The viruses, notoriously known for the seasonal flu and deadly diseases like AIDS, are the smallest of all the microorganisms. As potent they may be, the intriguing part about viruses is they are inactive when outside a living cell! They become active and multiply only when they enter and infect a living cell. But, unlike how our cells replicate, cell division in viruses is a unique process.

The beauty of nature lies in its resilience. A testament to this is Japan’s Pale Grass Blue Butterfly, Zizeeria maha. It’s ability to become radiation resistant by undergoing adaptive evolution is a metamorphosis catalysed by tragic beginnings.

“Can this wait? I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

“I have a headache, and I need some coffee.”

“You look tired! Can I get you some coffee?”

If someone came up to you and said the stool from one person can be used as medicine to treat another, you’d most likely be disgusted or find it absurd.  It sounds incredible, but it is true.

“What had that flower to do with being white
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth hither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?
If design govern a thing so small.”

--Robert Frost, in his poem Design

Long before humans arrived on this planet, elephants have been walking on Earth. Often referred to as the ‘keystone’ species by scientists, these gentle giants play a significant role in maintaining the ecological balance of their habitat.

Onion (Allium cepa) and garlic (Allium sativum), belonging to the same genus ‘Allium’ has a lot of similarities in their chemical composition, but differ in their reactions. Almost every observable characteristic of these familiar vegetables can be attributed to a cascade of chemical reactions initiated by metabolites containing Sulfur.

Savitri is a cheerful 6-year old girl with twinkle in her eyes and swiftness in her feet. She is extremely delighted to pen down the curvy tip of the beak of Purple-rumped Sunbird in her note, her 100th bird species to be identified during her birding trips. The alluring plumage, swift flight, striking songs of these feathered friends fascinate not only her, but the entire mankind!

Crab spiders are a family of small, pretty spiders, some of which you could find in your own backyard or even on a potted plant. They are accomplished ambush hunters, making meals out of insects much larger than themselves – a crab spider half the size of your fingernail can easily grab a large butterfly. They are coloured to blend in remarkably with their surroundings, much like an octopus or a chameleon would.