in India – In India enzymes like the New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) cause bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The gene for NDM-1 is one member of a large gene family that encodes beta-lactamase enzymes called carbapenemases. Bacteria that produce carbapenemases are often referred to as "superbugs" because infections caused by them are difficult to treat. Bacterial resistance is also developed by not following the proper drug course, over the counter sale of drugs or the sub-standard hospital management.
Fixed Drug Combinations – Two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio of doses and available in a single dosage form. The government banned FDC drugs, extending to about 6,000 brands, on 10 March, citing health risks, based on a report by a six-member committee headed by Chandrakant Kokate.
Genetic Engineering
Gene editing technology – In this technique, DNA is inserted, deleted or replaced in the genome of the organism using engineered nucleases otherwise known as “biological scissors”. The most popular nuclease being used now is the CRISPR-Cas system. Recently the UK Government has allowed for the gene editing of embryos for research purpose while the US Government has given in principle approval to commercially produce gene edited mushrooms.
HGP Write – After the success of the Human Genome Project that could decode a complete human DNA, the scientists are in the process of creating a complete genome from scratch. The human genome consists of three billion DNA nucleotides. The researchers expect that the ability to synthesize large portions of the human genome would result in many scientific and medical advancements.
Bacterium with lowest number of genes - Some US scientists have created a bacterium from Mycoplasma genus containing just 473 genes. The knowledge gained from this creation may be foundational to understand how organisms can be created from scratch and such a study is otherwise called synthetic biology.
Bio-printing in living tissues - It is for the repair and re-generation of body tissues. The process involves embedding vascular tissues within thick human tissues.
Autonomous driving
Innovators across the world has been testing upon driverless riding of vehicles. Tesla is the front runner with its Autopilot cars. Recently Mercedes-Benz unveiled a self-driving 'Future Bus'. The US Transportation Department has defined five levels of autonomous driving capability. Current technologies like automatic parallel parking comes in the first level while the future Google pod-cars that require no human intervention come in Level 5.
Automated Transmission
Car-makers in India are largely shifting from manual transmission to automated transmission otherwise known as clutch-less driving. The most important technologies are Auto Gear Shift (AGS) and the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). Both employs a gear-box that works based on electronic sensors, processors and actuators. The CVT consists of a belt system that can seamlessly change the gear through the continuous range of correct gear ratios.
Micro Air Vehicles
These are miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Many of the MAVs are bio-inspired i.e. based on the anatomy of biological organisms. Robobees that are small flying robots or bat-inspired MAVs are some examples.
Intelligent Patient Vehicle (IPV)
It is a vehicle for loco-disabled being developed by scientists at CSIR. The commands on a touch pad are converted into mechanical actions. The scientists are in the process of upgrading it where the touch commands would be replaced by head gestures.
Brain-Machine-Interface
It enables a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. Electro Encephalography (EEG) signals from brain are captured and converted to meaningful commands by a computer. They are used to make neuro-prosthetic applications - using artificial devices to replace the function of impaired nervous systems and brain related problems, or of sensory organs.
THOR
3D printed plane unveiled by Airbus. It is completely 3D printed, except the electrical elements, which are built from a substance called polyamide. 3D printing otherwise known as additive manufacturing is being employed in many spheres these days.
New Chinese supercomputer
Subway TaihuLight with 93 quadrillion calculations per second is currently the fastest computer in the world. It is developed by the National Research Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology (NRCPC) and is built entirely using processors designed and made in China. The super-computer has displaced Tianhe-2, an Intel-based Chinese supercomputer.
Over The Top (OTT) technologies
The application that works on top of the internet are called as OTT technologies. The common application like WhatsApp or Facebook come under this category. The Telecom/Internet Service Providers have been losing revenue on account of such OTT applications and hence they have been demanding differential pricing for such applications.
Net Neutrality
Net neutrality implies that the internet gateways or service providers would treat the content passing through them equally and do not discriminate among them. Violation of net-neutrality is anti-competitive and leads to monopolistic tendencies.
Ensuring access to internet
Companies across the globe are trying to ensure internet accessibility to the population currently disconnected especially in the continents of Asia and Africa.
Project Loon - Google has unveiled its plan to use helium balloons to connect people to the net. The research and development project being developed by Google uses high-altitude balloons placed in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 32 km (20 mi) to create an aerial wireless network with up to 3G-like speeds.
Free Basics - Facebook has joined hands with Reliance Communications to launch this global initiative in India. The tie-up gives subscribers who have Internet-enabled handsets free access to 38 Websites that can be accesses by an Android app.
Internet of Things
It is a system of increased machine-to-machine communication built on cloud computing and networks of data-gathering sensors. The interconnection of these embedded devices (including smart objects), is expected to usher in automation in nearly all fields, while also enabling advanced applications like a Smart Grid.
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi)
In this emerging transmission technology, white light (instead of the Radio-waves/Micro-waves) is used to carry information. Here the router will be in the form of a bulb while the individual systems would consist of dongles than can convert light waves into meaningful information.The data transfer is faster since the frequency of light is higher compared to radio-waves.
4K displays
These are advanced display systems otherwise known as Ultra High Definition that exhibit high resolution. While High Definition displays consist of around 2.07 mega pixels, the UHD consists of about 8.29 mega pixels i.e. four times of HD. There is an even advanced 8K UHD that has about 33 mega pixel resolution.
Next : Environment
IV. Biotechnology and Life-sciences
Important vaccines
Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) - It is also called as injectable polio vaccine. Instead of using a live attenuated virus, the IPV contains a dead strain of the Polio virus which is injected into the body.
Rotavac - Vaccine indigenously developed in India jointly by the Government and Bharat Biotech in PPP mode. It is administered against Rotavirus that causes diarrhoea in children.
Typbar TCV - It is an indigenously developed vaccine against Typhoid.
Dengvaxia – It is a new vaccine developed against Dengue. WHO recommends its introduction in countries in South America and Asia.
Zika virus – Zika virus is spread by Aedes mosquitoes and causes macrocephaly i.e. abnormally large head in newborns. The Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Corporation (Mahyco) has created GM mosquitoes to fight Zika virus. The male mosquitoes render the disease causing female mosquitoes unable to reproduce, thus reducing their population.
Bacterial resistance in India – In India enzymes like the New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) cause bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The gene for NDM-1 is one member of a large gene family that encodes beta-lactamase enzymes called carbapenemases. Bacteria that produce carbapenemases are often referred to as "superbugs" because infections caused by them are difficult to treat. Bacterial resistance is also developed by not following the proper drug course, over the counter sale of drugs or the sub-standard hospital management.
Fixed Drug Combinations – Two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio of doses and available in a single dosage form. The government banned FDC drugs, extending to about 6,000 brands, on 10 March, citing health risks, based on a report by a six-member committee headed by Chandrakant Kokate.
Genetic Engineering
Gene editing technology – In this technique, DNA is inserted, deleted or replaced in the genome of the organism using engineered nucleases otherwise known as “biological scissors”. The most popular nuclease being used now is the CRISPR-Cas system. Recently the UK Government has allowed for the gene editing of embryos for research purpose while the US Government has given in principle approval to commercially produce gene edited mushrooms.
HGP Write – After the success of the Human Genome Project that could decode a complete human DNA, the scientists are in the process of creating a complete genome from scratch. The human genome consists of three billion DNA nucleotides. The researchers expect that the ability to synthesize large portions of the human genome would result in many scientific and medical advancements.
Bacterium with lowest number of genes - Some US scientists have created a bacterium from Mycoplasma genus containing just 473 genes. The knowledge gained from this creation may be foundational to understand how organisms can be created from scratch and such a study is otherwise called synthetic biology.
Bio-printing in living tissues - It is for the repair and re-generation of body tissues. The process involves embedding vascular tissues within thick human tissues.
V. Consumer electronics, Computer, IT and robotics
Autonomous driving
Innovators across the world has been testing upon driverless riding of vehicles. Tesla is the front runner with its Autopilot cars. Recently Mercedes-Benz unveiled a self-driving 'Future Bus'. The US Transportation Department has defined five levels of autonomous driving capability. Current technologies like automatic parallel parking comes in the first level while the future Google pod-cars that require no human intervention come in Level 5.
Automated Transmission
Car-makers in India are largely shifting from manual transmission to automated transmission otherwise known as clutch-less driving. The most important technologies are Auto Gear Shift (AGS) and the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). Both employs a gear-box that works based on electronic sensors, processors and actuators. The CVT consists of a belt system that can seamlessly change the gear through the continuous range of correct gear ratios.
Micro Air Vehicles
These are miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Many of the MAVs are bio-inspired i.e. based on the anatomy of biological organisms. Robobees that are small flying robots or bat-inspired MAVs are some examples.
Intelligent Patient Vehicle (IPV)
It is a vehicle for loco-disabled being developed by scientists at CSIR. The commands on a touch pad are converted into mechanical actions. The scientists are in the process of upgrading it where the touch commands would be replaced by head gestures.
Brain-Machine-Interface
It enables a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. Electro Encephalography (EEG) signals from brain are captured and converted to meaningful commands by a computer. They are used to make neuro-prosthetic applications - using artificial devices to replace the function of impaired nervous systems and brain related problems, or of sensory organs.
THOR
3D printed plane unveiled by Airbus. It is completely 3D printed, except the electrical elements, which are built from a substance called polyamide. 3D printing otherwise known as additive manufacturing is being employed in many spheres these days.
New Chinese supercomputer
Subway TaihuLight with 93 quadrillion calculations per second is currently the fastest computer in the world. It is developed by the National Research Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology (NRCPC) and is built entirely using processors designed and made in China. The super-computer has displaced Tianhe-2, an Intel-based Chinese supercomputer.
Over The Top (OTT) technologies
The application that works on top of the internet are called as OTT technologies. The common application like WhatsApp or Facebook come under this category. The Telecom/Internet Service Providers have been losing revenue on account of such OTT applications and hence they have been demanding differential pricing for such applications.
Net Neutrality
Net neutrality implies that the internet gateways or service providers would treat the content passing through them equally and do not discriminate among them. Violation of net-neutrality is anti-competitive and leads to monopolistic tendencies.
Ensuring access to internet
Companies across the globe are trying to ensure internet accessibility to the population currently disconnected especially in the continents of Asia and Africa.
Project Loon - Google has unveiled its plan to use helium balloons to connect people to the net. The research and development project being developed by Google uses high-altitude balloons placed in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 32 km (20 mi) to create an aerial wireless network with up to 3G-like speeds.
Free Basics - Facebook has joined hands with Reliance Communications to launch this global initiative in India. The tie-up gives subscribers who have Internet-enabled handsets free access to 38 Websites that can be accesses by an Android app.
Internet of Things
It is a system of increased machine-to-machine communication built on cloud computing and networks of data-gathering sensors. The interconnection of these embedded devices (including smart objects), is expected to usher in automation in nearly all fields, while also enabling advanced applications like a Smart Grid.
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi)
In this emerging transmission technology, white light (instead of the Radio-waves/Micro-waves) is used to carry information. Here the router will be in the form of a bulb while the individual systems would consist of dongles than can convert light waves into meaningful information.The data transfer is faster since the frequency of light is higher compared to radio-waves.
4K displays
These are advanced display systems otherwise known as Ultra High Definition that exhibit high resolution. While High Definition displays consist of around 2.07 mega pixels, the UHD consists of about 8.29 mega pixels i.e. four times of HD. There is an even advanced 8K UHD that has about 33 mega pixel resolution.
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