What is Organic Anyway?
Several months ago, I posted a question on Facebook: What is an organic coconut? There was an immediate response—if there is a cell phone tower next to the pa
P. Mahadevan
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
Why do people lie? Let us ask a group of youngsters, say in first grade, this question in a non-intimidating, playful fashion whether they have ever lied to som
The Toll of Scarcity
Scarcity, in general, steals mental capacity from those in need just like poverty impairs the ability to make sound decisions. If the mind is focused on one thi
AIIB—China’s Coup
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ( AIIB ) is the latest offspring of the twins conceptualized at the Brettonwoods conference by the U.S. in 1944: The In
Sounding the Alarm on Artificial Intelligence
In a fight between two robotic systems embedded with super computer drives, the human interventionist, as in the famed fable of the fox caught between two rams,
Shortfalls of Science
Science, at its present stage of development, in methodology and tools, may not be adequate to explain several baffling phenomena. Science and Soul The mind and
A Moment in Time
Over the past decade India’s Space Research Organization (ISRO) has made very steady progress in space activity with the development of rocket engines, launch
Poetic Alchemy
It seems that a rare confluence of stars propelled Vijay Seshadri to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for English Poetry in 2014. The star, however, is Vijay
The Achievement Gap
It has become fashionable to blame the shortfall in scholastic achievement on American public schools. We are often privy to soundbites from talking point memos
Sorry, John Hancock
John Hancock (1737-1793) is an American icon; statesman, patriot, one-time governor of the state of Massachusetts, and signatory to the primal document, that es
The Nature of Beauty and the Beauty of Nature
The title of this essay has been borrowed from Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman who summarized the results of his research on topics like the deep blue color of the oc
Political Doublespeak
I remember an old adage that the right to vote does not constitute democracy; but the right to count the votes does. With last year’s national elections fresh
