SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN NEWS

1. First Bioelectronic Medicines

The first bioelectronics medicine has been developed. The device is the size of a dime and the thickness of a sheet of paper, it is also implantable and biodegradable. The device sends regular pulses of electricity to damaged peripheral nerves in rats by enhancing the regrowth of nerves in their legs and ultimately recovery of muscle strength and control. The device after working for two weeks automatically absorbs into the body.

2. New method uses sunlight to purify water

Scientists have developed a simple process that can remove persistent pollutants in water using mere sunlight under the most basic conditions. The researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in Germany rely on electrons moving freely in water, called hydrated electrons, to degrade dissolved pollutants. These electrons are extremely reactive and can be used for a plethora of reactions. They break down even the most recalcitrant pollutants and purify water.

3. Over 100 new exoplanets discovered by NASA’s Kepler telescope

Scientists have discovered a cache over 100 new exoplanets using data from NASA’s Kepler Space telescope as well as ground-based observatories. The diverse planets are expected to play a large role in developing the research field of exoplanets and life in the Universe. Kepler telescope has already been retired by NASA and has been succeeded by TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite).

4. Gravitational waves: biggest black hole merger ever detected revealed

Ripples were sensed in space-time emanating from this gargantuan collision on 29 July 2017. This collision happened, billions of light years away where two black holes have collided to create a larger one. This is the biggest black hole merger yet detected. It has a mass more than 80 times that of the sun. The resulting energy injected into the fabric of space-time was also record breaking, with five sun’s worth of mass released in the form gravitational waves as the two holes spiralled in towards each other. This event also had black holes spinning the fastest of all mergers observed so far.

5. Spacex Rideshare Successfully Launches 64 Satellites on Twice-Reused Falcon 9 Rocket

SPACEX has successfully launched 64 small satellites, including India’s ExseedSAT-1 in the company’s largest-ever “rideshare” mission on a twice-reused Falcon 9 rocket. One of the many satellites on Falcon 9 that hitched a ride to orbit was a made-in-India CubeSat called Exseed-1, built by one-year-old private space venture Exseed. Headquartered in Mumbai, Exseed Space is in the business of developing small satellite platforms to assemble, integrate, test and operate small satellites. ExseedSAT1, a communications satellite roughly twice the size of a Rubik’s cube, was designed to bring a big boost to India’s private radio capabilities.