Democracies in the western world are in crisis, marked by deepening polarisation, mistrust in democratic institutions and rising populism that is making those countries take an insular turn. Over two decades ago, economist Dani Rodrik put forward a proposition he termed the political trilemma of the world economy. Examining the state of economic integration in … Read more
The International Monetary Fund’s report that pointed to the likelihood of the economic gains of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications outweighing the environmental costs of the increased energy demand that AI data centres will require is reassuring. It underscores that this transformational technology is not fundamentally at odds with the global imperative to pursue sustainable growth … Read more
India’s responses The Pahalgam incident is tragic. There has to be a full-fledged inquiry and the persons responsible punished. However, there needs to be focus on some of India’s retaliatory measures; for example, to send away Pakistanis who have come to India for treatment and, in some cases, asking Pakistanis who have been living in … Read more
A vintage colour lithograph from 1853 of William Shakespeare. | Photo Credit: Getty Images April 23 marked the 461st birth anniversary of the Bard of Stratford-on-Avon, William Shakespeare, who was described by his scholarly contemporary Ben Jonson as the “Soul of the Age”. Shakespeare was born in 1564, a year which was significant in the … Read more
The tension between languages and cultures is mediated by translation. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto A picture theory of language says images are the link between words and the real world. One points to a cow and tells a toddler, “Look, cow. Say it. Say cow!” Thereafter, it is unlikely that the child will point … Read more
While some desperately try to scrub away the so-called bad influence of violent films, they do yearn for the very thing they claim to despise. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Keralites have had a complicated relationship with violence in films, adoring the adrenaline rush of edge-of-the-seat action sequences but screaming blue murder the moment someone … Read more
When oppression lasts for centuries, it transforms into an invisible force, dictating behaviour without explicit rules. | Photo Credit: Getty Images A video recently surfaced showing an IAS officer receiving a petition from a woman. Before accepting it, the officer insisted, “You wear your slippers first, only then I will take it.” Though a small … Read more
AI lacks human intuition and it is very important not to discard the traditional methods of analysis when it comes to securities trading. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Imagine a world where artificial intelligence could predict stock market movements with accuracy. It sounds like a dream come true for investors and traders. But, what if … Read more
A short and unforgettable interaction. | Photo Credit: Getty Images It was one of those routine domestic flights of about two hours’ duration, only it was in the U.S., a country with which I am not too familiar. I had a window seat and settled down in it, hoping to catch up with some reading. … Read more
