News for 'New Scientist'

Pak army spokesman has Osama bin Laden connection

Pak army spokesman has Osama bin Laden connection

Rediff.com10 May 2025

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the spokesperson for the Pakistan Army, is the son of a nuclear scientist who was sanctioned by the United Nations and the US for providing information and expertise to al-Qaeda, according to Indian officials. Chaudhry's father, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, allegedly provided insights into nuclear weapons infrastructure and raised funds for a fundamentalist organization linked to the Taliban. Mahmood was arrested in 2001 after admitting to meeting Osama bin Laden but was later released.

9 Essential Skills for Data Scientists

9 Essential Skills for Data Scientists

Rediff.com20 Nov 2023

Data science isn't just about acquiring skills; it's also about comprehending the business context in which data science is applied.

Dialogue, not battlefields, key to global peace: Modi in Croatia

Dialogue, not battlefields, key to global peace: Modi in Croatia

Rediff.com19 Jun 2025

In his media statement following talks with his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic, Modi said both leaders agree that "terrorism is an enemy of humanity" and is inimical to forces that believe in democracy.

Indo-US NISAR Satellite Set for July Launch

Indo-US NISAR Satellite Set for July Launch

Rediff.com18 Jun 2025

NISAR will not be used for surveillance and will be used to observe the earth.

Satyajit Ray Had Warned Us About AI!

Satyajit Ray Had Warned Us About AI!

Rediff.com3 Jun 2025

Satyajit Ray anticipated the issues we are only now starting to raise, long before large language models, AI chatbots, predictive algorithms, and autonomous systems began to control every bit of our lifestyles, notes Atanu Biswas.

Heatwave alert in Mumbai for 2 days, mercury to hit 37 to 38C

Heatwave alert in Mumbai for 2 days, mercury to hit 37 to 38C

Rediff.com25 Feb 2025

The heatwave alert has been issued for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Ratnagiri on February 25 and 26, the IMD said.

Mercury soars past 43 deg C in 26 places, another heatwave next week

Mercury soars past 43 deg C in 26 places, another heatwave next week

Rediff.com10 Apr 2025

In Rajasthan, Pilani recorded 44.9 degrees Celsius, Phalodi and Churu touched 43.8 degrees Celsius and 43.5 degrees Celsius respectively, while Bikaner and Jaipur registered 43.4 degrees Celsius and 43 degrees Celsius.

Did ISRO Play Role In Axiom Mission Delay?

Did ISRO Play Role In Axiom Mission Delay?

Rediff.com17 Jun 2025

'ISRO recommended to carry out in-situ repairs or replacement and conduct a low-temperature leak test to validate system performance and integrity, before proceeding with launch.'

India's Dubai edge: Is it unfair?

India's Dubai edge: Is it unfair?

Rediff.com27 Feb 2025

Rohit Sharma's men are playing all their matches in Dubai, and even the final will be held there if the team goes the distance, while the rest of the teams have to criss-cross Pakistan for their matches.

Roads waterlogged, trains delayed as heavy rains disrupt Mumbai

Roads waterlogged, trains delayed as heavy rains disrupt Mumbai

Rediff.com26 May 2025

The IMD issued a "Nowcast" warning, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph at isolated places in Mumbai in the next three to four hours.

'Remove posts in 5 hrs': HC raps Abhijit Iyer Mitra

'Remove posts in 5 hrs': HC raps Abhijit Iyer Mitra

Rediff.com21 May 2025

The Delhi high court on Wednesday rapped commentator Abhijit Iyer Mitra for his alleged defamatory and abusive social media posts against nine women journalists of media house Newslaundry and asked him to remove the posts within five hours.

Researcher killed by neighbour during fight over parking in Mohali

Researcher killed by neighbour during fight over parking in Mohali

Rediff.com13 Mar 2025

An Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) researcher died after being pushed to the ground during a heated argument with his neighbor over a parking dispute in Mohali. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when Abhishek Swarnkar was parking his motorbike and his neighbor Monty (26) objected. CCTV footage shows Monty pushing Swarnkar (39), who fell to the ground and later died at a hospital. The accused is absconding.

Ambedkar favoured smaller states; proposed MP, UP's division

Ambedkar favoured smaller states; proposed MP, UP's division

Rediff.com14 Apr 2025

Ambedkar argued that smaller states would allow citizens to have more control over public spending and governance.

Shooting Down Drones: India Joins US, Russia, China

Shooting Down Drones: India Joins US, Russia, China

Rediff.com14 Apr 2025

'DRDO is working on a number of technologies that will give India Star Wars capability.'

Review: Test Tests Your Patience

Review: Test Tests Your Patience

Rediff.com4 Apr 2025

With a better script, Test could have been a compelling relationship drama. Instead, it only tests your patience, complains Mayur Sanap.

DRDO scientist in Pune arrested for passing on info to Pak spy

DRDO scientist in Pune arrested for passing on info to Pak spy

Rediff.com4 May 2023

A scientist working for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pune has been arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for providing confidential information to a Pakistani agent, officials said on Thursday.

Why's Ashwin A Spin Scientist?

Why's Ashwin A Spin Scientist?

Rediff.com28 Feb 2023

The Miracle Makers is an account of India's historic Test series of 2020-2021.

China's Tests 'Non-Nuclear' H-Bomb

China's Tests 'Non-Nuclear' H-Bomb

Rediff.com22 Apr 2025

Beijing's latest weapon, 15 times more powerful than TNT, signals a new frontier in high-impact, non-nuclear military technology.

How Shastri Buried Pakistan's Kashmir Dream

How Shastri Buried Pakistan's Kashmir Dream

Rediff.com3 Jun 2025

The high point of the 19 Shastri months was the 22-day war that he fought against great odds and won in principle, even if military historians often call it a stalemate. Pakistan saw a great opportunity to conquer Kashmir and lost. It was the last time they had the relative strength militarily and diplomatically to take Kashmir. Shastri's resolve buried that dream forever, points out Shekhar Gupta.

Why this ISRO scientist has not visited his Manipur home for over 2 years

Why this ISRO scientist has not visited his Manipur home for over 2 years

Rediff.com25 Aug 2023

Meet Indian Space Research Organisation scientist Ningthoujam Raghu Singh, who was one of the bright sparks responsible for sending Chandrayaan-3 to the moon.

Interested In Maths? Apply For The PROMYS Scholarship

Interested In Maths? Apply For The PROMYS Scholarship

Rediff.com14 Jan 2025

The PROMYS India (Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists) 2025 is a unique scholarship opportunity in partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, for students from Classes 9 to 12.

Ex-ISRO scientists find fault in Nambi Narayanan's 'Rocketry'

Ex-ISRO scientists find fault in Nambi Narayanan's 'Rocketry'

Rediff.com24 Aug 2022

They also said that they have asked the current chairman of ISRO S Somanath to take a decision on the false claims made in the movie.

India's BPO Industry Gets AI Makeover

India's BPO Industry Gets AI Makeover

Rediff.com29 May 2025

Call centres, once the engine room of India's BPO exports, are evolving too. Depending on the complexity, 30 to 50 per cent of voice and chat volumes are now handled by conversational AI.

India won't tolerate any nuclear blackmail: Modi spells out new doctrine

India won't tolerate any nuclear blackmail: Modi spells out new doctrine

Rediff.com12 May 2025

Asserting that India will not tolerate any 'nuclear blackmail', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said operations against Pakistan have only been kept in abeyance and the future will depend on their behaviour.

'Pakistanis Don't Know Where India Will Hit Them'

'Pakistanis Don't Know Where India Will Hit Them'

Rediff.com14 May 2025

'They thought nobody would hit Bahawalpur and Muridke because they have nuclear weapons.' 'They used to think India cannot touch our military targets because we are a nuclear weapons country.' 'After Operation Sindoor we have called their bluff.'

Rafale stayed 300 km behind Pakistani border because....

Rafale stayed 300 km behind Pakistani border because....

Rediff.com14 May 2025

The western media is going all out to prove that India suffered a major setback in Operation Sindoor and how China helped shoot down Indian fighter jets. One of the articles published in British newspaper Telegraph stated Operation Sindoor shattered the myth of India's air dominance over Pakistan. "The Pakistani Air Force, aided by Chinese targeting satellites and AWACS executed a sensor-fusion kill. The Rafales never got a lock, never even saw their adversary. When the missiles hit, it was already over," wrote the British Newspaper, The Telegraph.

Trump shares video of Modi's podcast with Lex Fridman

Trump shares video of Modi's podcast with Lex Fridman

Rediff.com17 Mar 2025

US President Donald Trump shared a video link of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with US-based popular podcaster and computer scientist Lex Fridman on his social media platform Truth Social. During the interaction lasting over three hours, Modi on Sunday said he and Trump connect well as both put their respective countries first and asserted that their mutual trust remained unshaken even when the Republican leader was out of office during Joe Biden's presidency. Modi recalled that during Trump's first term, he ignored security protocol and agreed to Modi's request to take a lap around the stadium hosting the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston. Modi also lauded Mahatma Gandhi's legacy and described himself as a peacemaker who has nudged both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to come to the negotiating table. In the podcast, Modi also opened up on a host of foreign affairs issues and touched on various aspects of his life journey.

Earth sets another heat record in January despite...

Earth sets another heat record in January despite...

Rediff.com6 Feb 2025

The planet experienced its warmest January on record last month despite the development of La Nia, a climate pattern that usually brings cooler global temperatures, the European climate agency said on Thursday. This comes on the heels of the Earth experiencing its hottest year on record in 2024, also the first to see global average temperatures rise 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), January 2025 recorded an average temperature of 13.23 degrees Celsius, 0.09 degrees warmer than the previous hottest January (2024) and 0.79 degrees above the 1991-2020 average. Scientists also found that the Earth's temperature in January was 1.75 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels. Global temperatures have stayed above the 1.5-degree mark for 18 of the last 19 months.

What Our Leaders Were Up To

What Our Leaders Were Up To

Rediff.com3 Jan 2025

Glimpse what our politicians were doing at the beginning of 2025.

Restoring Reclining Vishnu

Restoring Reclining Vishnu

Rediff.com29 Jan 2025

The Reclining Vishnu, a bronze statue of Lord Vishnu, is being restored by the Center for Research and Restoration in French Museums at the Arc'Antique laboratory in Nantes, France.

India to see above-normal rains this year, predicts IMD

India to see above-normal rains this year, predicts IMD

Rediff.com15 Apr 2025

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted above-normal rainfall for the upcoming monsoon season in India (June to September). The cumulative rainfall is estimated to be 105 percent of the long-period average. The IMD has also ruled out the possibility of El Nino conditions during the entire season. The monsoon is crucial for India's agriculture sector, which supports the livelihood of a significant portion of the population and contributes substantially to the country's GDP. However, while the prediction of normal rainfall brings relief, climate change is expected to cause variations in rainfall distribution.

Kerala: The Puzzled Book Of Questions

Kerala: The Puzzled Book Of Questions

Rediff.com11 Jun 2025

Can a culture survive as a way of life, even as the language and writing at its core, alter with time? Can we be rational and Malayalee or do we have to necessarily be religious and proudly cultural to be Malayalee? asks Shyam G Menon.

'Dr Chidambaram Felt India Should Do Better And Better'

'Dr Chidambaram Felt India Should Do Better And Better'

Rediff.com13 Jan 2025

'The very fact that his autobiography is called India Rising is a correct example of his wish for India to be a developed country and do as best as possible by science reaching to the common people.'

How Trump's Ego Threatens US Educational Universe

How Trump's Ego Threatens US Educational Universe

Rediff.com28 May 2025

Donald Trump is catering to the basest fears and prejudice of unenlightened Americans -- yes, there are those too, in sizeable enough numbers to elect one of their own as president. That would most certainly not Make America Great Again, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.

Pak handler of DRDO scientist contacted IAF corporal also, says Maha ATS

Pak handler of DRDO scientist contacted IAF corporal also, says Maha ATS

Rediff.com16 May 2023

A Pakistan intelligence officer, allegedly in touch with DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar arrested on charges of leaking confidential information after he was apparently honey-trapped, had also contacted an Indian Air Force employee of corporal rank, a Maharashtra ATS official said on Tuesday.

The Many, MANY Jobs Of Akshay Kumar

The Many, MANY Jobs Of Akshay Kumar

Rediff.com15 Apr 2025

Before he plays a lawyer in Kesari 2 next, Sukanya Verma looks at the professions Akshay has acted on screen before.

Reaching For The Stars: From Village Boy To ISRO Chief

Reaching For The Stars: From Village Boy To ISRO Chief

Rediff.com22 Jan 2025

His village didn't have a school so he went to school in a neighbouring village and often studied by kerosene light.

'If India Thinks It Has Deterred Pakistan, It Is Very, Very Mistaken'

'If India Thinks It Has Deterred Pakistan, It Is Very, Very Mistaken'

Rediff.com23 May 2025

'There's a lot of sense in what Prime Minister Modi did, but the Indian government has to be really prepared for a really sharp escalation spiral.'

'India Has Missed Every Bus'

'India Has Missed Every Bus'

Rediff.com18 Mar 2025

'We don't know which bus is coming next. I know for sure whatever bus comes next, it will miss that too.'

In a 1st, Indian university grows spinach tissue in space

In a 1st, Indian university grows spinach tissue in space

Rediff.com13 Jan 2025

The spinach callus tissue, sent by Amity University-Mumbai to space, has shown signs of growth in the POEM-4 module that is orbiting the earth at an altitude of 350 kms, scientists associated with the experiment said.