The nose knows

Number of words – 214 People doing laundry want the detergent to help get their clothes not just clean, but very clean. Soap brands attempt to differentiate how they got your white whiter and brights brighter by trying to convince customers that one additive was more effective than another. Protein, said one brand. Colour enhancers, … Read more

Railroads at crossroads

Number of words – 137 In the 1800s, the railroads were the biggest companies in the country. Having achieved such monumental success, even having changed the landscape of America, remembering why stopped being important to them. Instead they became obsessed with what they did – they were in the railroad business. This narrowing of perspective … Read more

Choices n Confusion

Number of words – 241 In the 1970s, there were only two types of Colgate toothpaste. But as competition increased, Colgate’s sales started to slip. The company introduced a new product that included a new feature, the addition of fluoride, perhaps. Then another. Then another. Whitening. Tartar control. Sparkles. Stripes. Each innovation certainly help boost … Read more

Nasik’s Pandu Caves

Number of words – 455 Five miles to the south of Naṣik, on the Naṣik Mumbai Highway, lies the Triraṣmi mountain (Pali: Tiranhų; Sanskrit: Triraṣmi) in which 24 Buddhist caves were excavated between 150 BCE to 600 CE. These caves face northwards and thus enjoy sunlight throughout the day. The caves were not excavated in a numbered sequence … Read more

Galileo and the testing of hypotheses

Number of words – 144 Galileo brought physics into mathematics. Olympiad astronomy, by modelling his way of studying motion and the methods in astronomy. In 1612, he wrote a memorandum on how to investigate nature, stating the procedure in four parts: 1. Start with the phenomenon based on the sense observations we see everyday. 2. … Read more

The first Steam Engine

Number of words – 369 Thomas Newcomen was an iron monger and blacksmith in Devonshire. With a local plumber, John Kelly, Newcomen experimented on a different kind of engine during the first decade of the 18th century. The first successful installation was in Staffordshire in 1712. By 1720, the engine was being widely used, and continuously … Read more