Summary:

On April 25, 2025, senior government officials in India highlighted the crucial need for developing quantum-secure communications to ensure data privacy and security against future advanced computer systems, particularly quantum computers. Under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), a key focus is on establishing indigenously developed quantum communication capabilities. This initiative addresses growing concerns that current encryption standards, like the 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), may become vulnerable as quantum computing technology advances.

Ajay Kumar Sood, India’s Principal Scientific Advisor, emphasized that while current encryption systems are secure for the foreseeable future, the rise of quantum computers, which use qubits instead of binary, could potentially compromise data security. He noted that once quantum computers become capable enough, they might decrypt sensitive data in minutes, a task that would otherwise take conventional supercomputers years. This impending challenge necessitates a proactive approach to secure communication technologies, signaling a strategic imperative for national security.

Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia further elaborated on India's ambition to ensure "secure quantum communication over 2000 km." The primary goal includes advancing quantum key distribution (QKD), a methodology used for distributing encryption keys securely over long distances. He referenced a successful deployment of QKD in Germany over a distance of 254 km, utilizing existing telecom infrastructure.

Current efforts in India include testing quantum-resilient applications by governmental bodies and startups. Notably, the Konark Corps of the Indian Army successfully demonstrated quantum secure key distribution in real field conditions within Jodhpur. This underlines the progress already being achieved in quantum communication technologies in India.

Important Sentences:

• Senior officials stress the urgency of quantum-secure communications to withstand advanced future computers.
• The National Quantum Mission (NQM) aims to indigenously develop quantum communication capabilities as one of its four pillars.
• Ajay Kumar Sood indicated that a 128-bit AES system is secure for a lifetime, but quantum computers challenge this assertion.
• Quantum computers may utilize qubits to decrypt information in minutes, threatening the security of current encryption methods.
• Policymakers globally are addressing the urgency of developing quantum technologies before strong quantum computers emerge.
• Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia mentioned the goal of ensuring secure quantum communication over a distance of 2000 km.
• Quantum key distribution (QKD) has progressed, with a notable deployment in Germany demonstrating practical applications over 254 km.
• The Indian Army's Konark Corps has successfully tested quantum key distribution in field conditions, showcasing India's capabilities.
• Government initiatives and startups in India are actively demonstrating advancements in quantum-resilient applications.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved a major advancement in hypersonic weapon technology with the successful ground testing of a long-duration Active Cooled Scramjet Subscale Combustor, which lasted over 1,000 seconds. This development marks a continuation of previous tests, including a notable 120-second test conducted in January 2025. The latest test provides validation for the design of the scramjet combustor and signals that full-scale flight-worthy testing is on the horizon.

Key details of the achievement include:

• The testing was conducted by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), based in Hyderabad.
• The tests were carried out at a new state-of-the-art scramjet test facility.
• Hypersonic cruise missiles are capable of traveling at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound (over 6,100 km/h).
• These missiles utilize air-breathing engines, which are essential for sustaining supersonic combustion during prolonged cruise operations.

This breakthrough positions India at the forefront of hypersonic technology development, with implications for national defense capabilities.

Important sentences:

• DRDO announced a significant milestone in hypersonic weapon technology with a successful long-duration scramjet combustor test lasting over 1,000 seconds.
• This test continues from an earlier 120-second test performed in January 2025.
• The test validates the design of a long-duration scramjet combustor and the associated testing facility.
• The development was achieved by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad.
• Hypersonic cruise missiles can travel over five times the speed of sound (exceeding 6,100 km/h).
• Air-breathing propulsion systems are crucial for maintaining supersonic combustion during long-duration flights.

The article discusses the emergence of the term “vegetative electron microscopy,” which represents a significant issue in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and knowledge integrity. The term is considered a “digital fossil,” reflecting how errors can become embedded in AI systems and, subsequently, the broader information ecosystem.

Summary

• Discovery of the Term: Earlier this year, scientists identified "vegetative electron microscopy" as a nonsensical phrase appearing in various academic papers. Its existence highlights how AI can perpetuate and amplify errors within our collective knowledge.

• Origins of the Error: The term originated from the erroneous digitization of two papers in the 1950s, where the words “vegetative” and “electron” were mistakenly combined. This digitization error resurfaced in Iranian scientific papers in 2017 and 2019 due to a translation mistake concerning similar words in Farsi.

• Current Prevalence: As of now, "vegetative electron microscopy" appears in 22 papers indexed by Google Scholar, with journal retractions and corrections already issued. These include articles discussing investigations into integrity issues related to the term.

• AI Model Training: The case was analyzed by testing AI language models like OpenAI's GPT-3, which consistently produced the erroneous term, highlighting its embedding in the AI's knowledge base. Earlier models like GPT-2 and BERT did not exhibit this pattern. Subsequent models such as GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 also demonstrated the persistence of this error.

• Origin of the Contamination: Research indicates the CommonCrawl dataset was likely where AI models first learned about "vegetative electron microscopy." This dataset is extremely large, making it challenging for researchers to isolate and rectify specific errors due to the scale of the problem and lack of transparency from tech companies regarding their training methodologies.

• Challenges in Fixing Errors: Correcting these kinds of errors poses difficulties as keyword filtering could inadvertently remove legitimate references. Additionally, there’s a concern that numerous other nonsensical terms might exist within AI systems, waiting to be discovered.

• Impact on Knowledge Integrity: The emergence of "digital fossils" raises fundamental questions about the integrity of knowledge, particularly as AI-generated research and writing becomes more commonplace. Reactions from publishers regarding the term have varied, some opting to retract papers while others defended their validity.

• Challenges for Various Stakeholders: The proliferation of AI introduces challenges for tech companies, researchers, and publishers—companies need to be more transparent about their data and methodologies, researchers must develop new ways to evaluate AI-generated content, and publishers should enhance their peer-review processes to catch both human and AI-generated errors.

• Conclusion: The case of “vegetative electron microscopy” exemplifies a broader issue concerning the permanence of errors in AI systems, which can lead to self-perpetuating misinformation. This situation underscores the need for vigilance and improvements in knowledge verification as AI continues to be integrated into research and publication practices.

Important Sentences

• "Vegetative electron microscopy" is a “digital fossil”—an error preserved in AI systems that poses challenges for knowledge integrity.
• The term originated from a digitization error involving mistaken combinations of text from the 1950s.
• It appears in 22 papers today, with some affecting journal retractions and revisions.
• Large language models consistently produce the term, revealing its embedding in AI knowledge bases.
• The CommonCrawl dataset is likely the source of contamination, complicating efforts to find and fix errors.
• There's concern about the existence of other nonsensical terms within AI that may be undiscovered.
• The situation highlights challenges for tech companies, researchers, and publishers regarding knowledge integrity in the age of AI.
• Making the AI development process more transparent is essential for tackling these issues effectively.

The upcoming Axiom Mission 4 marks a historic moment for India, Poland, and Hungary, as it will be the first government-sponsored human spaceflight from these countries in over four decades. The mission is set for next month and includes a four-person crew comprising astronauts from these nations, along with an American astronaut. The team will dock at the International Space Station (ISS) for a duration of two weeks, engaging in a variety of research activities.

One of the noteworthy participants in the mission is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from the Indian Air Force (IAF), who has been selected to represent India through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). A significant component of the mission involves the Voyager Tardigrades project, aimed at studying the unique resilience of tardigrades, microscopic creatures known for their extraordinary survival capabilities.

Tardigrades, often nicknamed “water bears,” are tiny, eight-legged animals that thrive in a multitude of environments, ranging from extreme aridity to high-altitude conditions like the Himalayas. These creatures, which measure between 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters, can endure prolonged periods without food or water, often hibernating under unfavorable conditions. Remarkably, they have existed on Earth for around 600 million years and possess characteristics that may allow them to withstand drastic climate changes.

The primary reason ISRO is sending tardigrades into space stems from their unique ability to endure the severe conditions of the vacuum. In a previous experiment in 2007, tardigrades were exposed to space for ten days and surprisingly, over two-thirds survived and even reproduced after returning to Earth. The focus of ISRO's research will be on examining how these organisms revitalize after dormancy, evaluating reproductive outcomes during space missions, and comparing the genetic responses of both the space-faring tardigrades and their counterparts on Earth.

The mission aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the survival of tardigrades in extreme conditions, offering insights that could be pivotal for future space exploration. This research holds potential implications not only for understanding life in hostile environments but also for advancing biotechnology applications on Earth.

Key Points:

• Axiom Mission 4 to feature first government-sponsored human spaceflights from India, Poland, and Hungary in 40 years.
• Crew includes four astronauts, one from each participating nation, set to conduct research aboard the ISS for two weeks.
• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla represents India through ISRO in the mission.
• The Voyager Tardigrades project aims to investigate the biology of tardigrades, known for their extreme resilience.
• Tardigrades are tiny, eight-legged organisms that can survive in harsh conditions and can hibernate to endure adverse environments.
• ISRO's research will study the revival of tardigrades after dormancy, reproductive success in space, and genetic expression.
• Previous experiments showed over two-thirds of tardigrades survived exposure to outer space and could reproduce afterward.
• The research could broaden understanding of life in extreme conditions and enhance biotechnology development on Earth.