War against Automation
What are the skills that a 21st century student need to acquire? Is the present education system up to the task in imparting those skills?
Articles
ISRO scientist exit: Text of Letter to the Honorable President of India
This is the text of the letter written by a group of Indian citizens to the Honorable President of India, expressing their concern about recent happenings in the Indian Space Research Organization.
From a big fat lie to a delicious sweet one?
One reason why the mainstream has not given up the classical theory is that a stronger and more convincing alternative theory is not yet agreed upon. The Diabetes Code tries to do this, but alas, with an almost equally weak case.
Blinded By Its Cow-Urine Craze, the Government Isn't Fostering Good Research Practices
One ‘finding’ suggests cancer and MDR-TB patients consuming a cow-urine distillate along with their medication can reduce the dosage of their medication and still reap positive results. This is dangerous.
Why reducing antibiotics in farm animals isn't as easy as it seems
There is broad, scientific consensus that antibiotic use in animal agriculture is increasing the risk of the development of resistant bacteria. But can we afford to completely go away from the usage of antibiotics in livestock?
Nature's traffic engineers have come up with many simple but effective solutions
From the tunnels built by termites to the enormous underground networks built by fungi, life forms have evolved incredible ways of solving the challenge of moving large numbers of individuals and resources from one place to another. But how do natural systems – which lack engineers or in some cases even brains – build and manage their transportation networks?
Lateral Entry of Academics into Government Administration: An opportunity for India
What happens if academics at different career levels are deputed to various government departments? A lot of good, argues the author.
Why is India not producing Nobel Laureates?
I think it is time to articulate a grand vision for Indian science. But at the same time, we need to be cognizant of the barriers. Our approach has to strike a fine balance, avoiding the twin pitfalls of a) dreams unanchored by reality or b) of being too mired in the present and its challenges that one loses sight of bigger objectives. We need to find the right vehicle that can carry the vision ahead without getting derailed.
Redefining ‘impact’ so research can help real people right away, even before becoming a journal article
When a researcher conducts scientific studies in a geographical area, what exactly is the impact of that research for the residents of that area? How can a scientist make his or her work more relevant for such people? Anne Toomey presents a case study from Bolivia that is surprisingly close to sentiments expressed by Indian ecologists and environmentalists.
The bench-to-bedside chasm in the Indian pharmaceutical landscape
The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the gaps in the Indian scientific and pharma landscape.