News / Author / Snehal Fernandes

Snehal Fernandes

Snehal Fernandes is senior assistant editor at Hindustan Times, Mumbai. She writes on science and technology, environment, sustainable development, climate change, and nuclear energy. In 2012, she was awarded ‘The Press Club Award for Excellence in Journalism’ (Political category) for reports on Goa mining scam. Prior to HT, she wrote on education and transport at the Indian Express.

Articles by Snehal Fernandes

Fiddling with car music system while driving as bad as talking on phone: Study

The study assumes significance, said researchers, as operating a music player while driving is not “perceived as risky” unlike a mobile phone conversation.

Fiddling with the music player in your car while driving is as bad as speaking on the phone, finds a study by a two-member team from the IIT-B.(REUTERS/Mike Blake)

india news

Updated on Jun 30, 2019 01:46 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Monsoon delight: Rain alert on phone every 15 mins

From next year, IITM-developed early warning system to help citizens avoid flooded localities; aid civic officials act swiftly in waterlogged areas.

Next monsoon, you are likely to receive an update on the amount of rain for every 500m in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) on your phone every 15 minutes.(Hemanshi Kamani/HT)

cities

Published on Jun 29, 2019 05:09 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes and Badri Chatterjee

TIFR scientists find increase in electric current in sun’s magnetic regions

Findings to help protect satellites based in earth’s outer environment

Solar fares are eruptions of high-energy radiation from the sun’s surface and can cause radio and magnetic disturbances on the earth.(AP)

cities

Updated on Jun 10, 2019 07:23 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Only 29% of south Mumbai fires get help in time: IIT-B study

South Mumbai has seen some deadly fires, including the December 2017 fire at Kamala Mils, in the past few years.(Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

cities

Published on Jun 02, 2019 12:50 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

How 16th-century Ahmednagar palace in Maharashtra stayed cool in summer

The natural cooling technique kept temperatures inside the building 8-12 degrees Celsius lower than the 46 to 48 degrees Celsius that the region experiences between March and June

Farah Baug is a 16th-century summer palace of the Ahmednagar sultanate.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on May 26, 2019 12:35 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Longevity protein, brain chemical combo may help treat Alzheimer’s, autism

A study by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research will help pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies

(From left) Vidita Vaidya, TIFR, Ashok Vaidya, Kasturba Health Society, Sashaina Fanibunda, TIFR and KHS and Ullas Kolthur-Seetharam, TIFR(HT)

cities

Published on May 15, 2019 01:19 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

What made our universe what it is today: A Mumbai-based cosmologist finds out

Previous studies had suggested that reionisation occurred much earlier, within one billion years of the Big Bang, the accepted theoretical birth of our universe 13.8 billion years ago.

cities

Updated on May 07, 2019 12:43 PM IST

Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Maharashtra’s Wild West: Wolves, hyenas, leopards share space with humans

A high probability of all three species existing together was estimated in over 22,896 sq km or 25% of the study site that supports human densities ranging from 59.32 to 1,169.26 persons per square kilometre.

The WCS recommends conservation of these “wasteland” terrains even though they do not fall under the category of protected areas.(AFP)

cities

Published on Apr 16, 2019 08:10 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Scientists urge people to vote against inequality, discrimination

Scientists supporting the appeal said the country’s youth should see science as a means of democratic empowerment through sceptical, open-minded questioning, and politics that divides, creates fears, and marginalises should not be endorsed.

Over 150 leading scientists of India have urged citizens to vote wisely and said they are not asking citizens to vote for a particular political party.(PTI File / Representational Photo)

elections

Updated on Apr 04, 2019 12:27 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Mineral contents of Buldhana’s Lonar lake similar to moon rocks: IIT-Bombay study

A meteorite crash occurs when a meteoroid rock – it is formed when asteroids break or collide – survives its travel through the Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the Earth’s surface.

A satellite image of the Lonar crater-cum-lake.(File Photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 25, 2019 06:45 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Move IST ahead by 30 minutes, save 3.5 billion units of energy: Scientists

At present, India is five-and-half hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and among few nations with a fractional shift — in minutes — from GMT. Most countries add or subtract hours from GMT to create their standard time zones.

The country can save 3.5 billion units of electricity every year if the Indian Standard Time (IST) is advanced by 30 minutes, two senior Indian scientists who first proposed the idea of a time-zone shift a decade ago said on Monday.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

cities

Published on Mar 20, 2019 04:08 AM IST

Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Found: New frog in old hot spot

A thumbnail-sized star-speckled frog species with several features resembling frogs found in South America and Central Africa discovered in the Western Ghats in Wayanad, Kerala, is a unique addition to a series of frog species unearthed in the biodiversity hot spot.

The toe-tip of this frog is triangular like some frogs found in South America.(KP Dinesh, ZSI)

india news

Published on Mar 13, 2019 05:01 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi/Mumbai | ByAnonna Dutt and Snehal Fernandes

Pollution destroys 21% wheat, 6% rice crop every year: IIT-M study

The economic loss caused by the plant-damaging pollutant to the country is estimated to be about USD 5 billion for wheat and USD 1.5 billion for rice

Picture for representation only.(REUTERS)

cities

Updated on Mar 11, 2019 05:45 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Cash crisis at atomic energy dept hits salaries at TIFR

The Department of Atomic Energy, confronting a cash crisis, had to seek a loan from its affiliate Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai to pay the February 2019 salaries of employees, scientists and post-doctoral fellows of 11 affiliated scientific institutes, including the prestigious TIFR.

On Wednesday, a notice announcing the salary cut, and signed by TIFR Registrar George Anthony was circulated at the Mumbai-based institute.(Picture for representation)

cities

Published on Mar 08, 2019 12:51 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Worst droughts, famines in India due to lack of moisture, says study

Previous attempts to study 18th and 19th century droughts have been limited to meteorological droughts caused by failure of rains.

India is the world’s largest user of groundwater extracting 250 cubic kilometres every year – more than one-fourth of the world total.(UDAY DEOLEKAR)

india news

Updated on Feb 16, 2019 11:15 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes

In a first, a massage oil with your daily dose of vitamins

Technology that can systematically deliver multiple and individual nutrients such as vitamin D, folate or B12, and iron into the bloodstream via the skin through tiny liposome

Experts said the effect of a poor diet and suboptimal nutritional status is multi-fold, especially during vulnerable stages such as adolescence, pregnancy and lactation.(Pic for representation)

cities

Updated on Feb 04, 2019 08:05 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Lead, cadmium used to give colour to coffee mugs could be leaking into you as well

Researchers from Assam University, Silchar, have found a high concentration of lead and cadmium in double distilled water that leached from both old and new glazed, colourful ceramic cups heated in the microwave (convection mode) at 140 degree Celsius for 2.5 minutes.

Lead and cadmium are the most common metals used in ceramics and glazed pottery.

cities

Updated on Jan 07, 2019 11:00 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Sun’s behavior to change from 2020. This is how it will help space missions

According to scientists, predicting the solar cycle is important because the sun’s activity influences environmental conditions in the space. This adversely affects satellites and space-based technologies such as telecommunications and navigational networks.

Prediction of the upcoming solar cycle, also called sunspot cycle, will help in strategically plan missions to space and in the upkeep of space-based technologies.(Reuters File / Nasa / Representative Image)

science

Updated on Dec 07, 2018 09:21 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Life after a Metro: Less traffic, but more CO2

IIT-B STUDY: Most shifted from buses; CO2 up as Metro consumes more power

11.4 km-long Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro line, which now carries around 3,12,000 passengers daily has helped reduced 22.7 tonnes of CO2 emissions a day(Hindustan Times)

cities

Published on Nov 22, 2018 03:27 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Isro-Nasa project finds black hole that spins near max possible rate

The findings are significant, said researchers, because so far, high spin rates of only about five black holes have been quantified accurately

It was the indigenously built SXT and Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) instruments on-board the Astrosat that first observed the black hole in a favourable state so as to be able to interpret the X-ray at the end of 2016.

cities

Published on Oct 28, 2018 06:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Portraying ancient knowledge system as an alternative to science could lead to disaster, says Einstein prize awardee

Indian-born theoretical physicist Abhay Vasant Ashtekar was awarded for “numerous and seminal contributions” to the field of gravitational physics.

The 69-year-old is the founder of loop of quantum gravity.(HT photo)

cities

Updated on Oct 25, 2018 06:39 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Indian researchers develop skin gel that will protect farmers from pesticides

A team from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) have formulated/created and patented the gel

The gel, when applied on animal models, chemically deactivated or neutralised organophosphate-based pesticides on their skin and reduced the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE).(Getty Images/Representative image)

india news

Updated on Oct 19, 2018 09:34 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Another IST? Study says different time zone for north-eastern states will improve productivity

The study suggests setting clocks in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to run one hour ahead of clocks in the rest of India.

The sun rises and sets earlier in the north-eastern states than the rest of India, which causes loss of many daylight hours. The problem worsens in winter when days get shorter, leading to lost productivity and higher electricity consumption.(AFP File Photo)

india news

Updated on Oct 10, 2018 03:29 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes and Anonna Dutt

Cyclone-30 becomes operational; cancer diagnosis to improve

A new study in the Lancet Global Health released last week found that 8.3% of the total number of deaths in India in 2016 was because of cancer

The machine – Cyclone-30 — is housed at the Kolkata-based Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and will start regular production by mid-next year after supporting nuclear systems are commissioned and regulatory clearances are obtained.(Shutterstock)

cities

Updated on Sep 19, 2018 11:18 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Indian astro satellite captures X-ray image of debris from 446-year-old supernova explosion

For the first time, country’s dedicated multi-wavelength astronomy satellite, Astrosat, has captured an X-ray image of the debris of a supernova. Called SN 1572, the supernova is located 10,000 light years away

The X-ray image of the debris of SN 1572.

science

Updated on Sep 17, 2018 10:33 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Sea water microplastic in popular salt brands, reveals IIT-B study

Researchers said the study has not named individuals brands because microplastic was found as a result of background sea pollution, and not during the process of extraction or manufacturing salt.

A grey mullet is shown next to microplastic found in Hong Kong waters during a Greenpeace news conference in Hong Kong, China, April 23.(REUTERS)

india news

Updated on Sep 03, 2018 07:01 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

3,027 trees won’t be axed as MMRDA drops road-widening project in Thane

In March 2013, MMRDA had proposed to cut 3,027 full-grown, fruit bearing trees to convert the two-lane road into a four-lane carriageway connecting national highways to Nashik, Pune and Gujarat.

More than 3,000 heritage trees, which were to be axed for a road-widening project that was proposed in 2012 , got a new lease of life on Thursday.(HT File Photo)

cities

Published on Aug 25, 2018 10:47 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Noise from Metro work along Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ touches new high

A report by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI) has found that digging, blasting and heavy vehicular movements are pushing noise levels beyond permissible limits at all times of day.

The highest noise level during the day — 91.9 decibels (dB) — was at Goolestan building. At night, Revills building recorded the highest, at 83.4dB.(HT File Photo)

cities

Published on Aug 23, 2018 05:58 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Don’t get sarcasm? This bot trained by IIT-B researchers could help you

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay have used different machine learning techniques (artificial intelligence) to detect sarcasm in texts on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

About 10-15% texts on social media pertaining to food, movies or political parties are sarcastic, and 50% currently used algorithms are unable to detect them. The team has developed a programme to generate sarcastic texts for chatbots.(Getty Images/Picture for representation)

cities

Updated on Aug 22, 2018 07:38 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

60% districts in India cannot stand drought, says study

The IIT study prepared a high resolution ecosystem resilience map of India from 2000 to 2014 and found that only 241 of the 634 districts, or 38%, were resilient to droughts.

During the study period, 68% of the area was unable to support vegetation in a drought year. Of the 30 states and Union territories considered for the analysis, only 10 showed more than 50% resilience.(AP file photo)

india news

Updated on Aug 15, 2018 08:36 AM IST

New Delhi, Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes

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Snehal Fernandes

The study assumes significance, said researchers, as operating a music player while driving is not “perceived as risky” unlike a mobile phone conversation.

From next year, IITM-developed early warning system to help citizens avoid flooded localities; aid civic officials act swiftly in waterlogged areas.

Findings to help protect satellites based in earth’s outer environment

Only 29% of south Mumbai fires get help in time: IIT-B study

The natural cooling technique kept temperatures inside the building 8-12 degrees Celsius lower than the 46 to 48 degrees Celsius that the region experiences between March and June

A study by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research will help pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies

Previous studies had suggested that reionisation occurred much earlier, within one billion years of the Big Bang, the accepted theoretical birth of our universe 13.8 billion years ago.

A high probability of all three species existing together was estimated in over 22,896 sq km or 25% of the study site that supports human densities ranging from 59.32 to 1,169.26 persons per square kilometre.

Scientists supporting the appeal said the country’s youth should see science as a means of democratic empowerment through sceptical, open-minded questioning, and politics that divides, creates fears, and marginalises should not be endorsed.

A meteorite crash occurs when a meteoroid rock – it is formed when asteroids break or collide – survives its travel through the Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the Earth’s surface.

At present, India is five-and-half hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and among few nations with a fractional shift — in minutes — from GMT. Most countries add or subtract hours from GMT to create their standard time zones.

A thumbnail-sized star-speckled frog species with several features resembling frogs found in South America and Central Africa discovered in the Western Ghats in Wayanad, Kerala, is a unique addition to a series of frog species unearthed in the biodiversity hot spot.

The economic loss caused by the plant-damaging pollutant to the country is estimated to be about USD 5 billion for wheat and USD 1.5 billion for rice

The Department of Atomic Energy, confronting a cash crisis, had to seek a loan from its affiliate Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai to pay the February 2019 salaries of employees, scientists and post-doctoral fellows of 11 affiliated scientific institutes, including the prestigious TIFR.

Previous attempts to study 18th and 19th century droughts have been limited to meteorological droughts caused by failure of rains.

Technology that can systematically deliver multiple and individual nutrients such as vitamin D, folate or B12, and iron into the bloodstream via the skin through tiny liposome

Researchers from Assam University, Silchar, have found a high concentration of lead and cadmium in double distilled water that leached from both old and new glazed, colourful ceramic cups heated in the microwave (convection mode) at 140 degree Celsius for 2.5 minutes.

According to scientists, predicting the solar cycle is important because the sun’s activity influences environmental conditions in the space. This adversely affects satellites and space-based technologies such as telecommunications and navigational networks.

IIT-B STUDY: Most shifted from buses; CO2 up as Metro consumes more power

The findings are significant, said researchers, because so far, high spin rates of only about five black holes have been quantified accurately

Indian-born theoretical physicist Abhay Vasant Ashtekar was awarded for “numerous and seminal contributions” to the field of gravitational physics.

A team from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) have formulated/created and patented the gel

The study suggests setting clocks in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to run one hour ahead of clocks in the rest of India.

A new study in the Lancet Global Health released last week found that 8.3% of the total number of deaths in India in 2016 was because of cancer

For the first time, country’s dedicated multi-wavelength astronomy satellite, Astrosat, has captured an X-ray image of the debris of a supernova. Called SN 1572, the supernova is located 10,000 light years away

Researchers said the study has not named individuals brands because microplastic was found as a result of background sea pollution, and not during the process of extraction or manufacturing salt.

In March 2013, MMRDA had proposed to cut 3,027 full-grown, fruit bearing trees to convert the two-lane road into a four-lane carriageway connecting national highways to Nashik, Pune and Gujarat.

A report by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI) has found that digging, blasting and heavy vehicular movements are pushing noise levels beyond permissible limits at all times of day.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay have used different machine learning techniques (artificial intelligence) to detect sarcasm in texts on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

The IIT study prepared a high resolution ecosystem resilience map of India from 2000 to 2014 and found that only 241 of the 634 districts, or 38%, were resilient to droughts.

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