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A few interesting articles I came across recently:

Why You Should Stop Reading News – This article makes a series of thought-provoking statements on the topic of today’s ‘news’ and ‘journalists’. For example, ‘the more news we consume the more misinformed we become.’, and ‘your attention is so valuable, it might be the most important thing you have’.

The Exponential Age will transform economics forever – This article in the Wired argues that ‘It’s hard for us to fathom exponential change – but our inability to do so could tear apart businesses, economies and the fabric of society’. Do take the time to read this fascinating piece.

Why Europe is a great place for digital nomads – The pandemic-inflicted Work From Home phenomenon has shone the spotlight firmly on ‘Digital Nomads’. While it’s usually places like Bali, Thailand and Goa that one usually associates with this trend, this article in the Economist makes the case as to why Europe is also a great place to consider for digital nomads.

How to have a perfect day in Dublin without spending a euro – And talking of Europe, a great itinerary if you are looking to spend a day in Dublin, Ireland sampling some of the many things one can do in that wonderful city without spending much money.

A few interesting articles that I came across recently:

The Happiness Benefits of Walking – I have been taking a brisk morning walk regularly for a few years now. It’s become part of my daily routine that I almost can’t do without. And even otherwise, I love to walk. It does help that, for the past decade or more, I have lived in cities that are largely conducive to walking, especially from a weather perspective. If you do not yet appreciate the joy of walking, then this article is for you!

Many birds flocked to cities during COVID-19 lockdowns – This will not really come as a surprise, but there is now data to back the general sense that many of us had during lockdowns last year that we are now seeing and hearing more birds in urban areas. This data is US specific, it will be interesting to read about similar studies in other parts of the World.

A Brief History of the Hippie Trail – The Hippie Trail is a fascinating, and largely forgotten part of the whole youth cultural movement of the 1960’s and 70’s. My familiarity with the Goa of the 1990’s when one could still see many ‘hippies’ is possibly one of the reasons I have been interested about this particular cultural episode. This is a good first-person account of those interesting times.

The most epic overnight train journeys in the world – I have always loved train travel, especially long ones. There is a certain sense of peace in knowing that, for the next how many ever hours, you are cocooned away from the hustle and bustle and stress of everyday life and can happily watch the work go hurtling by outside your window. And while I might be biased in believing that any list of epic overnight train journeys has to include at least one Indian rail journey, this is a good list if one wishes to experience the charms of an overnight train journey outside of India.

A few articles from topics that I follow:

‘Not just a drummer – a genre’: Stewart Copeland and Max Weinberg on Charlie Watts – Charlie Watts, the drummer of the Rolling Stones, sadly passed away last week. This article highlights what made him a special musician.

Is French cuisine forever changed? – The mention of French cuisine evokes a certain feeling – of delicious food, of course, but also presentation, ambience, style and many more. But it can also evoke a feeling of rigidity and formality. This article explores these concepts further.

The Strange Persistence of First Languages – We, in India, are very familiar with the concept of ‘Mother Tongue’. Unfortunately, for various reasons, I fear that we will see a steady decline in native speakers of our local languages. Articles such as this one give me some hope.

Why Does Liechtenstein Even Exist? – I have always been interested in Geography. And one of the questions I was pondering recently was how many countries in the world are doubly landlocked. This article provided me with the answer, but that’s not the only reason why I found this an interesting article.

This week’s list covers many different topics. I hope you enjoy reading them!

Seeing Red – A fascinating article about the rise of China and what the future might hold when it comes to geopolitics.

‘Roaring Twenties’: Are we entering a new age of hedonism? – The 1920’s are considered as the 20th Century (Western) world’s wildest and most creative era. There are some parallels with the 2020’s with the pandemics and economic depressions. This article looks back 100 years to speculate how the post-pandemic era might look like.

Ohio’s vaccine lottery saved more than $60m in averted healthcare costs – Results from an interesting experiment where Ohio state offered cash prizes to encourage tens of thousands of people to get jabbed, which resulted in nearly 5,000 days in ICU being avoided.

How to escape the ‘productivity trap’ – This article explores how ‘productivity’ became increasingly important, reasons many of us get sucked into this ‘trap’ and how we could break free from it.

A Dying Tradition: The Naturally Distilled Rose Water of Srinagar – Just one of the many fascinating aspects of our culture and heritage that are at risk of drying out…

A selection of interesting articles I came across last week:

How will the pandemic end? – I am sure many of us have wondered about this question. This article should provide all the answers.

How to Think: The Skill You’ve Never Been Taught – Sounds like a strange statement to make, right? This article explains what is thinking, and how to do it right. ‘Good thinking is expensive but poor thinking costs a fortune.’

How to Get Up Close with India’s Indigenous Cultures – Monday, August 09, was celebrated as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Read more about some of India’s indigenous cultures in this article.

One Ladakhi Girl’s Journey from Darkness to Light – A truly inspiring story of a young girl from Ladakh who grew up in a village without electricity and is now spreading (solar) light across the country.