The first scientist from a developing country to be appointed to the top position of IBRO, Shubha Tole is currently the dean of graduate studies at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

A leading Indian woman scientist, Shubha Tole has been appointed as the president-elect of the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO). She is the first scientist from a developing country to be appointed to the top position. The IBRO governing council represents 69 scientific societies and federations from 57 countries worldwide. It recently elected new officers during its annual assembly in Chicago, USA. Ms. Tole, currently serves as the dean of graduate studies at Mumbai’s premier scientific research institute – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

The International Brain Research Organization is the global federation of neuroscience organizations which promote and support neuroscience around the world through training, teaching, collaborative research, advocacy and outreach. While speaking exclusively to The Hindu, Ms. Tole said, “Leadership position offers the opportunity to have impact on a wider range of issues and expands the range of people one can help. The importance of women role models cannot be under-emphasized in these matters.”

A California-based startup, REMspace, claimed that it succeeded in an experiment involving two individuals who communicated in their dreams on September 24.

Ever thought of talking to someone while dreaming? Well, it seems that scientists in California have brought this phenomenon close to reality after they achieved the first two-way communication between individuals through lucid dreaming.

REMspace, a California-based startup that designs technology to enhance sleep and lucid dreaming, exchanged a message between two participants, selected for the experiment, who were asleep on September 24, Dailymail.com reported.

The participants were both experienced lucid dreamers, meaning that they had honed the skill of being aware that they were dreaming while still asleep. Lucid dreaming occurs during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, a period when the brain is most active and dreams are vivid.

 

As the participants settled into their beds, they were equipped with specially designed apparatuses that tracked their brain waves and other polysomnographic data remotely. These devices were linked to a central server, the heart of the REMspace system, which monitored their sleep patterns in real-time.

The experiment began as one individual drifted into a lucid dream. The server, detecting the distinct brain wave patterns indicative of lucid dreaming, generated a random word from a unique language called 'Remmyo'. This word was transmitted to the first participant via earbuds, a gentle whisper in the darkness of his dream.

In his dream state, the first participant heard the word 'Zhilak' and repeated it aloud, his voice captured by the sensors and stored on the server. This was the first half of communication, a message sent from one dreamer to another.

Eight minutes later, the second participant entered her own lucid dream. The server, now aware of her dream state, transmitted the word 'Zhilak' to her through her earbuds. In her dream, Maya heard the word and repeated it, meaning that the message had been received.

When the second participant woke up, she confirmed the word she had received in her dream, marking the first-ever successful communication between two people while they were dreaming. This was not just a simple exchange, it was a historic milestone that bridged the gap between the conscious and subconscious worlds.

REMspace said it used 'specially designed equipment' like a server, apparatus, Wi-Fi and sensors, but did not specify what technology it used.

The technology is yet to be reviewed or replicated by other scientists. But if the experiment gets approval, it would mark a major milestone for sleep research and would be beneficial for applications like mental health treatment, skills training and more, according to REMspace.

"Yesterday, communicating in dreams seemed like science fiction. Tomorrow, it will be so common we won't be able to imagine our lives without this technology. This opens the door to countless commercial applications, reshaping how we think about communication and interaction in the dream world," REMspace CEO and founder Michael Raduga said

The upper stage of India's PSLV-C37 re-entered Earth's atmosphere, marking the end of its nearly eight-year journey in space.

Eight years after it launched from India with a record 104 satellites to space, the upper stage of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has safely crashed over the Atlantic Ocean.

On October 6, 2024, the upper stage of India's PSLV-C37 re-entered Earth's atmosphere, marking the end of its nearly eight-year journey in space. This event highlights India's commitment to responsible space practices and debris mitigation.

PSLV-C37, launched on February 15, 2017, made history by deploying a record 104 satellites in a single mission. The primary payload was Cartosat-2D, accompanied by 103 co-passenger satellites, including two Indian nanosatellites and various international small satellites.

After successfully injecting all satellites into their designated orbits, the rocket's upper stage (PS4) was left in an orbit of approximately 470 x 494 km.

Over time, its altitude gradually decreased due to atmospheric drag, a process closely monitored by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through its IS4OM (ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management) facility.

The re-entry occurred on October 6, 2024, as predicted by both US Space Command and IS4OM, with the debris impacting the North Atlantic Ocean.



This re-entry, happening within eight years of launch, fully complies with international debris mitigation guidelines, which recommend limiting the post-mission orbital life of objects in Low-Earth orbit to 25 years.

The agency has been actively working to reduce the orbital lifetime of PSLV upper stages to five years or less through controlled de-orbiting maneuvers. Missions like PSLV-C38, PSLV-C40, PSLV-C43, PSLV-C56, and PSLV-C58 have already implemented these practices.

Looking ahead, ISRO plans to introduce controlled re-entry of upper stages in future PSLV missions, further minimising space debris. These efforts align with ISRO's Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM) objectives, aiming for implementation by 2030.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2024 has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

The information in our chromosomes acts like an instruction manual for all our cells. While every cell contains the same genes, different cell types, like muscle and nerve cells, have unique characteristics. This happens through gene regulation, where each cell activates only the genes it needs.

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were curious about how different cell types form. They discovered microRNAs, tiny RNA molecules that play a key role in gene regulation. Their discovery introduced a new concept in gene regulation, now known to be crucial for multicellular organisms, including humans. The human genome contains over a thousand microRNAs, which are essential for development and function.

"This year’s Nobel Prize focuses on the discovery of a vital regulatory mechanism used in cells to control gene activity. Genetic information flows from DNA to messenger RNA (mRNA), via a process called transcription, and then on to the cellular machinery for protein production. There, mRNAs are translated so that proteins are made according to the genetic instructions stored in DNA.," The Nobel Prize release read.

 

Victor Ambros was born in 1953 in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. He earned his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1979 and continued there as a postdoctoral researcher until 1985. In 1985, he became a Principal Investigator at Harvard University. From 1992 to 2007, he served as a Professor at Dartmouth Medical School, and he is currently the Silverman Professor of Natural Science at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.Gary Ruvkun was born in 1952 in Berkeley, California, USA. He received his PhD from Harvard University in 1982, followed by postdoctoral work at MIT from 1982 to 1985. In 1985, he became a Principal Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he is now a Professor of Genetics.

The prestigious award is given annually by the Nobel Assembly consisting of 50 professors at Karolinska Institutet, recognising personnel who have made significant contributions to the field of medicine for the benefit of humankind.The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Katalin Kariko, and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.

The Nobel Prize announcements are a highly anticipated event every October, with committees convening in Stockholm and Oslo to reveal the laureates.

Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to scientists who have made the most important discoveries for the benefit of humankind.

When the inventor, entrepreneur and businessman Alfred Nobel died, his will stated that his fortune was to be used to reward “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”