science and tech

CubeSats and NASA’s PREFIRE Mission, Objectives, Impact on Climate Science

Context: NASA, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, launched the first of two CubeSats to study heat emissions at Earth's poles. This was part of NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission. About CubeSats CubeSats are...

AI and Personality Rights, Key Issues and Legal Framework

Context: Scarlett Johansson (a Hollywood actress) expressed shock and anger over OpenAI's GPT-4o AI model, stating that one of its voices sounded eerily similar to her own. What is Personality Rights? Personality rights, also known as publicity rights, refer to...

Space Tourism in India, Types, Ongoing Projects, Challenges

Context: Entrepreneur and pilot Gopi Thotakura is set to become the first Indian to venture into space as a tourist on the NS-25 mission of Blue Origin — a company founded by Jeff Bezos. Gopi Thotakura, along with five other...

Copernicus Programme by European Space Agency and European Union

Context: In response to Iran's request, the European Union (EU) activated its emergency satellite mapping service to assist in locating the helicopter carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, which had crashed in East Azerbaijan province. EU’s Copernicus Programme Purpose: Part of...

WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogen List (BPPL)

Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its Bacterial Pathogens Priority List (BPPL), highlighting critical priority pathogens that pose major global threats due to their high burden, resistance to treatment, and ability to spread resistance to other bacteria. WHO...

Digital Competition Bill Draft, Proposals, Need, Criticism

Context: India proposed a new law, taking inspiration from the European Union's regulatory framework, to curb anti-competitive practices by tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Key Proposals Of Draft Digital Competition Bill Aim: To stop these companies from...

Hepatitis A Virus, Transmission and Symptoms

Context: Kerala experienced the most severe outbreak of the Hepatitis A virus, with 1,977 confirmed cases and 12 deaths reported in the first four and a half months of this year. More In News Apart from the confirmed cases, another...

Regulatory Sandboxes for AI, Need, Benefits and Challenges

Context: Governments and regulatory bodies are increasingly using “AI regulatory sandboxes” to nurture AI innovation while ensuring responsible development. What are Regulatory Sandboxes? Regulatory sandboxes allow businesses to test innovative products, services, or business models. These tests occur under the...

What is Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis?

Context Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) affects organs other than the lungs, such as lymph nodes, brain, gut, and eyes, accounting for about 20% of TB infections. Unlike pulmonary TB, EPTB often doesn't show up in standard TB stain tests and may...

FLiRT – New Covid Variant, COVID-19 Status in India

Context: New COVID-19 strains KP.2 and KP1.1, referred to as FLiRT variants, are leading to an increase in cases in the U.S., U.K., South Korea, and New Zealand. FLiRT, is causing a rise in cases globally and has reached India...