British universities slammed for taking £90m from oil companies in four years

British universities have accepted almost £90m in funding from major oil companies since 2017, openDemocracy can reveal. Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London have been criticised for taking the most, with one MP branding the relationship between oil giants and universities “scandalous.” Imperial College London has accepted more than £54m, including £39m from Shell –… Read More British universities slammed for taking £90m from oil companies in four years

Modern life is giving us brain fatigue. By Mary E. Williams

Reading Dr. Mark Rego’s provocative, intense Frontal Fatigue: The Impact of Modern Life and Technology on Mental Illness, I found myself thinking of David Foster Wallace’s “This Is Water.”  In it, the late author observes the need to be aware of “what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us.”  Today, we live in a culture that… Read More Modern life is giving us brain fatigue. By Mary E. Williams

Bharat Bhushan: BJP up to old tricks in UP as assembly elections approach / Arvind Kala: Nobody's converting Hindus to Islam & Christianity

The UP election, political pundits tell us, will impact the re-election chances of Prime Minister Modi in 2024. Is this why the prime minister finds himself in the state almost every week? Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the Rs. 700 crore Kashi-Vishwanath Temple Corridor Project by carrying a container of “Ganga-jal” from Lalita… Read More Bharat Bhushan: BJP up to old tricks in UP as assembly elections approach / Arvind Kala: Nobody's converting Hindus to Islam & Christianity

Will Omicron Finally End the Covid-19 Pandemic? By Stephen Londe, MD

It’s possible that the latest Covid-19 variant is actually a blessing in disguise.    In 1796 an English physician, Edward Jenner, observed that milkmaids who had gotten cowpox were immune to smallpox. He surmised, rightly, as we now know, that the disease was related. Smallpox, which has killed hundreds of millions of people dating all… Read More Will Omicron Finally End the Covid-19 Pandemic? By Stephen Londe, MD

Patricia Mukhim: Nagaland’s people deserve neither AFSPA nor gun culture

The sight of a dozen or more coffins being laid in a row while young, helpless widows and elderly grief-stricken parents come to terms with their loss is an image that is both outrageous and painful. The dead were ordinary citizens going home to their village in Nagaland after work. In one shattering moment, their… Read More Patricia Mukhim: Nagaland’s people deserve neither AFSPA nor gun culture

With cheers and songs, farmers call off year-long agitation (Photos) / At Singhu border: ‘fight will continue… don’t feel like going back’

Farmer leaders said that they will again meet on January 15 to see if the government has fulfilled their demands. At the meeting, a call on resuming protests will be taken, said SKM member Gurnam Singh Chaduni. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal) https://indianexpress.com/photos/india-news/farmers-agitation-suspended-protestors-victory-marches-7664183/ It’s a Wrap: States ready jalebis, dhols as farmers prepare to head… Read More With cheers and songs, farmers call off year-long agitation (Photos) / At Singhu border: ‘fight will continue… don’t feel like going back’

Gujarat HC pulls up civic body: How can you decide what I eat?

Hearing a plea by 25 street vendors that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had seized their carts following objections from councillors to the sale of non-vegetarian items, the Gujarat High Court Thursday came down heavily on the AMC and instructed it to consider the cases “as expeditiously as possible” if approached by the petitioners within 24… Read More Gujarat HC pulls up civic body: How can you decide what I eat?

PHIL TORRES: How the New Atheists merged with the far right

New Atheism appeared to offer moral clarity, it emphasized intellectual honesty and it embraced scientific truths about the nature and workings of reality. It gave me immense hope to know that in a world overflowing with irrationality, there were clear-thinking individuals with sizable public platforms willing to stand up for what’s right and true — to… Read More PHIL TORRES: How the New Atheists merged with the far right