What the story of Kaavan tells us
Amid the sad, the sordid and the sensational, let us look at some other news. On November 30, Kaavan, dubbed the “loneliest elephant” arrived from Islamabad to Cambodia to start a new life.
Efficacy of the home-made mask
The recent back-and-forth debate over the use of face masks to prevent the spread of covid-19 has settled. In the beginning, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that there was no need for people who are well to wear face masks.
Christchurch: Why this is not an isolated terrorist attack
In the aftermath of the deadly attacks in New Zealand that caused global shock, it is important to explore the broader questions about the ideology behind these acts of terrorism.
Taking activism beyond social media
As the world marks the centenary of the October Revolution, it is apt to study online movements and their offline results. The day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, an estimated 3.5 million people in cities around the US...
Diversity is strength
By making the workplace more diverse, an organisation can encourage employees to watch their own potential biases—fixed ways of thinking that can hinder their ability to see important facts and even lead them to make mistakes in decision-making processes.
A lexicon for ugliness
Every society has its articles of faith. The strength of a society depends on the extent to which its articles of faith match the realities
Inequality and our mistaken modernity
We derive our swagger from the pervasive inequality in our society. There is inequality even among the pets we keep. There are mainly two kinds of dogs in this country.
What drives missions to Mars?
On Monday, November 26, NASA landed spacecraft InSight on Mars, after a long and difficult voyage—more than 300 million miles over six months.
Power to the powerless
The general attitude toward journalists is perhaps summed by what Norman Mailer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer, expressed many years ago, “If a person is not talented enough to be a novelist, not smart enough to be a lawyer, and his hands are too shaky to perform operations, he becomes a journalist.”
The slow death of democracies
Lately, democratic erosion in many countries has been less dramatic and more deceptive. There are no tanks in the streets. A formal or
A case for more tea shops
When we look at someone like Mozart who shows his unusual gift at an early age, we think that it must be genetic. But studies show that genetics is a relatively small piece of the genius puzzle. Geniuses are neither born nor made. They are grown, according to Eric Weiner, author of the bestselling book The Geography of Genius (2016).
The power paradox
The Machiavellian thesis that power is about force, intimidation and violence no longer passes muster. Instead, through social practices that promote the interests of others such as empathy, equality, collaboration, open mindedness and generosity, we acquire power.
Challenges before the new UN chief
Antonio Guterres became the next Secretary-General of the United Nations on Monday when relations between the US and Russia are probably at their grumpiest since the end of the Cold War, nationalist movements are on the rise around the world and amid what he called a loss of confidence in institutions, including the one he will take over in January.
The terror on our roads
Idon't believe Bangladeshis are genetically bad drivers. The same Bangladeshi driver who drives on our highways as if his wife was giving birth to their first child in the back seat of a car will drive like a saint in any city in the United States.
Funny Money
All black money is not held in cash. It may be in foreign bank accounts. And all cash is not black money. Many legitimate businesses deal with large amounts of cash. Petrol pumps, restaurants, textile merchants and jewellers often have large cash holdings by the end of the day with many customers paying in cash.
TRUMP WINS: America gazed long into an abyss and the abyss is now gazing back into it
Now that the sickening charade of his campaign is over, it is a good time to ask what exactly he would be like as the President of the United States. Will his presidency be like his campaign?
