New Dragonflies, Worsening Droughts, Green Steel, Crop yield, Mangroves and more...
Weekly Newsletter | Issue #9 - 26 Feb, 2025
Greetings from Research Matters!
This week, Asteroid YR4 made headlines when the probability of it striking the earth was raised to 3% by NASA. Although the threat level is now below 1%, this will, nevertheless, be a rock to keep an eye on. Read more in our infographic.
In the stories this week, we have two new dragonflies discovered from the Western Ghats, how global weather patterns are worsening India’s drought and heatwaves, using hydrogen and cobalt catalysts for greener steel, how coal power is harming our crops and why mangroves are better than concrete. Check out our regional stories section for stories in Hindi, Marathi & Kannada. There are also stories from other media and events happening this week. Don’t forget to check out Scidle - the science wordle, for a new science word every day. If you’d like us to cover your research or publicise any science and research-related events, talks, workshops, etc, please reach out to us.
Stories in this edition
Two new Dragonflies discovered in the Western Ghats - From Kerala and Maharashtra | University of Calicut, NCBS, others.
Researchers have discovered two new species of dragonflies from the Western Ghat - Merogomphus aryanadensis from Kerala and Merogomphus flavoreductus from Maharashtra.
How global weather patterns are shaping India's heatwaves and droughts | IISc, Trinity College Dublin
Research uncovers how worldwide weather trends contribute to the rise of simultaneous heatwaves and droughts in India, stressing the urgency for better weather forecasting and climate preparedness.
Cobalt-based catalysts and more: reducing carbon emissions in steel industry | IIT Bombay
Combining hydrogen-based processes with advanced catalysts and renewable energy paves the way for developing economically and industrially viable solutions to decarbonise the steel industry.
Coal power is affecting our rice and wheat crop yields, according to new study | Stanford University
New research from Stanford University has discovered a distressing link between coal-fired power plants and the harm they can cause to two of India's most important crops - Rice and Wheat.
Coastal Vegetation to mitigate Tsunami and Coastal Flood Impacts | IIT Bombay
A Sustainable and Resilient Method to Reduce Wave Forces and Debris Impact During Extreme Tsunami EventsInfographic
Asteroid 2024 YR4
Science Games & Puzzles
Try the science wordle game - Scidle, and share your score with the world!
Regional
Hindi (हिन्दी):
सागर तट पर बाढ़ के प्रभावों एवं सुनामी पर नियंत्रण हेतु तटीय वनस्पति का सुरक्षा-कवच
Marathi(मराठी):
सुनामी आणि किनाऱ्यावरील पुरामुळे होणारी हानी कमी करते किनारी वनस्पतींचे कवच
Kannada(ಕನ್ನಡ)
ಬೆಳಗಾವಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೊಸದೊಂದು ಹಾತೆಯ ಪತ್ತೆ
Brought to you in collaboration with Janasuddi by Dr Kollegala Sharma and team.
Research Beat | Research-based news in other media
Universities go the American way as India slowly turns off the funding tap - The Ken
Neither ecologically sustainable nor ethical: study expresses concern over moving African cheetahs to India - The Hindu
National Science Day: Institutes across India to host Open Day events - The Indian Express
Breakthrough in cosmic observation: India’s MACE telescope spots 8-billion-year-old gamma-ray flare - Business Today
IIT Madras Creates Concrete To Help Build Homes On The Red Planet: ‘We Used A Compound…’ - News 18
India’s Crewed Mission to Moon to be launched by two Soorya rockets - News 9
Posture panic hits researchers. IITs, AIIMS, big hospitals use smart microscopes now - The Print
NASA’s supercomputer reveals unexpected spiral at the outer limits of the solar system - The Times of India
Events
Einstein Lectures - Why are turbulent flows so fascinating? | ICTS - 27 February 2025
Beyond the Obvious - From the origin of Life to the evolution of self - Prof L S Shashidhara | L V Prasad Eye Institute - 28 February 2025
National Science Day 2025 - Vigyan Bhavan| Department of Science and Technology, Government of India - 28 February 2025
Namma Oota and other events at Science Gallery Bengaluru | SGB - 01-02 March 2025