Explained Desk

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The Explained Desk of The Indian Express writes analyses and explanatory articles on a range of topics, including current affairs, politics, global events, sports, health and...Read More

The Explained Desk of The Indian Express writes analyses and explanatory articles on a range of topics, including current affairs, politics, global events, sports, health and lifestyle.

Explained Desk NEWS AGENCY

Articles by Explained Desk

What to know about Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, inaugurated by PM ModiSubscriber Only

January 9, 2025

Why is Pravasi Bharatiya Day celebrated and how has the Indian government viewed the diaspora in recent years? We explain

January 10, 2025

Tibet earthquake leaves 95 dead: Why is the Himalayan zone seismically active?Subscriber Only

January 7, 2025

Tibet Earthquake: The Himalayan mountain range was formed after the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided around 50 million years ago. How does their movement continue to impact the region?

January 7, 2025

Explained: A clue on why new memories do not overwrite old onesSubscriber Only

January 7, 2025

The study, ‘Sleep microstructure organises memory replay’ was published in the journal Nature last week. It was carried out by scientists based at Cornell University in the United States.

January 7, 2025

Several workers stuck in a coal mine in Assam: What is ‘rat-hole’ mining?Subscriber Only

January 6, 2025

Rat-hole mining poses significant safety and environmental hazards. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned the practice in 2014, and retained the ban in 2015

January 6, 2025

What US Surgeon General says about drinking and cancer riskSubscriber Only

January 6, 2025

Growing research has shown that even one drink per day can increase the risk of certain cancers such as breast, mouth, and throat cancers.

January 6, 2025

Explained: What is the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to Messi, George Soros and Hillary Clinton?Subscriber Only

January 5, 2025

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the United States’ highest civilian honour, often given in recognition of a body of work over a person’s lifetime.

January 5, 2025

World Braille Day: What is braille? And how was the system of writing invented?Subscriber Only

January 4, 2025

World Braille Day is observed annually on January 4, the birthday of Louis Braille, the man who invented a revolutionary system using which visually impaired persons could read and write.

January 5, 2025

Explained: Link between loneliness and ill health, according to a new studySubscriber Only

January 4, 2025

One researcher said, “I think the message is that we have got to start to get people to realise that it (loneliness and social isolation) is part of a health thing... that they have to remain connected with other people”.

January 8, 2025

Russian gas supply to Europe via Ukraine stopped: Why now — and which countries will be affected?Subscriber Only

January 3, 2025

The gas supply which was halted on Wednesday took place through the Soviet-era Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline. It carried gas from Siberia via the town of Sudzha — currently, under the control of Ukrainian military forces — in Russia's Kursk region

January 3, 2025

Biden blocks Japan firm’s bid to acquire US steelmaker: why this is a shortsighted decision, what could happen nowSubscriber Only

January 3, 2025

Joe Biden Blocks Nippon Steel: The takeover of the iconic US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel was announced in 2023. There has been bipartisan political opposition to the deal – even though it contradicts the foundational American commitment to free markets and unfettered enterprise.

January 3, 2025

Savitribai Phule’s 194th birth anniversary: A look at the life of India’s first woman teacherSubscriber Only

January 3, 2025

A Dalit woman from the Mali community, Savitribai was born on January 3, 1831, in Maharashtra's Naigaon village. Married off at the age of 10, her husband Jyotirao Phule is said to have educated her at home

January 3, 2025

New Year’s Resolutions 2025: 3 cultural practices explaining its originsSubscriber Only

January 1, 2025

New Year’s Resolutions 2025: While the futility of the humble New Year's Resolution has been called to question, the practice of connecting the start of the calendar with a resolve to start afresh is a tale as old as time.

January 2, 2025

Swiss ‘burqa ban’ comes into effect: Why did the country ban face coveringsSubscriber Only

January 1, 2025

Switzerland Burqa Ban: In Switzerland, while almost no one wears burqa, only about 30 women wear the niqab, according to research by the University of Lucerne, Germany. Around 5% of Switzerland's population of 8.6 million people are Muslim

January 5, 2025

Meet Bezos-owned Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, set to launch into spaceSubscriber Only

December 31, 2024

The New Glenn rocket is a heavy-lift launch vehicle which has been named after John Glenn, the NASA astronaut who was the first American to circle the Earth in 1962

January 13, 2025

Norovirus cases rising in the US: How it spreads, what precautions can be takenSubscriber Only

December 31, 2024

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that is also sometimes referred to as the ‘winter vomiting bug’.

December 31, 2024

Why scientists are installing underwater telescopes to detect ‘ghost particles’Subscriber Only

December 31, 2024

These telescopes are much like the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which can detect high-energy neutrinos from deep space but is under the frozen ice in the Antarctic rather than being in the water

December 31, 2024

Nimisha Priya Case: What option does Kerala nurse on death row in Yemen have?Subscriber Only

December 31, 2024

Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya Case: Yemen President Rashad al-Alami on Monday approved the death penalty for Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, accused in the murder of a Yemeni citizen. Her only option now is 'blood money'. We explain.

January 1, 2025

Vikram Sarabhai’s 52nd death anniversary: How he shaped India’s scientific landscapeSubscriber Only

December 30, 2024

Here is a look at the life and achievements of Sarabhai, who late President APJ Abdul Kalam once had called the 'Mahatma Gandhi of Indian Science'

December 30, 2024

Manmohan Singh’s last rites: What is a state funeral, what rules govern itSubscriber Only

December 29, 2024

What is a 'state funeral', and what is national mourning? Who is accorded these, and what are the rules? We explain.

December 30, 2024

South Korea Plane Crash leaves 179 people dead: How do bird strikes impact flights?Subscriber Only

December 29, 2024

South Korea Plane Crash News Update: Bird strikes are being examined as a possible reason behind the recent aeroplane accident in South Korea. How do bird strikes become a safety hazard for flights? We explain.

December 30, 2024

Speed of human thought lags far behind internet connection: What does a new study say?Subscriber Only

December 28, 2024

While the speed of information flow in the human brain is just 10 bits per second (bps), a typical wi-fi connection processes 50 bps. One bit is the smallest unit of data that a computer can process and store

December 28, 2024

Why has South Korea impeached its president – again?Subscriber Only

December 27, 2024

President Yoon was impeached on December 14 following his failed bid to impose martial law. Why has the Acting President been removed now?

December 27, 2024

26/11 plotter dies in Pakistan: Who was Abdul Rehman Makki?Subscriber Only

December 27, 2024

Makki was a close aide of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and the deputy chief of the organisation behind the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008

December 27, 2024

Explained: Debate on skilled immigration, green cards & H-1B visas in USSubscriber Only

December 26, 2024

Donald Trump’s appointment of Chennai-born Sriram Krishnan as his top AI adviser has split Trump supporters due to Krishnan’s positions on skilled immigration, and why restrictions on it should be loosened

December 26, 2024

How the 2004 tsunami changed early warning systemsSubscriber Only

December 26, 2024

One reason why the tsunami resulted in widespread destruction was that the capabilities of early warning systems were limited. For instance, tsunami risk was considered low in Indonesia, one of the worst-hit countries, according to a report by Euronews

December 25, 2024

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