Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Researchers in China successfully transplanted a gene-modified pig liver into a human with brain death to evaluate its function. Xenotransplantation involves transplanting cells, tissues, or organs from non-human animals into humans. Early attempts at xenotransplantation began in the 1980s with heart transplants. Genetic modifications are necessary to prevent immune rejection of animal organs in humans. Post-transplant monitoring is essential to assess organ function and immune responses.

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SpaceX recently launched a private astronaut crew on a historic polar-orbiting mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. A Polar Orbit (PO) is a type of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) between 200 km and 1,000 km in altitude. Unlike equatorial orbits, satellites in a polar orbit travel from pole to pole. Polar orbits allow satellites to cover the entire Earth’s surface as the planet rotates. These orbits are crucial for Earth observation, climate monitoring, and reconnaissance. The Fram2 mission is the first human spaceflight to use this trajectory, marking a milestone in space exploration.

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An international team of astronomers has used the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to discover a new warm Jupiter-type exoplanet over 1,000 light years away. TESS is a NASA mission launched in March 2018 to detect exoplanets orbiting bright dwarf stars by observing small dips in star brightness caused by planet transits. It followed the Kepler space telescope and used the transit method to study planet size and orbit. In its two-year prime mission, which ended in July 2020, TESS imaged 75% of the sky and discovered 66 new exoplanets. TESS continues its work under an extended mission.

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Japan’s West Japan Railway Company has built the world’s first 3D-printed train station in Arida city, called Hatsushima station, in less than six hours. The project highlights a breakthrough in fast and sustainable construction using 3D Printing technology. 3D Printing, also known as Additive Manufacturing, creates 3D objects by adding material layer by layer from a digital design. It reduces material waste compared to traditional subtractive methods and allows for more complex structures. This innovation can make future infrastructure projects faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.

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BatEchoMon stands for Bat Echolocation Monitoring, India’s first real-time automated bat monitoring system. It was developed by Kadambari Deshpande and Vedant Barje under Jagdish Krishnaswamy at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bengaluru. It is part of the Long-Term Urban Ecological Observatory at IIHS’s School of Environment and Sustainability. BatEchoMon detects, records, analyses, and classifies bat sounds using echolocation. It uses an ultrasonic microphone, a Raspberry Pi microprocessor, solar-powered battery, and Wi-Fi unit. It activates at sunset and works through the night using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to identify bat calls.

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Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara discovered that fruit fly larvae can sense electric fields, a rare ability called electroreception. Electroreception is the biological sense that allows animals to detect weak electric fields in their surroundings. It is mostly seen in aquatic vertebrates like sharks and electric fish, but now found in invertebrates like fruit fly larvae too. A single neuron in the larva’s head was found to detect the electric field and trigger movement. The larvae changed direction based on the electric field, proving they sensed it and not other stimuli. This finding shows electroreception may be more common and ancient than previously thought.

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Indian scientists have developed new ways to study and treat Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC), a rare and aggressive form of Colorectal Cancer (CRC). Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC) starts in the colon or rectum and gets its name from its ring-shaped cells, where mucus pushes the nucleus to one side. It spreads quickly, resists treatment, and is often detected late, making it deadly. Researchers created Patient-Derived Organoids (PDOs), which are 3D tumour models, and Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDXs), where tumour cells are grown in mice. These models mimic real tumours and help test treatments. Though SRCC is rare globally, in India, cases are almost 10 times higher, often affecting younger people.

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India sent military aircraft to Myanmar with earthquake relief under Operation Brahma. During the mission, some Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft faced Global Positioning System (GPS) spoofing attacks. GPS spoofing is a cyberattack where false GPS signals are sent to confuse the location of GPS-enabled devices. It uses a nearby radio transmitter to overpower real satellite signals and send fake coordinates. These false signals can mislead aircraft, goods, or people by showing wrong locations. There are two main types: rebroadcasting past signals, known as meaconing, and generating fake satellite signals. This attack poses serious risks to navigation and safety.

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South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has become the first coal Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in India to adopt Paste Fill Technology in underground mining. Paste Fill Technology is a modern method used in underground mining to fill the empty spaces left after coal extraction. The paste used is made by mixing crushed overburden from opencast mines, fly ash, cement, water, and binding chemicals. This technique eliminates the need for acquiring additional surface land. It also helps prevent land subsidence, making mining operations more environmentally friendly and safe.

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Mexico has reported the first human case of myiasis caused by the New World Screwworm (NWS), a serious parasitic infection. The infection is caused by larvae of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, which usually affects livestock but can also infect humans. It develops when female screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds, and the hatched larvae burrow into living tissue, causing major damage. Symptoms include painful wounds, maggots, foul smell, bleeding, and sometimes fever or chills due to secondary infection. Treatment needs medical help to remove larvae, often through surgery, to stop the infection from spreading.