In 58 posts with close to 100k words, we shared a lot in 2024! Explore 2024’s biggest geopolitical shifts, cultural battles, and bold insights with Drishtikone’s year in review. See you in 2025! Happy New Year! Be safe!
When you see Russia get into existential war over Ukraine, or Israel bomb Syria or India battle with Pakistan or Bangladesh, it is not because of some whim. It has a historical and geographical context. That is critical to understand for analyzing geopolitics.
“We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.” ― Richard P. Feynman
1. Plants and Cognition
Do plants think? The science is now coming to the understanding that they are cognitive. And that opens up far more questions about our own intelligence and cognitive abilities.
2. The line above Manhattan
Called an eruv, there is about 18 miles of translucent wire that stretches around the skyline. Hardly anyone has noticed it. The reason for its origin - Jewish Sabbath.
3. How ratings destroy human lives
The Dutch city of Rotterdam implemented a system to rank individuals based on their risk of fraud. The results, however, were concerning.
4. Is Physics made up?
There was a time when the math helped science. Now math creates science. Where is the science going?
5. Math to model Fragility of the Ecosystems
One area where ecology modelers have made significant advancements in recent years is in the use of simplified models. By using just one equation instead of thousands, these models are able to more accurately represent the complex interactions of ecosystems. This is particularly important when it comes to assessing the health of fragile environments, as it allows researchers to more precisely determine how close these ecosystems are to tipping points that could lead to catastrophic consequences. Without these simplified models, it would be much more difficult to predict and prevent the collapse of critical ecosystems, and the loss of biodiversity and essential ecosystem services that would result.
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