Dheeru
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Are we alone in the universe?
For the longest time, belief in extraterrestrial life was considered a fringe viewpoint, more suitable for sci-fi conventions and fans of Star Trek or the X-Files. Today, it’s the exact opposite. Those who reject the notion of alien life are considered to be the outliers. This change in attitude occurred for several reasons, perhaps none […]
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Is religion helping or hurting us?
Believers and non-believers alike agree on at least one thing: religion has had a tremendous influence on the history of humanity. But they generally disagree on everything else. Has religion been a net benefit or net cost to society? Are believers healthier and happier than non-believers? Can religion and science get along, or are they […]
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Why are there conspiracy theories?
Stolen elections. Phony pandemics. Faked moon landings. Lizard people. It’s not just Americans who love a good conspiracy theory; it seems to be a trait shared by humans everywhere. It is a curious paradox that in the Age of Information — when all of our acquired knowledge is available at the click of a button […]
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Should we trust science?
Science is given a privileged position in society. It is widely thought to be the ultimate arbiter of what constitutes true and false beliefs. Those who hold such a position claim that real-world problem-solving and technological advances are proof that science works. But there are objections. Yes, science can extend our lives with modern medicine, […]
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Do we have free will?
Free will remains a hotly debated philosophical question today, as we have no means of proving or disproving it using the scientific method. Are all of our actions causally predetermined, and hence not free, or are we in fact free agents in charge of our decisions? Modern thinkers like Sam Harris espouse the view of scientific determinism, suggesting […]
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Will true AI turn against us?
Artificial intelligence is already everywhere. From Amazon product suggestions to Google auto-complete, AI has invaded nearly every aspect of our lives. The trouble is that AI just isn’t very good. Have you ever had a meaningful conversation with Siri or Alexa or Cortana? Of course not. But that doesn’t mean it always will be this […]
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India’s Mental Health Crisis: How AI Has Made It A Ticking Time Bomb
When I recently met Nitish — the founder of a mental health startup that originally began as Consultation Over Coffee (now Inspiron) — he broke down India’s mental health landscape. There are“everyday cases” — anxiety, stress, burnout, relationship issues, and the emotional weight of modern life. People who are largely functional but struggling internally. The […]
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What Is Kathakali? Kerala’s 400-Year-Old Visual Theatre
The first time I saw it was at a friend’s wedding in Kochi — and honestly, it blew me away. The colors, the faces, the intensity… it felt immersive. But like most things I enjoy, I had zero context. So I decided to interview one of the older practitioners to actually understand what was going […]
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Google fellow: AI doesn’t pretend to be intelligent. It is.
Much of the ongoing discourse surrounding AI can largely be divided along two lines of thought. One concerns practical matters: How will large language models (LLMs) affect the job market? How do we stop bad actors from using LLMs to generate misinformation? How do we mitigate risks related to surveillance, cybersecurity, privacy, copyright, and the […]