How healthy habits improve overall body: Study
The research, conducted by the universities of Ben-Gurion (Israel), Harvard (US), and Leipzig (Germany), focused on individuals described as 'weight loss resistant' -- those who adopt healthy habits but struggle to shed pounds, Xinhua news agency reported.
'We have been conditioned to equate weight loss with health, and weight loss-resistant individuals are often labeled as failures,' said lead author Anat Yaskolka Meir, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School.
'Our findings reframe how we define clinical success. People who do not lose weight can improve their metabolism and reduce their long-term risk for disease. That's a message of hope, not failure,' Meir added.
Published in the European Journal of Pr eventive Cardiology, the study challenges the long-standing belief that weight loss is the primary sign of a successful diet. Researchers found that even participants who did not lose weight showed measurable improvements in key health indicators.
The study tracked 761 adults between 18 to 24 months. All participants followed lifestyle changes without taking supplements or medications and were assigned to healthy diets. Participants also received free gym access and exercise guidance.
By the end of the trial, approximately one-third of the participants had not lost weight, despite closely following the programme.
However, they showed improvements in metabolic health, including higher levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol, lower levels of leptin (a hormone primarily produced by fat cells), and reductions in abdominal fat, confirmed through MRI scans.
Researchers also identified 12 genetic markers that may influence whether a person is likely to lose weight through lifestyle changes, an insight that could help personalise future diet plans.
The findings suggest that healthy eating and exercise can provide significant health benefits even without weight loss, including reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, the researchers said.
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India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
The prime engine of innovation Top Technical University
As IIT Delhi revamps its curriculum, labs and vision, it gears up to lead the next wave of tech revolution No 1. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI, New Delhi Spread across 373 acres in the heart of India's capital, IIT Delhi stands as one of the country's 23 premier institutions for training, research and development in science, engineering and technology. Established in 1961 and declared an 'Institution of National Importance' under the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 1963, it earned the coveted tag of 'Institute of Eminence' (IoE) in 2018. Over the decades, IIT Delhi has steadily built a reputation for academic excellence and cutting-edge research. In the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject (2025), it climbed to 26th place globally in engineering & technology—up from 45th last year—making it the highest-ranked Indian institution in this category. With 16 departments, 11 centres and six interdisciplinary schools, IIT Delhi currently serves around 10,761 undergraduate and postgraduate students, offering a wide spectrum of programmes, from BTech and MTech to MBA, Master of Public Policy, MSc and MA. Since its inception, more than 63,000 students have graduated, including over 7,500 with a PhD. Research and innovation are central to the institute's mission. Faculty and students are actively involved in projects across domains—from fundamental science to applied technology. The Research and Innovation Park, inaugurated in 2022, exemplifies this approach. It fosters collaboration between academia, industry and government to translate research into real-world applications and market-ready solutions. The institute recently undertook a comprehensive curriculum revamp across all levels—undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral. Effective from the 2025–26 academic year, the new curriculum reflects themes such as flexibility, hands-on learning, sustainability, ethical reasoning and technological foresight, including AI and machine learning. For MTech and MS (Research) students, the structure is now more outcome-oriented, with greater industry engagement and the option to undertake master's theses within industry settings. A PhD conversion option has also been built in for postgraduate students, while undergraduate students can now seamlessly transition into an MTech programme after three years, making them eligible for a five-year dual degree. Doctoral training has similarly been formalised, with a focus on producing independent, ethically grounded researchers. Meanwhile, the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences has launched a new MSc programme with a strong emphasis on quantitative biology and 'learning by doing', addressing a critical skills gap in data-driven life sciences. IIT Delhi recently inaugurated a cutting-edge MRI research facility under its IoE initiative. Housing a 1.5 Tesla clinical-grade MRI scanner, it is India's first such standalone facility within an engineering campus—free from hospital constraints and designed to spark innovation in medical imaging. 'The institute is also part of the National Quantum Mission, anchoring a new hub on quantum materials and devices,' says IIT Delhi director Prof. Rangan Banerjee. 'Notably, its collaboration with DRDO has resulted in a joint technology centre where several products and prototypes developed by researchers are now being transferred to industry.' Looking ahead, the institute is laying the foundation for its next chapter through a strategic roadmap titled 'IIT Delhi 2035'. 'Every department is being reviewed as part of an external academic audit led by global experts, and the long-term vision will be finalised by next year,' a spokesperson reveals. Alongside academic restructuring, the institute is preparing for a major overhaul of its physical infrastructure—demolishing and rebuilding parts of the campus to meet modern needs. GUEST COLUMN | A curriculum for Gen Next This has been an eventful year. After nearly 12-13 years, we have completely revamped our curriculum. The changes are centred on flexibility, hands-on learning and preparing students for interdisciplinary careers. Every student—whether in undergraduate, master's or doctoral programmes—will now engage with concepts in Artificial Intelligence and sustainability, essential for any future career. At the master's level, students will now take part in a capstone project, fostering teamwork and real-world problem-solving. There is also an increased focus on communication, internships with industry and a recalibrated credit structure to enhance academic depth. PhD programmes have similarly evolved. While depth in research remains central, the structure now includes elements of breadth—ranging from teaching practicum to research communication. Our goal is to ensure that doctoral candidates are not only strong researchers but are also prepared for academic or industry roles. Recognising the fast-changing nature of work, IIT Delhi has deepened its ties with industry over the past year. This includes the launch of a Hyundai research centre—one of the company's few facilities outside Korea—which also involves IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. It will function as a national research centre, focused on areas relevant to industry. Entrepreneurship, especially among master's and doctoral students, is being actively promoted. If students—across UG and PG levels—come up with a strong idea, we support them to turn it into a startup. Student well-being remains a core concern, especially in high-pressure academic environments. 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Apart from the department-wise labs, the institute boasts three campus-wide facilities: the Central Research Facility (CRF), with 90+ working facilities and 8,500+ users; the Nanoscale Research Facility (NRF), with several state-of-the-art fabrication/thin film deposition instruments and characterisation laboratories; and the Makerspace, the one-stop shop for prototyping and end-to-end product development. IIT Delhi actively encourages participation in domestic and international conferences through schemes like RETA (Research Excellence Travel Award) and RSTA (Research Scholar Travel Award), where students are given a Rs 2 lakh grant. I attended two such conferences in the UK and Italy. The ribbon that ties the entire experience together is the personal and overall growth of students on campus. 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First Post
4 hours ago
- First Post
Lasers, sabotage and more... How China is planning to challenge Musk's Starlink in space
China is increasing efforts to counter Elon Musk's Starlink, the world's largest satellite internet network. From attack satellites and lasers to building its own mega-constellation, Beijing sees Starlink's dominance and US military links as a major security risk. But with 8,000 satellites already in orbit, can China contain Starlink? read more In this long exposure photo, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a payload of Starlink V2 Mini internet satellites lifts off from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, late Sunday, July 23, 2023. File Image/AP China's space strategists are increasingly focused on one name: Starlink. The satellite internet network created by Elon Musk's SpaceX has rapidly transformed from an ambitious tech project into an essential piece of global infrastructure, and Beijing now sees it as a major security challenge. Starlink's impact has been swift and sweeping. Since the first launches in 2019, it has built the world's largest low-Earth orbit satellite network. Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell notes that Starlink now operates over 8,000 active satellites, amounting to nearly two-thirds of everything orbiting Earth, reported AP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD SpaceX ultimately aims to deploy tens of thousands more — an unprecedented scale that no competitor has come close to matching. That scale has translated into near-global coverage. Starlink beams internet to more than 140 countries, providing affordable, high-speed connections even in remote or hard-to-reach areas. Recent expansions into Vietnam, Pakistan, Niger, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo underscore its reach. In June, Starlink finally won approval to operate in India, overcoming years of regulatory hurdles and political resistance to open a market of 1.5 billion people. There are only a handful of blind spots left on Starlink's map: North Korea, Iran and China. For Beijing, the implications go far beyond commercial internet access. Starlink's tight integration with US military operations has led Chinese researchers and government officials to see it as both a strategic threat and a symbol of American technological dominance. In this long exposure photo, Starlink satellites are visible in the sky near Salgotarjan, Hungary, early Monday, November 25, 2019. File Image/MTI via AP 'As the United States integrates Starlink technology into military space assets to gain a strategic advantage over its adversaries, other countries increasingly perceive Starlink as a security threat in nuclear, space, and cyber domains,' wrote professors from China's National University of Defense Technology in a 2023 paper. The Ukraine turning point Concerns about Starlink escalated dramatically after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Starlink terminals became a critical tool for Ukraine's military, allowing secure battlefield communications and controlling surveillance and attack drones. The war revealed not only how effective Starlink could be in wartime, but also how much power rested in the hands of Musk himself. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Because Starlink coverage could be extended — or withheld — by Musk, Ukrainian officials saw him as both an enabler and a gatekeeper. He reportedly refused to extend Starlink service to support a Ukrainian counteroffensive into Crimea. For Chinese military planners, Ukraine was a clear warning. If Starlink could tip the balance on one battlefield, it could also be used against them in any future conflict. In this image from video provided by SpaceX, a Falcon 9 deploys Starlink satellites after it lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Space Force Station, November 13, 2021. File Image SpaceX via AP Nearly all of the 64 academic papers on Starlink reviewed by the Associated Press in Chinese journals were published after the Ukraine war began, suggesting the conflict fundamentally shifted China's strategic approach to the technology. Nitin Pai, co-founder of the Indian think tank Takshashila Institution, summed up the shift in thinking beyond China's borders, 'Ukraine was a warning shot for the rest of us. For the last 20 years, we were quite aware of the fact that giving important government contracts to Chinese companies is risky because Chinese companies operate as appendages of the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, it's a risk because the Chinese Communist Party can use technology as a lever against you. Now it's no different with the Americans.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How Beijing is planning to counter Starlink The studies coming out of China reveal just how seriously the country is taking the Starlink challenge — and how far its scientists are willing to go to neutralise it. Some of the proposals seem straight out of science fiction: stealth submarines armed with lasers to blind satellites, attack satellites equipped with ion thrusters, and the use of corrosive materials to damage Starlink's solar panels or batteries. Other suggestions are more grounded but no less aggressive. Engineers from the People's Liberation Army have explored ideas such as launching fleets of 'chaser satellites' to shadow Starlink units and potentially interfere with them. In this long exposure photo, a string of SpaceX StarLink satellites passes over an old stone house near Florence, Kansas, US, on May 6, 2021. File Image/AP Researchers have also discussed using commercial optical telescopes to track the constellation and even deploying powerful ground-based lasers to burn out sensitive components. Beyond direct attacks, some papers suggest indirect tactics — like sabotaging Starlink's supply chain. A 2023 study by the government-backed China Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team highlighted potential vulnerabilities in Starlink's production network. 'The company has more than 140 first-tier suppliers and a large number of second-tier and third-tier suppliers downstream,' the authors noted. 'The supervision for cybersecurity is limited.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Other academics have pushed for using diplomacy and international regulations as tools to hem in Starlink's reach, while still keeping active countermeasures on the table. One paper published in China carried a blunt title: 'Watch out for that Starlink.' Why the world is wary — not just China China isn't alone in worrying about Starlink's growing clout. Some of Washington's own allies have raised concerns about a global communications infrastructure dominated by a single private company and an unpredictable owner. Musk's personal and political entanglements have amplified those concerns. He poured tens of millions into United States President Donald Trump's reelection bid and briefly served as a government adviser before publicly breaking with Trump in May. Musk's influence has spilled into European politics as well, where he has used his platform to promote populist and hard-right voices. US President-elect Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk explains the operations ahead of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket, November 19, 2024, in Boca Chica, Texas. File Image/AP Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to be intertwined with core US government functions. It launches military satellites, recovers stranded astronauts, and holds multi-billion-dollar contracts with Nasa and the National Reconnaissance Office. That web of connections leaves many foreign governments uneasy about relying on Starlink for critical services. Christophe Grudler, a French member of the European Parliament who spearheaded work on the EU's IRIS2 satellite project, voiced Europe's strategic unease, 'We are allies with the United States of America, but we need to have our strategic autonomy. The risk is not having our destiny in our own hands.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Competitors struggle to catch up For all the anxiety Starlink has generated, no other player is close to matching its scale. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is building Project Kuiper, which launched its first internet satellites in April 2025. But Kuiper has only 78 satellites in orbit so far — a fraction of its planned 3,232. OneWeb, based in London, has around 650 satellites, far below its initial ambitions. The European Union is investing billions into its own IRIS2 constellation, but progress has been slow, forcing Brussels to ask member states to hold off on signing Starlink contracts until the EU system is ready. Even China's own efforts are still in their early phases. China builds its own mega-constellations Recognising that it cannot simply block Starlink forever, Beijing is also racing to create a homegrown equivalent — one that would serve both national security needs and commercial ambitions abroad. In 2021, the government created the state-owned China SatNet company to oversee the launch of a new constellation called Guowang. The goal: 13,000 satellites. So far, 60 are operational. The private sector is pitching in too. Shanghai-backed Qianfan has launched 90 satellites and plans a fleet of 15,000. The company is already forging international partnerships, signing a deal with Brazil in November 2024 after Musk clashed publicly with a Brazilian judge who froze SpaceX's accounts in the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Qianfan is also targeting customers in Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, with ambitions to expand into Africa. But despite these efforts, China remains far behind Musk's constellation — and catching up will take years. A new space race? Starlink's dominance has effectively turned low-Earth orbit into a new arena for geopolitical competition. Starlink's near-monopoly status gives SpaceX — and by extension, Musk — leverage that few private companies have ever wielded. With service spanning 140 countries, SpaceX can dictate the terms of connectivity for entire regions. And because the same satellites that fly over China also pass over Europe, Ukraine, and the US, any attempt by Beijing to disrupt the constellation could have global consequences. For Beijing, the challenge is twofold: neutralsze Starlink's potential as a tool of US military power and ensure China is not left dependent on foreign networks in the future. That has triggered what amounts to a new space race — one not defined by who reaches the Moon first, but by who controls the flow of data across Earth. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD SpaceX, meanwhile, shows no sign of slowing down. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
7 Science-Backed Brain Habits To Get Smarter Every Day
7 Science-Backed Brain Habits To Get Smarter Every Day By Roshni Chakrabarty Whether you're preparing for exams, learning a new skill, or just trying to stay sharp, building the right habits can transform your brain's performance. These seven habits from different places around the world that are simple but incredibly effective: Sleep isn't optional -- it's brain fuel. Students who sleep 7-9 hours consistently perform better on memory, attention, and logic tasks. According to AIIMS, poor sleep reduces focus and increases mental fatigue. 1. PRIORITISE QUALITY SLEEP A brisk 20-minute walk or light workout increases blood flow to the brain and improves mood and cognition. In Japan, schools often integrate daily physical activity to support academic performance. 2. MOVE YOUR BODY EVERY DAY Omega-3 rich foods like walnuts, flaxseeds, and fish can boost memory and protect brain cells. A Harvard study also found berries and leafy greens improve brain ageing and retention in young adults. 3. EAT BRAIN-FRIENDLY FOODS Mindfulness lowers stress, improves concentration, and enhances emotional control. Thailand promotes mindfulness in classrooms, helping students regulate anxiety and increase academic focus naturally. 4. PRACTISE MINDFULNESS OR MEDITATION Even mild dehydration can impact focus and short-term memory. In German schools, students are encouraged to drink water regularly. Aim for 6-8 glasses daily for optimal brain function. 5. STAY HYDRATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY Constant screen time causes cognitive fatigue and lowers productivity. South Korean schools now use 'digital detox' breaks to help students refresh their mental energy and reduce digital burnout. 6. TAKE REGULAR SCREEN BREAKS Neuroplasticity, or your brain's ability to grow, is stimulated by learning. In Finland, students explore different subjects daily, even outside the curriculum. Pick up a new fact, skill, or challenge every day. 7. LEARN SOMETHING NEW DAILY Did you know readers have different brains? To know more, Click Here
