Science Current Affairs Quiz - May 2018

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1. ______________, a small NASA satellite has developed first global map of ice clouds. Ice clouds start as tiny particles high in atmosphere. They absorb moisture, and become heavier. This make them to fall to lower altitudes. Ice clouds affect Earth’s energy budget by absorbing Sun’s energy and by affecting emission of heat from Earth into space. IceCube will operate for a year, and then it will reenter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up ?

IceCube
IceStat
IceIon
IceMetre
None of These


2. According to study by ______________________ (GRACE) spacecraft mission of German Aerospace Center and NASA, India has seen sharp decline in availability of freshwater, due to overuse by humans, climate change and natural cycles.

  1. GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On) is joint project between NASA and German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), as as follow-on mission to GRACE mission, which mapped Earth’s water and ice by measuring changes in Earth’s gravity field from 2002 to 2017.
  2. To measure Earth’s gravity, 2 GRACE-FO satellites will orbit around Earth together, with one trailing behind other at distance of 220km.
Gravity Restoration and Climate Experiment
Gratuity Recovery and Climate Experiment
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment
Gravity Recovery and Climate Ecology
None of These


3. An important peptide that can be used to create a new preventive vaccine against leptospirosis (tropical infectious disease) has been found by researchers from __________ Biotechnology Research Centre. At present there is no preventive vaccine for Leptospirosis.

  1. Researchers learned whole protein set of bacteria Leptospira interrogans by narrowing down to one effective immunogenic protein.
  2. This protein was found in almost all serovars (different types within a species) of the bacteria.
Rajasthan
Maharashtra
Odisha
Gujarat
None of These


4. ___________ Government notified its new state symbols, after bifurcation of undivided state in 2014 that led to formation of New State Telangana. New state symbols -

  1. State bird - Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Locally known as Rama Chiluka.
  2. State tree - Neem ( Azadirachta indica). Locally known Vepa Chettu.
  3. State animal - Black-buck (Antilope cervicapra). Locally known as Krishna Jinka.
  4. State flower - Jasmine (Jasminum officinale).
  5. State symbols of Telangana - Bird - Indian Roller (It also state bird of Odisha and Karnataka), Tree: Jammi Chettu, Animal - Spotted deer. Flower - Tangidi Puvvu.
Gujarat
Odisha
Karnataka
Kerala
Andhra Pradesh


5. Astronomers discovered a first of its kind carbon-rich asteroid in Kuiper Belt, designated as _____________.

  1. Kuiper belt is a circum-stellar disc in outer Solar System, extending from orbit of Neptune to approximately 50 astronomical unit (AU) from Sun.
  2. It seems to have formed in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and then would have been flung billions of kms to its current locations.
2008 EW95
2002 EW95
2004 EW95
2010 EW95
None of These


6. ________________ launched relay satellite Queqiao (Magpie Bridge) to establish communication with its planned Chang’e-4 lunar probe (rover) that will explore dark side of moon.

  1. Queqiao (meaning bridge of magpies) will serve as communications relay for future Chang’e-4 rover that will explore in South Pole-Aitken Basin in moon’s far side. It will be world’s first communication satellite operating in halo orbit - Earth-moon Lagrange point L2, a gravitationally stable spot located 64,000 kilometers beyond lunar far side.
  2. Need for relay Satellite -
    1. Moon is tidally locked to Earth, it always shows same face (near side) to Earth. So, relay link is necessary to communicate with spacecraft on far side, which will otherwise have to send their signals through moon’s rocky bulk.
China
Japan
USA
UK
None of These


7. ______________________ (GEAC) demanded more tests for genetically modified mustard- Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH -11) for commercial cultivation. It has called for ‘field demonstrations’ of GM mustard in an area of 5 acres at several locations, to study possible impact transgenic crop could have on honey bees.

  1. GEAC had given final clearance for GM mustard (in May 2017). Clearance was later put on hold by Environment Ministry.
  2. Even high-powered panel on Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) said Genetic Engineering is ‘powerful’ tool for developing future crop, but for now it should be adopted only for non-food crops.
  3. Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH -11) is transgenic mustard developed by Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants at Delhi University. It is genetically modified variety of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) mustard.
Global Engineering Appraisal Committee
Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
Genetic Engineering Acceptance Committee
Generated Engineering Appraisal Committee
None of These


8. ISRO’s __________________ (LPSC) is developing environment-friendly propellant propellant blend based on hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) to power satellites and spacecrafts, aiming to replace conventional hydrazine fuel, Which has dominated space industry as choice of propellant for over six decades despite hazards.

  1. HAN-based monopropellant formulation consists of HAN, ammonium nitrate, methanol and water. Monopropellant is chemical propulsion fuel which does not require separate oxidizer. It is used extensively in satellite thrusters for orbital correction and orientation control.
  2. HAN-based monopropellant will replace conventional hydrazine rocket fuel, a highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical, with greener propellant for future missions. It will also ensure cost effective re-usable, recoverable, re-startable and reliable space launches of ISRO.
Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
Level Propulsion Systems Centre
Liquid Production Systems Centre
Liquid Propulsion Safety Centre
None of These


9. IISER (______________________) developed a Arsenic Sensor and Removal Media device to remove arsenic content from water and make it safe for use. It is capable of sensing soluble arsenic which cannot be easily removed. It is highly sensitive as it can sense up to parts per billion (ppb) levels, compared to currently available techniques that sense parts per million (ppm).

  1. Arsenic is a natural component in earth’s crust, widely distributed and highly toxic in its inorganic form.
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
Indian Institute of Safety Education and Research
Indian Institute of Science Education and Reading
Indian Institute of Safety Exemption and Research
None of These


10. Indian Space Research Organization developed an atomic clock to be used in navigation satellites to measure clear-cut location data. Currently ISRO imports atomic clocks from European aerospace manufacturer Astrium for navigation satellites.

  1. It will be used on seven navigation satellites of India as part of _______________ (IRNSS) or NaVIC. Currently 3 NAVIC satellites have 3 imported Rubidium atomic clocks.
Indian Regional Navigation Satellite Safety
Indian Regional Nodal Satellite System
Indian Regional Native Satellite System
Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System
None of These


11. ____________________ scientists invented procedure to produce alcoholic beverages from wood of cherry, cedar, and birch trees. Four-kilogram cedar wood produced 3.8 litres of liquid, with 15% alcohol content.

Vietnamese
Russian
Chinese
Japanese
None of These


12.____________ Updates -

  1. Discovered a special kind of neutron star outside the Milky Way galaxy for first time. Neutron stars are highly dense cores of massive stars that collapse and go through a supernova explosion. It was spotted via NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.
  2. Will launch mission InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) to study deep interior of Mars on May 5, 2018. Rocket will also launch two mini-spacecraft called Mars Cube One (MarCO), NASA’s technology experiment. InSight is stationary lander that will be first ______ mission since Apollo moon landings to place seismometer, a device that measures quakes on soil of another planet.
  3. Demonstrated that Its Kilopower portable nuclear fission reactor could enable crewed missions to Moon, Mars and beyond.
    1. Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment was conducted in November 2017 - March 2018, established that this system can create electricity with fission power.
    2. KRUSTY is a small, lightweight fission power system which is capable of providing up to 10 kilowatts of electrical power continuously for at least 10 years. This prototype uses a solid uranium-235 reactor core.
ISRO
NASA
ESA
ROSCOMOS
None of These


13. Researchers from Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and ____________'s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that global warming is driving proliferation of Noctiluca algae (known as sea tinkle), a harmful algae in Arabian Sea responsible for glowing of Mumbai’s beaches in dark.

  1. Noctiluca algae is parasite and occurs in patches or blooms in northern Arabian Sea. The algae compete with fish for food and choke their supply. It also excretes large amounts of ammonia, which causes massive fish mortality.
Germany
Spain
Russia
UK
US


14. Researchers from Northumbria University  (____________________) found out mountain ranges and three vast, deep sub-glacial valleys hidden under Antarctica ice. This is first finding observed from ice penetrating radar data collected in Antarctica as part of European Space Agency PolarGAP project. Largest valley, named Foundation Trough, is over 350 kilometres long and 35 kilometres wide. Other 2 are Patuxent Trough and Offset Rift.

UK
USA
Russia
Spain
None of These


15. Scientists at Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI) ___________________ invented a new laparascope-assisted insemination technique for sheep breeding. It is minor invasive laparascopic technique involves passing rigid fibre-optic laparoscope into abdomen through small incision.

  1. It resolvs difficulties in freezing of semen and inability to transit tortuous reproductive tract of sheep kept as livestock. It will also help achieve up to 60% survival in birth of lambs.
Punjab
Haryana
Uttarakhand
Rajasthan
None of These


16. Scientists created world’s smallest house – build on an area of 300 square micrometres – using a robotic system that can accurately assemble nanomaterials into tiny, desirable structures. Researchers from Femto-ST Institute in ________________, assembled new microrobotics system that pushes forward frontiers of optical nanotechnologies.

  1. With advancement, optical fibres as thin as human hair can be inserted into inaccessible locations like jet engines and blood vessels to detect radiation levels or viral molecules.
Germany
Russia
France
Spain
None of These


17. Scientists discovered new frog species named Microhyla kodial or Mangaluru narrow-mouthed frog in a region in coastal _________________. It is seen only in small industrial region which was former timber dumping yards wurrounded by seaport, petrochemical, chemical and refinery industries. It is small in size measuring just 2 cm long.

Kerala
Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
None of These


18. Scientists discovered world’s oldest lizard fossil, named Megachirella wachtleri, in Dolomites mountain range of _______________. Fossil is 240 million years old.

Russia
Italy
Spain
Germany
None of These


19. Scientists discovered world’s second oldest grain of magmatic zircon (mineral that contains traces of radioactive isotopes) from Champua from Singhbhum rock sample in ______________’s Kendujhar district. It is oldest magmatic zircon on earth.

  1. Isotopic analysis of Singhbhum rock sample with magmatic zircon was done used Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe (SHRIMP) at Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. It confirmed presence of two zircon grains that aged 4240 million and 4030 million years.
  2. Oldest zircon on earth was found in Jack Hill (Western Australia), which is 4400 million years old. It is metamorphosed sedimentary rock.
West Bengal
Bihar
Jharkhand
Odisha
None of These


20. Scientists found a drug named “______________” that could prevent the brain damage caused by exposure to cosmic radiation, useful to spacewalkers as Humans travelling beyond Earth’s protective magnetic fields will be exposed to cosmic radiation nearly 1000 times higher than that on Earth.

PLX5622
PLX7622
PLX9622
PLX7722
None of These


21. Scientists from Newcastle University (________________) created world’s first 3D printed human corneas that could solve problem of shortage of available eye donors and help millions of blind people gain sight again.

  1. Cornea is outermost layer of the human eye. Its key function is to focus vision. It also barricades eyes against harmful dirt and bacteria.
  2. 3D printed human corneas were produced using bio-ink solution consisting of healthy corneal stem mixed together with alginate and collagen.
UK
USA
Russia
Germany
None of These


22. Scientists from Tohoku University in ___________________ found mineral called moganite in lunar (Moon's) meteorite that points presence of abundant hidden reserves of water ice under surface of moon. The mineral discovered in a desert in northwest Africa could be potentially useful for future human exploration of moon.

  1. Moganite is a crystal of silicon dioxide (SiO), known to form on earth in specific circumstances in sedimentary settings from alkaline fluids.
  2. Researchers believe that mineral formed on surface of moon in area called Procellarum Terrane as water was present in lunar dirt, that evaporated due to strong sunlight. But in subsurface, water remains in form of ice.
China
Japan
Vietnam
Maldives
None of These


23. Scientists from University of Minnesota (______________________) discovered that chemical element ruthenium (Ru(44)) is fourth element to have unique magnetic properties (ferromagnetism) at room temperature, after Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), and Nickel (Ni). The discovery will help to improve sensors, devices in computer memory and logic industry or other devices using magnetic materials. It was discovered in 1844 by Russian-born scientist Karl Ernst.

Spain
Russia
UK
USA
None of These


24. Scientists of Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a 400 Million Year old fossilised body piece of an extinct class of marine animal named Cystoidea or cystoids at Guizhou province (______________).

Russia
Myanmar
Vietnam
Japan
China


25. Tapanuli Orangutan, the rarest ape species on Earth, is on verge of extinction with only approx 800 members of the species alive. This species was discovered in 2017 in Sumatra (_________________).

Thailand
Malaysia
Indonesia
Cambodia
None of These


26. Uropeltis bhupathyi, a new snake species has been discovered in the Anaikatty hills, Coimbatore (_______________). It has been named after late herpetologist S. Bhupathy. They are non-venomous, burrowing, mostly earthworm-eating.

Tamilnadu
Andhra Pradesh
Kerala
Karnataka
None of These




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