Science and spirit are paths to infinite exploration
By Arup Mitra Our understanding, perception, and knowledge base originate from a small domain and remain confined within its limits. Even what we call scientific research cannot go beyond it. This is...
View ArticleBitcoin’s riding Trump wagon, wait for dust to settle
Holland’s tulip mania lasted three years. Bitcoin’s roller-coaster is in its 15th and just breached $100,000 on Trump’s intent to name pro-crypto lobbyist Paul Atkins head of Securities and Exchange...
View ArticleOld men plot young men’s death
The bugler plays taps as if signalling the heavens to open up and welcome brave souls plucked fresh from the battlefield. So many, in their brief mortal lives, were far too young to even have...
View ArticleThe freedom of multilingualism
The idea of India is deeply enmeshed in its multilingual culture and practices. Nowhere is this effusive multilingualism better seen than in our popular culture. Think of Hindi recent films titled...
View ArticleSaas’y truths: Kyunki saas bhi kabhi unloved thi
My son will not marry because women are trying to be men.” Asked what she meant, the audience member replied quite blithely that ‘modern’ women don’t want to do housework or raise kids, so her...
View ArticleNot rummy mummies but mahjong mates: Joys of midlife dosti
An old friend stayed with me last month. When it was time for her to leave, we hugged each other and I said, ‘After five days, friends and fish both start to smell. You are...
View ArticlePendulums, procrastinators, and the pursuit of balance
‘The Time is always right to do what is right.’ (Martin Luther King, Jr.) Growing up, our elders never missed a chance to remind us that time waits for no one— not even the laundry....
View ArticleHum do, hamare teen? Let’s not fall for population panic
The RSS is back to making dire predictions of population decline. Its chief Mohan Bhagwat recently asserted that populations would face extinction “on their own” if their fertility rate dropped below...
View ArticleLifestyle diseases
The terms chronic diseases and lifestyle diseases are often used interchangeably. Most lifestyle diseases are chronic diseases but not all chronic diseases are due to lifestyle. Some can be due to...
View ArticleRecipe disasters inspired by Indian reels: When desi dreams become kitchen...
Scrolling through Instagram reels of delicious Indian dishes is like entering a world where food always comes out perfectly spiced, beautifully garnished, and dripping with flavor. But in real life?...
View ArticleRepo rates are kept unchanged to continue to fight inflation
The much-awaited monetary policy – December 6, ended with a status quo on rates compelled by the macroeconomic conditions. GDP growth nosedived to 5.4 percent in Q2 of FY25 down from 8.1 percent in the...
View ArticleDamascus doozy
Assad’s Fall: What It Could Mean for the Region The fall of the Assad regime in Syria, which had been in power for nearly 50 years, has caused a huge shift in the balance of...
View ArticleDeep state is. Or isn’t
India to US, the difficulty of getting a lock on a part of govt that’s allegedly invisible That smashing Bee Gees song goes, How deep is your love? Ask this about the deep state and...
View ArticleDamascus doozy
Assad’s fall won’t just change regional dynamics. Chaos may spawn new terrorism, like in Iraq The fall of the half-a-century-old Assad regime in Syria after a lightning offensive by Syrian rebels has...
View ArticleDeep state: Fact or fiction?
India, the US, and the Mystery of Invisible Power You’ve probably heard the song “How Deep Is Your Love?” by the Bee Gees. Well, you can ask the same about the “deep state,” and it’s...
View ArticleUnwrapping the season
All its gift-giving is quite stressful First came Diwali. And now the end of the year brings another blur of festivals, celebrations and holidays that send gift-giving into a frenzy. Even for those who...
View ArticleSeason of preparing one’s heart for Christmas
By Andrew Rodrigues Advent is the period before Christmas to prepare for celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth. It starts the Sunday closest to Nov 30. Some churches and families celebrate Advent with...
View ArticleStop the grotesque Disneyfication of our heritage
Earlier this year when a busload of foreign tourists arrived in the city square in Barcelona, locals threw tomatoes at them. When large numbers of tourists from northern Europe appeared in Tenerife,...
View ArticleThe new Devendra era of inclusivity
After showing how the welfare state should be by taking many beneficial decisions in the last two and half years and getting people’s clear mandate, Devendra Fadnavis has become the Chief Minister of...
View ArticleBye Bashar, hello what?
After more than half a century of rule by the Assad family and Baath Party, a new era is beginning in Syria. Unfortunately, this is far from saying that democracy will prevail. Despotic rule is...
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