Latest inventions in science and technology
Lunar Heater
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- Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation is working with the Department of Atomic Energy to develop an artificial heating system to protect lunar landers from extreme cold conditions on the Moon.
- ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan shared this update at the CSIR-RISE Conclave in Bengaluru.
Chandrayaan-3 Data
- The Chandrayaan-3 lander Vikram, powered by solar energy, functioned for about 14 Earth days on the lunar surface.
New Mission Goal
- Future lunar landers are being designed to survive up to 200 days on the Moon using heating technology.
Moon Conditions
- Lunar daytime temperature reaches about 121°C.
- Lunar night temperature drops to nearly –129°C.
CSIR Collaboration
- ISRO and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) have identified 40 areas for joint research.
- 17 projects have already been approved for implementation.
DST & Private Sector
- ISRO is also collaborating with the Department of Science and Technology and private partners for space-related innovations.
Space Medicine
- Research is underway to develop medicines for astronauts under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
ISS Experiment
- These experiments were conducted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla during the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station.
ANCHOR
- Context: IIT Madras has introduced ‘ANCHOR’ (a 3D atlas of the neurochemical properties of the human brainstem).
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- It was developed by the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) at IIT Madras.
- ANCHOR is the world’s most comprehensive and complete 3D atlas of the human brainstem.
- It was unveiled during the 3rd BRICS Neuroscience Seminar held at IIT Madras from June 5 to 7, 2026.
Key Features of ANCHOR
- Provides multi-dimensional, 3D cellular-level maps of the human brainstem.
- Covers brain development from the fetal stage through childhood to adulthood.
- Includes over 200 brainstem nuclei and nerve fiber tracts.
- Created using hundreds of serial sections and over 500 slices stained with eight types of complementary immunostains.
- Integrates MRI, histology, and detailed chemo-architecture to generate a high-resolution map.
Significance
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- Helps identify specific cell groups affected by brainstem lesions.
- Expected to have significant applications in the fields of neuroscience and medicine.
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- Supports research into the following neurological disorders:
- Rabies
- Dementia
- Alzheimer’s disease.
Varya: India’s Indigenous AI Video Model
- Context: The India-AI Mission has introduced a video AI model named ‘Varya’.
- The objective of Varya is to make advanced video AI technology affordable, easily accessible, and effective.
Significance
- It is one of the foundational AI models supported by the India-AI Mission.
- This launch marks a significant milestone in India’s AI development journey.
- It reflects the government’s commitment to fostering indigenous AI capabilities and promoting a robust ‘deep-tech’ ecosystem.
Developer
- ‘Varya’ was developed by ‘Avatar’, an AI-focused transformative company.
- The project was supported by the ‘India-AI Mission’.
Technology Used
- Varya utilizes a technique known as ‘distillation’.
- This reduces the video generation process from 50 steps to just 4 steps.
- Despite requiring fewer steps, it delivers output quality comparable to leading global models.
Cost-Efficiency
- Compared to many prominent international video AI models, this model operates at up to 10 times lower cost.
