Science

AI Models, such as ChatGPT, do not really have any level of human-like understanding but are great at mimicry and fooling people into believing they are intelligent by parroting the vast trove of text they … Read more

Seven years back, I met Prof Thomas Kailath in Delhi, where he talked about how in the 90s, India was on par with, if not leading, countries like China in science and technology but was … Read more

ChatGPT—the AI-powered chatbot—has taken the tech world by storm. Launched as a prototype and made available for public testing on 30 November 2022, it has generated quite a buzz. In less than a week, it … Read more

The media’s focus on the SARS-CoV-2 variant spreading in China may prove excessive. Far more concerning variants are spreading rapidly in the United States and Europe. ​ The news of China opening up from Covid-19 … Read more

Neither clean energy nor lower temperatures, the latest scientific breakthrough is about testing the condition of the nuclear stockpiles of the United States. The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory’s advance in achieving fusion energy using lasers has … Read more

Exciting times for astrophysicists, as the Webb telescope delivers astounding details of the cosmos, from its farthest reaches to the beginning of time. Will it also help find dark matter and answer other questions? The … Read more

We must fight the battle for a sovereign, socialist, secular democratic republic, for it is also a battle to re-distribute the benefits of development to all sections of people of the nation. India’s struggle for … Read more

​ Last week, Richard Lewontin, the dialectical biologist, Marxist and activist, died at the age of 92, just three days after Mary Jane, his wife of more than 70 years, had passed away. He was … Read more

Ramdev’s disinformation campaigns, especially against vaccines and medical science, are causing immense damage. People could die if they trust his mumbo jumbo on Covid-19. ALL publicity is good publicity—so the old marketing slogan goes. Is … Read more

THERE is plenty to be depressed about these days. The year-long Covid-19 pandemic continues to plague people in India and around the world, the government obstinately refuses to engage with the existential issues raised by … Read more

On this bicentenary of Friedrich Engels, we need to understand the nature of the struggle of ideas that Engels was engaged in his times, and what its significance is today. Reflecting on the contributions of … Read more

AFTER a long, text-book Chandrayaan-2 mission since launch on June 22, right up till a mere 2 km or so above the lunar surface, the much awaited soft landing of the Vikram Lander in the … Read more