UPSC Prelims 2018 Question:

Consider the following pairs:

Sl. No.	Terms sometimes seen in news		Context/Topic
1	Belle II experiment	:	Artificial Intelligence
2	Blockchain technology	:	Digital/Cryptocurrency
3	CRISPR - Cas9	:	Particle Physics

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Explanation:

• Belle II experiment: The High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation (KEK) completed the much-awaited ‘rolling-in’ of the Belle-II experiment in Tsukuba, Japan. This experiment is designed to study violations of the Standard Model and dark matter. Belle-II has better sensitivity, some 50 times higher, than its predecessor, Belle. So, pair 1 is not correctly matched.
  
  

• Blockchain technology: Blockchain is a shared, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network. An asset can be tangible (a house, car, cash, land) or intangible (intellectual property, patents, copyrights, branding). Cryptocurrencies/digital or virtual currencies run on blockchain, a record of all transactions updated and held by currency holders. So, pair 2 is correctly matched.
  
  

• CRISPR-Cas9: CRISPR-Cas9 is a unique genome editing technology that enables geneticists and medical researchers to edit parts of the genome by removing, adding or altering sections of the DNA sequence.  So, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
  
  

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.

Subject: Science & Technology | Recent Developments