TechieTonics

April 4, 2025 Pooja Kashyap

Interview: Dr. Nicholas Jacobson, Computational Psychiatrist at Dartmouth College, US

When I first came across Therabot, Dartmouth’s AI-powered therapy chatbot, I was immediately intrigued. The idea that technology could play a meaningful role in mental health treatment fascinated me, so I reached out to Dr. Nicholas Jacobson, a leading expert in this space, for an interview. To my...
Interview Tonics

January 17, 2025 Pooja Kashyap

Interview: Prof. Dr. Michael Gerlich, Head of Foresight & Sustainability, SBS Swiss Business School, Switzerland

Recently, I read one research paper titled, “AI...

Interview Tonics

September 18, 2024 Pooja Kashyap

Interview: Dr. Sukriti Hans, Material Scientist at LIST, Luxembourg

In a rapidly evolving world where technological advancements...

Interview Tonics

September 11, 2024 Pooja Kashyap

Interview: Dr. Yaqing Shen, Material Scientist at KAUST, Saudi Arabia

I’m excited to introduce Dr. Yaqing Shen, a...

Interview Tonics

Antioxidant Tiron, Can Protect Skin From Ageing

January 13, 2014 Neha Shukla

Researchers are trying to understand various factors responsible for ageing and how the process could be avoided or can be prolonged. In one of the earlier article we discussed about a research which could reverse the effect of ageing (applicable in mice so far). In another such study done at Newcastle University, researchers has found an antioxidant named Tiron which can provide effective shield against certain kind of sun damages and thus skin remain younger.

New Device for Transdermal Detection Of Malaria

January 12, 2014January 12, 2014 Wa'd Abuzurayk

In a new breakthrough in the world of medical examination, researchers from Rice University have successfully developed a new way to test Malaria through using a laser pulse, instead of blood testing. Although the new test has only been tried on mice so far, it was found to be safe in humans. Trials on mice have resulted on successful detection of malaria when only one in a million red blood cell was infected. The test inventor, Dmitri O. Lapotko, stated that the invented device could test one person every 20…

Managing Stress Can Lead To Weight Loss

January 12, 2014 Neha Shukla

Technology has made our world simpler and a better place to live. Many tedious work has been now replaced by machines, giving humans more time to relax and enjoy. But with this comfort comes problem related to weight. And it is a known fact, that losing weight is difficult but even more challenging to keep it at bay. But don’t be disheartened with this news because as per the latest study conducted at University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, stress management intervention program can be effective in…

Kids World Are Gender Specific: A Study

January 11, 2014 Neha Shukla

As per the latest research conducted at Michigan State University, world around kids are greatly segregated by gender. In total 426 students were observed, ranging from second to fourth grade from five elementary school in United States. They found boys and girls does not mind being friends however, they strongly believed that girls play with girls and boys with boys only.

Danger Of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning During Winters

January 10, 2014 Neha Shukla

Winters breaking all records each year and pushing humans to dependent on heaters to cope up with this dip in temperature. With the increase in use of space heaters, humans are at increased risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning as-well. Carbon monoxide has been also termed as Silent Killer by fireman and paramedics because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless and easily goes unnoticed until it gets too late.

Surround Yourself With Greenery For Healthy Mind

January 9, 2014 Neha Shukla

A recent research from the University of Exeter Medical School reports that people living near green patches in urban place (like parks and gardens) tend to have eternal advantages on their psychological health. The advantages gained outlast even after the person shift away. The discovery further pushes us to work towards maintaining a greener planet.

Size Of Thoraces In Ants May Differ As Per Work Assigned

January 8, 2014 Neha Shukla

Ants are very social creatures and live in large colonies consisting millions of individuals. Their society is divided as per hierarchy. Until now the presence or absence of wings were characteristic feature to differentiate the queen from its workers ants. But in a recent study it was noticed that the size of the thoracic segment may vary as per the work ants are designated to perform after attaining maturity. This may also explains how the ants carry load weighing many times than the weight of themselves.

Hornworm Uses Tobacco To Avoid Predators

January 7, 2014 Neha Shukla

Tobacco in any form is hazardous. Recently a positive aspect of tobacco has been discovered, although not for humans. Team of researchers from the Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology has found hornworm caterpillars (Manduca sexta) using tobacco as defense mechanism. These caterpillars thrive on tobacco plants and thus absorb large amount of nicotine. When in danger hornworm caterpillars expel (halitosis) some amount of nicotine toxin reserved in its blood to avert its approaching enemies such as wolf spiders and other predators.

The Black Swan, The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

January 7, 2014February 16, 2021 Pooja Kashyap

The book is quite enlightening in terms of conveying message as to how the world works. Things are not as easy as they appear to be. We are stuck in a complex web of randomness, which our mind is incapable of comprehending, a higher dimension so to say. Change by nature is erratic unlike constant, which we actually think it to be and such events are termed as Black Swans by Taleb. This book is an embodiment of idea, “what we don’t know is more important than what we know”…

Free Play For Everyone (2)

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014 Wa'd Abuzurayk

A child’s main occupation in life is PLAY, which puts it high up the ladder of priorities in the world of child care. As promised earlier, this article is dedicated to parents who are looking for simple affordable ideas to boost their children’s play skills as well as overall development through play. When it comes to purposeful play, simplicity works just fine. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive at all. All you need to do is introduce simple themes and play tasks in a way that captures your…

Like Nose Lungs Has A Sense For Smelling Too

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014 Neha Shukla

Most of us believe that nose is the only organ, which can perceive smell but now this perception won’t hold for long. In a recent research, smell receptors have been found located in lungs as-well. These newly found olfactory receptors are termed as pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs).

Dogs Likes Their Toilet Along North South Axis

January 4, 2014January 5, 2014 Neha Shukla

We have seen dogs going about in circles before answering to the nature’s call. Though this might seem meaningless to us, a recent study has revealed that the dogs actually align themselves to the earth magnetic field before relieving themselves.

Mars One Aims To Develop Human Habitat On The Red Planet

January 3, 2014 Neha Shukla

Humans are always curious about universe, whether there is life like us on any other planet or whether can we thrive on any other planets, both interests us equally. Till now visit to outer space for few months has been achieved, but nobody so far has thought of living on one such planet permanently. In one such mission, Mars One is planning to send selected individuals by 2023 on the red planet Mars (with no return voyage) to become the first ever persons to settle down permanently.

Rise Of The Lizard Bots: Gecko Robot Might Go For Spacewalk Soon

January 3, 2014March 27, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

What would be the field of robotics without biomimicry, I guess, nothing. After Cheetah bot and the Big Dog, researchers have come up with lizard-bot, to which they call gecko robot. Fabricated by a research team in Canada, the gecko robot can easily cross through a vertical surface. This mechanism (of sticking) is brought about by means of dry microscopic toe hair called the setae. Christened as Abigaille, the bot weighs around 240 gram. The six-legged climbing bot project is indeed inspired from the way lizards glue and walk effortlessly…

Sleeping Can Prevent Brain Tissue Damages

January 2, 2014May 31, 2014 Neha Shukla

In one of the article we have discussed how during sleep human brain cleans itself from toxins which if not removed can cause certain brain disorders. In a recent study, researchers have found that a healthy person deprived of sleep for just one night shows increase in molecules like NSE and S-100B in the blood concentration. These molecules are exclusively found in the brain and an increase accumulation of these in blood indicates that insufficient sleep results in brain tissue damage.