Jay Bhattacharya and the Scientific Promise
Critics vilified the Stanford doctor for questioning pandemic lockdowns. Now, he’s set to lead the National Institutes of Health.
Kiran Sampath
The South Asian Aging Paradox
Raghav Sehgal’s groundbreaking research reveals surprising clues to what helps you live longer — and it’s not just diets or supplements.
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Forever?
India was once the world’s biggest diamond supplier. It now hopes to reclaim that past — with a twist.
Ayesha Le Breton
How Indians Became So Space-Crazy
From sages who travel across realms to NASA scientists, the subcontinent is no stranger to the call of the cosmos.
India Molded Math. Then Europe Claimed It.
We all know the quadratic formula and the Fibonacci sequence. Why don’t we talk about their roots?
Isha Banerjee
The Eclipse That Ended the Great Sikh Genocide
Ahmad Shah Durrani’s soldiers massacred 30,000 unarmed Sikhs. It took a celestial event on Diwali to halt the ensuing bloodshed.
Radioactive Rotis: Britain’s Secret Human Radiation Trials
Over 50 years ago, a medical study targeted 21 British Indian women without their consent. The U.K. government has still not investigated or apologized.
What’s in an Accent?
The linguistics behind why we sometimes can’t hear what’s right in front of us.
Vrinda Jagota
Maldives and Sri Lanka May Hold the Secrets to Long Life
Life expectancy in Maldives, at 80, and Sri Lanka, at 76, are years higher than the world average, but are understudied compared to Blue Zones.
Allana Akhtar
The Pakistan-India Space Race That Wasn’t
Despite getting to space 13 years before India and having a Nobel laureate at the helm, Pakistan would get in the way of its own greatness.
Brown Don’t Frown: The Science of South Asian Aging
Studies suggests that South Asians look younger for longer. That hasn’t stopped them from seeking new treatments to help turn back the clock.
India Lands on the Moon, First to Reach Lunar South Pole
The achievement represents a new global pecking order.
The Juggernaut
How India Invented the Nose Job
Initially devised to help the mutilated, rhinoplasty has become a routine procedure that’s still taboo among South Asians.
Mehr Singh
Can We Make AI Brown?
With the rise of ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Midjourney, addressing bias in artificial intelligence is more pressing than ever. But the solution isn’t so clear.
How Hindu-Arabic Numerals Conquered the World
Without Indian mathematicians and Arab scholars, math would be centuries behind. But many gloss over this history.
Did Romantic Kissing Originate in India?
For years, researchers traced the practice to ancient Sanskrit texts. Recent evidence suggests that theory might not be the whole story. Or is it?
Sadaf Ahsan
Kalpana Chawla, First Indian American Woman in Space
On the 20th anniversary of the Columbia space shuttle disaster, we revisit the legacy of the unlikely astronaut, who has inspired generations.
The Magical Weight Loss Drug No One is Talking About
In June 2021, the FDA approved semaglutide, one of the first drugs specifically designed for weight loss. For some, it’s been a godsend. But is it also promoting fatphobia?
Why Endometriosis Is Often Ignored Among South Asians
Even with debilitating pain and clear symptoms, many South Asians with endometriosis wait years for the diagnosis and treatment that could change their lives.
Olivia Bowden
Colonization Might Be Responsible for Your Diabetes
South Asians are genetically predisposed to diabetes. New research suggests that British Raj-induced famines could be to blame.
Kavya Srikanth
The Endless Frustration of South Asian Hair Loss
For a culture that has long revered long, thick hair, community members are finding that traditional hair care rituals and advice are falling short.
Why South Asians Struggle with IVF
South Asians are increasingly seeking fertility treatments, only to find that the process is costlier, more time-consuming, and less successful than it is for other groups.
The Unsolved Mystery of Heart Disease in South Asians
High rates of heart issues have plagued South Asians — and confounded researchers — for years. A new bill hopes to change that.
How Amar Bose Engineered Today’s Sound
A curious Bengali American kid with a love for tinkering built a multibillion-dollar company and changed the way we listen to music.
Atul Bhattarai
“The Great Escape”: Sri Lanka and the Maldives Bear the Brunt of COVID Vacations
India’s elite continued to vacation in the island nations amid a raging pandemic.
Poulomi Das
“Be Careful”: WhatsApp Forwards Spread Fear and Misinformation
Messages intended to increase awareness of potential COVID transmission among South Asian Americans, but the impact has been more alarming.
Snigdha Sur
To Be a Non-COVID Patient in India Right Now
With the country’s overburdened healthcare system focused on fighting COVID, non-COVID patients assume lowest priority.
How India’s COVID Surge is Fueling the Vaccine Diplomacy Debate
Who gets to decide which country gets which vaccine?
Devanshi Patel
How Twitter became India’s COVID E.R.
Jaded by the health care system, Indians are taking to social media, offering and requesting help to save lives. But this is no feel-good human story.
Imaan Sheikh
India Prepares to Vaccinate the World, Starting with Itself
As India launches its ambitious vaccine program, scientists fear the government is prioritizing national pride above national safety.
Samira Sawlani
We Spoke to Doctors Who Took the COVID-19 Vaccine — Here’s What They Said
Healthcare workers roll up their sleeves during the first phase of U.S. distribution.
How Pakistan Dodged the Worst of COVID-19
This was an unexpected result in a country whose neighbors — India and Bangladesh — still have growing case numbers. But the country might not be out of danger just yet.
Jalal Baig
