Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has entered the final phase of preparations for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, a collaboration set to revolutionise Earth observation. Initially planned for 2024, the launch faced multiple delays due to technical challenges, including overheating risks in the satellite’s 12-meter radar antenna reflector. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark II’s second stage was flagged off to Sriharikota on April 26, 2025, signalling advanced launch campaign activities. With the GSLV now at SDSC and payload integration underway, ISRO is set to deliver one of 2025’s most anticipated space missions, pending final agency clearances.
Scientists have discovered the most bitter-tasting thing ever, and it is not orange, lemon, or even Brussels sprouts. According to food researchers at the Technical University of Munich, a mushroom called Amaropostia stiptica, better known as bitter bracket fungus, is officially the 'most bitter thing in the world'. The mushroom is widely available in Britain, and despite being extremely bitter, it is not toxic. This tree-growing mushroom has a compound that is so potent that an individual would be able to taste a single gram of the substance dissolved in 106 bathtubs of water. Named oligoporin D, this chemical activates specialised bitter receptors in our mouths which also help detect natural poisons.
A skeleton from a Roman-era cemetery in York, England, provides the first physical evidence of gladiator-animal combat, according to a study published in PLOS One. The remains, belonging to a man aged 26-35 who died between 1,825 and 1,725 years ago, show lion bite marks on the pelvis. Found at Driffield Terrace, a site believed to be a gladiator graveyard where 83 skeletons, mostly young males with signs of violent injuries, were excavated, the skeleton suggests the man was a bestarius, a gladiator who fought beasts. The findings reveal the Roman Empire’s cultural reach, with exotic animals like lions transported to York for arena spectacles, highlighting the brutal entertainment prevalent across the empire.
A new study published in Nature Geoscience reveals that climate-driven extreme weather events in India’s summer monsoon could permanently disrupt the Bay of Bengal’s marine productivity, jeopardising food security for millions. The researchers found that both abnormally strong and weak monsoons stifled ocean mixing, blocking nutrient flow from deeper waters to surface plankton. The Bay of Bengal, covering less than 1% of the global ocean, supplies nearly 8% of the world's fishery production, including critical species like hilsa, a dietary staple for coastal communities. The study points to the urgency of refining climate models and implementing sustainable fisheries policies.
