Heena Sharma Blog

Finding ways to hide information in text, unveiling state-sponsored trolls, a plane with no moving parts, wood as strong as titanium and even efforts to go beyond the corporeal to life beyond death... there was seemingly no end to tech innovations in 2018 . It was a year that saw technology take a quantum leap to touch virtually every aspect of our lives, and even beyond it maybe, from terrestrial to the skies above. In a first, a plane with no moving parts -- no turbines, propellers or even fans -- took flight in November. Developed by researchers at US' Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the small prototype was powered by "ionic wind" -- the flow of ions produced by the plane that generates enough thrust to push it through the air for a sustained, steady flight. This is the first-ever sustained flight of a plane with no moving parts in the propulsion system," Steven Barrett, associate professor at MIT, said in a statement. Anothe...

Sole Indian institute features in Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings after seven years Education News : The   Indian Institute of Science   (IISc) Bengaluru has made it to the list of top 100 in the Times Higher Education   (THE) World Reputation Rankings 2018. The last time it was featured was in 2011. The annual ranking highlights the top 100 global university brands, which now includes IISc in the 91-100 band. Commenting on the rankings, Phil Baty, editorial director of Global Rankings for THE, said, “Only 100 institutions in the world make it to this annual list of the most powerful university brands, so it is a highly significant achievement to be included — and fantastic to see an Indian presence this year.” The list was compiled from a globally representative survey of more than 10,000 senior academics. IISc was the only Indian institute to have made it this year. “That prestige – that ‘brand’ – is vital for any university in...