Scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and research
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their groundbreaking discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit. This recognition comes for experiments conducted in the 1980s that showed quantum effects—usually seen only in tiny particles—can occur in larger, hand-held systems, opening doors to advanced technologies like quantum computers and sensors.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to three scientists—Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi—for their groundbreaking work in developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This recognition highlights how these innovative materials, which create vast empty spaces within molecular structures, are transforming applications in carbon capture, water harvesting, and clean energy storage, addressing key global challenges like climate change and resource scarcity.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has released a draft notification proposing that all electric cars, buses, and trucks must be equipped with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) to generate artificial sounds at low speeds. This move comes in response to growing concerns over road accidents caused by the silent operation of electric vehicles (EVs), which can surprise pedestrians and cyclists, especially in busy urban areas. The proposal aims to make EVs safer for everyone on the road while supporting India's push towards cleaner transport options to reduce emissions.
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Japanese scientist Shimon Sakaguchi and American scientists Mary E. Brunkow and Frederick J. Ramsdell for their pioneering discoveries on regulatory T cells. These cells act as essential "security guards" in the immune system, ensuring it fights off harmful invaders like viruses and bacteria without mistakenly attacking the body's own healthy cells. This breakthrough, announced by the Nobel Committee, highlights the mechanism of peripheral immune tolerance and opens new pathways for treating autoimmune diseases and enhancing cancer therapies, addressing a long-standing puzzle in immunology.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been conducting crucial simulation missions in Bengaluru using a static mock-up simulator to prepare astronaut-designates for India's maiden human spaceflight under the Gaganyaan programme. These simulations, allowing astronauts to experience spacecraft-like conditions for extended periods, are part of the final preparations ahead of the first uncrewed test flight (G1) scheduled for December 2025, featuring the humanoid robot Vyommitra. This development underscores India's push towards self-reliance in space exploration, with the crewed mission now targeted for 2027.
India is observing its second National Space Day on August 23, 2025, commemorating the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s south pole in 2023. The day highlights India’s transformation into a global space power and ISRO’s expanding ambitions in space exploration.