Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Russia has offered India the R-37M missile, one of the world’s best air-to-air missiles. It was developed by Russia. The R-37M is designed to target enemy fighter jets and drones beyond visual range (BVR). It evolved from the R-33 missile and targets high-value platforms like tanker aircraft. Its guidance system includes inertial navigation, radar homing, and semi-active radar for the terminal phase. The missile has a range of 300-400 km and speeds up to Mach 6, making it highly effective for long-range interception.

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IIT-Madras and ISRO developed and successfully booted the SHAKTI-based semiconductor chip, IRIS (Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications). SHAKTI systems use RISC-V (reduced instruction set computer five), an open-source Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), for custom processor design. The project is backed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT under the Digital India RISC-V (DIRV) initiative. The goal is to promote indigenous microprocessor-based products with top security and transparency. IRIS is a significant step toward India’s self-reliance in semiconductor technology, especially for space applications.

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Scientists at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, discovered a new exoplanet, TOI-6038A b, a dense sub-Saturn with 78.5 Earth masses and 6.41 Earth radii. It orbits a bright, metal-rich F-type star every 5.83 days in a circular orbit. TOI-6038A b falls in the “Sub-Saturn” category, absent in our solar system, aiding planetary formation studies. The discovery was made using the PARAS-2 (PRL Advanced Radial-velocity All-sky Search-2 spectrograph) at PRL’s Mount Abu Observatory. TOI-6038A b has high density (1.62 g/cm³), likely formed through high-eccentricity tidal migration. It orbits a star in a binary system, raising questions about its formation and migration.

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Measles, a highly contagious virus, is resurging in the U.S., especially in Texas, due to low vaccination rates and international travel. It is an airborne disease caused by a paramyxovirus, spreading through direct contact and the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract and can cause severe complications and death. Symptoms start with high fever for 4-7 days, followed by cough, runny nose, red eyes, and white spots in the mouth. A rash appears on the face and neck, then spreads to the whole body, lasting around five to six days before fading.

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Microsoft unveiled Majorana 1, its first quantum computing chip, to improve stability, speed, and practicality in quantum computing. The chip utilizes Majorana particles, an exotic quantum state, to minimize computational errors and enhance reliability. It is developed by Microsoft, with validation from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S.

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Kerala Government, in collaboration with Remidio, launched Nayanamritham 2.0, the world’s first AI-assisted chronic eye disease screening program. It builds on Nayanamritham 1.0, which focused on diabetic retinopathy screening. Optometrists use AI-enabled fundus cameras to classify cases as referable or non-referable for faster diagnoses. Now includes screening for glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Covers community health centers, taluk hospitals, and district hospitals. Aims to reduce preventable blindness, improve early detection, and enhance patient care. Kerala is the first government public health system globally to adopt AI for eye screening.

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NASA plans to launch the SPHEREx telescope aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) is a megaphone-shaped space telescope with a 2-year mission. It will map the universe using optical and infrared cosmic light. It will study cosmic inflation, which occurred 14 billion years ago when the universe expanded faster than light. It will analyze galaxy formation, cosmic evolution, and life-forming molecules in the Milky Way. It will use spectroscopic imaging to map 450 million galaxies in 3D. It will complement the work of the James Webb and Hubble telescopes.

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A study suggests Mars’ red color may be due to the iron-containing mineral ferrihydrite. Ferrihydrite is a poorly crystalline nanomineral made of 20% (FeO₄) and 80% (FeO₆) polyhedra. It forms through rapid oxidation and hydrolysis and exists in a disordered structure. It is an initial corrosion product of iron, leading to goethite and hematite formation. Found in soils, weathered rocks, and around iron-rich springs, especially with iron-metabolizing bacteria. It traps water, protects organic molecules, and forms rapidly in cool water. Present in meteorites as a pre-terrestrial weathering product.

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IIT Madras researchers developed a framework to enhance protection of critical infrastructure from ballistic missile threats. The framework helps designers improve the ballistic resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) panels. Findings were published in the journal Reliability Engineering & System Safety. Researchers used computational simulations to study missile impacts on RC. RC is used in military bunkers, nuclear power buildings, bridges, and runways.

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Scientists confirmed the existence of a fourth form of water, Plastic Ice VII, which forms under extreme conditions. Unlike regular ice, Plastic Ice VII allows water molecules to rotate freely within a rigid crystalline structure. It was first predicted in 2008 and recently proven using neutron-scattering experiments in France. It forms at pressures over 3 GPa (30,000 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure) and temperatures above 450 K (177°C). This discovery helps scientists understand water’s behavior in extreme planetary environments, such as Jupiter’s and Saturn’s moons. It could impact planetary science, materials research, and advanced technology development.