Short read: ‘Brain rot’: Oxford word of the year 2024 reflects ‘trivial’ use of social media
A couple of weeks ago, we featured a piece in The Atlantic which talked about how students even in elite colleges are struggling to read books. Nothing wrong in itself as today’s digital age presents plenty of alternatives to books to gain knowledge and insight. But the point being the struggle with focus required for […]
Short read: The Pursuit of Longevity
The science of ageing has progressed significantly over the past few decades. Not just delaying death but also improving the quality of life in old age. But like much else, there is a lot of misinformation about the science of ageing as well. What better than a book by a Nobel laureate to clear the […]
Short read: ‘Arrested’ via WhatsApp, elderly Sonipat couple coerced into hiding in hotel, duped of Rs 1.78 cr
A year ago, Marcellus was subjected to a nasty cybercrime attack orchestrated from the badlands surrounding the NCR. Whilst we were able to repulse the attack using the resources at our disposal, millions of others in India – especially older people – are not so lucky. The growing army of educated but unemployed men in […]
Long read: An interview with Javier Milei, Argentina’s president
The Argentinian economy has been a case study in macro-economics across most universities for being the only country in modern history to fall from rich to middle income status. Its current President Javier Milei, elected a year ago, has been on a rampage with radical reforms to curtail the role of the state and based […]
Long read: Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom
At Marcellus, we have an ongoing debate between those who believe notes in meetings should be taken by handwriting vs those who believe typing notes into a tablet serves the same purpose. This piece of research two academics who teach at the Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, supports those […]
Long read: What’s Next? It’s All About Trade Policy
Matt Turpin’s posts on Substack are viewed by the cognoscenti as essential reading on China. A fortnight ago, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, Mr Turpin opined on the coming phase in the Sino-American relationship/rivalry. Mr Turpin is not someone who minces his words. He believes that it is reasonably clear what will happen: […]
Short read: High valuations may challenge India’s 25-year lead in real returns
As an investor, one of the columns worth looking out for is that of Akash Prakash’s in the Business Standard. Akash founded and runs Amansa Capital, a successful investment management firm out of Singapore. He highlights a report from Deutsche Bank and brings out some interesting insights about long term returns in equities: Why starting […]
Short read: Chocolate makers stoke boom for Indian cocoa beans
Whilst the adverse impact of global warming on rainfall and cropping patterns in India is a matter of growing concern, it seems that there might a silver lining in all of this. As the price of cocoa beans rises, it is becoming increasingly viable – in fact, lucrative – to grow cocoa beans in India […]
Short read: Warren Buffett’s shareholder letter – an update on his philanthropy plan
Back in 2006, Warren Buffett made the ‘Giving Pledge’ committing to give away in charity 99% of his wealth during his lifetime or at death. Now, 94yrs old, Buffett wrote this letter to shareholders last week sharing his plan to execute this. But typical of Buffett’s letters, this one has its nuggets of wisdom: “…hugely […]
Long read: The myths that made Elon Musk
How Elon Musk pivoted from once backing Democrats to putting all his might to get Trump elected is a question many have pondered. The closest explanation so far has been: “In the summer of 2021, President Joe Biden hosted a summit at the White House for manufacturers of electric vehicles. Executives from Ford and General […]
Long read: Midnight raid lays bare lives of Bihar’s underage dancing girls. Dingy rooms, drunk men & ‘owners’
Whilst we sit in the air-conditioned comfort of metropolitan and write books & blogs cheering the rise of Indian women, a new type of flesh trade is flourishing. In Bihar, underage girls from neighbouring states and traded like commodities and turned in celebrity dancers (with millions of followers) on Instagram. The Print’s Sagrika Kissu wrote […]
Long read:The Surprising Stagnation of Asia’s Middle Classes
Whilst we in India are dealing with a downturn in our own middle class’s fortunes (click here for our 23rd Nov ’24 blog on this subject), it turns out that we are not alone. In fact, as per this article in The Economist, India is in better shape than the rest of developing Asia. Says […]
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