Month: May 2026

    A new study has found that the horsetail plant (Equisetum), a lineage that has existed on Earth for over 400 million years, produces internal water with an oxygen isotope signature so unusual that scientists say it resembles material more commonly associated with extraterrestrial samples. Researchers reported that water moving through the hollow stems of the plant showed an extreme shift in oxygen isotope composition from the base to the tip. At the upper sections, evaporation had enriched the water so strongly in heavier oxygen isotopes that it exceeded any previously recorded value in terrestrial materials. The study, led by scientists at the University of New Mexico, shows that this transformation happens entirely within the plant’s stem as water rises upward a...

    From scorching heatwaves in India to unexpected snowfall in Ladakh, deadly floods in Latin America, and rising global pressure for climate accountability, a series of recent events and scientific reports are highlighting how climate change is rapidly reshaping weather patterns and disaster risks across the world. In Bihar, the state government has announced plans to strengthen village-level early warning systems to protect people from severe heatwaves and lightning strikes. Disaster Management Minister Ratnesh Sada said protecting poor families, farmers, daily wage workers, and vulnerable communities remains the government’s top priority as temperatures continue to rise across the state. Officials warned that several districts in southern and central Bihar could e...

    A new scientific discovery beneath Chile’s Atacama Desert is reshaping how researchers think about where life might exist beyond Earth especially on Mars. Scientists have identified potentially viable microbial communities as deep as 4.2 metres below the surface of one of the driest places on Earth. The finding suggests that even in extremely harsh, Mars like environments, life may persist underground in isolated and slow moving ecosystems. The Atacama Desert has long served as a natural testing ground for planetary science because of its extreme dryness, high salinity and low biological activity conditions that closely resemble those on Mars in several ways. However, researchers emphasize that it is not a replica of Mars, but rather a useful “analogue” for studyi...

    Maharashtra latest ecological policy move marks a significant shift in how India may begin to think about environmental restoration not just as a tree-planting exercise, but as a broader effort to revive entire ecosystems. The state’s newly announced Green Maharashtra Commission and the ambitious 300 Crore Tree Plantation Mission (2026–2047) aim to expand forest and tree cover to 33 per cent. But unlike earlier plantation-driven approaches, the focus is now expanding toward landscape-level restoration, ecological planning, and long-term survival of plantations. A key change in the government resolution issued on May 7, 2026, is its clear recognition that restoration cannot be limited to forests alone. It explicitly states that grasslands and wetlands should not be...

    As India struggles through rising temperatures and severe heatwaves, meteorologists are closely watching a developing climate event in the Pacific Ocean that could shape the country future for months ahead. Scientists warn that the possible return of El Niño during 2026 may weaken the southwest monsoon, raising concerns over agriculture, water supplies, food prices and the rural economy. The southwest monsoon delivers nearly 70 percent of India’s annual rainfall and remains the backbone of farming across the country. But experts say warming sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are beginning to signal the emergence of El Niño, a global climate pattern often associated with hotter and drier weather conditions in Asia. Climate specialists explain that El Niño develo...

    In a breakthrough that could reshape the future of manufacturing, scientists from Rice University and University of Houston have created a next generation material made from bacterial cellulose that is strong enough to compete with some metals and glass while remaining flexible, transparent and biodegradable. The newly developed material, described in the journal Nature Communications, may one day offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum based plastics used in packaging, electronics, textiles and industrial products. Researchers say the innovation relies on living bacteria that naturally produce cellulose, one of the most abundant biological materials on Earth. Instead of allowing the bacteria to grow randomly, the team designed a special rotating bioreactor t...

    A real world experiment in Southampton, New York, has provided the first field evidence that crushed olivine a green silicate mineral found in Earth’s mantle may help oceans absorb carbon dioxide, though researchers say it is still too early to judge its long-term safety or climate impact. In 2022, scientists spread around 650 tons of crushed olivine across a section of beach as part of a controlled coastal trial. The mineral was later carried offshore by waves, where it began interacting with seawater and atmospheric CO₂. The goal was to test whether this natural chemical reaction, known as enhanced rock weathering, could be accelerated in coastal environments to help reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere. Olivine reacts with carbon dioxide in seawater and conve...

    Delhi witnessed its hottest May night in nearly 14 years as the minimum temperature climbed to 31.9°C, intensifying discomfort for residents already battling severe heatwave conditions across the capital. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the last time Delhi recorded a higher night temperature in May was on May 26, 2012, when the minimum temperature touched 32.5°C. The unusually high overnight temperature has prevented the city from cooling down, increasing heat stress even during nighttime hours. Safdarjung, the city’s primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 31.9°C, which was 5.2 degrees above the seasonal average. Other stations also reported abnormally warm nights, with Ridge recording 30.6°C, Lodi Road 29.6°C and Palam ...

With severe heatwave conditions expected across several districts of Bihar over the coming days, the state government has announced plans to strengthen early warning systems at the village level to protect people from extreme heat and lightning strikes. Disaster management minister Ratnesh Sada said the government is focusing on safeguarding poor families, daily wage labourers, farmers and other vulnerable communities as temperatures continue to rise across the state. The announcement came after a high-level review meeting held on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by Bihar State Disaster Management Authority vice-chairman Uday Kant and attended by officials from the disaster management department and the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre. According to meteorological centre dire...

    Tiny plastic particles hiding in drinking water may be easier to remove than many people think. Scientists have discovered that simply boiling tap water and filtering it afterward can significantly reduce the amount of microplastics and nanoplastics people consume every day. The study, carried out by researchers in China and published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, found that boiling water allows minerals naturally present in tap water to trap plastic particles. Once trapped, these particles can then be filtered out using a simple household filter or even a stainless-steel tea strainer. Researchers tested both hard water, which contains higher levels of minerals, and soft water. They added microscopic plastic particles into the samples before b...