Posted a day late, apologies!

The new fault lines on which the world economy rests – While economies in many parts of the world are booming, the Economist cautions that there are very important issues just beneath the surface that could determine whether the recovery can be sustained.

Curiosity Depends on What You Already Know – A very interesting exploration of why we are curious and what determines the subject of our curiosity.

The birth of India’s film industry: how the movies came to Mumbai – Last week marked the end of an era in Hindi movies, with the passing away of legendary actor, Dilip Kumar. Everyone probably knows that the Indian film industry is the largest in the world and this article looks at the very beginnings of the film industry in Mumbai.

The unsolved mystery of Skeleton Lake – Roopkund is known to the lovers of mountains in India. It contains a mystery that is still far from being solved, more than 80 years after it first came to light.

We are now more halfway through this year, and hopefully the second half will be better than the first… Here are a few interesting articles to kick off Half Year 2!

Mystery of the wheelie suitcase: how gender stereotypes held back the history of invention – We are now well into the third decade of the 21st Century, but we still have a long way to go before we achieve Gender Equality. I think it’s important to read articles such as these to understand the perils of stereotyping.

History of Indian Railways – The pandemic has meant that it will still be a while before we can start enjoying the pleasures of an Indian rail journey. This interview points out some key moments in the development of this quintessential Indian experience.

‘It feels good’: Kashmir folk singer’s rise from dusty street to music star – It’s always heartwarming to read stories such as these. Folk culture is something to be conserved so that future generations can appreciate it and experience the joy of feeling connected to one’s roots.

Why Malayalam cinema, not Bollywood, is India’s rapid-response unit for Covid films – I hail from the Indian state of Kerala, home to Malayalam cinema. The cinema from this southern state is very different from what one typically sees coming out from Bollywood and this article explains some of the reasons why.

This week’s article is a bit late, but I hope you will still enjoy reading these interesting articles.

The workers pushing back on the return to the office – As the pandemic shows signs of abating, and organisations start thinking of calling employees back to the office, they are finding that (some) employees are not really enthused about the idea of going back to a regular office routine. It will be interesting to see how organisations navigate through this and strike a balance.

40 Life Lessons from 40 Years – I am wary of any organised ‘isms’, and I am concerned that ‘Minimalism’ might be going that way. That being said, there are still some interesting and potentially useful insights in this article.

PV Narasimha Rao: India’s ‘accidental’ Prime Minister – Former Prime Minister, P V Narasimha Rao, was born on June 28th 1921, a 100 years ago yesterday. This article looks at the tumultous times that marked the start of his tenure as PM, and the unfortunate politics following his death that led to him not getting due credit for his achievements.

The ultimate symbol for our times – I like reading about Art History, and this article on the role of windows in Western Art is especially interesting.

Don’t feed birds from balcony, it creates nuisance for neighbours – I enjoy watching birds, but do not venture to feeding them. I believe we should only be observers of nature and wildlife, and not active participants, so as to not disturb the ecological equilibrium. This article caught my attention, for a couple of reasons. One was the reason given by the Judge for not feeding birds. And the other was the slow turning of wheels in the Indian judicial system as this case was filed 10 years ago!

A round-up of a few of the interesting articles I came across last week:

Technology Saves the World – It should come as no surprise that this article is written by a technologist, but it still makes some very valid points, as well as provide some food for thought. Equitable access to technology (in addition to vaccines) could be game changing.

A Reluctant Optimist – Professor Scott Galloway outlines a few reasons why he is a bit more (cautiously) optimistic these days…

The Story of the Flying Sikh – Last week saw the passing away of a true Indian legend. I must confess that I did not know the full back story to Milkha Singh’s life and reading this only made his accomplishments even more inspiring.

A Queen and a Sacred River – A fascinating story of determination, smarts and philanthropy set in one of India’s great cities.

Scientists hail golden age to trace bird migration with tech – Regular readers of this blog would know that bird-watching is one of my favourite hobbies. Bird migration is a fascinating topic in itself and now, with the advent of very light-weight GPS trackers, it is becoming possible to understanding migratory behaviours of even small birds.

India’s Foreign Travelers – The South and West coasts of India have a long history of welcoming travelers from all over the world, but especially from around the Indian Ocean. This article looks at five such historical travelers.

Pice hotels: A lifeline for Kolkata’s hungry workers – Restaurants offering comforting meals for the price conscious migrant workers.

‘A career change saved my life’ – Burnout is real. This article looks at some people who have built better lives after burnout.