Science & technology

Even before the microbiome craze — the hope that the bacteria in your gut holds the key to good health — people were ingesting cultures of living microorganisms to treat a host of conditions. These probiotics have become so popular that they are being marketed in foods, capsules and even …

The loud crack rang out from the fog above the Baishui No. 1 Glacier as a stone shard careened down the ice, flying past Chen Yanjun as he operated a GPS device. More projectiles were tumbling down the hulk of ice that scientists say is one of the world’s fastest …

Women with an aggressive type of breast cancer lived longer if they received immunotherapy plus chemotherapy, rather than chemo alone, a major study has found. The results are expected to change the standard of care for women like those in the clinical trial, who had advanced cases of “triple-negative” breast …

As we go about our daily routines on Earth, Japanese robots are literally hopping about on the surface of a primitive asteroid called Ryugu, some 280 million km away. The data they are collecting might unlock some of the most fundamental mysteries of our solar system. The asteroid-exploring spacecraft, Hayabusa …

Indian researchers have developed a gel which, when applied on the skin, can inhibit some pesticides from getting absorbed into the body, thus averting serious adverse effects and even death. Organophosphate-based pesticides, which are commonly used by farmers in India, are toxic to the nervous system and heart, and can …

Pakistan said on Friday that India’s decision to buy S-400 missile defence system from Russia will further destabilise stability in the region and renewed the arms race. In a statement, the Foreign Office said the Indian purchase was part of its efforts to acquire a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System …

China is planning to launch its own ‘artificial moon’ by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas, state media reported Friday. Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, is developing “illumination satellites” which will shine in tandem with the real moon, but are eight times brighter, …

The United Nations has launched a strategy to deal with workplace mental health issues and the well-being of its staff. UN staff struggling with anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder have reported feeling isolated and ashamed, with no one to turn to for help, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. Noting …

State-of-the-art sensors that can measure stress levels, mood, posture, performance and even smell took centre stage at Asia’s top high-tech fair in Tokyo. The big-screen TVs and entertainment systems that were all the rage 10 years ago at the CEATEC fair have gradually been replaced by tiny sensors that accurately …

Egyptians practised fish farming more than 3,500 years ago, the earliest evidence of such activity worldwide according to a joint German-Israeli study released on Tuesday. Scientists studied 100 fish teeth found at archaeological sites across modern-day Israel to conclude they had been plucked from a lagoon in Egypt’s Sinai thousands …