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
July 19, 2022 22:15 IST
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, 2022July 11, 2022 13:37 IST
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, 2022June 15, 2022 04:00 IST
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, 2022June 01, 2022 03:46 IST
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, 2022May 19, 2022 05:59 IST
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, 2022May 17, 2022 17:23 IST
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, 2022April 27, 2022 04:00 IST
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, 2022April 12, 2022 02:01 IST
Hindi is the mother tongue of 44% of Indians in Census 2011; the rest speak 120 other languages
Wed, Sep 14, 2022April 01, 2022 23:26 IST
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, 2022March 28, 2022 21:11 IST
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, 2022July 08, 2021 04:20 IST
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, 2021July 05, 2021 04:10 IST
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, 2021June 25, 2021 18:09 IST
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, 2021June 08, 2021 04:09 IST
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, 2021May 26, 2021 02:56 IST
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, 2021May 17, 2021 03:52 IST
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, 2021May 07, 2021 20:29 IST
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, 2021April 26, 2021 14:45 IST
Ageism persists in Hollywood. Visibility of prominent actors like McDormand may skew perceptions of other women and female characters over 40
Tue, Apr 27, 2021April 24, 2021 04:00 IST
A new study has found that public restrooms can indeed be hotbeds for transmission of airborne diseases.
Mon, Apr 26, 2021April 23, 2021 04:00 IST
A new study has found that societal backgrounds play a greater role in disease outcomes than gender does.
Fri, Apr 23, 2021April 21, 2021 04:22 IST
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, 2021April 17, 2021 00:51 IST
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, 2021April 09, 2021 04:20 IST
The Standard Model is a rigorous theory that predicts the behaviour of the building blocks of the universe.
Fri, Apr 09, 2021March 25, 2021 04:30 IST
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, 2021January 19, 2021 02:27 IST
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