In 1963, France sent a stray cat 154 km into space; Félicette survived the flight, was euthanized for research, and honoured with a bronze statueIn 1963, France sent stray cat Félicette 154 km into space, making her the first and only cat to travel beyond Earth. She survived the flig...
24 Aug, 2026, 05.42 PM IST
In 1969, she helped Apollo 11 carrying Neil Armstrong land on the moon. Indiana woman wrote the code that made it happen. She was MIT's first female programmerMargaret Hamilton, a computer scientist from Indiana, played a crucial role in NASA’s Apollo programme by leading the team that developed t...
24 Aug, 2026, 02.32 PM IST
In 1981, Britain wanted to eradicate the invasive coypus which escaped from fur farms and grew to roughly 200,000 in population and damaged crops and wetlands; after years of trapping Britain made them disappear from the countryBritain once had roughly 200,000 coypus after the rodents escaped from fur farms and spread across East Anglia, damaging crops and wetlands...
23 Aug, 2026, 05.11 PM IST
Researchers found a King Cobra's nest with 72 eggs, nearly twice the number usually seen. When researchers approached the nest, they were surprised to find two possible female cobras guarding itResearchers in China found a king cobra nest containing 72 eggs, nearly twice the number usually recorded for the species. Two adult cobras...
23 Aug, 2026, 02.35 PM IST
In 2002, a Maryland angler caught a huge fish he had never seen before. The discovery sparked panic, inspired horror movies and the species became one of America's most notorious invasive fishA strange fish caught in a Maryland pond in 2002 soon became the center of a nationwide invasive species scare. The discovery of the northe...
22 Aug, 2026, 07.41 PM IST
Since 1965, Florida has used the alligatorweed flea beetle to control invasive mats; once established, it can cause them to collapse within about 3 monthsA small but mighty insect, the alligatorweed flea beetle, has proven to be an efficient guardian against the spread of invasive alligatorwe...
21 Aug, 2026, 06.40 PM IST
In July 2019, scientists watched mayflies mistake solar-like glass for water; females landed and deposited eggs on the dry surfaceFemale mayflies are confusing solar panels for water surfaces, which is causing difficulties with their reproduction. This issue, termed po...
21 Aug, 2026, 02.10 PM IST
In 1995, a Tasmanian fisherman found a dead carp. What followed was a four-decade operation to remove nearly 50,000 European fishA dead carp spotted in Tasmania's Lake Crescent in 1995 triggered a 28-year campaign to eradicate invasive European carp from Lake Crescent...
21 Aug, 2026, 01.48 PM IST
In 2009, researchers acquired a laboratory colony of Aedes aegypti in Delhi and kept it without insecticide pressure. 17 years later, 10 micrograms killed 97.91% of females, yet survivors rapidly activated detoxification enzymesA Delhi study reveals mosquitoes surviving common insecticide treatments. This survival gap suggests a potential early warning of developin...
20 Aug, 2026, 10.38 PM IST
During World War II, Japan imported 150 South American nutria for military fur; after mass escapes and releases, their descendants spread across at least 19 prefectures and dug through rice fields and reservoir banksDuring wartime, Japan imported nutria for their lucrative fur farming, which inadvertently gave rise to large invasive populations. Origina...
20 Aug, 2026, 01.10 PM IST
In 1978, Japan released just 10 to 15 cane toads on Ishigaki Island; their population likely surpassed 20,000, and native snakes were found dead near the toadsA Japanese island's initiative to curb pests with cane toads resulted in unintended consequences. These invasive toads proliferated, wreaki...
20 Aug, 2026, 01.00 PM IST
The surprising reason men may have evolved beards involves punches, violent fights and a scientific theory that has now earned an Ig Nobel Peace PrizeResearchers explored if beards offered protection during male-to-male fights. Their study examined how hair absorbs and redistributes impac...
20 Aug, 2026, 11.53 AM IST
In 2022, a four-month-old bar-tailed godwit left Alaska on its first migration; it flew 13,560 km nonstop and reached Tasmania 11 days laterA remarkable bar-tailed godwit embarked on a breathtaking journey, soaring 8,425 miles from Alaska to Tasmania in a single, relentless stre...
18 Aug, 2026, 02.30 PM IST
Can giraffes do math? The world’s tallest mammals are better at addition than subtraction, scientists discover in surprising math studyNew research reveals giraffes possess remarkable cognitive abilities. Some giraffes can mentally combine quantities, a foundational numeric...
13 Aug, 2026, 11.05 PM IST
In 2016, Singapore began releasing millions of non-biting male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia. Years later, the bold experiment produced one of the world's most successful dengue-controlScientists using mosquitoes to fight dengue: Singapore has embarked on an ambitious project, deploying Wolbachia-infused male mosquitoes to...
10 Aug, 2026, 06.54 PM IST
In 1970, Sylvia Earle led five women into an underwater laboratory on a 14-day mission that helped strengthen the case for women in extreme-environment scienceThe year 1970 marked a groundbreaking moment when five female aquanauts embarked on a 14-day journey under the sea in the Tektite II projec...
10 Aug, 2026, 06.17 PM IST
In 1957, an American woman scientist invented a liquid fuel Hydyne which helped United States create history and make space travel a reality: How Mary Sherman Morgan became Rocket Girl or America's first female rocket scientist?In 1957, an American woman scientist invented a liquid fuel Hydyne which helped United States create history and make space travel a realit...
05 Aug, 2026, 03.32 AM IST