Category Archives: Analysis
Externalised costs and the human on the bicycle
Remember the most common question the protagonists of the eponymous British sitcom The IT Crowd asked a caller checking why a computer wasn’t working? “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” Nine times out of 10, this fixed … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged bicycle, climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, externalised costs, Scientific American, SS Wilson, The IT Crowd
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The farm fires paradox
From The Times of India on November 18, 2024: A curious claim by all means. The scientist, a Hiren Jethva at NASA Goddard, compared data from the Aqua, Suomi-NPP, and GEO-KOMPSAT 2A satellites and reported that the number of farm … Continue reading
An infuriating editorial in Science
I’m not just disappointed with an editorial published by the journal Science on November 14, I’m angry. Irrespective of whether the Republican Party in the US has shifted more or less rightward on specific issues, it has certainly shifted towards … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump, John Stuart Mill, Marcia McNutt, Republican Party, Science journal, US National Academy of Sciences
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Tamil Nadu’s lukewarm heatwave policy
The policy is only for heatwaves, and if it doesn’t expand in future to include the state’s own responsibility, Tamil Nadu will miss the forest for the trees. Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Op-eds
Tagged climate change, comorbidities, COVID-19 pandemic, heatwave, hyperthermia, Integrated Health Information Platform, National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health, State Disaster Response Fund, Tamil Nadu
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Build it, they will more than come
From ‘KSTOA seeks alternative road to Bengaluru airport amid increasing commuter challenges’, The Hindu, October 23, 2024: The Karnataka State Travel Operators’ Association (KSTOA) has raised concerns over the existing connectivity to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru. In a … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis
Tagged Bengaluru, Kempegowda International Airport, public transport, Shobha Karandlaje, traffic congestion
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What’s ailing the Indian Railways?
‘What are the stress factors for Indian Railways?’, The Hindu, October 20, 2024: The operating ratio (OR) — the amount the Railways spends to earn ₹100 — in 2024-2025 is estimated to be ₹98.2, a small improvement from 2023-2024 (₹98.7) … Continue reading
On the 2024 Nobel Prizes and the Rosalind Lee issue
The Nobel Prizes are a deeply flawed institution both out of touch with science as it is done today and with an outsized influence on scientific practice at the most demanding levels. Yet these relationships all persist with the prizes … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged blue sky research, Gary Ruvkun, Matilda effect, Matthew effect, microRNA, Newcomb Cleveland Prize, Nobel Prize, Nobel Prizes, physics, Rosalind Lee, science communication, Victor Ambros
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Off the rails
Either Matt Mullenweg’s screws have fallen off or I deeply overestimated how sensible a person I thought he was. On October 3, Mullenweg wrote on his blog that Automattic had offered those of its employees who disagreed with his actions … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Culture, Tech
Tagged Automattic, Matt Mullenweg, WordPress.com, WP Engine
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Review: ‘Maharaja’ (2024)
Spoilers abound; trigger warning: sexual violence In case you haven’t watched the film and don’t plan to, you can check out the plot description on Wikipedia. Maharaja was bad for two reasons. First, good films don’t lie to their viewers. … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Culture
Tagged Jai Bhim, Maharaja, Paatal Lok, plot twist, refrigeration, sexual violence, Visaranai
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The frustrating wait for quiet in Chennai
Deepavali is less than a month away — then again it will only be a storm amid a steady drizzle of noises Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Life notes
Tagged acoustic pressure, Deepavali, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, hearing loss, NIOSH SLM, noise map, noise pollution, Noise Pollution Rules 2000, The Hindu, Vinayak Chathurthi
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