Fun fact: nature delivers services worth an estimated US$150 trillion a year—roughly double the world’s GDP. That’s the scale of what we stand to lose when ecosystems collapse. Welcome to The Economics of Extinction, where we explore what happens to human lives, businesses, and whole economies when the buzz of bees, the protection of wetlands, …
Fun fact: it takes almost 1.9 million litres of water to produce just one tonne of lithium — enough water to fill nearly 760 average bathtubs! Welcome to The Green Energy Paradox, where our dream of clean solar panels, wind turbines, and electric cars hides a darker, messy reality. We need these technologies for a …
Here’s a fun fact: when Gross Domestic Product (GDP) goes up after a devastating oil spill, economists cheer—because all the cleanup activity counts as “growth.” But do you feel better off when disasters, deforestation, or hospital visits are boosting “progress”? That’s the paradox behind “Beyond GDP – Rethinking Progress for a Sustainable Future.” GDP was …
Here’s a fun fact: a single handful of healthy soil contains more living organisms than there are humans on Earth. That’s right—tiny bacteria, fungi, worms, insects, and roots are working overtime beneath our feet, often unnoticed but indispensable to life above ground. When I say, “The Secret Life Beneath Our Feet,” I’m not being poetic—I’m …
Here’s a fun fact: scientists estimate that Earth is home to nearly 8.7 million species, but we’ve only identified about 1.2 million of them. That means most of the life sharing this planet with us remains unnamed, unstudied, and unnoticed. Yet many of these species are already disappearing before we even know they exist. When …
Here’s a fun fact to start: did you know that about three-quarters (75 %) of the world’s flowering plants depend on animal pollinators like bees, butterflies, bats, flies, and birds — and similarly, roughly 35 % of our food crops rely on them to produce? The connection between pollinators and what ends up on our plates is …
Fun fact: scientists have used skulls from Keeladi to reconstruct faces of men who lived about 2,500 years ago — and these faces are more than art; they are mirrors that force us to rethink who we are. The ancient archaeological site of Keeladi, near Madurai in Tamil Nadu, has once again captured imaginations — …
Fun fact: Astronauts’ stem cells—tiny powerhouses for growth and repair—can age more rapidly in space than on Earth. When we look up at the stars, it feels like the final frontier: space is glamorous, inspiring, and full of adventure. But what if every journey beyond our atmosphere carries a hidden cost—one measured not just in …
Fun fact: In some cloud seeding experiments in India, scientists observed rainfall increases of nearly 46% under the right conditions. Delhi is no stranger to environmental crises. Smog thick enough to sting your eyes, taps running dry, groundwater vanishing into oblivion, and every winter a blanket of toxic haze that makes the World Health Organization’s …
Fun fact: India’s first dedicated Quantum City in Bengaluru is expected to create a USD 20 billion quantum economy by 2035. That’s huge. In this article, I examine The Promise and Peril of India’s Quantum City, exploring why this futuristic idea might be a game-changer — or a cautionary tale. What is Being Promised A …
