What drives missions to Mars?
On Monday, November 26, NASA landed spacecraft InSight on Mars, after a long and difficult voyage—more than 300 million miles over six months.
Power to the powerless
The general attitude toward journalists is perhaps summed by what Norman Mailer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer, expressed many years ago, “If a person is not talented enough to be a...
The slow death of democracies
Lately, democratic erosion in many countries has been less dramatic and more deceptive. There are no tanks in the streets. A formal or
A case for more tea shops
When we look at someone like Mozart who shows his unusual gift at an early age, we think that it must be genetic. But studies show that genetics is a relatively small piece of the genius puzzle....
The power paradox
The Machiavellian thesis that power is about force, intimidation and violence no longer passes muster. Instead, through social practices that promote the interests of others such as empathy,...
Taking activism beyond social media
As the world marks the centenary of the October Revolution, it is apt to study online movements and their offline results. The day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, an estimated 3.5...
Diversity is strength
By making the workplace more diverse, an organisation can encourage employees to watch their own potential biases—fixed ways of thinking that can hinder their ability to see important facts and...
Omar Khadr, Canada and the rule of law
Most of us say “I'm sorry” many times a day for a host of trivial affronts—accidentally bumping into someone or sneezing during a business meeting. These apologies are easy and usually readily...
The 'Bangladesh paradox'
Despite the so-called bad governance, how has the economy of Bangladesh been growing at rates higher than those of most South Asian countries?
Tourism gone wild
Despite all these constraints—inadequate and poor quality public transports, extended travel time, high-priced but low quality accommodation, lack of recreational facilities—the number of domestic...