If you have noticed a young child draw clouds, you might observe that irrespective of the size of these clouds, they have the same distinctive shape. Surprisingly, there is a scientific basis for this observation and is said to be because of the ‘fractal’ or self-similar nature of clouds.

The neurotoxin series: Part 1. The first of a series that talks about the neurotoxins found in the cone snails.

Cloud seeding is the technology of introducing artificial nuclei or “seeds” (silver iodide, salt, dry ice), into clouds from either the air or ground to increase the chances of rain. The popular belief is that cloud seeding is done only to bring rain in a particular place. But did you know that the same technique is used to disperse rain?

“When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do”, said Walt Disney. And, one such thing Dr Anindita Bhadra, now an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER Kolkata), did during her later PhD days was to curiously analyse huge amounts of observational data on small colonies of paper wasps (Ropalidia marginata).

Kopi Luwak, a coffee variant believed to be of Indonesian origin, has gained popularity all over the world over the last few years. The reason for its popularity is attributed to the factors such as flavour and texture which is achieved through a unique process—digestion of the coffee beans by Asian palm civet.

If ever the Beatles were to be formed again, they would definitely agree to rope in field crickets, the distant rockstar relatives of grasshoppers, into their influential band. The male members of the Gryllidae family are noted in the animal world for the music they make with their forewings. As the sun goes down and the dark is welcome, the musical concert of adult male field crickets goes live. Some sing continuous trills, the others produce periodic chirps to enchant the ladies of their own species for mating.

Researchers at IISc, Bengaluru, claims that wind turbines, installed to harness renewable energy from the wind, are instead creating deleterious effects on predatory birds and their prey. 

Dolphins ‘see’ using sound, like bats. Each individual has a signature whistle that is unique to them, sort of like a name. They sleep with half their brain awake, and their eyes operate independently of each other. Oh, and they have an infanticidal streak.

The quaint hill town of Shimla, which once woke up to the charm of snowing winters and bustling tourists, is today facing one of the worst water crisis in history. The droughts of Marathwada during 2015-2016 crippled the farmers in the region. Today, instances like these that highlight the importance of water, the source of life, is increasing across the world. Hence, it becomes vital to understand how water levels in our rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers change over time and the reasons behind it.

In a recent study published in the journal General and Comparative Endocrinology, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have described how urbanisation is shaping the social behaviour and strategies of lizards. The researchers conducted their studies on the South Indian rock agama (Psammophilus dorsalis), a common resident of rocky hills in South India.