POPULAR SCIENCE

Illustrated: Message in a (plastic) bottle

Words: Devayani Khare,
Illustrations: Sumita Nanda

The Ganges is among the top contributors of land-based plastic pollution into global oceans – the river serves as a conduit for terrestrial waste ending up in marine ecosystems. Here's an illustrated look at the river pollution along the sacred Ganges.

How do we recycle plastic?

Mongabay India
March 2022

Plastics were once considered a revolutionary material that would replace natural, scarce products. The very advantages of plastic have made it difficult to recycle plastics today. Here's what works, what doesn't work in recycling.

PlastiCities: the role of grassroots initiatives in waste management

Mongabay India
February 2022

Grassroots organisations that work at the intersection between the formal and informal sectors are important. Here are some lessons we can learn for a decentralised, cost-efficient blueprint for waste management in India.

Turning the tide: plastic pollution & climate change

Mongabay India
January 2022

Plastic pollution plays a significant role in global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. As India’s petrochemical industry expands, experts question how the 2070 net-zero target would be met?

Pipe Dreams: stories of Bengaluru's water supply

Geobites Blog
November 2021

Can a pipeline that runs through an urban landscape weave narratives of water usage through space and time? Read more about the urban and rural divide, the urban sprawl, the pre-colonial water management & the scarcity faced today.

What is the effect of plastic on ecosystems?

Mongabay India
November 2021

This article covers how plastics are poised to be the most perceivable, persistent, and pervasive indicators of the Anthropocene, and how it affects ecosystems.

The Migratory Routes of Plastic

Mongabay India
October 2021

This article delves into the disproportionate effect of plastic pollution on migratory species, and how plastics travel up the trophic chains.

Can rolling stones gather landslide data?

Geobites Blog
May 2021

This summary looks at a pilot study done on the Nepal-China highway to understand how technology can help in the early detection of landslides.

Adrift along the Sundarbans

Geobites Blog
March 2021

This is a part travelogue, part-research based piece on the Sundarbans mangrove delta that straddles India and Bangladesh.

Do ruins bear evidence of past earthquakes?

Geobites Blog
January 2021

This archaeoseismology study documents past earthquakes through damage to 3 UNESCO world heritage sites.

Tracing early human migrations into Asia

Geobites Blog
October 2021

When did Homo sapiens disperse from Africa across India, into Asia? Can stone tools spanning the Toba eruption ~74,000 years ago, hold clues to human migration & early settlements?

Corals & the Indian monsoons

Geobites Blog
September 2020

If corals provide clues to their physical and chemical environment, can they be used to study paleoclimate? Can Indian Ocean corals be proxies for past Indian monsoons?

Where rivers flow: India's catchment crisis

Geobites Blog
August 2020

How exactly can rivers meet ecological & human needs? This article talks about the eco-hydrological footprint of 4 rivers of Uttara Kannada, South India, and how an integrated river basin management programme can help mitigate water crises across India.

Rivers of Memory: India

Geobites Blog
June 2020

Ever wondered if rivers have memories? In geomorphology, rivers are considered to bear an imprint of the past, still discernible in the landscape. This article  talks about six types of river basin in India, and the clues they offer to the past, and present.

To divide or not to divide: that is the question.

NCBS Blog
September 2018

Based on a study published by a theoretical physicist and an experimental biologist - this article explores how cells divide, and the communication that occurs within cells to do so.

The North-Western Ghats as a research niche

Jottings Blog
July 2017

The lesser-studied, yet biogeographically significant portion of the Western Ghats hotspot—the northern Western Ghats have been throwing up a fair few surprises for researchers. This article focuses on the discoveries and efforts, and future research potential of the region.