Tag Archives: Donald Trump
Trade rift today, cryogenic tech yesterday
US President Donald Trump recently imposed substantial tariffs on Indian goods, explicitly in response to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil during the ongoing Ukraine conflict. These penalties, reaching an unprecedented cumulative rate of 50% on targeted Indian exports, have … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis
Tagged cryogenic engines, Donald Trump, intercontinental ballistic missiles, Missile Technology Control Regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russia-Ukraine war, trade war, weapons of mass destruction
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Iran’s nuclear options
From ‘What is next for Iran’s nuclear programme?’, The Hindu, June 28, 2025: As things stand, Iran has amassed both the technical knowhow and the materials required to make a nuclear weapon. Second, the Israelis and the Americans have failed … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis
Tagged centrifuges, Donald Trump, highly enriched uranium, Iran, Israel, Non-Proliferation Treaty, nuclear programme, nuclear weapons, Tehran, uranium feedstock, weapons-grade uranium
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On the US FAA’s response to Falcon 9 debris
On February 1, SpaceX launched its Starlink 11-4 mission onboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket’s reusable first stage returned safely to the ground and the second stage remained in orbit after deploying the Starlink satellites. It was to deorbit … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis
Tagged Commercial Spaceflight Federation, deorbiting, Donald Trump, end of launch, exercise of control, expendable launch vehicle, Falcon 9, NASA, orbital launch, space debris, SpaceX, Starlink 11-4 mission, uncontrolled reentry, US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act 2015, US Federal Aviation Administration
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The idea of doing right by the US
After US troops withdrew from Afghanistan after two decades in 2021, the Taliban returned to power. In its oppressive regime many groups of people, but especially women, girls, and minorities, have lost most of their civil rights. In this time, … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Culture
Tagged Afghanistan, COP29, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Marzieh Hamidi, Steven Erikson, Taliban
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A tale of two awardees
In many respects Krishna Ella and Elon Musk are poles apart but on some they share a few similarities. Both of them have played along with nationalist elements in their respective national governments in order to further their agendas, if … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, Science
Tagged Bharat Biotech, clinical trials, Covaxin, Donald Trump, Dorothy Bishop, Drug Controller General of India, Elon Musk, Indian National Science Academy, Krishna Ella, Narendra Modi, Royal Society
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The SARS-CoV-2 red herring
It’s no longer about science. Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, Science
Tagged COVID-19 origins, COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump, RaTG13, World Health Organisation
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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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Who’s to blame for the American right’s distrust of science?
This study unambiguously suggests that scientific journals do the institution of science no favor when they insert themselves so directly in the political debate, especially at a time when trust in the scientific community continues to decline on the right … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged Ashis Nandy, burden of proof, Donald Trump, Laurie Penny, Nature Human Behaviour, political right, Politico, pseudoscience, reason of state, science and society, Scientific American, scientific debates
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Who are you, chatbot AI?
In case you haven’t been following, and to update my own personal records, here’s a list of notable {AI chatbot + gender}-related articles and commentary on the web over the last few weeks. (While I’ve used “AI” here, I’m yet … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Tech
Tagged artificial intelligence, Ben Thompson, Bing Chat, ChatGPT, Donald Trump, large language models, robotic assistants, Sydney
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