Science and Tech Current Affairs May 2021 – AFCAT, UPSC CDS, CAPF

In this series, we are continuing with the monthly current affairs for you. These are the Current Affairs for Science and Technology for May 2021. Monthly current affairs are provided in a series of articles. These articles deal with the notes prepared through various resources including The Hindu, Indian Express, Downtoearth, and others.

APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUT Michael Collins died.

• Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon.
• Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin formed the American crew that landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969

SIPRI report

• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute: INDIA WAS the third largest military spender in the world in 2020, behind only the US and China.
• If the amount was instead invested in medical infrastructure, then the situation would be more comfortable in the second wave of Corona.
• In addition to China, India ($72.9 billion), Japan ($49.1 billion), South Korea ($45.7 billion) and Australia ($27.5 billion) were the largest military spenders in the Asia and Oceania region.
• All four countries increased their military spending between 2019 and 2020 and over the decade 2011-20.

Oxygen concentrators

• An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air. Atmospheric air has about 78% N2 and 21% O2.
• This device collects air – and releases the nitrogen back into the air – gives 90-95% pure oxygen.
• Oxygen concentrators are the Easiest Alternatives to cylinders but can only supply 5-10 litres of oxygen per minute (critical patients may need 40-50 litres per minute).
• Excess demand and hoarding have led to a price rise amid corona wave 2.0 in India.

Space-X Dragon Capsule: used for carrying four astronauts at the International SpaceStation (ISS)

Crew Dragon:

• It is a part of the Dragon 2, a class of reusable spacecraft developed and manufactured by American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX.
• It is the fifth class of US spacecraft to take human beings into orbit, after the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.
• The rocket, named Falcon 9, which carried the spaceship into the orbit, was also built by SpaceX.
• It is done under the Demo-2 Mission of NASA and SpaceX.

Breakthrough Infections: India faces a new challenge

• It’s called a “breakthrough” infection when someone tests positive for COVID-19 at least 14 days after completing their vaccine series.
• breakthrough infections = Number of coronavirus vaccinated persons who get infected with Corona even after Vaccination. Because

1. most of the vaccines are 60 to 95% effective.
2. It typically takes about two weeks for the body to build immunity after being vaccinated. In the meantime, if some person is exposed to coronavirus, then they will be infected.

Pulse Oximeter

• A pulse oximeter is a tiny device that usually slides over your fingertip or clips on your earlobe and uses infrared light refraction to measure how well oxygen is binding to your red blood cells.
• Oximeters report blood oxygen levels via an oxygen saturation measurement called peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, or SpO2. It is also used for checking the health of Corona patients.
• Ethics of the issue:
• Hackers are creating fake mobile apps labeled “Oximeter”- Asking innocent people to simply put their thumb on the screen and it will test the oxygen level but in reality, it is copying your fingerprint and other sensitive user data from your mobile phone for cyber frauds.

Type I Interferons and Virafin

• Type I interferons are Polypeptides that help the body fight against viral infections.
• Type I interferons (IFNs) are polypeptides that are secreted by infected cells and have three major functions.
  • First, they induce cell-intrinsic antimicrobial states in infected and neighbouring cells that limit the spread of infectious agents, particularly viral pathogens.
  • Second, they modulate innate immune responses in a balanced manner that promotes antigen presentation and natural killer cell functions while restraining pro-inflammatory pathways and cytokine production.
  • Third, they activate the adaptive immune system, thus promoting the development of high-affinity antigen-specific T and B cell responses and immunological memory
• “Virafin”- Antiviral for treatment of hepatitis, the drug contains Interferon. Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) allows Zydus Cadila To use it for the treatment of Corona.

Perseverance Mars Rover

• NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover
  • has a device called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE)
  • It absorbs carbon dioxide converters into oxygen and releases carbon monoxide as a byproduct.
• It successfully produced 5 grams of oxygen which is sufficient for an astronaut to breathe for 10 minutes
• It has given new hope for the colonization of Mars.

How did China control covid?

• China used an extremely decentralised model for Covid management.
• Each town has residential committees (RCs).
• Though officially not a part of the state and defined as institutions of self-governance, these committees are the instruments of the Communist party for effective governance and political control.
• They mediate local disputes and assist government agencies with maintaining public surveillance, health, and sanitation, care for the elderly, etc.
• During the coronavirus, they strictly enforced the lockdown norms and ensured vaccination of a maximum number of people.
• In India too, we have such residents associations in various apartment complexes – But all India level uniform policy is required on how they can be utilized for coronavirus vaccination and contact tracing.
• Also, the nation has followed a highly centralized approach towards tackling COVID.

Ingenuity helicopter

• Ingenuity, the first helicopter to fly on Mars was carried by NASA’s rover called Perseverance that was launched in July last year and will help collect samples from the surface from locations where the rover cannot reach.
• It was controlled by a NASA pilot on earth.
• Flying on Mars is nearly impossible because there is not much air to push against.
• At the surface of Mars, the atmosphere is just 1/100th as dense as Earth’s. Thus, to generate enough lift for the helicopter the blades had to spin in opposite directions at more than 2,500 revolutions a minute

What goes into a vaccine?

Vaccine raw material:

1. BIOREACTOR BAG – A plastic, disposable bag used in the process of artificially growing large quantities of cells
2. CELL CULTURE MEDIA: gel or liquid that helps in the growth of cells in the lab by supplying them with various compounds and nutrients.
3. LIPID NANOPARTICLES: Used in mRNA vaccines for encapsulating the drug substance for delivering it to the target site
4. MICROCARRIER BEADS: Tiny spheres made from non-toxic material, they are used to grow protein-producing or virus generating cells

Preventing call drops in India

• Devices called mobile signal repeaters are usually installed by telecom companies at certain low connectivity places where it is not easy to install mobile towers.
• Such boosters work by drawing in all the available mobile signals in the area with low connectivity.
• However many traders are illegal in selling such devices on E-commerce websites but such illegal devices deplete the network strength and result in call drops and poor audio quality for other subscribers.
• So, the Department of Telecom has ordered e-commerce sites to be more vigilant in preventing the sale of such illegal devices

National Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration

• National Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration: Chairman RS Sharma.
• National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration Chairman Dr. V K Paul

Space-X: The future of commercialized space

Elon Musk, the founder of Paypal, has also created Space-X. The company has been:

1. Developing Starship Rocket to take people to Mars
2. Won the NASA contract to use the Starship Rocket to take NASA astronauts to the moon at nearly 3 billion dollars. (Jeff Bezos Amazon-Has also created a “blue origin” company but they did not win the NASA contract.)

US Defence Production Act

• Using this Biden has prohibited the export of special plastic bags, filters, and cell culture media.
• These materials are required for the production of vaccines, So this is harming the production of Covishield(SII) in India.
• The US government, on various occasions, has reiterated its policy of America first.

Mission Covid Suraksha (2020)

• Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Under the ministry of Science Technology, has been providing grants for Research Development of coronavirus vaccine in India.
• 2021: Haffkine Pharmaceutical (Mumbai) got approval to manufacture the doses of Covaxin. The company has previously been famous for manufacturing oral polio vaccines and anti-snake venom.

Sectors that use oxygen

• Oxygen has applications in the iron and steel industry, hospitals, pharmaceutical units that manufacture vials, and the glass industry.
• Currently, most states have diverted their entire oxygen production for medical use.
• Why is there a shortage of oxygen despite surplus production?
  • India does not have enough cryogenic tankers to ensure 24×7 road transport of medical oxygen.
  • A sudden increase in demand because of Corona so prices have soared.
  • There has been a rampant hoarding of oxygen cylinders.

Vaccine hesitancy

1. The Chinese government is offering free eggs, store coupons, and discount coupons to People who come for vaccination.
2. In the past, many African countries have also offered three bags of rice for parents to get their children vaccinated for polio.
3. Some states in the United States are giving cash benefits to those who get vaccinated.
4. Similar models could be explored with the surplus stock of NFSA food ration.

Gaganyaan and Global partnerships

• India and France signed an agreement for cooperation for the Gaganyaan space mission to send 3 Indians in Space.
• France will train Indian flight physicians at the French space agency CNES. Flight physicians or surgeons are responsible for astronaut’s health before, during, and after the flight.
• Currently, all space physicians are from the Indian Air Force.
• Gaganyaan orbital spacecraft project (2018) originally intended to send astronauts from India to mark the 75th anniversary of independence in 2022. However, the mission was delayed by Corona.

Is COVID-19 a natural calamity?

Disaster Management Act, 2005 – State disaster response fund – Union State 75:25 contribution.

• Corona pandemic is a calamity but not yet defined as Natural Calamity so state governments are unable to use the money from this fund to help individuals so Maharashtra CM writes to the prime minister.

Maharashtra resumes Lockdown

Corona: Maharashtra curfew from 14th April till May 1. state government announced:

1. 1500 DBT To hawkers, auto rickshaw drivers, building construction workers.
2. Tribal family dbt 2000 rupees
3. 3 kilo wheat 2 kilo rice per person free for 1 month for NFSA beneficiaries etc.
4. not more than 25 people in marriage
5. no shooting of movies/ads including Vimal Gutkha.
6. Lockdown in such key economic hubs can cost up to 1.25 billion dollars a week

Indian Government creates a new route for emergency approval of the vaccine

• If Vaccine is already given emergency approvals by the US, EU, UK and Japanese / WHO then Indian government will no longer require phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials.
• Fasttrack approval will be given to such vaccine candidates.

Issues involved?

1. Foreign manufacturers have already signed a lot of selling deals with different countries so they will not have the stock to sell to India
2. Our vaccine storage infrastructure capable of handling only 2 to 8 degrees Celsius whereas Pfizer & Moderna Need to be kept at a very low temperature.
3. The EU had given subsidies/grants to Pfizer While its vaccine was a development stage and therefore Pfizer is selling the vaccine at $15 (EU) and $20 (USA). The Indian government has not invested in this foreign company’s vaccine development so they may not sell us cheap.
4. India has about 100 million senior citizens but only 40 million of them have taken vaccines so far. Until the vaccine hesitancy among the public is reduced the increased supply of vaccine unlikely to help to combat the corona pandemic

Japan to release radioactive water in Ocean

• 2011: Japan’s massive earthquake near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Its nuclear reactor got damaged and its cooling water became contaminated. The company wants to shut down the plant but they will have to release the water in Ocean- This move is strongly opposed by the fisherman, Chinese, and South Korean Governments. But Japanese cabinet has approved release in the next two years
• About Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant: Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is located in the town of Okuma, Japan. The reactor is located on the country’s east coast. It is about 220 km north-east of the capital Tokyo.
• The 2011 Earthquake destroyed the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant’s electricity and cooling capacity. Since then, Japan has been struggling with the piling-up of contaminated water from the nuclear plant.
• How is Japan treating the Fukushima Radioactive Water? Japan is using an extensive pumping and filtration system known as “ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System)”. The ALPS process is used to extract tonnes of newly radioactive water each day. Further, it also filters out most radioactive elements. The ALPS process removes most of the radioactive isotopes. It will make the nuclear content in water levels lower than the international safety guidelines for nuclear plant wastewater. However, it cannot remove some radioactive isotopes. Such as tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
• Release of Fukushima Radioactive Water: Japan is planning to release the contaminated water containing tritium into the ocean. Tritium is considered to be relatively harmless because it does not emit enough energy to penetrate human skin. But when ingested tritium can create cancer risks.
• Concerns: Some scientists have pointed out that the long-term effects on marine life are unknown. Especially a low-dose exposure to such large amounts of material like tritium. Further, the experts also point out the ill effects of radioactive isotope Strontium 90. Strontium released in the ocean can start to concentrate in the bones of both fish and humans. Thereby increasing cancer risks.

Sputnik V gets approval in India

• Vaccine: Sputnik-V (Efficacy 92%) Russian Vaccine developed by Gamaleya National Research Institute Moscow Becomes the third vaccine to get approval in India after Covishield (Efficacy 51%, Serum Institute of India), and Covaxin (Efficacy 81%, Bharat Biotech).
• Sputnik will be manufactured by Indian manufacturer Hyderabad based Dr Reddy laboratory In collaboration between Russian direct investment fund RDIF.
• Storage:
• The vaccine has to be stored at minus 18°C in liquid form, but it’s lyophilized (freeze dried) form can be stored at 2°C to 8°C. It uses two different virus that causes common cold (adenovirus) in humans.
• Gap between two shots 21 days. Cost around 750 Rupees per shot.

UAE to get female astronauts

• UAE names two astronauts including one female (Noura al-Matroushi) for its Moon Mission.
• Critics argue it is a divergent exercise because of previous controversy involving their PM keeping daughter as Hostage
• In contrast, India’s Gaganyan mission 2022 is to send 3 astronauts in space. Presently 4 candidates undergoing training- among them 3 will be sent. However none of them are Indian women because the eligibility conditions say “test pilots from the armed forces with minimum “X” hrs of flight training” – which did not have women. Although a female robot Vyom-Mitra may join them.

Homeopathy day, 2021

• Dr Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann: Founder of Homeopathy
• His birthday 10th April Celebrated as World homeopathy day.
• 2021 theme “Homeopathy- the ultimate green medicine”

Vaccination Utsav

• “Vaccination Utsav” between the birth anniversaries of icons Jyotiba Phule (April 11) and B R Ambedkar (April 14).
• Both are the progressive leaders of India.
• A significant amount of their work was devoted to the welfare of women and backward castes.

New fundamental force on the verge of being discovered

• Particle physics operates on the Standard model of physics, which assumes the presence of four fundamental forces (gravitation, electromagnetic, weak interactions, and strong interactions), the Higgs boson, six types of quarks, six leptons. The muon is one of the leptons.
• It is similar to the electron, but 200 times larger, and much unstable. USA research Conducted experimentation: “muons g minus 2”.
• Like the electron, the muon acts like a tiny magnet and therefore gets influenced by magnetic fields. When placed in an external magnetic field, the muon wobbles.
• But the latest -Muon g-2′ experiment showed the subatomic particles are not wobbling the way they should when exposed to known magnetic fields. The test was conducted at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory of the United States Department of Energy.
• Scientists gauge and understand the normal behaviour of muons from the -Standard Model’ of particle physics, which is the prevalent theory for understanding the universe at the level of subatomic particles.
• A new force of nature or a new fundamental subatomic particle is perhaps influencing the muons. The strength of a muon’s internal magnet determines the measure by which it wobbles when exposed to a magnetic field. Physicists call this measure the -g-factor’.
• In the Muon g-2 experiment, the muons are exposed to a magnet and a flurry of other subatomic particles collectively known as the -quantum foam’. The particles of the quantum foam pop into existence and go out in really short durations of time.
• While the magnet causes the greatest change in the g-factor, the quantum foam can also influence the g-factor to an extent.”

The robot becomes a citizen

• NFT Robot Sophia: 2017 granted Saudi Arabian citizenship, becoming the world’s first robot citizen.
• She created a digital painting/art “Sophia Instantiation”
• Non-fungible token (NFT) Auction for more than 6 lakh $.
• Sophia has been created by David Hanson/Hanson Robotics (Hong Kong based company)

Vaccine for pets

Russia has become the first country in the world to approve the Corona vaccine for pet cats and dogs