Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) developed an energy-efficient graphene-based technology for oil-water separation to manage oil spills safely and effectively. Graphene is a single atomic layer of graphite, an allotrope of carbon with tightly bonded atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is about 200 times stronger than steel, lightweight, transparent, and highly elastic with excellent thermal conductivity and flexibility. The new technology uses graphene’s unique properties to clean oil spills efficiently with less energy and no toxic residue. Graphene is also used in making microchips, batteries, and biomedical devices due to its versatile nature.

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Nature Genetics published results from the GenomeIndia Project, which sequenced whole genomes of about 10,000 people from 85 different population groups, including 32 tribal and 53 non-tribal communities across India. The study found 180 million genetic variants, with 130 million on autosomes, which are non-sex chromosomes, and 50 million on sex chromosomes, X and Y. Some of these variants are linked to diseases, some are rare, and many are unique to India or certain communities. The GenomeIndia Project was launched in 2020 by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to map India’s genetic diversity.

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Two people in the United States are believed to have died recently from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare and incurable brain disorder. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) causes dementia and belongs to a group of diseases called prion disorders or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Its symptoms are similar to Alzheimer’s disease but progress much faster and lead to death. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is very rare, with only 1 to 2 cases diagnosed per million people each year worldwide. It mostly affects older adults and is always serious. The disease is caused by abnormal proteins called prions, which damage the brain by turning healthy prions into harmful ones. These abnormal prions clump together in the brain, leading to nerve cell loss and severe brain damage.

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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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India is seen as a major contributor to setting global rules for responsible space behavior, as stated by Marjolijn van Deelen, European Union (EU) Special Envoy for Space, at the Global Technology Summit. Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapons are used to disable or destroy satellites for strategic defense purposes. These weapons can disrupt satellites used for surveillance, communication, navigation, or early warning. ASATs are divided into Kinetic Energy ASATs, which destroy satellites by direct impact, and Non-Kinetic ASATs, which use methods like cyber-attacks or lasers. ASATs can be launched from the ground, aircraft, or even other satellites. So far, the United States, Russia, China, and India have tested ASAT weapons. India’s ASAT test, called Mission Shakti, was carried out in March 2019 by hitting a satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at 300 km altitude.

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The Bullseye Galaxy, officially named LEDA 1313424, was recently discovered by an international research team using the Hubble Space Telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory. This galaxy has a unique ringed structure formed around 50 million years ago due to a head-on collision with a blue dwarf galaxy. The collision created rippling waves of gas, which triggered star formation in circular rings. The Hubble Space Telescope observed eight rings, while the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii confirmed a ninth ring. The galaxy spans 250,000 light-years in diameter, nearly five times larger than the Milky Way. Despite being 130,000 light-years apart, a thin gas trail still links the Bullseye Galaxy to the dwarf galaxy. Scientists believe it may evolve into a Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxy, which could offer insights into dark matter.

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Recently, a new oral antibiotic called gepotidacin showed promising results against drug-resistant gonorrhoea. Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), also known as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae and is sometimes called ‘the clap’. It is especially common in teenagers and young adults aged 15 to 24. Gepotidacin offers new hope in treating this infection, which is becoming harder to cure with existing antibiotics.

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing the first-ever space-based quantum sensor to measure gravity with high precision. Scientists are working on a Quantum Gravity Gradiometer (QGG) to be placed onboard a satellite in low Earth orbit. The QGG can detect the smallest gravitational changes by measuring differences in acceleration as tiny as 10⁻¹⁵ meters per second squared over a distance of 1 meter. In this system, atoms are cooled to near absolute zero, turning them into wave-like states inside a vacuum. Lasers manipulate these atoms, causing a phase shift that reveals the strength of gravitational forces. This technology helps estimate the mass of large structures like the Himalayas and track the movement of water, ice, and rocks from space. The recent development marks a big step in using quantum sensing for environmental monitoring and Earth sciences.

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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.

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The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission was launched by NASA. Specifically, the mission was a NASA Heliophysics mission designed to study Earth’s auroral electrojets. Auroral electrojets are strong electric currents that flow 60 to 90 miles above the Earth’s polar regions. These currents are caused by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, and they can carry up to 1 million amps of charge per second. EZIE uses three CubeSats, which are small satellites, to investigate how these currents connect Earth’s auroras to its magnetosphere. The mission helps scientists understand how solar activity affects Earth, which is important for predicting space weather events.