Category Archives: Science
Checking the validity of a ‘valid’ ISRO question
The question of whether resources directed to space programmes are a diversion from pressing development needs, however, is a valid one. As an answer, one can uphold the importance of these programmes in material and scientific terms. The knowledge gleaned … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged Department of Space, Indian Space Programme, Indian Space Research Organisation, NewSpace India, Rahul Menon, The Hindu
Comments Off on Checking the validity of a ‘valid’ ISRO question
Looking (only) for Nehru
I have a habit of watching one old Tamil film a day. Yesterday evening, I was watching a film released in 1987, called Ivargal Indiyargal (‘They Are Indians’). In a scene in the film, an office manager distributes sweets to … Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged Chandrayaan 3, Higgs boson, Indian Space Research Organisation, Ivargal Indiyargal, Jawaharlal Nehru, Satyendra Nath Bose, Vikram Sarabhai
Comments Off on Looking (only) for Nehru
Landing Day
Good luck, Chandrayaan 3. Good luck also to all the journalists covering this event from within India – a unique location because it’s where you will feel the most excitement today about the mission’s activities on the moon as well … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm, Science
Tagged Chandrayaan 3, Indian Space Research Organisation, Pragyan rover, Vikram lander
Comments Off on Landing Day
The shadows of Chandrayaan 2
When in September 2019 the surface component of the Chandrayaan 2 mission failed, with the ‘Vikram’ lander crashing on the moon’s surface instead of gently touching down, there was a sense in all public spaces and conversations that the nation … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged Arun Mohan Sukumar, Chandrayaan 2, Chandrayaan 3, Indian Space Research Organisation, Jahnavi Phalkey, K Sivan, Narendra Modi, National Physical Laboratory, S Somanath, solar cooker, Vikram lander
Comments Off on The shadows of Chandrayaan 2
Is Dias bringing the bus back?
So Physical Review Letters formally retracted that paper about manganese sulphide, in the limelight for having been coauthored by Ranga P. Dias, yesterday. The retraction notice states: “Of the authors on the original paper, R. Dias stands by the data … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm, Science
Tagged Ashkan Salamat, lutetium hydride, manganese sulphide, Physical Review Letters, Ranga P Dias, research misconduct, room-temperature superconductivity, The New York Times, University of Nevada, University of Rochester
Comments Off on Is Dias bringing the bus back?
The value of ripeness
Think of the long centuries in which attempts were made to change mercury into gold because that seemed like a very useful thing to do. These efforts failed and we found how to change mercury into gold by doing other … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged Abraham Flexner, Alexander Grothendieck, Carl Friedrich Gauss, J. Robert Oppenheimer, ripeness, useless knowledge
Comments Off on The value of ripeness
What’s with superconductors and peer-review?
Throughout the time I’ve been a commissioning editor for science-related articles for news outlets, I’ve always sought and published articles about academic publishing. It’s the part of the scientific enterprise that seems to have been shaped the least by science’s … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Scicomm, Science
Tagged academic publishing, arXiv, Jan Hendrik Schön, LK-99, Nature journal, peer review, preprint papers, Ranga P Dias, room-temperature superconductivity, Science journal
Comments Off on What’s with superconductors and peer-review?
Review: ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
Oppenheimer was great. I really liked it. I don’t have a review as much as some notes that I took during the film that I’d like to share. But before diving into them, I should say that I got a … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Science
Tagged atomic bombings, blue sky research, Edward Teller, George Kistiyakowsky, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Kenneth Bainbridge, Leslie Groves, Lewis Strauss, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, nuclear weapons, Oppenheimer, Robert Serber, Trinity test, Vannevar Bush
Comments Off on Review: ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
A request to ISRO about Chandrayaan 3
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said its launch window for the Chandrayaan 3 mission is July 12-19. For now, the mission is expected to lift off on July 14 (at 2.35 pm IST). Chandrayaan 3’s mission is the … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, Science
Tagged Artemis Accords, Chandrayaan 2, Chandrayaan 3, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, K Sivan, Pragyan rover, S Somanath, Vikram lander
Comments Off on A request to ISRO about Chandrayaan 3
Finding, and losing, Majorana
I’m looking forward to breaking down and understanding a new paper in Physical Review B soon – the sort of work of condensed-matter physics that’s complex enough to warrant a week-long dive into the subject but not so complex as … Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged Majorana fermions, Majorana zero modes, Microsoft, Physical Review B, Popular Science, quantum computer, quantum computing, topology
Comments Off on Finding, and losing, Majorana