Number of words: 167 To explore this macro perspective we turn to a pair of MIT economists, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who in their influential 2011 book, Race Against the Machine, provide a compelling case that among various forces at play, it’s therise of digital technology in particular that’s transforming our labor markets in … Read more

Number of words: 184 In an industrial economy, there was a small skilled labor and professional class for which deep work was crucial, but most workers could do just fine without ever cultivating an ability to concentrate without distraction. They were paid to crank widgets—and not much about their job would change in the decades … Read more

Number of words: 9,619 What determines the economic, social, and political trajectories of nations? Why were settlers in colonies like Jamestown and Australia able to escape the extractive systems desired by their British masters, while colonial subjects in Barbados and Jamaica were not? In his latest book, Daron Acemoglu elevates the power of institutions over theories … Read more

Number of words: 828 A few days ago, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote of the “palpable climate of fear in our society today” as one of the reasons for India’s economic slowdown. This fear is partially caused by a crackdown on corruption, which is choking new projects, investments and bureaucratic decisions. The slowdown is … Read more

Number of words: 4,469 After the worst financial collapse since the Great Depression, three officials from the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission visited Warren Buffett at his office in Omaha, Nebraska. They wanted to ask America’s most successful investor about his 24 million shares in the credit-rating agency Moody’s. The commission would later identify Moody’s and other rating … Read more

Number of words: 624 Boston: Scientists have designed an oral capsule which can deliver insulin and other drugs, that usually have to be injected to the lining of the small intestine and release them for uptake into the bloodstream. Many drugs, especially those made of proteins, cannot be taken orally because they are broken down in the gastrointestinal tract before they … Read more

Number of words: 1,537 A year ago, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) mission chief for India, Mr Ranil Salgado, described the economy as “an elephant that has started to run”. India’s economy was growing at more than 8 per cent, which made it the fastest-growing major economy in the world. But it would seem the … Read more

Number of words: 425 To understand one of the many reasons why goals can backfire, consider the experience of trying to hail a taxi in a major city during a rainstorm. If you’ve ever had to do this, you’ll be familiar with the despair it can induce – and you probably think you understand why … Read more

Number of words: 2,216 During the 2012 presidential election, there occurred one of those remarkably rare moments when campaign rhetoric actually clarified a large issue. It happened when Barak Obama, speaking without a written text, spoke from his heart and revealed his mind: “Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. … Read more

Number of words: 1,282 Tamil is not as emotive an issue for the people of Tamil Nadu, as it is made out to be by the Tamil television channels and English media. If it is so, it is neither reflected in the state’s education system, nor in the education choices of Tamilians.Just a few days … Read more