Facts in News

July 19, 2021

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Facts in News
Mercury’s Iron Heart	Recently, a study by the University of Maryland has disputed the prevailing hypothesis on why Mercury has a big-sized core relative to its mantle (the layer between its core and crust). Earlier, scientists had argued that hit-and-run collisions with other bodies during the formation of the solar system resulted in much of Mercury’s rocky mantle being removed, leaving behind the big, dense, metal core inside. However, the new research reveals that the Sun’s magnetism is the reason for this and not the collisions. The researchers developed a model showing that the density, mass and iron content of a rocky planet’s core are influenced by its distance from the Sun’s magnetic field. There is a gradient in which the metal content in the core drops off as the four inner planets of the solar system get further from the Sun. The current work explains this by showing that the distribution of raw materials in the early forming solar system was controlled by the Sun’s magnetic field. The new model shows that during the early formation of the solar system, when the young Sun was surrounded by a swirling cloud of dust and gas, grains of iron were drawn toward the centre by the Sun’s magnetic field. When the planets began to form from clumps of that dust and gas, planets closer to the sun incorporated more iron into their cores than those further away. (Image Courtesy: NB)
Project Loon	Recently, Florida has requested the USA to greenlight a plan to transmit the Internet to people in Cuba via high-altitude balloons. For years, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) worked to perfect an Internet-balloon division service called Loon. The Loon balloons are effectively cell towers the size of a tennis court. They float 60,000 to 75,000 feet (18,000- 23,000 meters) above the Earth, well above commercial jetliner routes. These are made of the commonplace plastic polyethylene and use solar panels for electricity. These can deliver service to smartphones in partnership with a local telecom and each balloon can serve thousands of people. However, they have to be replaced every five months or so because of the harsh conditions in the stratosphere. Also, the balloons can be difficult to control as navigating them through the stratosphere has always been hard. Related Requirements Balloons need network integration with a telecom to provide service and some equipment on the ground in the region. It also needs permission from local regulators. Also, the network can be set up from afar. Loon uses multiple balloons to extend connections beyond the necessary ground link. Balloon- or drone-powered networks are not likely to be economical over the long term. While they are suitable for bridging communications amid disasters or in war zones, the transmission capabilities of such networks is not large and certainly not enough to serve the entire population of a nation. (Image Courtesy: MN)
Pegasus	Recently, over 300 mobile phone numbers in India have been targeted by Pegasus. Pegasus is spyware that can be installed on devices running some versions of iOS (Apple’s mobile operating system) and on devices running on Android. It was developed by the Israeli cyberarms firm NSO Group. NSO is a highly-regulated enterprise that provides government agencies an essential tool to monitor terrorists and criminals. Functioning It mainly uses Exploit Links for its working. Clicking on such links automatically installs Pegasus on the user’s phone. The method of Social Engineering is used. In the context of information security, social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. This differs from social engineering within the social sciences, which does not concern the divulging of confidential information. Once the spyware is installed, Pegasus can potentially harvest most of the data on the device including SMS, emails, WhatsApp chats, call logs, GPS data, contact lists and transmit it back to the attacker. It can also activate functionalities such as camera, microphone, call recording, etc. to provide surveillance capabilities to the client. (Image Courtesy: TW)
NBDriver	Researchers at IIT Madras have developed an AI tool called NBDriver (neighbourhood driver). About It is used in analysing cancer-causing mutations in cells. The algorithm of NBDriver studies the DNA structures and characterizes the genetic changes which are responsible for causing cancer. By looking at the neighbourhood, or context, of a mutation in the genome, it can look at harmful “driver” mutations and distinguish them from neutral “passenger” mutations. Mutation A mutation is a change in a DNA sequence. Mutations can result from DNA copying mistakes made during cell division, exposure to ionizing radiation, exposure to chemicals called mutagens, or infection by viruses. Cancer Cancer is caused due to the uncontrolled growth of cells driven mainly by genetic alterations. In recent years, high-throughput DNA Sequencing has revolutionized the area of cancer research by enabling the measurement of these alterations.
Kadambini Ganguly (1861 – 1923)	On 18 July 2021, Google celebrated Kadambini Ganguly’s 160th birthday with a doodle on its homepage in India. About She was the very first Indian female doctor who practiced with a degree in western medicine. She was also the first female speaker at the Indian National Congress. She was always pushing against the glass ceiling set on women’s freedom at a time when ill practices such as child marriage and sati were strife. Annie Besant also hailed Kadambini as a “symbol that India’s freedom would uplift India’s womanhood” in her book ‘How India Wrought For Freedom’. After the Bengal Partition, Kadambini organized the Women’s Conference in Calcutta in 1906. In 1908, she formed an association to help the Satyagraha workers in Transvaal, South Africa. Moreover, when a meeting was arranged at the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in 1914, in honour of Gandhi during his visit to Calcutta, she presided over it. Image Courtesy: IE