Associate Editor at Down To Earth (Web). His main interests include history, wildlife, culture, cuisine, theology and indigenous peoples
Elvish Yadav Arrest: Why does snake venom give a ‘kick’ to ‘psychonauts’?
2022 paper published by AIIMS Jodhpur researchers states snake venom intoxication relatively common in India, although less reported in medical …
Of Saint Patrick and the serpents
As the Irish celebrate the feast day of their patron saint globally, some insights into why the Emerald Isle is ‘snake-less’ and how …
We never gave any thought to ferocious dog breeds so far: S Theodore Baskaran
Down To Earth spoke to conservation writer, historian, naturalist and veteran activist S Theodore Baskaran on the Centre contemplating a ban on …
Centre contemplating ban on wolf dogs. But what about the hybrids roaming India’s wilds?
We hardly know about people breeding wolf dogs in India; but we do know they are prevalent in the wild, say experts
There will be more human-bull shark interactions in future; the species is adapting to warming seas, and thriving
Five-fold increase in the abundance of juvenile bull sharks over the last 20 years in Mobile Bay coincides with increasing sea surface temperatures
Britain’s seas are warming from John O’Groats to The Lizard, data collected by all-female rowboat crew finds
Kent, Thames Estuary, East Anglia, Yorkshire & the Humber, Northumberland and Scottish Lowlands notable exceptions
Poverty reduction in reverse, far-right populism to blame, says UN 2023 Human Development Report
A ‘democracy paradox’, coupled with a sense of powerlessness & lack of control over government decisions, has fuelled political …
Roman legions, Boer wagons, lions, Cecil Rhodes: Some dogs being considered for ban by Centre have fascinating histories
However, ‘free-ranging dogs’ are a massive crisis and should be the government’s focus, says scientist
Rainwater harvesting and wastewater treatment best options for Bengaluru: T V Ramachandra
The IISc professor who famously ‘saw the future of Bengaluru’ a decade ago, speaks to Down To Earth about where the city went wrong …
Why are dates used to break the Ramadan fast?
The answer lies in geography, theology and modern science
Humanitarian crisis in Haiti as the Caribbean’s most populous country may have fallen to armed gangs
Capital Port-au-Prince a ‘city under siege’ as US Marines reportedly evacuate embassy staff
Neolithic Catalhoyuk in Turkiye’s Anatolia home to 8,600 year-old bread loaf
Bread loaf was fermented and made by mixing flour with water; wheat, barley & peas used in preparation
Thar she blows: An ice-free Northwest Passage has enabled the Gray Whale’s return to New England
Last seen in the age of commercial whaling, an ice-free Passage enabled the species to travel from Pacific to Atlantic
Erythraean Sea: Why Rubymar’s sinking in the southern Red could be an environmental catastrophe
The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden support a rich biological diversity with a distinct high proportion of endemic species, according to the UNEP
North America’s Great Lakes, Earth’s largest freshwater store, record ‘historically low’ ice levels
Above average temperatures, coupled with diminishing blasts of Arctic air have lessened ice in the region; El Nino also responsible for this …
What is ‘dry ice’, at the centre of the Gurugram restaurant incident?
The solid form of carbon dioxide commonly used as a cooling agent in ice cream & frozen desserts must never be touched with ‘…
International Big Cat Alliance headquarters will be in India; Centre allocates Rs 150 crore
The grouping’s structure will consist of an Assembly of Members, Standing Committee and a Secretariat; its statute has been drafted …
Uttarakhand, land of the Rudrapayag maneater, will see more human-leopard conflict in future, warns report
Training of forest staff, timely compensations and awareness among local communities can help alleviate the problem, says report released by …
Prince of the cats: India has nearly 14,000 leopards, Centre’s report reveals
MP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have the highest number of leopards in India
European Parliament adopts nature restoration law
New law sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20 per cent of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030
Cockpit of Europe: Belgium leads continent in becoming first to recognise ‘ecocide’ as crime
Scope of the law limited to areas within jurisdiction of federal authority at the moment
Russia has turned the Dnipro into a major weapon of war: Paul Josephson
Down To Earth speaks to specialist in Soviet and Russian history about the impact of two years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the Dnipro river
Vaitarna river attack: Why the bull shark is among the most dangerous animals in the world
Its large size, proclivity for freshwater, abundance and proximity to human populations, particularly in the tropics, makes it more of a …
Delhi Chalo: Farmers to start for national capital at 10 am after talks fail
Gridlock expected in Delhi-NCR even as Punjab-Haryana border sealed to prevent entry of farmers
We find several connections of sound to the environment: Radha Kapuria
Down To Earth speaks to Durham University academic and author about the influence of the environment on music, visual and the performing arts