Portfolio as Journalist and Science Communicator
Liquid Marbles Could Lead To Greener Pesticides That Don’t Slide Off Leaves [119th byline/22nd house]
I explain how scientists are trying to create pesticides that stick.
Asian Scientist Magazine — Journalistic — 18th December, 2025
India’s Trees Are Flowering Out of Season—and Citizen Scientists Are Noticing [118th byline/22nd house]
I explain how citizens and social media are informing the science of flowering plants.
Asian Scientist Magazine — Journalistic — 17th December, 2025
Is the world betting too much on carbon removal technologies? [Explainer] [117/22]
We investigate carbon removal technologies in the Indian context.
Mongabay India — Journalistic — 16th December, 2025
Salt-Tolerant Bacteria Could Help Sundarbans’ Farmers Fight Rising Salinity [116/22]
I explain how science could help solve the region’s persistent problem.
Asian Scientist Magazine — Journalistic — 17th November, 2025
Cicadas sing in sync as the sun rises [115/22]
I explain the curious phenomenon, the reason for which is unclear.
Mongabay India — Journalistic — 27th October, 2025
How Lung and Breast Cells Fight Cancer Differently [114/21]
I explain the science behind cells’ defense against cancer.
Asian Scientist Magazine — Journalistic — 23rd October, 2025
HRV and stress explained: How your body signals overload [113/20]
I explain the science behind heart rate variability and its relationship to stress.
Ultrahuman Blog — Communication — 9th October, 2025
From periods to ovulation: How your uterine cycle speaks in signals [112/20]
I explain the science behind the dual ovarian and uterine cycles.
Ultrahuman Blog — Communication — 8th October, 2025
Sympathetic vs parasympathetic – your guide to everyday balance [111/20]
I explain the science behind the two nervous systems that keep you healthy and productive.
Ultrahuman Blog — Communication — 18th September, 2025
Why 3 AM stress destroys your sleep – and how to combat it [110/20]
I explain how to safeguard recovery and long-term health from stress.
Ultrahuman Blog — Communication — 12th September, 2025
How the timing of stress can protect your health – and stay productive [109/20]
I explain how stress isn’t the enemy – mistiming is.
Ultrahuman Blog — Communication — 5th September, 2025
A Case for Charging Climate Arsonists [108/19]
The era of untraceable climate damage is over. It’s time to name the polluters and hold them accountable.
DebduttaPaul’s Blog — Journalistic — 29th June, 2025
The Universe Is More Complicated Than We Thought [107/19]
I investigate the claims and counter-claims of what dark energy is up to.
DebduttaPaul’s Blog — Journalistic — 15th June, 2025
The science of AI and the AI of science [106/18]
I report on the history, development, and future of artificial intelligence.
The Hindu — Journalistic — 1st May, 2025
This story was published in March, 2025 as Chapter 3 of the e-book, ‘Artificial Intelliegence: A history of the present’.
A welcome mat [105/18]
I explain new research prediciting how to look for life in future asteroid missions.
Shaastra Magazine — Journalistic — 14th April, 2025
Clouds From Equator Will Affect Monsoon Rains in Unexpected Ways [104/17]
I explain new research predicting changes in intensity of monsoon rainfall over India.
The Wire — Journalistic — 13th April, 2025
New study reexamines time symmetry in quantum systems [103/17]
I examine new research claiming quantum mechanical processes do not distinguish directions of time.
First Principles — Journalistic — 9th April, 2025
Not Just the Poles, More Spots on the Moon Could Be Home to Water-Ice [102/16]
I explain how areas of high latitudes on the Moon could be potential sources of water-ice.
The Wire — Journalistic — 18th March, 2025
Physicists propose tabletop experiment to test gravity’s quantumness [101/16]
I explain how the relatively simple experiment is still complicated.
The Hindu — Journalistic — 25th February, 2025
Physicists Answer Why Entanglement Evolves Slowly [100th byline/16th house]
I explain how physicists study quantum entanglement’s evolution.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 6th February, 2025
Quantum Mechanics and Its Tentacles [99/16]
I write about our journey with quantum physics and its branches of enquiry.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 4th February, 2025
Theoretical Physicists Chip Away at Quantum Gravity [98/16]
I explain how a general approach to a quantum theory of gravity has sprung a surprising result.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 27th January, 2025
In Conversation With Peter Zoller [97/16]
I speak to the eminent researcher who works on various aspects of quantum information.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 24th January, 2025
In Conversation With Michael Berry [96/16]
I speak to the eminent researcher about the past and future of quantum mechanics.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 20th January, 2025
Egg Cells Are a Factory of Storms: Here’s How [95/16]
I explain how physicists are investigating egg cells to study flows.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 16th Decemer, 2024
Intelligence From Bits: What Does a Machine Learn? [94/16]
I explain how ‘intelligence’ emerges from the statistical physics of networks.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 10th Decemer, 2024
In Conversation With Tadashi Takayanagi [93/16]
I speak with the researcher on quantum information theory.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 26th August, 2024
Chandrayaan-3 Finds Evidence of Global Lunar Surface Magma Ocean [92/16]
I report the observations by a Chandrayaan-3 instrument and its interpretations.
The Wire — Journalistic — 21st August, 2024
Detecting Aliens Might Require Digging [91/15]
I write on a possible way to find aliens.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 8th August, 2024
Kitchen sponges can be used as memory devices [90/15]
I explain theoretical problems with gravitation and a possible solution.
Nature — Journalistic — 1st August, 2024
Relativity Spells Its Doom, Quantum Gravity To Rescue? [89/15]
I explain theoretical problems with gravitation and a possible solution.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 24th July, 2024
Universe had spiral galaxies 4 billion years sooner than expected: study [88/15]
I write on how astronomers are digging the universe’s past.
The Hindu — Journalistic — 4th July, 2024
Unveiling Information Hidden in Glassy Liquids [87/14]
I explain how physicists have captured information that glassy liquids hide.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 7th June, 2024
Chasing Particles That Almost Catch Up With Light [86/14]
I write on the mysteries surrounding one of the lightest particles in the Universe.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 13th May, 2024
India’s plan for junk-free space missions by 2030 [85/14]
I review how space debris are created and mitigated presently.
Nature — Journalistic — 10th May, 2024
Turbulence Across Length Scales [84/13]
Easy to witness but hard to understand, I explain how turbulence remains a challenge for modern physics.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 25th April, 2024
Arrow of Time: Researchers Demonstrate Boltzmann’s Explanation [83/13]
I explain how physicists are working out the math in unprecedented detail.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 15th April, 2024
Looking at Black Holes Using Gravitational Waves [82/13]
I explain how astrophysicists are testing Einstein’s theory.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 20th March, 2024
Researchers Discover a New Regime of Electricity Conduction [81/13]
I explain a counterintuitive finding by theoretical physicists.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 25th January, 2024
Spelling Doom: Can Maths Help Predict Cyclone Paths? [80/13]
We write on a mathematician’s attempt at a complex problem.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 12th October, 2023
How Do Raindrops Grow? We Don’t Yet Know. [79/13]
I explain how researchers at ICTS are tackling this problem.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 30th August, 2023
Sparking Curiosity and Empowering Women in Physics [78/13]
We document five physics experiments conducted at ICTS.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 28th August, 2023
In Conversation With Joseph Silk [77/13]
I talk to the eminent scientist about problems in cosmology and future experiments.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 8th August, 2023
In Conversation With Gagandeep Kang [76/13]
I talk to the eminent scientist about machine learning in public health and inequalities.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 7th August, 2023
Droplets on a Walk [75/13]
We write on the similarities on fluid mechanics and quantum mechanics.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 14th July, 2023
In Conversation With Michael Jordan: Mathematics for the People [74/13]
I talk to the eminent scientist about his work on machine learning, and the way forward.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 11th July, 2023
Researchers Propose New Method to Measure Cosmic Expansion [73/13]
I explain how astrophysicists might be able to measure the universe’s expansion.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 3rd July, 2023
Opinion: A Defence of Merit or a Case for Sustaining the Biases in Science? [72/13]
I critique a paper that seeks to undermine recent efforts in academia to embrace diversity.
The Wire Science — Opinion — 12th June, 2023
Cellular Cyclones [71/13]
I explain the work on active turbulence carried out by ICTS researchers.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 24th May, 2023
In Conversation With Sujatha Ramdorai [70/13]
I talk to the eminent mathematician about her work, struggles, and the gender gap.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 17th May, 2023
Changing Times for Women in Mathematics [69/13]
I document the conversations on the gender gap in an ICTS program.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 11th May, 2023
Going Lunar for Gravitational Waves [68/13]
I explain the theme of an ICTS program on gravitational waves.
Synapse by ICTS — Communication — 24th April, 2023
Is Therapy in India Inherently Casteist? [67/12]
I question the absence of caste-affirmative therapy and probe the reasons behind it.
The Swaddle — Journalistic — 8th October, 2022
Stardust laden eyes with Sonal Thorve [66/11]
I documented the work and life of a science and astronomy communicator.
SciRio — Communication — 22nd December, 2021
Another Case Against Science’s Objectivity Myth: Nepotism in Publishing [65/10]
I delved into the findings of a metaresearch study.
The Wire Science — Journalistic — 30th November, 2021
AstroSat confirms neutron stars interact with their extreme environment [64/10]
Astronomers are probing neutron stars’ surface and environment with X-ray telescopes.
Deccan Herald — Journalistic — 18th November, 2021
The Dark Side of “Excellence” [63/9]
I analyse how academic power structures sustain poor mental health conditions.
Notes on the Academy — Journalistic — 15th November, 2021
AstroSat Catches Nuclear Reactions Spreading Across a Neutron Star [62/8]
Scientists have shed important new light on the astrophysics of thermonuclear bursts.
The Wire Science — Journalistic — 7th October, 2021
Tuning into the radio sky with Shilpa [61/8]
Shilpa’s troubleshooting skills have kept India’s eyes into the universe open for many years.
The Life of Science — Communication — 13th August, 2021
Looking through the fog [60/8]
Researchers have demonstrated an improved method of capturing images through fog.
Research Matters — Communication — 31st July, 2021
শীর্ষ প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলির চালক জাতিবাদ [59/8]
কীভাবে জাতিবাদ আধুনিক ভারতীয় শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানগুলিতে প্রকাশিত এবং সমৃদ্ধ হয় তা আমাদের সামনে এলো দলিত, বহুজন ও আদিবাসী সাংবাদিক, শিক্ষাবিদ এবং কর্মীদের মধ্যে একটি অনলাইন আলোচনার মাধ্যমে।
The Life of Science — Transcreation — 29th July, 2021
Long burst short: an unexpected supernova [58/8]
Researchers have discovered the shortest duration gamma ray burst accompanied by a supernova.
Research Matters — Journalistic — 26th July, 2021
Producing low-cost hydrogen fuel with the help of magnets [57/8]
Researchers have sped up producing hydrogen and lowered the cost.
Research Matters — Communication — 30th June, 2021
A machine that spews maths formulae [56/8]
Researchers have automated writing down mathematical formulae.
Research Matters — Communication — 10th June, 2021
A natural dye extract may protect our eyes from harmful laser [55/8]
Researchers have studied the characteristics of a natural dye extracted from Indigofera tinctoria leaves.
Research Matters — Communication — 1st June, 2021
Bridged: Gaps between mathematical methods of understanding nature [54/8]
Researchers have sealed the mathematical gaps in explaining how particles interact.
Research Matters — Communication — 28th May, 2021
Breaking the genetic code of cancer propagation [53/8]
Researchers have identified two groups of genes that switch activity and help cancer cells evade therapy.
Research Matters — Communication — 17th May, 2021
Molecular hydrogen making up galactic discs come in two forms [52/8]
A researcher has estimated the three-dimensional distribution of molecular and atomic hydrogen in a galaxy.
Research Matters — Communication — 30th April, 2021
Giant clouds of galactic hydrogen explain mystery behind cosmic rays [51/8]
Researchers have explained the rate of charged particle bombardment on Earth.
Research Matters — Communication — 6th April, 2021
Reliable and real-time measurements of magnetic fields [50/8]
Researchers have demonstrated a low-cost digital system to measure magnetic fields efficiently.
Research Matters — Communication — 5th April, 2021
A holistic approach to biodiversity conservation [49/8]
Researchers from ATREE review their work over the past 25 years.
Research Matters — Communication — 24th March, 2021
Planets outside the Solar System are waiting to be found [48/8]
New telescopes and advanced data analysis has had remarkable shifts in discovering planets.
Research Matters — Communication — 17th March, 2021
Simulations show why anomalies exist in uranium [47/8]
Researchers have explained how the electronic and thermal properties of uranium are linked.
Research Matters — Journalistic — 10th March, 2021
How fluids react to surfaces coated with repelling paint [46/8]
Researchers study how water flows past a surface that repels it heavily.
Research Matters — Communication — 5th March, 2021
Directions of rotation drive the collective motion of particles [45/8]
Researchers have used rotation of particles to drive the way they group together and move on a plate.
Research Matters — Journalistic — 27th February, 2021
Infosys Prize 2020 — Special episode with Prof Deshpande and Prof Bilgrami [44/8]
I talk to Prof Prachi Deshpande — Infosys Prize 2020 recipient for Humanities, and Prof Akeel Bilgrami — Jury and Chair, Humanities, Infosys Science Foundation.
Research Matters — Journalistic — 26th February, 2021
We need to be aware of privileged caste hegemony in science and its communication [43/8]
Languages and scripts play a role in the way science is perceived and percolates through society.
Research Matters — Opinion — 19th February, 2021
A natural process may hold the clue to secure encryption of communications [42/8]
Researchers have used a naturally occurring random process to generate random numbers.
Research Matters — Communication — 10th February, 2021
Recovery from Cyclone Phailin in marine fishing communities [41/8]
Researchers investigate social, economic, human, and physical factors driving and resulting in recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin.
Research Matters — Communication — 9th February, 2021
Merging memory and computing in nanoscale devices for efficient computation [40/8]
Scientists have devised a novel approach to combine memory and computation units.
Research Matters — Communication — 5th February, 2021
The laws of electromagnetism at the scale of a few atoms [39/8]
Researchers have demonstrated the reciprocal relationship of electricity and magnetism over a magnetic film.
Research Matters — Communication — 3rd February, 2021
New study reveals how effectively the novel coronavirus spreads through coughs [38/8]
Researchers study the spread of a cough cloud containing SARS-CoV-2.
Research Matters — Communication — 21st January, 2021
Novel AI-based algorithms on well-known physics can speed up technology [37/8]
Researchers have sped up the study of light-matter interaction on specially-engineered surfaces.
Research Matters — Communication — 20th January, 2021
Mathematics answers the biological question of which proteins participate in the mutation of bacteria [36/8]
Physicists and biologists have come together to develop generic mathematics.
Research Matters — Communication — 18th January, 2021
A new approach to film atoms and molecules vibrating inside solids [35/8]
Theoretical and experimental scientists have come together to watch solids vibrate.
Research Matters — Communication — 13th January, 2021
Fertilisers, livestock and biomass burning are spewing ammonia into the air across India [34/8]
Research has pinned down seasonal and geographical variation of the harmful gas and the reasons behind it.
Research Matters — Communication — 11th January, 2021
Efficiently cooling down systems that generate heat [33/8]
A PhD Thesis work has proposed efficient cooling of IC chips, photovoltaic cells, and gas turbine blades.
Research Matters — Communication — 8th January, 2021
A microscopic understanding of materials can widen the scope of their applications [32/8]
Researchers study the relationship between geometry and isotropy to enhance 3D-printing.
Research Matters — Communication — 6th January, 2021
Uranus has many mysterious rings [31/8]
I throw light on the mysteries of Uranus and its rings.
Research Matters — Communication — 24th December, 2020
What’s great about the ‘Great Red Spot’? [30/8]
I gather the stocks on a mysterious spot over Jupiter’s southern hemisphere.
Research Matters — Communication — 16th December, 2020
Nobel Prize 2020 – Episode 3: Laureates in Physics and their work [29/8]
I join our podcast host Aishwarya Viswamitra to explain the works of the 2020 Physics Nobel laureates.
Research Matters — Communication — 14th December, 2020
The role of women in State-led development: A story of paradoxes [28/8]
An anthropologist zooms into the relationship of women and the State in erstwhile Maoism affected areas.
Research Matters — Communication — 9th December, 2020
Finding flood risks at the village-level to facilitate decision-making [27/8]
Science can inform policy combat climate change hazards to flood-prone villages of India.
Research Matters — Communication — 21st October, 2020
Monitoring countrywide levels of air pollutions [26/8]
I report on how Indian scientists are ramping up sites for air quality monitoring around the country.
Research Matters — Communication — 20th October, 2020
Novel design of magnetic channels may cut down costs of transferring electronic signals [25/8]
Scientists have devised a new technique to speed up processing electronic signals at significantly lower costs.
Research Matters — Communication — 3rd October, 2020
Liquids behave differently on curved surfaces than flat ones [24/8]
Scientists study the evolution of liquids on spherical surfaces. I report.
Research Matters — Communication — 2nd October, 2020
Hidden in plain sight: A mental health crisis in academia (Part 2) [23/8]
We examine the status of mental health awareness within Indian academia and discuss possible strategies and interventions to improve the situation.
IndiaBioscience — Journalistic — 2nd October, 2020
Decolonising climate change: The developed world is responsible for our planet’s climate crisis [22/8]
A new study puts the focus of the conversation on Climate Change, on Climate Justice — the lack of which is hurting our collective future.
Research Matters — Journalistic — 1st October, 2020
Hidden in plain sight: A mental health crisis in academia (Part 1) [21/8]
We examine the status of mental health awareness within Indian academia and discuss possible strategies and interventions to improve the situation.
IndiaBioscience — Journalistic — 29th September, 2020
Technology not merely a tool in tennis, but now in the driver’s seat [20/8]
Research on elite tennis has remarkable social science implications. My colleague and I co-report.
Research Matters — Communication — 18th September, 2020
Digging the grave: In search of the remains of merging black holes and neutron stars [19/8]
Astronomers take on an exciting quest looking for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves.
Research Matters — Communication — 14th September, 2020
Cracked: Scientists show how glass crystallises in real-time [18/8]
Scientists have captured crystallisation of glass, which may take thousands of years otherwise, in movies.
Research Matters — Communication — 7th September, 2020
Who is at the centre of a dog’s world? It’s human more than dogs! [17/8]
Ecologists have for the first time studied the direct interactions of humans with free-ranging dogs.
Research Matters — Communication — 28th August, 2020
A new approach to quantum information processing at room temperatures [16/8]
Scientists have come up with a novel approach to realise qubits, the fundamental units of quantum computers.
Research Matters — Communication — 27th August, 2020
AstroSat discovers tell-tale signs of cosmic evolution from a young, dynamic galaxy [15/8]
Astronomers have found a galaxy in wavelengths in which it has never been found before.
Research Matters — Communication — 24th August, 2020
Rachana’s pursuit of the oldest stars in the universe [14/8]
I report on the recent discovery by Rachana Bhatawdekar and her team, and profile her journey from IT jobs to the European Space Agency. (This story got an honourable mention in the SciShortform round-up July–December 2020.)
The Life of Science — Communication — 20th August, 2020
COVID19 and Cyclone Amphan batter Hobjapara’s ‘migrant’ families [13/7]
Residents of a village an hour from Kolkata live in absolute apathy of all governments and administrations.
Gaon Connection English — Journalistic — 20th August, 2020
Speeding up computing by introducing defects in solids [12/6]
I report on how scientists have carefully engineered defects in materials to speed up computing speeds.
Research Matters — Communication — 3rd August, 2020
Observations of the Sun’s surface defy present understanding of its interiors [11/6]
Scientists are clueless in understanding the Sun, the nearest star and the source of life on the Earth.
Research Matters — Communication — 23rd July, 2020
Radio-images of the Sun explains the anomaly in its atmospheric temperature [10/6]
Researchers explain the Sun’s ‘coronal heating problem’ by studying it via the radio wavelengths.
Research Matters — Communication — 22nd June, 2020
Could One Type of Neutron Stars Explain Where Fast Radio Bursts Come From? [9/6]
A new discovery in the frontier of astronomy supposedly explains the enigmatic fast radio bursts as extragalactic magnetars. I report on theoretical research examining this link and establishing the details of this complicated relationship.
The Wire Science — Journalistic — 3rd June, 2020
Black hole shadows could throw light on dark matter [8/5]
Researchers have investigated the effects of dark matter particles on the growth of black hole shadows.
Research Matters — Communication — 15th May, 2020
Tackling a mental health crisis during a global pandemic [7/4]
I discuss the various ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic can prey upon our mental health, and some small steps that can help one stay connected and grounded during the crisis.
IndiaBioscience — Opinion — 13th May, 2020
First Person: ‘I survived neglect in UK and stigma in India after I tested positive for Covid-19’ [6/4]
I write in first person anonymous for an Indian student who has recovered from COVID-19.
Scroll — Journalistic — 1st May, 2020
Indian Researchers Work Round The Clock In Quest To Contain Coronavirus [5/3]
I report on how scientists have prepared themselves and others for COVID-19 diagnosis.
Huffington Post India — Journalistic — 13th April, 2020
Battling the Contagious Disease of Racism: A Personal Account From Germany [4/2]
I write in first person anonymous for a person living in Germany.
LiveWire (The Wire) — Journalistic — 26th March, 2020
Park Circus Maidan: Kolkata’s Shaheen Bagh [3/2]
I report from the ground on the developing situation of civic protests against the CAA-NPR-NRC, in Kolkata.
LiveWire (The Wire) — Journalistic — 14th January, 2020
Wake up academia, it’s a brand new mental health patient [2/1]
I draw insights from my own experiences in graduate school to suggest what institutions and individuals can do to improve mental health conditions within academic spaces.
IndiaBioscience — Opinion — 16th October, 2019
Busting a few PhD myths [1st byline/1st house]
I discuss a few myths often believed and perpetuated by graduate students throughout India, which can prove detrimental to their scientific journeys.
IndiaBioscience — Opinion — 8th May, 2019
Debdutta Paul 