Tag Archives: Narendra Modi
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 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
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What’s the anomaly in a Nobel for Modi?
I’m sure you’ve seen the reports doing the rounds today that some person on some Nobel Prize Committee said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very deserving of the vaunted peace prize, followed by less widely circulated reports that the person … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Scicomm
Tagged binding energy, Narendra Modi, Nobel Prize for peace, Planck scale, Planck units, universal constant
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Must war have consequences for scientists?
The Journal of Molecular Structure has temporarily banned manuscript submissions from scientists working at state science institutes in Russia. The decision extends the consequences of war beyond the realm of politics, albeit to persons who have played no role in … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Science
Tagged academic publishing, Journal of Molecular Structure, Narendra Modi, Roscosmos, Rui Fausto, Russia invasion, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin
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The commentariot
The following post is an orange flag – a quieter alarm raised in anticipation of something worse that hasn’t transpired yet but is likely in the offing. Earlier today, at the end of a call with a scientist for a … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged anti-journalism, BJP government, Narendra Modi, nationalism, science journalism
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A personal manifesto
Many people who are unsure of how their work can help put out the various (figurative) fires ravaging the country at the moment often quickly conclude that purpose is best found at the frontlines of this battle. The common trap … Continue reading
Posted in Life notes
Tagged anti-CAA protests, authoritarianism, Boris Johnson, Constitution of India, Donald Trump, fascism, Jair Bolsonaro, majoritarianism, make good art, Narendra Modi, National Registry of Citizens, Neil Gaiman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rodrigo Duterte, Vladimir Putin
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Similar DNA
From an article in Times Now News: Comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said both have a similar “DNA” and share a passion for scientific … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged Atal Behari Vajpayee, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, DNA, human genome, Narendra Modi, nuclear test
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Curious Bends – killer palm oil, bunking homeopathy, India’s sex ed. and more
1. How Indonesia’s palm oil industry is killing people in China and India “In both China and India, air pollution is one consequence of a massive exodus from farm to city that has occurred in recent decades. The change has … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged casual paternity testing, DNA testing, homeopathy, Narendra Modi, palm oil industry, sex education, Simon Singh, solar energy
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The dignity of human labor
My Twitter friend and compatriot @zeusisdead made a good, bristling case for why we shouldn’t celebrate India’s Mars Orbiter mission’s frugality. Here’s a telling excerpt from his piece as it appeared in Times of India: ISRO [India’s space agency] did not … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged dignity of human labor, ISRO, labor costs, manhours, Mars Orbiter, Narendra Modi, sociology
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