Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Over 50 billion ballpoint pens are trashed yearly, with 95% made of plastic. Saurabh H. Mehta from New Delhi created the world’s first 100% biodegradable pen. He founded bioQ, focusing on eco-friendly stationery, and launched NOTE (No Offence to Earth) to eliminate plastic in pens. The NOTE pen features a recycled paper refill, non-toxic ink, and a removable metal tip, exploring materials like paper tubes, bamboo, and metal for its exterior.

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CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research launched an Electric Tiller for small farmers, prioritizing user comfort and eco-sustainability. Features include enhanced torque, electronic controls, and versatile charging options like AC and Solar DC. It produces zero exhaust emissions, supporting India’s commitment to eco-friendly farming. Compatible with various attachments, it minimizes operator fatigue, boosts productivity, and has the potential to reduce operational costs by up to 85%. Tilling improves soil quality and promotes healthy crop growth.

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The Daksha project plans to construct two high-energy space telescopes targeting gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and gravitational wave sources’ electromagnetic counterparts. Each telescope will detect energy from 1 keV to over 1 MeV. Positioned on opposite sides of Earth, they promise superior coverage compared to existing missions, anticipating the discovery of thousands of GRBs and dozens of high-energy binary neutron star mergers over a five-year mission. Other missions include Astrosat, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and Swift Observatory.

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NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are collaborating to create a standardized lunar time system for the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon. This initiative addresses the need for unified timekeeping to coordinate international and private lunar missions. With upcoming missions from China, India, and private companies, a common lunar time system is essential for successful operation and coordination.

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IIT Madras and NASA’s JPL researchers are investigating multi-drug resistant pathogens aboard the International Space Station (ISS), with potential implications for astronaut health and Earth. The study, focused on Enterobacter bugandensis, a common pathogen on the ISS surfaces, delves into genomic, functional, and metabolic enhancements of these pathogens. The findings could aid in developing strategies to combat drug-resistant infections both in space and on Earth.

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Scientists discovered frost on Mars’ tallest volcano, Olympus Mons, indicating an active water cycle. Olympus Mons, a 3.5-billion-year-old shield volcano in Mars’ western hemisphere, is the highest point on Mars and the largest volcano in the solar system. It stands 16 miles (24 km) high, about three times taller than Mt. Everest, and spans 340 miles (550 km), larger than Hawaii’s Mauna Loa. Its summit caldera, with overlapping pits, is 50 miles (80 km) wide.

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Scientists at Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea are pioneering “meaty rice,” injecting beef cells into rice grains coated with fish gelatine. This innovative food technology aims to offer a sustainable protein source without animal agriculture’s ethical concerns. The rice’s porous structure facilitates cell growth over 11 days in a Petri dish. Meaty rice promises a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to traditional beef production, potentially revolutionizing global food sustainability practices.

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Researchers discovered a new diatom genus, Indiconema, in the clean water rivers of India’s Eastern Ghats. Diatoms are photosynthetic, single-celled organisms essential to the aquatic food chain and sensitive indicators of water health. Indiconema, differing from others by having pore fields at both poles, was also found in the Western Ghats. It is morphologically related to the East African genus Afrocymbella.

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ISRO achieved the third successful landing of its Pushpak reusable launch vehicle (RLV LEX-03), testing it under challenging conditions. The vehicle reused components from previous flights and employed advanced sensors for precise landing. Designed to reduce launch costs significantly, it aims to retrieve and land like an airplane after deploying satellites into space. The demonstration validated critical technologies, including advanced error correction algorithms, crucial for its future operational success and cost-effectiveness in space missions.

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New findings from NASA’s Juno probe reveal the extent of lava lakes on Jupiter’s moon Io. Launched in 2011, Juno is designed to study Jupiter’s origins and changes. It arrived at Jupiter in 2016 and orbits every 11 days. Initially a 5-year mission, it has been extended to 2025. During this extended mission, Juno explores Jupiter’s moons Ganymede, Europa, and Io, as well as its atmosphere and rings.