Puzzles Editor Kabir Firaque is the author of the weekly column Problematics. A journalist for three decades, he also writes about science and mathematics.
Articles by Kabir Firaque
Pager bombs: The theories and the science behind them
Tuesday’s pager blasts across Lebanon, which killed at least 12 and injured nearly 3,000, have been varied in content but consistent in suggesting an orchestrated attack by Israel
Updated on Sep 18, 2024 09:05 PM IST
Problematics |The fastest way to toast a sandwich
Given a toaster that can accommodate two slices but toast only one side of each at a given time, how do you toast three slices in the most efficient time?
Published on Sep 16, 2024 09:30 AM IST
Problematics | Don Vito’s grandchildren
When the don dies, which grandson lays wreaths of which colour? And how do the Good, the Bad and the Ugly share their wealth unequally?
Published on Sep 09, 2024 09:14 AM IST
Problematics | The perfect draw at a Grand Slam
How do you make a draw such that the top four players head for the semifinals and the top two for the final?
Published on Sep 02, 2024 07:54 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Swarup Kumar Parida: Chickpea that tolerates drought
The agricultural scientist uses novel techniques for molecular breeding of superior crop varieties, particularly a drought-tolerant variety of chickpea.
Published on Aug 28, 2024 08:02 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Digendranath Swain: Structural engineering of rocket parts
The researcher at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre designs and uses specialised tools to examine the integrity of components used in ISRO’s launch vehicles.
Published on Aug 27, 2024 03:14 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Purabi Saikia: Mapping India’s forest resources
The plant ecologist describes how her research on India’s forest resources is important to conservation and addressing climate change.
Updated on Aug 27, 2024 12:10 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Prashant Kumar: Satellite data for weather forecast
The ISRO scientist assimilates satellite and ground data optimally and customises forecasting models to Indian conditions.
Published on Aug 27, 2024 11:33 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Radha Krishna Ganti: Setting the 5G template
The IIT Madras researcher describes his work in enabling standards for 5G coverage in rural India and developing indigenous 5G base stations.
Updated on Aug 27, 2024 11:25 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Jitendra K Sahu: Tackling childhood epilepsy
The child neurologist showed that DPT vaccine-associated seizures are because of underlying genetic conditions.
Updated on Aug 26, 2024 10:58 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Krishna Murthy SL: Stress-tolerant rice varieties
The agricultural scientist has developed rice breeds that can give good yields despite stresses such as salinity, alkalinity or low-phosphorus conditions.
Updated on Aug 26, 2024 10:58 AM IST
Problematics | Magic squares in a calendar
Two party tricks, one with dates on a calendar and the other with playing cards. What makes them work?
Published on Aug 26, 2024 07:52 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Roxy Mathew Koll: Mapping climate change
Author of IPCC reports studies the mechanisms involved in causing climate change, particularly marine heatwaves, and what these could mean for the future
Updated on Aug 24, 2024 04:20 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Mahesh Ramesh Kakde: Studying equations, not solving them
The number theorist has proved various conjectures relating functions and other objects attached to polynomial equations
Published on Aug 24, 2024 04:16 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Vishal Rai: Chemical toolbox for precision therapy
The chemistry winner works on the engineering of proteins, assembling proteins or antibodies together with a cargo to make therapeutics more effective.
Published on Aug 23, 2024 03:35 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Vivek Polshettiwar: From carbon dioxide to fuel using gold
The nanomaterial he has designed converts yellow gold into black gold, which captures carbon dioxide and converts it into fuel using energy from sunlight.
Published on Aug 23, 2024 03:20 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Radhakrishnan Mahalakshmi: Decoding complex proteins
Radhakrishnan Mahalakshmi, professor of biological sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, describes her work with beta-barrel membrane proteins.
Updated on Aug 22, 2024 04:09 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Aravind Penmatsa: Exploring proteins in neuronal membranes
Aravind Penmatsa of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, describes his work with membrane proteins in neurons.
Published on Aug 22, 2024 03:46 PM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Urbasi Sinha: Quantum laws for safer communications
Sinha, who heads Quantum Information and Computing laboratory at Raman Research Institute, tries to use laws of quantum mechanics to make communication secure.
Updated on Aug 22, 2024 09:52 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Pragya Dhruv Yadav: Breaking down viruses
Dr Pragya Dhruv Yadav, who heads the biosafety level-4 containment laboratory at the premier National Institute of Virology in Pune.
Updated on Aug 22, 2024 09:55 AM IST
ht_print | Kabir Firaque
Vigyan Yuva awardee Prabhu Rajagopal: Robotic inspectors of infrastructure
Rajagopal, a professor of mechanical engineering at IIT Madras, won the award for his work with technologies for remote assessment of condition of infra assets.
Published on Aug 22, 2024 09:33 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Abhilash: Metals from unconventional resources
Dr Abhilash, senior Principal scientist with CSIR-NML in Jamshedpur, won the award for extracting metals from unconventional resources.
Published on Aug 22, 2024 09:22 AM IST
Vigyan Yuva awardee Bappi Paul: Turning cabon dioxide directly into ethanol
Bappi Paul of National Forensic Sciences University won the award for developing a process to convert CO2 into alcohol and eliminate volatile organic compounds.
Published on Aug 22, 2024 09:11 AM IST
Problematics | Batting failures
How many runs did Sunny, Don, Viv and Garfield score in this match among elders? The information is limited, but the puzzle can be solved.
Published on Aug 19, 2024 01:51 PM IST
Problematics | Mix and match in the chemistry lab
You have a mix of five chemicals which are not in the right proportions. How much of each must you add to get the proportions right?
Published on Aug 12, 2024 10:22 AM IST
Weight shed: What Phogat did and why
Wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat navigate a delicate balance between weight management and performance, with strategic weight cuts and replenishment techniques crucial for success.
Updated on Aug 07, 2024 10:10 PM IST
Problematics | Slide and rule
The 15 Puzzle is a familiar diversion where you slide tiles into a certain order. Here’s a version that requires you to slide same tiles into a different order.
Published on Aug 05, 2024 01:28 AM IST
1 Across: Name the place where puzzles have found a new home
We’ve been piecing them together for centuries, passing them on via birch bark, manuscripts, newspapers. HT puzzles editor Kabir Firaque traces the boom online.
Updated on Aug 03, 2024 01:53 PM IST
How snake venom evolves over a lifetime, and why it matters
A new study finds that a newborn Russell’s viper carries much more potent venom than an adult. A spectacled cobra's venom, however, remains largely unchanged
Published on Aug 03, 2024 09:00 AM IST
Problematics | Counting Olympic medals
Here’s a puzzle themed on the Games, where you figure out how many participants from a small country wins gold, silver, bronze, any two, all three, or no medals
Published on Jul 29, 2024 07:09 AM IST