100 YEARS AGO: Empire cotton growing
January 17, 2024 03:17 am | Updated 03:17 am ISTLondon, Jan. 16: The first number has been issued of the Empire Cotton Growing Review, the quarterly organ of the Empire Cotton Growing Association and contains an article by Mr. B.C. Bart on the Indian Central Cotton Committee in which he says that, though it is only beginning its career, the committee has achieved important results owing to the wholehearted support of the unofficial members and bodies they represent. Given continuance of such support, there is every reason to believe that much can be done to make Indian cotton a far more important factor in the world’s markets than it is at present.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 02:19 UTC
Vote for continuity: On Taiwan’s presidential elections
January 17, 2024 12:10 am | Updated 12:10 am ISTThe Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) victory in Taiwan’s presidential elections for a historic third consecutive term reflects a vote for continuity from the 14 million voters, most of whom favour a maintenance of the fragile status quo in relations with China and the preservation of Taiwan’s current status. Mr. Lai said the elections — the first in what has been dubbed the year of elections given the many countries, including India, that go to the polls in 2024 — were a message to the world, showing “the commitment of the Taiwanese people to democracy”. Mr. Lai secured 40% of the vote, Mr. Hou 33% and Mr. Ko 26%. China has refused to rule out the possible use of force in “reunification”, although the consensus among most experts is that the devastating economic consequences of a conflict for China, Taiwan and the region will certainly give Beijing pause. That Taiwan’s voters have backed the DPP to continue helming Taiwan’s politics, despite China’s threats, suggest diminishing returns from Beijing’s moves to squeeze Taiwan, politically and militarily.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 02:17 UTC
Elephants communicate underground by generating seismic waves
Less than two metres away from a cluster of fossil elephant tracks was a round feature, 57cm in diameter, containing concentric ring features. This can be related also to a remarkable ability that elephants possess: communicating by generating seismic waves. Elephant seismicitySince the 1980s, an ever-increasing body of literature has documented “elephant seismicity” and seismic communication through infrasound. This is interpreted as the San artist’s probable illustration of seismic communication between elephants. That elephant seismic communication might leave a trace fossil record has never been reported before, or even postulated.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 02:11 UTC
Departure of 20 flights delayed at KIA
January 16, 2024 09:08 pm | Updated 09:08 pm IST - Bengaluru:The departure of around 20 flights to various destinations from the Kempegowda International Airport was delayed on Tuesday, January 16. Airport officials said it was due to bad weather at destinations, including Varanasi, Kolkata, Prayagraj, and Lucknow. They said there was no delay due to weather conditions in Bengaluru.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 02:09 UTC
Stop insulting Hindus: Devendra Fadnavis to Uddhav Sena
January 16, 2024 07:20 pm | Updated 08:36 pm IST - MumbaiMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on January 16 asked Shiv Sena (UBT) to refrain from disrespecting the sentiments of crores of Hindus. Mr. Fadnavis, responding to Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut’s doubts about the Ram temple’s construction site in Ayodhya, said that the party had no significant role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and criticised their actions for offending Hindu sentiments. Also Read | Consecration rituals begin at Ram temple in Ayodhya“You [Sena (UBT)] don’t have any contribution to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. And the act of hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus is wrong,” the senior BJP leader said, adding that they should stop insulting Hindus. On Monday, Mr. Raut asserted that the temple is being constructed four kilometres from the original site.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:59 UTC
Why are tubeless tyres not popular in India?
January 16, 2024 01:47 pm | Updated 01:47 pm ISTTubeless tyres are not popular in India because of two reasons. Outwardly, a tubeless tyre resembles a tubed tyre. Tubeless tyres have distinct advantages over conventional tubed tyres. Such damage shows up as a slow leak in tubeless tyres. These obvious advantages of tubeless tyres have led to its adoption in many other countries.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:55 UTC
Plant roots mysteriously pulsate, and scientists don’t know why
January 16, 2024 04:43 pm | Updated 04:43 pm ISTYou probably don’t think about plant roots all that much – they’re hidden underground after all. Scientists discovered about 15 years ago that genes at the root tip (or more precisely, the level of proteins produced from some genes) seem to pulsate. What we do know is this oscillation is a basic mechanism underlying the growth of roots. We know auxin moves from cell to cell via an intricate network of transporter proteins. A branch of mathematics developed in the 19th century called Dynamical Systems Theory (DST), has given scientists some clarity about why plant roots oscillate.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:55 UTC
Giant ‘kings of apes’ once roamed southern China
Eleven of these caves contain evidence of G. blacki and the other eleven – of a similar age range – do not. We used these data sets to establish exactly when G. blacki dropped out of the fossil record, to define a “window of extinction”. Furthermore, we gained a wealth of information from G. blacki teeth themselves – from isotopic signatures, trace elements and the wear patterns on the surface of the teeth. It reveals the rise and fall of G. blacki in comparison to its closest primate relative – the orangutans. Stronger seasonsSurprisingly, G. blacki went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, much more recently than previously assumed.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:55 UTC
Lakshmi Viswanathan’s dance repertoire was insipired by music
January 16, 2024 05:46 pm | Updated 05:46 pm ISTMy sister Lakshmi Viswanathan always felt that her dance was an expression of music, steeped in classicism. During her arangetram in 1951, at the age of seven, Lakshmi breezed through the traditional Margam. Lakshmi, always keen to improve her dance, found a gem in guru Kancheepuram Ellappa. In 2021, Lakshmi gave a performance commemorating 70 years of dance. Slowly and surely, Lakshmi established that her dance music was enriched by traditional compositions; and she set the trend for the revival of rare pada varnams, padams and javalis.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:50 UTC
Scientists explain Antarctica’s raving 2022 heatwave in groundbreaking papers
So shocking and rare was the event, it blew the minds of the Antarctic climate science community. If a future heatwave arrives in summer – which is more likely under climate change – the results could be catastrophic. Less heartwarmingly, the extraordinary heatwave shows how compounding weather events in the tropics can affect the vast Antarctic ice sheet. This loss of sea ice was exacerbated this year resulting in the lowest summer and winter sea ice ever recorded. And reminds us all, that delays to action on climate change will raise the price we pay.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:46 UTC
North Korea is testing hypersonic missiles. How do they work?
The United States, China, Russia and other countries have also been developing hypersonic weapons in recent years. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), by contrast, carry nuclear warheads on ballistic trajectories that travel into space but never reach orbit. During a rare trip to Russia last September, Kim inspected Moscow’s hypersonic missiles, among other weapons. “North Korea appears to be trying to develop hypersonic missiles and intermediate range ballistic missiles based on solid propellant rocket boosters,” said Chang Young-keun, a professor at Korea Aerospace University. “In particular, mid- to long-range hypersonic missiles would be useful for striking Guam while evading the U.S. missile defence system.”
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:44 UTC
Dec. pharma exports rise 9.3%, buck Red Sea crisis
January 16, 2024 09:58 pm | Updated 09:58 pm IST - HYDERABADIndia’s pharmaceutical exports increased 9.3% year-on-year to $2,477.43 million in December amid the rising impact of the Red Sea crisis on several commodity exports from the country. For the nine months ended December, pharma exports were 8.2% higher at $20,400.04 million ($18,854.67 million), rekindling hopes of achieving the more than $28 billion target being pursued for the fiscal. It has been a roller coaster ride for pharma exports up to November from an increase of 9.43% in April to 0.47% in July before soaring more than 29% in October and moderating to 7.33%. The impact of situation in Red Sea, which remains the shortest route between Asia and Europe, will be known once supplies gather momentum after the break. Almost two-third of pharma exports are by sea and the rest, mostly high value and emergency supplies, by air.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:42 UTC
Two persons drown in sea off Neelankarai beach
January 16, 2024 11:28 pm | Updated 11:28 pm IST - CHENNAITwo persons drowned while they were swimming in the sea near Injambakkam beach on Monday evening. The deceased have been identified as P. Mahesh and M. Varun Kumar. A senior officer of the City Police said the deceased were part of a group of five persons who had gone for swimming in the sea off Injambakkam beach. K. Ravi, who too was swept away by a huge wave, was rescued and taken to the Government Royapettah hospital for treatment. The Neelankarai police fished out the bodies of Mahesh and Kumar with the help of fishermen.
Source:The Hindu
January 17, 2024 01:26 UTC