Science & technology

Scientists develop AI to curb ‘deepfake’ videos A team of Indian-origin researchers in California has developed a system driven by artificial intelligence to identify altered content at the pixel level. The team is currently working on still images which will eventually help them detect “deepfake” videos.IANS Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/indian-origin-scientists-develop-ai-system-to-curb-deepfake-videos/article28623505.ece

Researchers Shyam Srinivasan and Charles Stevens found that approximately six types of mammals, from mice to cats, distinguish odours in almost the same way by using circuitry in the brain. The study, published in the journal Current Biology , revealed that the size of each of the three components of …

It was found in the Gulf of Mexico A pocket-sized pocket shark found in the Gulf of Mexico has turned out to be a new species. The pouches near its front fins squirt little glowing clouds into the ocean, scientists said. Researchers from around the Gulf and in New York …

Experts call it a significant move in targeting development of resistance to the antibiotic The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued an order prohibiting the manufacture, sale and distribution of colistin and its formulations for food-producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements. Intensivists across the country …

NSO told buyers it can scoop user data from servers of Apple, Google, Facebook An Israeli spyware firm has told clients it can scoop user data from the world’s top social media, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The London-based newspaper wrote that NSO group had “told buyers its technology …

It optimises the geometry of the bat Using computer modelling and optimisation algorithms, the world’s best bat and maybe the most affordable could in the near future roll out from a lab to the cricket ground. A high performing ‘Algobat’, closely resembling the finest in the market and at a …

They collect blood rather than absorb it, and last longer Inexpensive and reusable menstrual cups are safe and as unlikely as disposable pads or tampons to leak, according to the first major scientific review of the devices, published Wednesday. Some 70% of women who have tried menstrual cups said they …

Uses 2 population control methods — radiation and bacteria A breakthrough technique harnessing two methods to target disease-carrying mosquitoes was able to effectively eradicate buzzing biters in two test sites in China, according to research published on Thursday. The mosquitoes targeted are a type that is particularly difficult to control …

Neuralink showcases sensor that can be implanted in brain Futurist entrepreneur Elon Musk late on Tuesday revealed his secretive Neuralink startup is making progress on an interface linking brains with computers, and said they hope to begin testing on people next year. Mr. Musk has long contended that a neural …

Education centre’s inauguration in Ohio museum celebrates 50 years of the Apollo 11 mission New statues of astronaut Neil Armstrong were unveiled and an education centre was dedicated in his name on Sunday as his home town of Ohio in the U.S. continued celebrating the Apollo 11 mission’s 50th year …

ISRO stops Chandrayaan-2 countdown 56 minutes before scheduled lift-off India’s ambitious second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, suffered a temporary setback in the early hours of Monday, with the launch of the rocket being aborted 56 minutes before the scheduled lift-off. The mission was aimed at putting a rover on the moon’s …

Overfishing, plastic pollution pose threat to their populations Sharks — the sea’s top predators for millions of years — are at risk of disappearing from the Mediterranean as overfishing and plastic pollution choke populations of the endangered hunters, conservationists have warned. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said that more than …

Globally, losses from malicious software rose by 60% last year to $8 bn, according to latest data Services in the U.S. cities of Baltimore and Maryland were paralysed earlier this year when a ransomware attack locked up computer networks and made it impossible for residents to make property transactions or …

Good diet, adequate exercise could make a big difference: study A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia even in the presence of genes that raise the risk for these mind-destroying diseases, says a study. People with high genetic risk and poor health …

Consuming a healthy diet rich in fibre during pregnancy may promote the wellbeing of both the mother and child, and reduce the risk of preeclampsia, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications. Plant-based fibre is broken down in the gut by bacteria into factors that influence the …

The method offers a portable, low-cost and safe alternative to X-ray and MRI scans Uday Khankhoje’s team at IIT Madras is interested in developing a way of detecting breast cancer using microwaves – or radio frequency (RF) waves, as they are called. While several groups have worked on this in …

These elephants remained solitary or associated in mixed-age and mixed-sex groups within the forested areas. Environmental and anthropogenic factors have not just degraded elephant habitats and left them stressed, but also changed their social behaviour, notes a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. The …

Alternatively, gold nanoparticles can be used to convert carbon dioxide into methane Using gold nanoparticles that absorb sunlight over the entire visible region and even the near infrared light, researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, have been able to desalinate seawater to produce drinking water. Unlike …

Russia launched a space telescope on Saturday from the cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, in a joint project with Germany. A video posted on the website of the Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, showed a Proton-M rocket carrying the Spektr-RG taking off from the launch pad. The launch was originally scheduled …

Will help in studying human evolution In 2014, a virus called crAssphage that infects bacteria was discovered as part of the human body’s intestinal environment. Now, a recent study indicates that it may have co-evolved with human lineage. The study published in the journal Nature Microbiology showed that the virus …