Author Archives: Kartik Aiyer

Aging and death are inevitable in all living organisms. However, each animal ages at a different rate. Some animal species outlive us by several years since they age much more slowly than us. Among land mammals, elephants have some of the longest lifespans, and can live for up to 86 years. Bowhead whales live theContinue reading “What determines the lifespan of animals?”

When scientists slog away in labs and come up with findings, they publish them in journals to share their work. Since scientific papers are highly technical and are usually not understood by the general audience, newsletters, magazines, media, or popular science blogs are used to present the findings in a way that can be understoodContinue reading “Scientists with a sense of humour”

The obsession with gold lead alchemists in the medieval ages to desperately try every trick in the book to convert metals like iron and copper to gold. Probably not wanting their efforts to go waste, a team of modern (al)chemists have innovated a method to transform water into a shiny, golden, metallic material. Yes, itContinue reading “Modern Alchemy Turns Water into A Golden Metal”

Aristotle’s idea that everything in the universe was made up of four principal elements – fire, water, earth and air held a great deal of weight until atomism was proposed. It became obvious to almost everyone, let alone scientists, that the world was made up of several “elements” and not just the ones proposed byContinue reading “An Elementary Affair: The Story of the Periodic Table”

Whether it is flying gracefully in the sky, running fast on land, or swimming in the water, only one category of animals can do it all – birds. These impressive creatures are natural navigators of the sky, and are quite diverse in their appearances, environments and capabilities. This blog is about some of the remarkableContinue reading “Incredible Birds”

We are so accustomed to the presence of oxygen on Earth, that we take its presence for granted. After all, oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe, and is forged in the fiery interiors of stars. It is also the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and makes up one fifthContinue reading “The Great Oxidation Event: How Oxygen Appeared and Changed Earth’s History”

When we think of electricity, some of the first things that come to our mind are lightning, glowing electric bulbs and power plants. We have designed several useful applications that run on electric power. Our homes, appliances, gadgets and vehicles are all powered by electricity, and it is difficult to imagine a world where weContinue reading “Bacteria that “breathe” electrons: The exciting field of bioelectrochemistry”

When disease-causing germs enter the body (which acts as a “host” to the germs), the immune system of the host launches a defence to destroy the germs and protect the host from the disease. In immunology, the invading germs, which can be bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi are known as antigens. An antigen is thusContinue reading “What are vaccines? How do they work?”

Why does the sky appear blue? What is the reason for the spectacular red hues observed during sunrise and sunset? And what makes the ocean blue? These are some of the questions people ask whenever they observe the beauty of a magical sunset or gaze into the blue expanse of the ocean. What is theContinue reading “Colours of the Sky and the Sea”

A darkly mysterious world lies below the surface of the sea. It is estimated that more than 60% of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean water more than a mile deep. The deep sea is the single largest habitat on earth and is widely unexplored. In fact, it is speculated that more is knownContinue reading “Life in the Deep Sea”