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The 2025 Human Development Report is out. On the all-important subject of AI & social & economic development. hdr.undp.org/system/files/d…

We should never forget Voltaire’s comment on war: “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished, unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”

Ah, the dilemmas of life. The advantage of hypochondria is you are likely to live longer. But the disadvantage is each day of the long life will be less happy.

Fantastic MSNBC documentary on David Frost Vs. Lots of parallels with today.

Economic condition of India’s working classes continues to deteriorate. From 2022 to 2024 India’s GDP grew at the robust annual rate of 6.7%. Profits of NIFTY 500 firms grew even faster. But wages during the same period fell by 0.07%. We must not look away from this.

Cornell, basking in spring.

When a brilliant mathematician talks to you at great speed & you can’t understand a thing, don’t be embarrassed. Remember the brilliant mathematician can’t imagine the blank in your head that you are so aware of.

Thank you Kaushik Basu Got my copy printed. It is a marravlous book Just taking in my hand giving me goosebumps.. Sunil Desai

Stoic philosopher with spartan life-style, who also happened to be an emperor. Here is one among many beautiful lines: “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”

Beautiful Kolkata. A decade ago.

Today, 15 May (1915), is the birthday of Paul Samuelson one of the world’s greatest economists ever. Here’s my OpEd on Samuelson, including the story of my chance meeting with him on 15 May 2002, & dinner that evening with Paul, his wife Risha, & Alaka. hindustantimes.com/columns/he-lef…

Rare to find a book on such a grim topic which is a page turner like Benjamin Carter Hett’s 2018 book. It’s a chilling reminder of the fragility of democracy.

Good news from Romania. The citizens chose their president wisely. Nicosur Dan is progressive, liberal, left of center, and a mathematician.

Kaushik Basu The new pope also has a degree in mathematics…the revenge of the nerds??

Sad to hear of Jayant Narlikar’s passing. As a student in Delhi & London I admired his scientific prowess which was widely written about when he was at Cambridge, UK. I met him for the first time in July 2024 in Pune. May he RIP.

Dylan Thomas reading W.H. Auden’s September 1, 1939. Reminder of the troubled times the world has been through. youtu.be/ED4sN16x1ls?si… via YouTube

Never give too many reasons. A man charged with violence, pleaded: “Here are the reasons I should be pardoned. First, on the day of the event I wasn’t in town. Second, my religion prohibits violence.” Then, seeing the judge’s skeptical expression, he added, “And he hit me first.”

The hidden waterfall. My recent discovery in Manhattan.

Italian memory.

Two masterpieces. Ed Hopper and Bikash Bhattacharjee.