Award and Honors

  The islands of Bermuda are a scientific mystery. Not because of the   notorious Bermuda Triangle   nearby, but because they're perched atop a swollen mass of the Earth's crust that technically shouldn't be there, at least not according to traditional theories. Now, two seismologists, William Frazer of Carnegie Science and Jeffrey Park from Yale University, have come up with an explanation. Geologists have long puzzled over Bermuda's existence: The Bermuda archipelago is made up of 181 islands, the outcroppings of a shallow mantle layer formed by a volcano around  33 million years ago . Usually, volcanic island chains like this ( Hawaii, for instance ) feature a series of volcanoes of consecutive ages, some current volcanic activity, and a  deep-rooted mantle plume . Website: awardandhonors.com  For Enquiries : support@awardandhonors.com Nominate Now : https://awardandhonors.com/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Awardee Get Connected Here : ...

  The ozone layer that protects human and animal health from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation continues to be on track for recovery in the coming decades, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in its latest  report  released this week. In 2024, the ozone hole was smaller when compared to the previous years. This was partly due to the natural year-on-year fluctuations and partly due to the success of policies put into place to aid the recovery of the ozone layer. “Forty years ago, nations came together to take the first step in protecting the ozone layer — guided by science, united in action,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “The Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol became a landmark of multilateral success. Today, the ozone layer is healing. This achievement reminds us that when nations heed the warnings of science, progress is possible,” he said. In another  report  also released this week, WMO,...

Sunlight is nature’s most efficient tool for evaporating water. A recent study from North Carolina State University reveals that the key lies not in heat, but in the oscillating electric field that light carries. This field interacts with water molecules in a unique way, helping them escape into the air faster than when heated by conventional  sources . Study lead author Saqlain Raza, a PhD student at  NC State , noted that it’s well established that the sun is exceptionally good at causing water to evaporate – more efficient than heating water on the stove, for instance. “However, it has not been clear exactly why. Our work highlights the role that electric fields play in this process,” said Raza. The researchers simulated water evaporation using molecular dynamics. These simulations allowed them to pinpoint how sunlight’s electric field speeds up the evaporation process by acting on clusters of water molecules at the surface. The team compared evaporation from pure water and...

  Early Earth got much of its water from relentless bombardment by water-rich asteroids and icy comets. Now, scientists say the young planet had a way to hold onto much more of that water than once thought: Rocks deep in Earth’s belly may have   contained up to 100 times more water than previously estimated , researchers report December 11 in   Science . That adds up to perhaps a whole ocean’s worth of water once stowed away in the ancient mantle rocks. Using laboratory experiments that re-created the extreme conditions of Earth’s deep mantle, geochemist Wenhua Lu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou and colleagues investigated how much water bridgmanite, one of Earth’s first minerals, could actually hold. As the heat increased, the bridgmanite was able to incorporate more and more water into its crystal structure. “The findings … add  another vital piece  to an intricate and multifaceted puzzle,” writes petrologist Michael Walter of Carnegie Science ...

  Girpremi, a city-based mountaineering organisation, is organising a conclave on the future of glaciers, the impacts of climate change, and possible solutions on December 11 at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. The conclave titled ‘Melting Giants: A Wake-Up Call for Our Generation’ is being held as part of International Mountain Day, which falls on December 11. Geologist Prof (Dr) Nitin Karmalkar, former Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule  Pune  University, is the chief guest of the event, which focuses on mountain protection, glacier conservation, and environmental awareness. “This year has been declared the International Year of Glacier Preservation, and the theme is ‘The Role of Glaciers in Mountain Ecosystems for Water, Food, and Livelihoods’. Due to the increasing impact of climate change, glaciers across the world are melting rapidly. Against this backdrop, Giripremi aims to raise public awareness through a conclave and exhibition titled ‘Frozen Lifeline...

  A Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifts off from Mahia, New Zealand, to begin the ‘Follow My Speed’ mission on Nov. 20, 2025. Image: Rocket Lab Earth observation company BlackSky revealed it was the ‘confidential customer’ whose satellite flew on a recent Rocket Lab Electron rocket. A BlackSky spokesperson confirmed to Spaceflight Now on Tuesday that its Gen-3 satellite was the payload onboard. The mission, dubbed ‘Follow My Speed’ by Rocket Lab, lifted off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 1:43 a.m. NZT on Nov. 21 (7:43 a.m. EST / 1243 UTC on Nov. 20). This was Rocket Lab’s 18th launch so far in 2025 and its 76th Electron launch to date. Leading up to the mission’s launch and during the broadcast, the company referred to the payload owner simply as a “confidential commercial customer.” After the satellite was deployed, the U.S. Space Force cataloged it into a 468 x 477 km orbit at a 42 degree inclination. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and expert orbital tracker, noted on X (...

  An international study led by the University of Basel has discovered that nuclear pore complexes—tiny gateways in the nuclear membrane—are not rigid or gel-like as once thought. Their interiors are dynamically organized, constantly moving and rearranging. The findings reshape our understanding of a vital transport process in cells and have implications for diseases and potential therapies. Imagine the cell's nucleus as a bank vault protected by a highly sophisticated security system: the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Only proteins carrying the correct "key"—specialized transport factors—are granted exclusive access  This selective control over what enters and exits the nucleus is essential for ensuring proper communication between the genome protected inside it and the cellular machinery outside. Nanoscience leads to new biological insights Despite its importance, the NPC's inner workings have remained a mystery. Its transport channel is lined with highly flexible pro...