09-07-2025
Daily subject-wise quiz : Science and Technology MCQs on buck moon, Goldilocks Zone and more (Week 118)
UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today's subject quiz on Science and Technology to check your progress.
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With reference to the buck moon, consider the following statements:
1. It represents the first full moon of July each year.
2. This moon usually appears brighter than usual.
3. The term 'buck moon' traces back to the Algonquin people, a tribe of Native African who used the moon cycles to track natural cycles.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation
— Buck moon is the first full moon in July each year. The moon is usually brighter and lower than usual. This is owing to its proximity to the summer solstice, which occurs every two years when one of the Earth's poles is inclined at its greatest extreme angle towards the Sun. The summer solstice causes the Sun to be at its highest point in the daytime sky, while the moon travels the lowest course in the night sky. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
— The July buck moon often falls on the same day as Guru Purnima, a celebration honouring teachers and wisdom. This is due to Guru Purnima being the full moon of the Hindu month of Ashadha, which corresponds to July's first full moon on the Gregorian calendar.
— The name 'buck moon' originated with the Algonquin people, a Native American group who used lunar cycles to observe natural cycles. The buck moon earned its name because male deer (also known as bucks) started regrowing their antlers around the time of the first full moon.
— Other Native American tribes referred to this moon as the 'thunder moon' because it predicted seasonal thunderstorms in certain portions of the United States. Another name given by American tribes is 'salmon moon' because it occurs around the time salmon begin their seasonal migration and begin swimming upstream. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements about stem cells:
1. The stem cell therapy involves harvesting cells from the patient or a matched donor.
2. Unlike other cells in our body, stem cells have the unique ability to transform into different types of cells, each serving a specific function.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
— A US-based firm focused on treating pet health issues with ready-to-use stem cell therapies has raised more than $18 million in new funding.
— Stem cells' fundamental role is to repair and regenerate themselves. Unlike other cells in our bodies, stem cells have the unique potential to differentiate into various types of cells, each with a specialised function. The majority of stem cell therapies require extracting cells from either the patient or a matched donor. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
— Stem cells have enormous potential in medical research and treatments because they can help repair damaged tissues and organs in the body. Their therapeutic potential is also being investigated in humans, with thousands of valid clinical trials presently underway.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
The Goldilocks Zone refers to:
(a) Region around a star where temperatures might allow water to remain liquid.
(b) A situation where individuals, acting in their self-interest, overuse and deplete shared resources, harming the collective good.
(c) Region around the sun where high temperatures allow water to convert to the vapour phase.
(d) Region around a gas giant planet (like Jupiter) where moons (like Europa or Enceladus) could potentially harbor life due to tidal heating.
Explanation
— Exoplanets are too faint and too close to their stars to be seen directly, so astronomers rely on indirect methods. The most common is the transit method — watching for tiny dips in a star's brightness as a planet crosses in front of it. Another is the radial velocity method, where a star's slight wobble, caused by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet, can be detected via Doppler shifts in its spectrum.
— Among the thousands of exoplanets discovered, a tantalising fraction is in the 'habitable zone,' the region around a star where temperatures may allow liquid water to exist. Earth, of course, is a typical example. Venus is too hot; Mars is too chilly. However, Kepler-186f, TRAPPIST-1e, and other stars fall within this ideal range.
— The habitable zone is the area around a star that is neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water to exist on the surfaces of nearby planets.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
(Other Source:
Consider the following web browsers:
1. Firefox
2. Google
3. Yahoo
How many of the browsers given above are considered as dark web?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation
— The dark web is a hidden section of the internet that cannot be located by regular search engines and requires specialised tools or browsers to access it. Unlike open web browsers like Firefox, Google, or Yahoo, where user activities can be monitored through IP addresses, the dark web conceals identities, creating a refuge for individuals who desire privacy or anonymity.
— The idea of an encrypted, secret component of the internet originated in the 1990s, when the US Naval Research Laboratory developed preliminary versions of The Onion Routing project, subsequently known as Tor. Tor involves embedding encryptions in communication networks, similar to the layers of an onion, with the goal of protecting sensitive government communications shared via the internet.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
With reference to the SEPECAT Jaguar jet, consider the following statements:
1. It was first inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2009.
2. It was the first ever fighter jet to be built in collaboration between France and India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
— On Wednesday (July 9), an Indian Air Force (IAF) SEPECAT Jaguar jet carrying two pilots crashed in Ratangarh tehsil of Rajasthan's Churu district about 12.30 p.m. Both pilots were reportedly killed in the incident.
— The vintage jet, designed in the 1960s and first integrated into the IAF in 1979, is anticipated to continue in service until roughly 2040. The IAF remains the only air force that still uses the jet. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
— The Jaguar was the first fighter plane produced in partnership between two countries, according to Dassault Aviation's website. SEPECAT, a joint venture between France's Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation, manufactured it in answer to the 1960s needs of both Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) and France's Armée de l'Air. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— The Jaguar has seen combat engagements in Mauritania, Chad, Iraq, Bosnia, and Pakistan, as well as serving as a ready nuclear delivery platform for the United Kingdom, France, and India. France, the United Kingdom, Oman, Ecuador, Nigeria, and India have all operated Jaguars over the years.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 116)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 118)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Science and Technology (Week 117)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 117)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 117)
Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 117)
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