Science & Tech by Kumar Manish

UPSC 2024- 10 marks

UPSC 2024- 10 marks

UPSC 24 - 15 marks

UPSC 2024 - 15 marks

LiFi technology transmits data over several kilometres by using light beams in both the visible and invisible spectra. It is a bidirectional wireless technology capable of transmitting data at high speeds. Li-Fi provides for speeds 100 times quicker than Wi-Fi, which transmits data using radio waves. The method beams information through the air using the frequencies created by LED bulbs, which flash on and off subtly thousands of times per second, earning it the nickname "digital equivalent of Morse code”

Zimbabwe plans to cull 200 elephants to provide food for communities severely impacted by the worst drought in four decades. The El Nino-induced drought has devastated southern Africa, leading to widespread crop failures and leaving 68 million people facing food shortages across the region. This marks the first elephant cull in Zimbabwe since 1988 and will take place in districts including Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi. The decision follows Namibia's recent move to cull 83 elephants, distributing the meat to people similarly impacted by the drought. Southern Africa is home to one of the world's largest elephant populations, with over 200,000 elephants living across a conservation area that spans Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola, and Namibia.

What's the ongoing story- Two NASA astronauts on Boeing's Starliner will remain on the International Space Station for months due to a broken propulsion system that includes helium leaks. Helium is inert - it does not react with other substances or combust - and its atomic number is 2, making it the second lightest element after hydrogen. Helium has a very low boiling point (-268.9 degrees Celsius), allowing it to stay a gas even in extremely cold conditions, which is essential because many rocket fuels are stored at those temperatures. Helium is utilised to pressurise fuel tanks to provide uninterrupted fuel flow to the rocket's engines, as well as for cooling systems. As fuel and oxidiser are used in the rocket's engines, helium fills the empty space in the tanks, maintaining overall pressure. Because it is non-reactive, it can safely mix with the tanks' remaining contents. Helium's small atomic size and low molecular weight allow its atoms to escape via tiny gaps or seals in storage tanks and fuel systems.

The pink bollworm first appeared in north India during the 2017-18 season in a few districts in Haryana and Punjab, primarily cultivating Bt cotton, and spread to Rajasthan by 2021. PBW primarily spreads through the air. Residue of infected crops, often left by farmers on the field to be used as fuel, can also harbour PBW larvae which can then infect future crops. Infected cotton seeds are another reason behind the pest's spread.

A massive asteroid, known as 99942 Apophis or the 'God of Chaos, has had its trajectory reevaluated, sparking concerns it may be on a collision course with Earth. Initially discovered in 2004, Apophis was previously thought to have a 2.7% chance of impacting our planet in 2029. - However, further observations led scientists to rule out any potential impact in 2029 or 2036. Nevertheless, the asteroid's revised path has raised new concerns about its future trajectory and potential threat to Earth.

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted an in-principle approval to Vedanta's Cairn Oil and Gas proposal for oil and gas exploration drilling on 4.49 hectares in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Assam's Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, home to the endangered Hoolock Gibbon, India's only ape species.