01.12.22

Scientists have a novel artificial Light-capturing system that imitates the process of Photosynthesis to effectively capture light to conserve power. This technology addresses various challenges faced while replicating the complex process of photosynthesis as well as the problems associated with light absorbers and transmitters.

The new artificial photosynthetic system makes use of clusters of silver with a nanometer dimension, which is a hundred thousand times smaller than the width of human hair. These silver nanoclusters have complicated and exotic photophysical properties. The researchers were able to stabilize them with bulky ligands and entrap the entire ensemble inside another larger molecule called cyclodextrin.

Chennai-based space tech startup Agnikul Cosmos recently opened Indias first private launchpad and mission control centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It was inaugurated on November 28 by ISRO chairman S Somanath. The inauguration took place just days after the launch of Indias first privately developed rocket Vikram-S.

The Agnikul launchpad and the Agnikul mission control centre are four kilometres apart. They are connected with each other via various critical systems to ensure 100 per operationality during the countdown.

This facility was designed by the startup Agnikul Cosmos and executed with the support from ISRO and the IN-SPACe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that mpox is currently the preferred name for monkeypox.

Monkeypox was named in 1970 more than 10 years after the virus that causes the disease was discovered in captive monkeys.

However, monkeypox probably did not originate in monkeys and knowledge related to its origins is still unknown.

The monkeypox virus is currently found several other animals apart from monkeys.

The name for the disease was given before the WHO published the best practices for naming diseases in 2015.

Since the recent outbreak, experts have suggested changing the name of the disease to avoid discrimination and stigma, which discouraged people from testing and vaccination.