Reviews

In many rural stories, a rooster crowing at midnight is treated as an omen. The unusual timing may be attributed to spirits, approaching disaster or a hidden…

The history of Indian science includes many researchers whose names never became household words. S.M. Mitra belongs to that less familiar group: an early…

A young scientist in Pune has explored a deceptively simple idea: using a smartphone camera to help detect fake medicines. Instead of relying on a laboratory…

The chemistry of the Indian pickle shows how food can remain stable without a refrigerator. Salt, acid, oil, spices, reduced water activity and carefully…

Reports of a strange plant glowing in the dark in Kerala have attracted attention because the object appears to shine from within a living forest. Photographs…

M.S. Swaminathan transformed the history of Indian agriculture by helping farmers produce far more grain from limited land. His work became central to the…

Astrological charts present the sky at a person’s birth as a map of character, habits and future tendencies. A natal chart may assign meaning to the Sun, Moon…

In a West Bengal school science club, ghost stories have become the starting point for investigation rather than the final explanation. Students examine…

A basilisk lizard can sprint across the surface of a pond, apparently ignoring the rule that animals should sink. Videos of this Central and South American…

In a village in Rajasthan, a well associated with illness and misfortune has acquired the reputation of being cursed. Such stories often arise when a community…