As HBO’s The Last Of Us returns for Season 2, scientists are addressing the real-world risk of fungal outbreaks. While the show's parasitic cordyceps fungus turns humans into zombie-like monsters, experts say some fungi do pose a serious threat. Species like Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida already cause hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. Though cordyceps can’t infect humans, climate change may alter that risk in the future. Experts urge greater awareness and preparedness, with antifungal research still lagging behind. The show’s apocalyptic scenario may be fictional, but its themes echo growing scientific concern over fungal evolution. (PC: HBO/Warner Media/Liane Hentscher)

Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have launched ambitious space tech policies aimed at bolstering India's private space sector. Gujarat's Space Tech Policy 2025-2030 projects 25,000 jobs, while Tamil Nadu's Space Industrial Policy aims for Rs 10,000 crore in investments and 10,000 jobs. Both states will offer financial and infrastructure support for satellite manufacturing, R&D, and startups. Gujarat plans a Centre of Excellence in Space Tech, while Tamil Nadu will create TNSpaceBays for MSMEs and deep-tech ventures. These efforts align with India’s liberalized space policy and reflect growing state-level focus on space tech-driven economic growth and global competitiveness. (Pc

NASA astronaut Don Pettit, aged 70, safely returned to Earth on April 20, 2025, coinciding with his birthday, after a 220-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Accompanied by Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, their Soyuz capsule landed near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 6:20 a.m. local time. The trio completed 3,520 Earth orbits during their mission. Post-landing, standard medical evaluations were conducted. Pettit is set to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while Ovchinin and Vagner will proceed to Russia’s Star City training base. Prior to departure, Ovchinin transferred ISS command to Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi. (PC: NASA/Bill Ingalls via Reuters & NASA)

India's space agency, ISRO, will send tardigrades—microscopic, resilient organisms often referred to as "water bears"—to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 mission. Scheduled for launch in May 2025, this mission will investigate the effects of microgravity on tardigrades' revival, reproduction, and gene expression. The research, conducted in partnership with NASA and the European Space Agency, aims to enhance our understanding of biological resilience in space, offering insights into long-duration space missions and potential space-based applications for Earth. Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla will be the pilot for this historic mission. (PC: News 18)

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a seasoned Indian Air Force pilot, is all set to take part in the journey as a Second Indian into space, 40 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic flight. Selected as the pilot for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), Shukla will embark on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission, a collaboration between ISRO, NASA, and Axiom Space, is scheduled for launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in May 2025. Shukla, who has over 2,000 flying hours, will be joined by commander Peggy Whitson and astronauts from Poland and Hungary. This mission signifies a new era in Indo-US space cooperation and is expected to bolster India's upcoming Gaganyaan mission. (PC: Getty Images)

Cambridge University astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan and his team have detected the strongest evidence yet of potential alien life on exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light-years from Earth. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, they found traces of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)—chemicals known on Earth to be produced only by life forms like marine phytoplankton. K2-18b is a ‘Hycean’ planet, with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and possibly an ocean beneath. While the findings are not yet conclusive, they mark a groundbreaking moment in the search for extraterrestrial life and highlight the growing impact of Indian-origin scientists in astrophysics. (PC: AP)

ISRO cements its global space leadership as it takes center stage in the upcoming Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station, launching in May 2025. Featuring 60 scientific experiments from 31 nations, ISRO contributes seven key studies, including space farming, microalgae nutrition, muscle regeneration, and tardigrade resilience. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will become the first Indian to reach the ISS, marking a historic moment since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight. The mission deepens India's role in international space collaboration and prepares the groundwork for ISRO’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. Shukla's experience will be vital for future indigenous missions. (PC: axiomspace.com)

Astronomers from the University of Cambridge have identified potential signs of life on exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light-years away in the constellation Leo. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, they detected traces of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)—molecules on Earth typically associated with microbial ocean life. The planet, a “Hycean” world with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and possible liquid oceans, orbits within the habitable zone of its star. While not definitive proof of life, the discovery significantly boosts interest in the search for extraterrestrial microbes. Further studies are needed to confirm these tantalizing findings.  

Scientists may be on the verge of discovering life beyond Earth, as signs of a gas linked to marine organisms on Earth have been found on exoplanet K2-18b. Led by Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan, the research hints at biosignatures in the planet’s atmosphere, potentially the strongest evidence yet of alien life. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope made the detection, while future missions aim to search Mars and icy moons for life. Experts suggest that even simple life discovery would reshape human self-perception and unite humanity. The possibility of life in the universe is now seen as a question of “when,” not “if,” marking a transformative shift in science and society.

Indian-origin astrophysicist Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan, a professor at the University of Cambridge, has led a team that detected dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b, located 120 light-years from Earth. On Earth, DMS is produced exclusively by living organisms like marine algae. This discovery, made using the James Webb Space Telescope, suggests K2-18b could be a Hycean planet—ocean-covered with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere—potentially supporting life. Dr. Madhusudhan, known for introducing the Hycean planet concept, emphasized the need for caution, stating, “It is in no one’s interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life.” The findings are published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. (PC: PBC & India TV)