by Bimal Chopra Polymers are very diverse and their applications are even more diversified in today’s world. Polymers are not just limited to plastics, they also include and can be seen in paints, coatings, adhesives, the rubber industry, textiles, the packaging industry, the medical industry, and more. There are many other fields where we can find them such as the electronic industry — they aren’t very good at conducting electricity, but their contribution in the field of semiconductors has been […]

by Shagun Kothari Scientists in the early 20th century were rather dubious about the idea that molecules existed within the vacuum of space, free from being bound to stars or planets. This could be ascribed to the fact that they were able to rationalize how any molecules in space would be destroyed but not necessarily how they were formed. However, with advancements in astronomical facilities and laboratory spectroscopy, simple molecular species, carbon chains, complex organic molecules (COMs), fullerenes, and polycyclic […]

by Berfin Dağ (written as part of the completion of the BMSIS Young Scientist Program) Regardless of our motivation, we must consider the ethical implications of going and settling on Mars before too many resources and people put into this effort. The mission will undoubtedly be extremely dangerous, like living on Mars. We do not yet know what the long-term effects of living on Mars, low gravity, exposure to high radiation, and living in a confined space with a small […]

By Nidhi Goswami Since the dawn of humanity, we have been wondering about our place in the cosmos. Are we alone in the universe? The answer to this question is obviously in the night sky, beyond the thin atmosphere of our planet. The exploration of space then seems a natural choice to move forward. However, space is vast! With current propulsion technologies, it takes days to reach the Moon, months to reach our neighbouring planets, years to cross the solar […]

By Sarah Treadwell – BMSIS Science Writer Concerns about how to protect our planet from asteroid impacts have long plagued planetary scientists. While statistically speaking the chances of a disastrous one hitting our planet in our lifetime is very slim, the consequences of being underprepared could be significant. Quite infamously, it did not bode well for the dinosaurs the last time a large asteroid found its way to Earth. While confidence has been high that humans will be able to […]