Why we need government schools: They are the only educational lifeline for 60% of India’s children

There is change in our government schools if one cares to look for it. In a survey my colleagues conducted in 2005 in northeast Karnataka, only four out of ten schools had obtained uniforms and books in time for the start of the academic year. Today, this number has more than doubled. Nearly every school I visited had planned and procured books and uniforms well in time, even if it meant that their teachers had to sacrifice some holidays. In most schools that we visited, attendance was over 90 per…

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Americans now spend twice as much on health care as they did in the 1980s

The average American household spent almost $5,000 per person on health care last year. That’s a 101% increase from the roughly $2,500 per person that Americans spent about 34 years ago in 1984, according to an analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditures Survey by data company Clever. To make accurate comparisons, Clever adjusted all dollar amounts for inflation. It’s perhaps not surprising that health care expenses have risen over the past three decades. But the main driver of the increase is not drug costs or medical services. In…

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If Social Media Algorithms Control Our Lives Why Can’t They Eliminate Hate Speech?

Getty ImagesGetty It has become accepted fact in our modern digital world that the algorithms powering the online revolution, especially those of the major social media platforms, have so much control over us that they can actually nudge us against our conscious will towards actions we would not otherwise take. The addictive nature of social media is driven in part by an army of behavioral engineers tasked with building algorithms, interfaces and experiences that tap deeply into the flaws and nuances of human psychology, turning us into mindless remote-control zombies…

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Visit Romania’s fading architectural gems before they are lost forever

In a spa town nestled near Romania’s border with Bulgaria and Serbia, Oana Chirila puts on her hard hat and gets down to work with a dozen other young architects to try to save their country’s heritage. Some of the precious architectural gems they are striving to restore bore witness to centuries of Romanian history and the crowned heads who ruled it through the ages. Built at the start of the last century by Daniel Renard, an architect of Swiss origin, the site won the admiration of Russia’s Tsar Nicolas…

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Dark chocolates are your best friends, they reduce stress, improve memory

If you’ve been binging on chocolates, no need to stop now. For long, multiple studies have confirmed beyond doubt that the dark variety of chocolates are among the superfoods you must include in your daily diet. Whether you are trying to lose weight or want to stay fit, make chocolates your best friend. Now, according to a new study, they have bigger health benefits: Eating dark chocolates can cut down on your stress levels, make you happier, and improve your memory and immunity. It is the first time the effect of…

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Here’s another reason to eat walnuts. They help control overeating

If you have frequent food cravings, munching on walnuts may be a good idea. A new study has found out that consuming walnuts daily may activate an area in your brain which decreases hunger. According to researchers, walnuts are also thought to discourage overeating by promoting a feeling of fullness. Study’s first author Olivia M Farr from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said that people often report feeling fuller after eating walnuts, but it was pretty surprising to see evidence of activity changing in the brain related to food cues,…

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