Friday, Sep 30, 2022
Journalism of Courage
Kabir Firaque
Kabir Firaque, a newsroom veteran of three decades, has been part of The Indian Express editorial team since 2008. A civil engineer by education, he writes on science, mathematics, puzzles, and issues related to Assam. He tweets @KabirFiraque
Authors you can follow
More From Kabir Firaque
Pythagorean geometry in Vedic-era texts, centuries before Pythagoras
Sulbasutras described procedures based on knowledge of what we call Pythagoras theorem. While this has long been known, the discussion has been revived after a Karnataka position paper calls the theorem 'fake news'.
Fri, Jul 22, 2022
Assam’s Muslims: why some have been declared ‘indigenous’ and some left out
The state Cabinet has approved the identification of five sub-groups as ‘indigenous’ Assamese Muslim communities. What is the history of these groups, what led to the decision, and which Muslim groups have been left out of the definition of ‘indigenous’?
Wed, Jul 13, 2022
Explained: A prosthetic leg suited for the way Indians sit and walk, adjustable and affordable
The device contains a knee-locking mechanism that can be activated and deactivated depending on varying conditions. It also provides for adjustment of link length, and includes an alignment adjuster mechanism.
Wed, Jun 15, 2022
Explained: Gun violence’s rising toll among US children
Firearm violence is now the leading cause of death among people in the age group 0-19 in the United States, according to data recently released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Wed, Jun 01, 2022
Explained: What a child’s tooth tells us about our ancient cousins
In a cave in Laos, a tooth that likely belonged to a Denisovan girl from 1,60,000 - 1,30,000 years ago. Little is known of Denisovans; the find sheds new light on their habitat, adaptability and interbreeding with the ancestors of modern humans.
Thu, May 19, 2022
Explained: Indians’ preference for sons, and why Meghalaya women prefer more daughters
For most Indians, an ideal family consists of more daughters than sons, NFHS data show. Women in matrilineal Meghalaya are the exception — but not the state's men.
Thu, May 19, 2022
Asthma drug blocks protein crucial to replication of coronavirus: IISc study
A widely available drug, used for treatment of asthma and allergies, can also block a protein that is key to replication of SARS-CoV-2, a study has found.
Wed, Apr 27, 2022
Explained: The languages India speaks
Hindi is the mother tongue of 44% of Indians in Census 2011; the rest speak 120 other languages
Wed, Sep 14, 2022
Explained: The complete human genome, and what it tells us
Two decades after most of the human genome was mapped, scientists have now filled in the gaps that remained. What are the parts newly sequenced, and how will the information be useful in understanding genetic disease and evolution?
Sat, Apr 02, 2022
Acting Oscars for playing the same character: What connects, what separates the 1961 and 2021 versions of West Side Story
Anita DeBose has matched Rita Moreno by bagging the Best Supporting Actress award for playing the character of Anita. Before that, there were Vito Corleone and the Joker.
Tue, Mar 29, 2022
Explained: Religions in India, ‘living together separately’
A study by Pew Research Center has found that most Indians respect religious diversity. Yet they prefer to live in separate spheres, and frown on interfaith marriages.
Tue, Jul 13, 2021
Can a person live to age 124, 135 or 150? Some optimism, some caveats
It is nearly 100% likely that someone will have lived beyond 122 by the end of the century, researchers have projected in a statistical study.
Tue, Jul 06, 2021
Explained: How to test your smartphone screen for coronavirus
Novel method involves collecting samples from smartphone screen and subjecting them to regular PCR testing. A double-blind study has found the non-invasive, low-cost test as accurate as regular PCR tests.
Wed, Jun 30, 2021
Explained: What puts lions and tigers at coronavirus risk?
A lioness at Chennai's Vandalur Zoo died of suspected coronavirus infection last week. A 10-year-old tiger also died at Ranchi's Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park after suffering from fever. Are lions and tigers particularly vulnerable? What have studies found?
Tue, Jun 08, 2021
Explained: How big a role can sniffer dogs play in detection of coronavirus?
A series of studies has shown how effectively dogs can detect coronavirus in sweat or urine samples of infected individuals. But can they replace conventional RT-PCR tests? Not yet.
Wed, May 26, 2021
Explained: Can a single lightning flash kill 18 elephants? Science says yes, in various possible ways
When current flows through the ground following a lightning strike, the electric potential (voltage) is highest at the point of the strike, and decreases with distance along the direction of the flow.
Thu, Dec 09, 2021
Explained: Why Congress blames regional front for helping BJP win Assam
The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and the Raijor Dal (RD), born out of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), ended up with one winning candidate between them — the jailed peasant leader Akhil Gogoi who heads the RD.
Tue, May 11, 2021
Explained: What Frances McDormand’s Oscars triumph reveals — and conceals — about older women characters in Hollywood
Ageism persists in Hollywood. Visibility of prominent actors like McDormand may skew perceptions of other women and female characters over 40
Tue, Apr 27, 2021
Explained: Flushing a public toilet and Covid-19 risk
A new study has found that public restrooms can indeed be hotbeds for transmission of airborne diseases.
Mon, Apr 26, 2021
Explained: Are men more vulnerable to Covid? It’s not so simple when race is factored in
A new study has found that societal backgrounds play a greater role in disease outcomes than gender does.
Fri, Apr 23, 2021
Explained: Vaccine that targets multiple coronaviruses
The vaccine, created by Zeichner and Virgina Tech’s Dr Xiang-Jin Meng, targets a part of the virus’s spike protein called the fusion peptide.
Thu, Apr 29, 2021
Explained: 10 key reasons why coronavirus transmission is primarily airborne
A team of experts has looked at available research and published their assessment that there is strong, consistent evidence that the primary transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 is indeed airborne. What are the implications of the assessment?
Wed, May 05, 2021
Muon g–2: landmark study challenges rulebook of particle physics
The Standard Model is a rigorous theory that predicts the behaviour of the building blocks of the universe.
Fri, Apr 09, 2021
Explained: In cats and dogs, UK strain of coronavirus and a heart condition
It is not yet established if myocarditis, a heart condition, was caused by the coronavirus infection, although researchers have underlined the need for recognising the association.
Thu, Mar 25, 2021
In protecting the wearer, two masks can be better than one, scientists say
The scientists have recommended two masks rather than one in certain settings, and explained that a mask protects not only people around the wearer but also the wearer.
Tue, Jan 19, 2021