For the philosopher Kieran Setiya, midlife is marked by “a disconcerting mixture of nostalgia, regret, claustrophobia, emptiness, and fear” and looking forward, he saw only “a projected sequence of accomplishments stretching through the future to retirement, decline, and death.” The solution to this conundrum can be found in Aristotle’s take on a life well-lived. For … Continue reading Atelic Pursuits
Passport, please!
Between 1917 and 1934, Gandhi’s base in Mumbai was a pretty mansion which now houses a museum dedicated to preserving the memories of this period. Mani Bhawan is relatively unknown in the tourist circuit but did manage to attract the attention of Martin Luther King and Obama during their visits to the city. I visited … Continue reading Passport, please!
Elevators as Mass Transport Systems
Last month, I had two ‘elevating’ experiences in Bombay. The first was my vertical descent from the third floor of a building to the ground floor. No, I didn’t fall from the balcony. I took an elevator – the only catch being that this happened to be the world’s largest. (I’m still trying to wrap … Continue reading Elevators as Mass Transport Systems
Once Upon a Time in Bengal
The invention of the shipping container as a mode of transport by Malcolm McLean is considered to be a watershed moment in the history of global trade and logistics. By standardizing the size of the container (most are eight feet wide, eight and a half feet high and forty feet long), shipping became efficient and … Continue reading Once Upon a Time in Bengal
The Empire of Cotton
Most of the iconic structures of Bombay were built by the profits from the cotton trade. To understand this, one needs to grasp how cotton emerged as the key commodity driving imperialists, plantation owners and bankers for almost three hundred years. Columbus’ discovery of America and Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route to … Continue reading The Empire of Cotton
The Chip Wars
China used more cement between 2011 and 2013 than the U.S. used in the entire 20th Century. Yes, you heard that right! Now, with this knowledge, it’s not unnatural to imagine China importing lots of crude oil, heavy machinery or vehicles. But the fact is that China’s largest category of imports is an entirely unrelated category … Continue reading The Chip Wars
Order without Design
China has 1100. South Korea 86, Malaysia 61, Indonesia 48 and India a paltry 24. What am I referring to? If you guessed ‘billionaires’, the answer is wrong. It’s the number of skyscrapers taller than 200 meters! Why is India an outlier in this otherwise pan-Asian phenomenon? One answer to this is the low Floor … Continue reading Order without Design
Principles for a Digital Republic
With tech increasingly becoming ubiquitous and intrusive day by day, at what point do we cease becoming engaged citizens and transform into mere consumers of information? The rights, liberties, and privileges that we derive from citizenship are a fruit of centuries of engagement around the ideas of justice, ethics, freedom, equality etc. Today, when our … Continue reading Principles for a Digital Republic
The Freedom to Think
Freedom of Speech is a concept that I’m familiar with. Almost every day, you see some manifestation of this principle in our polity and society. But what does the ‘Freedom to Think’ encompass? Susie Alegre educated me on this and had some hooks to anchor my thinking on this topic. Article 18 of The Universal … Continue reading The Freedom to Think
The Melancholia of Edward Hopper
I’m someone who has always found train journeys to be magical. It’s not the swanky berths, fancy catering or the air conditioning that draws me in but the melancholy of dark vistas, remote hamlets, headlights of cars on lonely highways and tiny deserted railway stations in the middle of nowhere. Watching these sights appear and … Continue reading The Melancholia of Edward Hopper
