What Ants tell us about Human Consciousness: Intelligence from Ignorance
Emergence is a revolutionary new idea that describes how simple things, interacting in specific ways, can give rise to complex self-organising systems.
Dumb ants can come together to built intelligent civilisation without a top-down control. All they react to is the pheromone signals. Our consciousness works the same way too.
Evolution of Durga – Connecting with the World
Travelling by train from Xian to Moscow, and interacting with different people of totally different cultures, I have come to…
Does God Exist: The Akhtar-Mufti Debate
The theist argument: The Javed Akhtar (atheist)- Mufti Shamail (theist) debate was a bit of a disappointment for me. I…
Book Review: “The Secret of Secret” by Dan Brown
I expected a lot from this book, probably because it came after such a long time, and because it was…
Periodic Table: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Universe
You are special. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you might just see your face—your eyes, your…
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Quite like Akbar who never got credit from Hindus for being Muslim, and Muslims for being too liberal, Ishwar Chandra…
Book Review: Why We Die by Venki Ramakrishnan
Why do we die? Do we have to? Can we be immortal? Ethical implications?
Fractured World: The Curse of the Internet
The Internet, meant to connect humanity, amplifies hatred and tribalism by overwhelming our brains, evolved for Dunbar’s ~150-person social limit, with thousands of interactions and information overload. Fast thinking (System 1), as described by Kahneman, relies on biases to group people into “us” vs. “them,” fueling online battles that spill into real-world violence, like hate crimes and riots. This escalation is unsustainable, eroding social cohesion, mental health, and economic stability, demanding a breaking point. Potential solutions include platform reforms to prioritize empathy, digital literacy to counter biases, and rebuilding offline communities to restore human connection. Without deliberate change, the cycle of hatred risks worsening, but user-driven shifts and technological tweaks could steer the Internet toward unity.
Sikander, Shakkar and Slaves
Before sugarcane likely arrived in India from Papua New Guinea some 3,000-4,000 years ago, honey was the primary sweetener. Early…
Snakes and Milk: An Ancient Thread Connecting Bengal to Baltic Shores
When I was young I heard stories of a snake that once used to live in our house. It was…
Learning from Hunters and Gatherers
Where humans have multiple partners, does monkeys have multiple partners too? Where humans love sea food, does birds love seafood…
Book Review: Free will by Sam Harris
“Man can do what he will but we cannot will what he wills.”-Schopenhauer Are you reading this post of your…