Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
India's space program advances as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) prepares to launch 24 cutting-edge scientific experiments aboard PSLV Orbital Experiment Module-4 (POEM-4). The mission will carry 14 payloads developed by ISRO/Department of Space (DOS) centres, alongside 10 contributions from non-government entities (NGEs), including academic institutions and start-ups facilitated through the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). The SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology mission for the demonstration of 'in-space docking' using two small spacecraft launched by The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
American space agency Nasa and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are set to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite in March 2025. The mission, valued at 5,000 crore, aims to transform global Earth observation and marks a milestone in international space cooperation. Conceived in 2009, the 2.8-tonne Nisar satellite is designed to monitor planetary changes with unmatched precision. It will scan nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days, capturing intricate details about ecosystems, land dynamics, and ice formations. Its key capabilities include generating high-resolution images using radio signals, functioning effectively in darkness and adverse weather, detecting surface changes as small as one inch, and penetrating dense vegetation for comprehensive mapping.
Scientists have discovered that future robots might be able to analyze how you are feeling by just touching human skin. According to a new study, researchers used skin conductance as a way to figure out how an individual was feeling. Skin conductance is a measure of how well skin conducts electricity, which usually changes in response to sweat secretion and nerve activity, signifying different human emotional states. Traditional emotion-detection technologies such as facial recognition and speech analysis, are often prone to error, especially in suboptimal audio-visual conditions. However, scientists believe that skin conductance offers a potential workaround, providing a non-invasive way to capture emotion in real-time.
A collection of recent studies have uncovered a frightening association between the popular diabetes and weight loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, with a rare eye disorder that may cause blindness. The study reported that individuals on those drugs containing semaglutide have a much larger percentage chance of acquiring NAION, or, more precisely known by its acronym, non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. This is defined by a lack of flow through the optic nerve, suddenly damaging one's vision since that nerve has more than one million strands. NAION is a rare condition, affecting only 2 to 10 people per 100,000. It is the second leading cause of optic nerve blindness, and there is currently no effective cure.
