cosmology

Two Bell Labs astronomers, Penzias and Wilson, investigated a persistent background noise in their radio telescope. Initially believing it to be interference, their meticulous debugging efforts, including removing pigeon droppings, failed to silence the hum. This persistent signal, however, turned out to be the cosmic microwave background radiation, providing crucial evidence for the Big Bang theory.

Stephen Hawking, a brilliant physicist, overcame a severe motor neuron disease to inspire millions with his work on black holes and cosmology. His quote, "While there’s life, there is hope," emphasizes boundless human potential and the importance of perseverance. Hawking's life demonstrated that even significant challenges cannot prevent individuals from achieving greatness and finding purpose.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor humorously defended the South Indian dish idli after a viral post compared it to rasgulla dipped in sugar syrup. Tharoor explained the distinct culinary and biological differences, calling idli a "culinary engineering marvel" and a "savoury monolith of South Indian culinary genius."

We live in the era of viral animals, from Larry the Cat, the permanent fixture at 10 Downing Street, to Moo Deng, the cute pygmy hippo in Thailand, and Punch, the lonely monkey whose inability to make friends made the world go aww. Donald Trump the buffalo might be the latest addition to this pantheon. But long before the algorithm turned animals into celebrities, humans were already turning them into gods, omens, sacrifices, scapegoats and pardoned prisoners.

Google's Search isn't a search engine anymore. At I/O 2026, the company officially rebuilt its 25-year-old product around Gemini 3.5 Flash—a box that now accepts photos, files, and video, generates custom interactive pages on the fly, and deploys AI agents to monitor the web indefinitely on your behalf. With AI Overviews at 2.5 billion monthly users and AI Mode crossing one billion, Google isn't pitching a future. It's documenting a shift that already happened.

A hiker in Norway's Austratt area found a 1,500-year-old gold sword fitting. This artifact dates to Norway's Migration Period. It belonged to a 6th-century chieftain. The discovery offers insights into ancient craftsmanship and societal rituals. The piece shows signs of wear, suggesting frequent use by the chieftain. Archaeologists believe it was a votive offering.

New cosmic tests confirm Newton and Einstein's gravity laws hold true across vast distances, spanning hundreds of millions of light-years. This research strongly supports the existence of dark matter, challenging theories that propose modifications to gravity. Scientists weighed gravity using light bending around galaxy clusters, reinforcing our understanding of the universe's structure.

An engineer's quest to fix radio interference in 1933 unexpectedly led to a monumental discovery. Karl Jansky's rotating antenna detected a mysterious, periodic hiss, not from Earth or the Sun, but from the Milky Way's center. This groundbreaking finding, revealing the galaxy emits radio waves, birthed radio astronomy and revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.

Jamia Millia Islamia's Centre for Theoretical Physics, in collaboration with IUCAA, inaugurated a four-day international conference on "Cross-Survey Cosmography." The event brought together global experts to discuss precision cosmology, emerging tensions in cosmic parameters, and potential new physics

Stephen Hawking's life, marked by significant scientific achievements despite a debilitating illness, offers a powerful lesson in resilience. His quote emphasizes that human endeavor knows no bounds, encouraging children to embrace their uniqueness and persevere through challenges. It highlights that with determination and hope, success is always possible, regardless of life's difficulties.

Hyderabad art scene welcomes two new exhibitions, 'Prakriti: A Quiet Continuum' and 'Living Lineages,' opening May 2. These shows unite contemporary and folk artists, exploring nature's essence and generational artistic knowledge. The exhibitions run until June 15, fostering dialogue between diverse artistic practices.

Stephen Hawking, a brilliant cosmologist, overcame ALS to make groundbreaking discoveries about black holes and the universe's origins. His book, 'A Brief History of Time,' made complex science accessible. Hawking's life exemplified human determination and curiosity, reminding us of our cosmic insignificance yet the profound power of understanding.