The Times of India News

NASA is exploring the use of insects for future space missions. These small creatures can help pollinate crops, process waste, and maintain soil health on the Moon and Mars. Their ability to thrive in controlled environments with gravity offers a sustainable solution for long-term human survival beyond Earth. This biological approach complements technological advancements for space exploration.

A 15,600-year-old human footprint discovered in southern Chile is now believed to be the earliest confirmed sign of human presence in South America. This discovery, made near Osorno, predates the previously accepted earliest settlement by about a thousand years, potentially altering migration timelines.

Skywatchers, take note! A 'black moon,' a rare lunar timing event, occurs when there are two new moons in a single month or the third new moon in a four-new-moon season. While invisible, these nights offer the darkest skies, perfect for stargazing and astrophotography. Plan your celestial observations for 2026 with our new moon calendar, featuring IST times.

Dolphins are often cast as playful, gentle creatures, but footage from GoPros attached to six wild bottlenose dolphins tells a different story. Trained by the US Navy, the animals were filmed hunting with precision, using sonar clicks, suction feeding and audible victory squeals as they consumed hundreds of fish, and even venomous sea snakes, revealing a far more primal side to their behaviour.

Astronomers are closely watching asteroid 2024 YR4. This space rock may hit the Moon in December 2032. The impact could be visible from Earth. It could also send debris towards Earth. This poses a risk to satellites and future human missions. The James Webb Space Telescope will provide more data. Scientists are monitoring the skies for safety.

Scientists may soon detect alien life. Astronomer David Kipping suggests initial signals will be loud and unusual. This is because the first detected civilizations might be in decline. Past astronomical discoveries show extreme examples are found first. This could mean humanity receives warnings about advanced societies facing problems. The search for alien life might reveal much about our own future.

Tiny snapping shrimp, not whales, are the ocean's loudest animals, reaching up to 210 decibels with their claw snaps. This intense noise disrupts marine research globally, masking other animal sounds and interfering with acoustic mapping. Climate change is exacerbating the issue by increasing shrimp activity in warmer waters.

Archaeologists in Mexico unearthed a unique cube-shaped skull. This discovery sheds light on ancient cranial deformation practices. The skull belonged to a man who lived over a thousand years ago. This ancient tradition involved reshaping a child's skull using boards and bandages. The findings suggest possible cultural links across ancient Mesoamerican regions. Read more about this here!

Indian-origin professors have pioneered America's first monolithic 3D AI chip, fabricated in a US foundry. This breakthrough, developed by a multi-institutional team, significantly boosts AI performance and energy efficiency by stacking memory and processing units vertically. The innovation tackles the 'memory wall' bottleneck, paving the way for faster, more powerful AI systems and strengthening domestic chip manufacturing.

Renowned space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock is 'absolutely convinced' life exists beyond Earth, predicting confirmation by 2075. She highlights the universe's vastness and recent technological advances, like the James Webb Telescope, enabling detailed planet atmosphere analysis. While microscopic life is the most likely discovery, the search itself fosters global cooperation and a broader perspective on humanity's place.

The South American lungfish genome, the largest animal genome sequenced at 91 billion base pairs, has been fully decoded. This breakthrough offers insights into evolutionary biology, revealing that genome size doesn't equate to organismal complexity. The lungfish's genetic makeup provides a glimpse into the transition of vertebrates from water to land.

Isro's LVM3-M6 mission will launch the BlueBird Block-2 satellite on December 24 for AST SpaceMobile, aiming to provide global high-speed mobile connectivity directly to smartphones. This next-generation satellite, the largest and heaviest commercial payload for LEO by Isro's LVM3, will enable 4G and 5G services worldwide, bridging connectivity gaps for billions.

Venus, often called Earth's twin, hides extreme conditions and secrets. It is the solar system's hottest planet due to a dense atmosphere. Its atmosphere rotates faster than the planet itself. Venus also rotates backwards and is covered in volcanoes. The atmospheric pressure is immense. It shows phases like the Moon and is the brightest planet in the night sky.