Category Science

How does the internet connect across continents?

It connects through a vast undersea network of fibre optic cables across countries and continents.

 Fibre optic cables lie submerged on the ocean floor across the Earth. These cables allow us to quickly send our emails and videos, and connect our browsers to places in far-away lands.

To put it simply, when we open an Australian website in Mumbai our PC sends a signal through the submarine cable to the web server that is hosting that website and then receives the data of the website in return over the same cable.

Earlier communication satellites were used to transmit data, but since optical fibres are capable of transmitting large volumes of data at a much faster speed, submarine cables have come to be used instead in most cases. Submarine cables now account for more than 99 per cent of all international communications.

The first submarine communications cables were laid in the 1850s to send telegraphs. Modern cables use optical fibre technology to carry digital data. There is a massive network of submarine fibre optic cables that connects a large portion of the continents except Antarctica.

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Do identical twins have the same fingerprints?

And how are our fingerprints determined? Read on to know the answers

Identical twins form when a single fertilized egg splits into two. Therefore they have the same genetic make-up and their DNA pattern is indistinguishable. Their fingerprints have similar patterns of whorls and ridges, but there are slight differences.

This is because genetics is not the sole determining factor in the development of fingerprints. Fingerprints are determined by the interaction of an individual’s genes with the environment in the womb and factors such as nutrition, position in the womb and the growth rate of the fingers. No two persons can have the same fingerprints.

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What is Aadhaar Mitra?

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which is responsible for issuing the Aadhaar card to residents of the country, recently launched a new AI/ML-based chatbot called Aadhaar Mitra. What’s the chatbot for and how can we access it? Come, let’s find out

Aadhaar is a unique identification system that assigns a 12-digit number to residents of the country after due verification. The system is used to authenticate identity and provide access to government services such as PDS, LPG, etc., subsidies, and benefits. Though Aadhaar was introduced way back in 2010, many still struggle to enrol in the system or update their information. This is where Aadhaar Mitra comes in.

Where can you find it?

Aadhaar Mitra is a chatbot that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to provide personalised assistance to users. The chatbot is designed to be user-friendly.

The Aadhaar Mitra feature is available on the home page of the UIDAI’s website. Once you click on the flickering blue “Aadhaar Mitra” icon at the bottom right comer, it will ask you to “Get started”. Then, enter your query related to the Aadhaar system in the text field and click on the ‘Send’ button and the chatbot will throw up the required answer.

Available at all times

Aadhaar Mitra can provide a wide range of answers on Aadhaar related topics. The chatbot makes the process of checking your Aadhaar enrolment/update status easier. You can get information about a nearby Aadhaar enrolment centre by entering the pin code of your location.

The chatbot helps track Aadhaar PVC card (latest version of the card which is made of polyvinyl chloride in the size of a debit card) status and even tells users what should be done when an Aadhaar card is lost. It also tells you how to download an e-aadhaar from the UIDAI website through a video.

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The future of computing?

A computer that is powered by human brain cells, thereby extending the capabilities of modern computing exponentially and creating novel fields of study. No, this isn’t a one-line plot of a science-fiction. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University expect such ‘biocomputers’ to be developed within our lifetimes.

Organoid intelligence

While computing and artificial intelligence have been driving the tech revolution, it is nearing its peak. Biocomputing aims at compacting computational power and increasing efficiency in order to push past current tech limitations. A team of researchers outlined their plan for “organoid intelligence” in the journal Frontiers in Science in February 2023.

Scientists have used tiny organoids, lab grown tissue resembling fully grown organs, to experiment on organs without resorting to human or animal testing for nearly 20 years. Recently, researchers have started working on brain organoids.

Our brain remains unmatched by modem computers. While recent supercomputers have exceeded the computational capacity of a single human brain for the first time, it has been achieved by using a million times more energy.

Light on energy demands

A futuristic computer with biological hardware or brain organoids might be able to provide superior computing with limited energy consumption. Even though it may take decades to have an operational organoid intelligence that can power a system as smart as a mouse, researchers believe that setting along that path now is important. This, they believe, will create funding programmes that will help scale up production of brain organoids and have them trained using artificial intelligence Apart from the computational capabilities, organoid intelligence might also be a game-changer in drug testing, especially research pertaining to neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegeneration.

The team working on organoid intelligence comprises scientists, bioethicists, and members of the public. This diverse consortium is an attempt to have varying opinions while assessing the ethical implications of working with organoid intelligence.

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Invasive species

Invasive species are those that get introduced to a new ecosystem, where they end up replacing or affecting the native fauna or flora. These are mostly introduced by humans. Let's read up on a few of the invasive species.

WILD PIGS

The wild pigs are native to Eurasia and parts of North Africa. Also called wild boar or feral hogs, the wild pigs arrived in the 1500s in the U.S. and are one of the most invasive species in North America. They were shipped in by Spanish colonisers as a mobile meat source. Over time, they populated the forests of the southeastern U.S., where their genes got mixed with escaped domestic pigs. They are such a threat as they can live anywhere, eat anything, and have a very high reproductive rate. They destroy crops, landscapes and spread diseases.

MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE     

A small bark insect, the mountain pine beetle depends on a host tree to feed and lay its eggs. They may seem inconspicuous, with just about one-fourth of an inch in length but they are one of the worst invasive species. They have had a massive impact on the pine forests, boring holes in the tree's bark. They lay eggs in these holes under the bark and deposit a fungus that eventually kills the tree. In fact, in 1995, an outbreak of this pest in the western United States and Canada led to the destruction of millions of acres pine forest.

BURMESE PYTHON

The Burmese python is one of the most concerning invasive species in South Florida where they have established a breeding population. They have even replaced alligators as the apex predator in Florida and have led to the decline of many native species, with the population of small animals dropping at alarming rates. Populations of raccoons, opossums, bobcats, marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes have all been on an alarming decline. These pythons got introduced as a result of the exotic pet trade after they escaped from their owners or got intentionally released into the wild by their owners.

BROWN TREE SNAKE

The brown tree snake was introduced to the Pacific island of Guam in the 1950s. And ever since its introduction, it led to the decimation of the native bird and animal populations on the island. It is believed to have been introduced via cargo ships or aircraft. The snakes which easily spread across the island also cause power outages when they climb electrical wires! Among the 11 native bird species in Guam, nine species went extinct after the snake's introduction.

EUROPEAN STARLING

European starlings are an invasive species in the United States. Interestingly enough, its arrival was the result of a plan to introduce all the species referred to in the works of English playwright William Shakespeare. These birds are native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa but easily took to the landscape of the U.S. and spread quickly across the country, affecting the population of native bird species.

LANTANA CAMARA

One of the worst invasive species in the world, Lantana camara was introduced in India by the British in the 1800s. It came in as an ornamental plant but ended up taking over several ecosystems as an invasive plant. Its ability to spread on the forest floor, climb over trees as a creeper or entangle with other native plants aided it in establishing itself. It continues to spread in India even as methodologies are being adopted to weed it out.

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What is acid rain?

Acid rain or acid precipitation is a term used to define any kind of precipitation that is abnormally acidic and contains high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids

What one needs to note here is that normal rain is slightly acidic having a pH value between 5 and 5.6. (pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a solution is. A solution with a pH value less than 7 is considered acidic while a solution with a pH greater than 7 is considered basic or alkaline.) Meanwhile, the pH levels of acid rain are lower than normal precipitation and stand between 4.2 and 4.4. Acid rain can also settle onto Earth in the form of fog, snow and so forth.

The cause of acid rain is attributed to human activities, mostly resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels. In some cases, it can be a result of natural causes such as lightning, volcanoes, decaying plant and animal matter, and so on. When fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are burnt gases such as sulfuric dioxide and nitrous oxide get released into the air.

The reaction of these chemical compounds with oxygen and water vapour in the air leads to the formation of nitric acid and sulfuric acid which then mix with water molecules in the air. Sometimes, they can get blown away across several kilometres before they fall to Earth as acid rain.

Dangers of acid rain

Acid rains can wreak havoc on an ecosystem. Apart from affecting the water bodies, it affects the plants and animals in that area.

When it falls into aquatic sources, it can harm fishes, insects and aquatic animals. The low pH level can kill the adult fishes and even the eggs I wouldn't hatch when the pH level dips below 3. The biodiversity gets significantly affected by acid rain. Just like how it affects the aquatic ecosystem, acid rain is harmful to land-based ecosystems.

The chemistry of the soil gets altered drastically, the pH level gets lowered and nutrients of the soil get leached away. This affects the plants which rely on these nutrients.

Further, when acid rain falls on the leaves of the plants, it causes direct damage. It has also been observed that the eggs of the birds (species such as warblers and other songbirds) in the affected areas tend to have thinner shells.

What can be done to prevent acid rain? Well, the ideal way is to limit the quantity of sulfuric dioxide and nitrous oxide that gets released into the atmosphere.

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