Decaf

Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 04:40 PM IST

Decaf

Runversation: Fernanda sets a Kilimanjaro record

On September 25, endurance runner Fernanda Maciel established a new female speed record on Mt Kilimanjaro.

The craze for houses constructed with perforated walls using bamboos is picking up thanks to the efforts of architect R.S. Liza.

Nature’s way: Back to bamboo

Bamboo and mud, which have lost their pre-eminent status as construction materials, are making a comeback. Albeit slowly.

15 Oct 2017 2:18 AM

For centuries, those practising this form of medicine swear every day on something more elaborate than the Hippocratic Oath, and perform prayers and only then treat patients.

Biopiracy: Right over Tibetan medicine

China tries to stake claim over Sowa Rigpa which has a significant Indian influence on the Tibetan medicine.

12 Oct 2017 6:50 AM

Ground-breaking studies in mice have shown that engram cells encoding a memory can actually be identified.

Grey matter: The brain’s exhaustive memory bank

Studies by scientists have shown in many ways that forced activation of ‘memory engram cells’ can result in recall of the memory.

12 Oct 2017 6:46 AM

Angels Foundation recently took their therapy dogs into the Tech Mahindra offices in Mumbai.

Pet therapy: Pet power at work

Companies the world over are using animal power to reduce stress and help in staff retention.

12 Oct 2017 6:30 AM

On September 16, 2017, Ashok Daniel, a lawyer at the Madras High Court, raised the bar for India’s ultra/mountain distance runners when he became the first Indian to finish the brutal Tor des Geants. Behind this conquest is a story of years of hard work, grit and determination.

Runversation: Tour of Giants, a race so beautiful in all its brutality

It’s the aptly named Tor des Geants (Tour of Giants) — a week-long ultra running race through Italy’s Aosta valley.

04 Oct 2017 2:16 AM

The challenges of the basic task of fusing the elements are immense, like temperatures hotter than at the centre of the Sun, intense pressure, and runaway electrons. Solutions are being found for some of the stumbling blocks as scientists experiment with doughnut shaped reactors.

Energy efficient: Nuclear fusion can save the world

Every few years, shouts of electrical “Eureka” are heard as incremental improvements crop up in potential fusion methods.

04 Oct 2017 2:14 AM

A recent study has revealed that cheat days during diets may help you lose more weight. Here are thereasons why this is so.

Diet hacks: Cheat to lose weight

A cheat meal is also a very good reward or incentive that makes sure the other meals are healthy and as per the prescribed diet.

04 Oct 2017 2:11 AM

The fidget spinner seems to have an apex spot on the Amazon India bestseller toys’ list.

Spin doctor: A spin for the fidgety soul

Fidgeting is an involuntary but relentless activity that we all indulge in, be it biting nails, tapping foot, or clicking a pen.

24 Sep 2017 6:27 AM

The cutting edge handheld instrument known as The MasSpec Pen provides surgeons with exact diagnostic information about which tissue to cut or preserve.

Cutting edge: Detecting cancer tissue in 10 seconds

The revolutionary MasSpec Pen accurately identifies cancerous tissues and the words ‘Normal’ or ‘Cancer’ automatically appear on a computer screen.

24 Sep 2017 6:24 AM

Rohan M. Ganapathy, CEO and director, Bellatrix Aerospace, and Yashas Karanam, director and COO, Bellatrix Corporation, receiving an award from then President Pranab Mukherjee earlier this year.

Final frontier: Sky is the limit for 2 IISc start-ups

Rocket science? Bellatrix Aerospace and Astrome Technologies could well be one up on SpaceX, OneWeb, Boeing.

24 Sep 2017 6:19 AM

These ‘100 per cent Polluted Water Popsicles’, are flavoured with plastic waste, sewage, cigarette butts, condoms, oil spill, harmful dyes, resin, dead fish, wrappers, bottle caps et al.

Taste of waste: Deadly popsicles up for grabs!

These delicious-looking but deadly ice candies cleverly highlight the global problem of water pollution.

17 Sep 2017 6:29 AM

Deepak Raj quit his job at Infosys and offers online Ironman coaching to aspiring endurance athletes and triathletes, under the name Tri-a-newlife.

Runversation: Triathletes have the will, the body follows

Deepak ranks among the top triathletes in India with 18 full ironman finishes to his credit.

17 Sep 2017 6:23 AM

A digital project Racial Microaggression features minority students, who highlight the everyday prejudice they face. (Photo: Kim Kiyun)

Subtle racism: Stories of an ‘invisible’ prejudice

A blog and digital project records accounts of microaggression or subtle slights faced by minorities all over.

17 Sep 2017 6:19 AM

The smart window glass switches between transparent and opaque states and can change its tint as per the occupant’s need.

Living daylight: Open the doors for smart windows

As compared to the electrochromic window, they can go up to more than 5,000 cycles of switching with minimum degradation and thus are more durable.

10 Sep 2017 2:29 AM

The study was conducted over a six-year period. The results showed that high levels of HDL in the bloodstream increased the risk of death by 68 per cent in women, and 106 per cent in men.

Health and you: Too much good cholesterol is also too bad

“While cholesterol cannot be the only factor for cardiovascular diseases, it is definitely one of the markers for the same,” says Dr Aanand.

10 Sep 2017 2:21 AM

The discussion on peace itself is a political activity, which remains incomplete without exploring the philosophical questions on individual yearnings.

Mind matters: Exploring Philosophical fundamentals of peace

Even after the victory in war, the Pandavas did not find peace with themselves and did not become people who happily-lived-ever-after.

10 Sep 2017 2:15 AM

Runversation: The Mont Blanc at your feet

You run in the shadow of the Mont Blanc, you reach 10 summits, and you run in three countries.

03 Sep 2017 2:33 AM

Prof. Venkatesh Babu along with his team from the Department of Computation and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru.

Tech that: Size up a crowd the neural way

Just how do you count crowds, stand by with an emergency evacuation plan to prevent a catastrophe triggered by a stampede, and all in a few seconds?

03 Sep 2017 2:28 AM

It seems that all those clicks that you, as advertiser, paid for, well, many of them were not clicked by humans but by clever robotic programmes.

Ad Nauseam: Bot attack!

Fraudulent clicks by robot programmes inflate Google advertisers’ billings. The episode unveils the larger risks of digital marketing.

03 Sep 2017 2:23 AM

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Columns

Dilip Cherian