Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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A study of fossil leaves from Nagaland revealed how Antarctica influenced the Indian Monsoons. Fossil leaves from the Laisong Formation in Nagaland revealed that the region once had a warm and wet climate with very high rainfall and temperatures. The fossils matched the period when massive ice sheets began forming in Antarctica, showing a global connection. Growth of Antarctic ice reshaped global wind and rainfall patterns by shifting the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) toward the tropics. This shift brought intense monsoonal rains to Northeast India and led to the evolution of the monsoon system. The research used CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) method to analyze fossil leaves. CLAMP treats fossil leaves as “climate fingerprints” to reconstruct past climates.

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Recently, the first-of-its-kind Swastik Lotus Garden was inaugurated at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, during the CSIR Startup Conclave. The garden features 60 lotus varieties from across the world and 50 species of water lilies. Conservation is ensured through advanced genetic methods, light regulation, and scientific treatments. CSIR technologies were transferred to private companies for public access, including perfumes Frotus-Rudra, Frotus-Kumbh, air-freshener Frotus Fresh, green firecrackers, aromatherapy oil Relaxomap, and portable water analysis kits. The initiative strengthens scientific innovation, conservation, and entrepreneurship at grassroots and national levels.

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A viral infection called Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is spreading rapidly among children in Delhi and Haryana, prompting advisories. It is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus. It causes blister-like rashes on hands and feet, painful mouth sores, and sometimes rashes on chest, back, arms, legs, genitals, and buttocks. It mostly affects infants and children under 5 years, spreading quickly in schools and daycare. It is different from foot-and-mouth disease in animals, caused by a different virus. Transmission happens through unwashed hands, saliva, mucus, feces, or blister fluid. No cure or vaccine exists; recovery usually takes 7–10 days with basic care. Complications are rare, but children under 2 may take longer to recover.

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Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute created the world’s first entirely AI-generated genome. The AI-designed virus can infect and kill bacteria, acting as a bacteriophage. Artificial Intelligence (AI) model named Evo was used, employing genome “language models” to design complete viral genomes. Evo was trained on about 2 million viral genomes to learn DNA patterns, gene order, and composition. Scientists guided Evo to mimic phiX174, a small bacteriophage with 11 genes and approximately 5,000 DNA letters. This achievement marks a significant advancement beyond AI-designed proteins or small multi-gene systems. It demonstrates AI’s potential to innovate in synthetic biology and genome engineering.

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Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a new siphon-based thermal desalination system for clean drinking water. Traditional solar stills face salt buildup and scaling limits restricting output. The system uses a composite siphon of fabric wick and grooved metallic surface to draw water and flush out salt before crystallization. It is low-cost, scalable, and sustainable, made from aluminum and fabric, powered by solar or waste heat. It is useful for off-grid areas, disaster zones, coastal and island communities facing water stress.

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Astronomers have directly imaged a young planet, WISPIT 2b, forming inside a gap in a protoplanetary disk around a distant star. The discovery confirms that disk gaps are indeed caused by growing planets. WISPIT 2b is a gas giant, about five times the mass of Jupiter, and only five million years old. It orbits WISPIT 2, a young star 437 light-years from Earth. Protoplanetary disks are rings of gas and dust around young stars, providing planet-forming material. The planet was imaged using Very Large Telescope (VLT), MagAO-X on Magellan Clay Telescope, and Large Binocular Telescope.

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A recent study found that the indigenous rotavirus vaccine ‘Rotavac’ is as effective in real-world use as in clinical trials. Rotavac is an oral, live attenuated, monovalent liquid vaccine against rotavirus. It was developed through a public-private partnership involving the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Bharat Biotech, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Rotavirus is a viral disease that commonly causes diarrhoeal illness in children. There is no specific medicine to treat rotavirus infection, and vaccination provides the best protection. This study highlights Rotavac’s continued role in child health.

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Health officials in Florida have recently confirmed cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), also called “Zombie Deer Disease.” It is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, moose, and reindeer. It attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It is caused by prions, which are infectious misfolded proteins that damage the brain. Prions spread through body fluids like saliva, blood, and urine and can stay in soil and plants for years. Infected animals show weight loss, drooling, and strange behavior. There is no cure or vaccine, and the disease is always fatal.No human cases have been confirmed yet, but experts stay alert.

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India has recently developed its first indigenously discovered antibiotic, Nafithromycin. It was developed with support from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). The antibiotic is marketed under the trade name “Miqnaf.” It is the first molecule fully conceptualized, developed, and clinically validated in India. Nafithromycin addresses Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and is effective against resistant respiratory infections. It is especially useful for cancer patients and poorly controlled diabetics. The drug treats Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP) and targets both typical and atypical pathogens. No similar antibiotic in this class has been developed globally for over 30 years.

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Google announced that its quantum processor Willow has achieved the first “verifiable” quantum advantage. Quantum advantage means a quantum computer can outperform a classical computer in practice. The announcement was accompanied by an open-access paper in Nature by the Google Quantum AI and Collaborators team. Willow ran a new algorithm, Quantum Echoes, 13,000 times faster than the best classical algorithm on a supercomputer. The experiment used a technique called out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) to track how information scrambles in quantum systems. OTOC measures how quantum information spreads, is scrambled, and can be “unscrambled” using time-reversal. Willow’s processor precisely controlled quantum bits (qubits) in a chaotic quantum system for the experiment.