Today’s edition moves from immigration policy to identity debates and ancient mythology. Australia has sharply raised the cost of its post-study work visa, a move that could affect thousands of Indian students hoping to stay and work after graduation. In the US, a debate over what constitutes a “Hindu name” has sparked a social media…
Life expectancy in the West is around 80 years today. Two key questions arise: what was it before capitalist development began (in around 1650-1700) and what factors have contributed to this huge improvement? Addressing the first question can help us to identify the total increase, and addressing the second question can help to quantify the…
Among the many things that Vedic astrology conjures up, three take the centre stage, namely, the law of Karma, rebirth or reincarnation, and Hindu practices and rituals. To most traditional Vedic astrologers, the slightest idea of separating Vedic astrology from these tenets is viscerally revolting. And such a sentiment isn’t entirely misplaced. It cannot be…
Forensic science has fascinated the world for decades. From TV shows like CSI to crime thrillers, it’s often portrayed as a magical tool that can instantly solve any crime. But the real world of forensic science is far more complex and sometimes slower than what we see on screen. These misconceptions have even influenced jurors…
“He who has access to the divine realities is drawn away in rapture,” said Hazrat Sayyid Abū l-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī (1196–1258), the founder of the Shadhili Sufi order (tariqa). In our modern times, rapture is understood as a term limited to the experience of the senses. Our thirst for spiritual growth may find rapture in the…
A fictional spiritual journey imagines snowy winter travelling across cultures and faiths The dreary-nighted winter month was restless as it arrived at the Cimitero Acattolico, the Roman cemetery, to meet John Keats, who had lain buried beneath a cold Protestant stone since February 23, 1821. The air was heavy, cold, and wrapped in silence. Winter…
Khamenei, killed in US strikes, had been supreme leader for over 35 years. His son Mojtaba has emerged as the top contender to succeed him, but forces within Iran’s elite could ignite a power struggle lasting months. Meanwhile, the bloc that positioned itself as an alternative to Western unipolarity has been conspicuously absent. Has anyone…
Where does India stand in AI development? Foundation models are not the right primary metric for India right now. That said, India has promising signs of innovation in smaller, frugal innovation. Not necessarily at the level of building the next foundation model, but cutting-edge research and putting that out as new tools and solutions for…
By Sonal Srivastava Jensen Huang is a smart man, one of the smartest out there. As CEO of the world’s largest company by market capitalisation, he has to be. In a podcast last month, replying to a question on who was the smartest person he ever met, Huang defined ‘smart’ as ‘somebody who’s intelligent, solves…
From Delhi’s AI Summit to Maoris, protesters have put skin in the game In a demonstration that raised both eyebrows and hackles, some members of Youth Congress gate-crashed the recent AI Summit in Delhi, and as a gesture of protest against issues ranging from what they perceived as an Indo-US trade proposal unfavourable to Indian…