Science & Technology: January 2022 Current Affairs | Science & Technology for UPSC CSE PDF Download

1. Solid State Battery

Recently, the Volkswagen in partnership with Quantum Space is aiming for production of solid-state batteries by 2025. About Solid-state Batteries Solid-state battery is a battery technology that uses a solid electrode and a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes which is found in lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries. 

Reasons To Develop A Solid-State Battery 

• A solid-state battery has higher energy density than a Li-ion battery (by eliminating the carbon anode), lower charge time (by eliminating the need to have lithium diffuse into the carbon particles in conventional lithium-ion cells), ability to undertake more charging cycles and thereby a longer life, and improved safety. 
• It can increase energy density per unit area since only a small number of batteries are needed. 
• It does not have a risk of explosion or fire. So there is no need to have components for safety, thus saving more space. 
• They avoid the use of dangerous or toxic materials found in commercial batteries, such as organic electrolytes. Uses Of Solid-state Batteries 
• A solid-state battery has higher energy density than a Li-ion battery so it can be used in the electric vehicles. In August 2020, Toyota started road testing of their prototype vehicle, LQ Concept, equipped with a solid-state battery. 
• The characteristics of high energy density and keeping high performance even in harsh environments the solid-state batteries are used in new wearable devices. 
• They can also be used in space missions, soon Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are going to test solid-state batteries in space. 
• Challenges With Solid-state Battery
• Expensive and difficult to manufacture. 
• Solid-state batteries with ceramic electrolytes require high pressure to maintain contact with the electrodes. 
• The interfacial instability of the electrode-electrolyte has always been a serious problem.

Solid state Batteries

2. Dark Genome

Recently, scientists examining the dark genome have identified evolved parts for proteins associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. 

About Dark Genome 

• Dark genome refers to ‘DNA outside of the regions conventionally defined as genes’ 
• The human genome contains “dark” gene regions that cannot be adequately assembled or aligned using standard short-read sequencing technologies 
• It preventing researchers from identifying mutations within these gene regions that may be relevant to human disease. 
• Significance of The Research The researchers say that the newly discovered proteins can be used as biological indicator to distinguish the two conditions and identify patients more prone to psychosis.

3. Aquamation

The body of Nobel Peace Prize winner Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu cremated by the process of aquamation in Cape Town.
Aquamation

About Aquamation

• It is a green alternative to traditional cremation methods. 
• It also known as alkaline hydrolysis and defined as “flameless cremation”. 
• In this process the body is immersed for a few hours in a mixture of water and a strong alkali in a pressurized metal cylinder and heated to around 150 degrees centigrade. 
• The combination of gentle water flow, temperature and alkalinity accentuate the breakdown of the organic materials. 
• The process leaves behind bone fragments and a neutral liquid called effluent. 
• The effluent is sterile, and contains salts, sugars, amino acids and peptides. 
• There is no tissue and no DNA left after the process completes 
• The process was developed and patented in 1888 by Amos Herbert Hanson, a farmer who was trying to develop an ingenious way to make fertilizer from animal carcasses. 

Significance 

• The process of aquamation uses energy which is five times less than fire. 
• It also reduces by about 35% the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted during other ways of cremation.

4. Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV)

Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV) has been found to be the reason for the mass mortality of wild crab in Andhra Pradesh. 

About Mud Crab Reovirus 

• MCRV is a viral pathogen belongs to the family of ‘Reoviridae’. 
• It mainly affects the connective tissue of hepatopancreas, gills, and intestine. 
• It is also known as Sleeping Disease. 

Why It Is A Concerning Issue? 

• In Andhra Pradesh, total area under wild crab cultivation is around 25,000 acres and if crabs die because of MCRV, their cultivation will be badly affected. 
• Wild crabs are exported directly from Andhra Pradesh to the South-East Asia region and have a large market in Europe. International trade will also be badly affected. 
• Starting from 2019, about 60% of farming has been affected due to mass mortality in the state.

5. Lancet Report on Dementia

According to a Lancet report, the number of dementia cases in India is expected to almost double by 2050. 

Key Findings of This Report 

• The global dementia cases are expected to triple by 2050 and in India the cases will go up by 197%. 
• The study says that globally more women are affected by dementia than men and this pattern will continue till 2050. 

About Dementia 

• It is a syndrome that impairs the memory, thinking, reasoning and judgment of a person. 
• Though dementia predominantly found in older individuals, but it is not just associated with old age. It can also result from primary or secondary injury that affects the brain. 
• WHO categorises dementia into many forms. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form and may contribute to 60-70% of cases. 
• There is currently no treatment available to cure dementia. 
• Getting regular exercise, avoiding use of alcohol, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol levels can help lower the risk.

6. BrahMos

Recently, an extended range sea-to-sea variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was test fired from INS Visakhapatnam. 

About BrahMos

• It is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile. 
• This missile is produced by BrahMos Aerospace which is an India-Russian Joint venture.The name BrahMos is formed from the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. 
• It is a two-stage (solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in second) missile. 
• It is a multiplatform missile i.e it can be launched from land, air, and sea and multi capability missile with pinpoint accuracy that works in both day and night irrespective of the weather conditions .
• The missile is capable of carrying a regular warhead as well as a nuclear warhead. 
• It operates on the "Fire and Forgets" principle, it does not require further guidance after launch. 
• It flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of the sound. 
• The range of the missile was originally capped at 290 km as per obligations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). 
• After entering this MTCR club in June 2016, India decided to increase the range capability of the missile which can be increased up to 450 to 600 km. 

About INS Visakhapatnam 

• INS Visakhapatnam is the first of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy developed under Project-15B. Other Three Ships of Project 15B 
• 2nd ship, Mormugao was launched in 2016, and is being readied for harbour trials. 
• 3rd ship (Imphal) was launched in 2019, and is at an advanced stage of outfitting. 
• 4th ship (Surat) is under block erection and will be launched within this current financial year (2022) 
• The ship is commissioned in November 2021. 
• It is indigenously designed by the Directorate of Naval Design, an in-house organization of the Indian Navy and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

BRAHMOS

7. Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM)

DRDO successfully flight tested the final deliverable configuration of Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile. 

About MPATGM 

• MPATGM is third-generation anti-tank guided missile. 
• It is indigenously developed by DRDO in partnership with Indian defence contractor VEM Technologies Private Limited. 
• It can cover a minimum range of 200 to 300 m and a maximum range of 4 km. 
• It weighs around 14.5 kg to maintain man portability. It is integrated with thermal sight and works on fire and forget principle. 
• It is incorporated with state-of-the-art Miniaturized Infrared Imaging Seeker along with advanced avionics. 
• It is effective against both stationary and moving targets.

8. Kala Azar

For the first time in eight years, Jharkhand reported a death due to Kala azar in the state. 

About Kala Azar 

• Kala azar, which also known as visceral leishmaniasis. 
• There are three types of leishmaniasis: ✓ Visceral leishmaniasis, which affects multiple organs and is the most serious form ✓ Cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores and is the most common form. ✓ Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin and mucosal lesions. 
• It is the second largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria. 
• It is also one of the most dangerous neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). 
• It is caused by a parasite called Leishmania, which is transmitted through the bite of female phlebotomine sandflies. 
• It attacks the immune system, and is almost always fatal if not treated. 
• Symptoms may include fever, weight loss and swelling of the spleen or liver. 
• The National Health Policy, 2002 had set the goal of kala-azar elimination by the year 2010 which was revised to 2015. This deadline was later extended twice to 2017, and then to 2020. National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme 
• NVBDCP is the central nodal agency for prevention and control of six vector borne diseases i.e. Malaria, Dengue, Lymphatic Filariasis, Kala-azar, Japanese Encephalitis and Chikungunya in India. 
• It works under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare & is subsumed under National Health Mission (NHM).

9. Cryogenic Engine for Gaganyaan

ISRO has successfully conducted the qualification test of Cryogenic Engine for Gaganyaan programme. 

About Cryogenic Engine 

• A cryogenic engine/ cryogenic stage is the last stage of space launch vehicles which makes use of Cryogenics (Cryogenics is the study of production and behaviour of materials at extremely low temperatures). 
• Cryogenic engine makes use of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) as propellants which liquefy at -183 deg C and -253 deg C respectively. 
• A cryogenic engine provides more force with each kilogram of cryogenic propellant compared to other propellants (solid and liquid propellant rocket engines) and is more efficient.

10. Asteroid 1994 PC1

• Recently, the asteroid named 1994 PC1 passed by earth on January 18, 2022. 
• This asteroid did not cause any harm, it safely flies past our planet at a distance of 1.2 million miles or 1.9 million kilometres. 
• This is about five times the distance between the Earth and Moon. 
• Near-Earth objects that come at a distance of below 0.05 astronomical units or 7.5 million km from Earth are termed as potentially hazardous asteroids. 
• Asteroid was discovered by astronomer Robert McNaught in 1994.

1994 PC1

11. WASP-103b

Researchers have discovered a planet, named WASP-103b, which they say is shaped more like a potato or a rugby ball. 

About WASP-103b 

• It is an exoplanet which is 1,500 light-years away from Earth. 
• Its orbit around host star WASP-103 completes an entire revolution in just 22 hours. 
• The planet too is large, about one-and-a-half times the size of Jupiter. 
• The researchers used ESA's CHEOPS satellite and relied on data from NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes to reach the conclusion about WASP-103b's rugby ball shape. 

Reason For This Shape 

• WASP-103b is only 20,000 miles away from its home star and this could cause tidal stresses to pull it into an unlikely shape. Significance 
• The bizarre oval exoplanet can theoretically tell us more about worlds like it and how they're formed. 
• By measuring how much the planet is deformed we can tell how much of it is rocky, gaseous, or water.

12. Muscle Starvation and Vitamin D

Research says that skeletal muscles are generally full of energy, yet they starve in the absence of vitamin D. 

About This Research 

• The study is conduct in mice, and researches think this mechanism is broadly applicable in humans as well. 
• This research shows that glycogen stored in skeletal muscles is not converted into a usable form of energy without vitamin D. 
• Normally, glucose absorbed from food is converted into glycogen and stored in skeletal muscle. 
• This stored energy store is used by the muscles to generate energy after the food consumed is digested. 
• However, in the absence of vitamin D, skeletal muscle becomes deficient in energy, leading to reduced muscle mass. 

About Vitamin D 

• It is a fat-soluble vitamin and can be stored in your body for a long time 
• It is key to maintaining metabolic functions, immune system, bone health and plays a crucial role in depression, mood swings, anxiety and sleep quality. 
• Getting sufficient sunlight is the best way to help the body produce enough vitamin D. 
• The sunlight triggers a chemical reaction to a cholesterol-based molecule, and converts it into calcidiol in liver and into calcitriol in kidney. These molecules technically called 25-OHD are physiologically active. 
• Plentiful food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna, egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms etc. 
• Deficiency: Rickets in children and osteomalacia (softening of bones) in adults.

13. Rare-Earth Metal

US proposed a law aiming to end China’s alleged “chokehold” on rare-earth metal supplies. The Bill aims to “protect the US from the threat of rare-earth element supply disruptions, encourage domestic production and reduce its reliance on China by creation of a “strategic reserve” of rare earth minerals by 2025. 

About Rare Earth Metal/Element 

• The rare earth elements are a set of 17 metallic elements. These include the 15 lanthanides on the periodic table plus Scandium and Yttrium. 
• 17 metallic elements are lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium. 
• They are called 'rare' because it was difficult to extract them from their oxides forms. 
• The total world reserves are estimated at 121 million tonnes of rare earth oxides (REO). 
• China alone accounts for 44 million tonnes followed by Brazil and Vietnam and Russia. 

Significance of Rare Earth Metal 

• These minerals have unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical properties. 
• These minerals are necessary components, especially for high-tech consumer products, such as cellular telephones, computer hard drives, and flat-screen monitors and televisions. 
• They're used in electric car motors, lithium-ion batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines. 

Rare Earth Metals In India 

• India has the world’s fifth-largest reserves of rare earth elements. 
• Geologically the entire landmass around the Indian Ocean contains rare earth element in the surrounding rocks. 
• Monazite sand is the principal source of thorium. 
• Rare earth elements contribute a total value of nearly $200 billion to the Indian economy. 
• Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), the government-owned company is involved in the extraction and processing of rare earth elements.

14. Web3

Recently the concept of Web3 created quite a buzz. It is believed that the Web3 is used to describe a potential next phase of the internet. 

About Web3 

• Web3 is a still-developing idea for a third generation of the web. 
• It is a decentralised internet to be run on Blockchain technology. 
• It aims to provide a single, consistent, platform-agnostic way to manage data across systems, without requiring a corporation to contain its own interests and agendas. Why We Need Web3? 
• In Web 2.0, much of the data on Internet traffic is owned or managed by a small number of behemoth companies (eg. Google). This has created problems related to data privacy, data security and misuse of such data. 
• There is also a sense of disappointment that the original purpose of the internet has been distorted. 

Benefits of Web3 

• It will deliver decentralized and fair internet where users control their own data. 
• It would break down the massive databases currently held by internet giant companies and would prevent their undue enrichment by handing greater control to users. 
• It tries to remove the role of the platform. It enables peer to peer (seller to buyer) transaction by eliminating the role of the intermediary. 
• It will also use machine learning, that uses data and algorithms to mimic the way humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. These capabilities enable computers to deliver faster and more relevant results. 

Earlier Versions of web Web 1.0 Web 2.0 

• It is the worldwide web or the internet that was invented in 1989. 
• The internet in the Web 1.0 days was mostly static web pages. 
• Web 1.0 lasted until 1999. 
• Even though there were ecommerce websites in the initial days it was still a closed environment and the users themselves could not create any content or post reviews on the internet. 
• It started in some form in the late 1990s, itself though 200 when most of its features were fully available. 
• It is still the age of Web 2.0 now. 
• The differentiating characteristic of Web 2.0 compared to Web 1.0 is that users can create content. They can interact and contribute in the form of comments, registering likes, sharing and uploading their photos or videos and perform other such activities. 
• Primarily, a social media kind of interaction is the differentiating trait of Web 2.0. World Wide Web, which is also known as a Web, is a collection of websites or web pages stored in web servers and connected to local computers through the internet.

15. INS Kochi

Indian Navy's INS Kochi takes part in joint exercise with Russian warships in PASSEX exercise.

About INS Kochi 

• It is the second ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers built under the code name Project 15A for the Indian Navy. 
• It was constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. 
• It was commissioned to Indian Navy service on 30 September 2015. 
• On 1 November 2015, the Navy successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from Kochi. Passage Exercise (PASSEX) It is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills. Earlier, Indian Naval ships conducted PASSEX with the US Navy also. India’s Destroyer Construction Programme 
• Commenced in the late 1990s with the three Delhi class (P-15 class) warships 
• This was followed by three Kolkata class P-15A (Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai) destroyers commissioned a decade later. 
• Presently, under the P-15B (Visakhapatnam Class), a total of 4 warships are planned (Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, Surat).

16. INS Ranvir

• Recently, there was an explosion in an internal compartment of the INS Ranvir at the naval dockyard in Mumbai. 
• It is 4th of five Rajput-class destroyers built for the Indian Navy. It was commissioned in 1986. 
• The Rajput-class destroyers which are also known as Kashin-II class are modified versions of Soviet Kashin class destroyers. 
• Apart from INS Ranvir, it includes INS Rajput, INS Rana, INS Ranjit and INS Ranvijay. 
• The Rajput class destroyers were the first ships in the Indian Navy to deploy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems.

17. Space Debris

A Chinese satellite named 'Tsinghua Science Satellite' collided with a piece of debris scattered as a result of Russian anti-satellite missile test. 

About Space Debris 

• Also known as space junk, space garbage, it is mainly inactive artificial objects in space that no longer perform a useful function. 
• Debris can also be caused by an explosion in space or when countries conduct missile tests to destroy their own satellites by missiles. 
• Space debris orbits around the earth at tremendous speeds of about 15,700 miles per hour (25,265 kph) in low Earth. 
• There are half a million pieces of debris larger than 1 centimetre and 100 million pieces of debris about one millimetre or larger. 
• It could cause significant damage to a satellite or a spacecraft in case of a collision. Can Space Debris Be Removed? 
• According to NASA, debris in orbits below 600 kilometres will fall back to Earth within several years, but above 1,000 kilometres it will continue circling the Earth for a century or more. 
• Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency have partnered with start-ups to help with removal of space debris. India’s Step To Tackle Space Debris 
• ISRO initiated ‘Project NETRA’ in Bengaluru. 
• It is an early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites 
• It will give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA), which is used to ‘predict’ threats from debris to Indian satellites. 
• It also goes so far as to serve as an unstated warning against missile or space attack for the country. Kessler Syndrome: It is a possible effect that if one satellite produces debris that hit another satellite, this will create a chain reaction that will obliterate every orbiting object in the Low Earth Orbit, and thus creating a thick cloud of white dots travelling at high speed. Rockets would no longer be able to reach space since they risk getting hit by these debris.

18. 5G telecoms: Threat to Airline Safety

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a formal warning that the new 5G technology could interference with flight equipment such as altimeters, which measure how far above the ground an aeroplane is travelling. 

Concerns 

• The U.S. auctioned mid-range 5G bandwidth to mobile phone companies in the 3.7-3.98 GHz range on the spectrum, known as C-Band. 
• Reportedly, the altimeters operate in the 4.2-4.4 GHz range and the concern is that the auctioned frequencies sit too close to this range. 
• To get full value from 5G, operators want to operate at higher frequencies because, the higher the frequency in the spectrum, the faster the service. 
• Some of the C band spectrum auctioned had been used for satellite radio but the transition to 5G means there will be much more traffic Way forward 
• In the short-term, Companies agreed to temporarily defer turning on some wireless towers near key airports to avert a significant disruption to US flights. 
• In the Longer-term, the FAA needs to clear and allow the vast majority of the US commercial aeroplane fleet to perform low-visibility landings at many airports where 5G C-band will be deployed. This means certifying altimeters to operate near 5G base stations.