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Kasturi Das

Independent journalist I Editor I Photography

She’s Got It – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Oct.11, 2024) – Growing up in India in the late nineties, 12-year-old Shayoni, whose name has been changed in the story to protect her identity, often fainted due to excruciating period pains. Brushed off by doctors and adults as “something natural that happens to most women,” she endured the debilitating pain every month for the next two decades. It was only when Shayoni, now 35, moved abroad with her husband and consulted a doctor to start a family that she discovered the under...
The New Indian Express •

Swachh Sikkim Village

Cleanliness begins at home. In 2017, Dawa Choden Bhutia, the panchayat president of Phadamchen village in Sikkim, assembled 17 women to form a group called Swachhata Sahayogi, a name that literally translates to “sanitation assistants”. Together these women decided to tackle the mounting waste crisis in the village. This, of course, was no easy task. Phadamchen’s isolated location meant the mission would require immense perseverance and motivation. The 2020 lockdown was a particularly difficult...
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Deadlier Than COVID-19, Dengue Puts Survivors At Higher Risk Of Health Issues - Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Sept. 18, 2024) – People who recover from dengue are more likely to face a higher risk of long-term health complications about a year later compared to those who recovered from COVID-19, a new study has found. The research, published in the Journal of Travel Medicine, found that dengue survivors are significantly more vulnerable to issues affecting the heart, brain and immune systems. The study, led by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore,  tracked health problems th...
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Great White Sharks May Inspire Faster Planes And Boats - Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Sept. 04, 2024) – The great white shark, one of the most efficient predators, known for its power and speed, holds the secret to designing faster aircraft and boats. A new study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, has revealed how the denticles, or tooth-like structures, on the shark’s skin help reduce friction, allowing sharks to swim with great efficiency at different speeds. This friction reduction is crucial for their speed and endurance, making them swi...
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Climate Change Is Making Cyclones More Intense And Long-lasting - Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Aug. 30, 2024) – Tropical cyclones in Southeast Asia are now forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lingering longer over land — all driven by climate change. These shifts significantly increase the risks for tens of millions of people living in coastal areas and leaving cities like Bangkok in Thailand, Hai Phong in Vietnam and Yangon in Myanmar vulnerable to unprecedented threats from more prolonged and intensified storms.
A recent study, co-led by researche...
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Scientists Find A New Clade Of Candida Auris, A Highly Transmissible Fungus - Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Aug. 28, 2024) – Researchers in Singapore have identified a new clade of Candida auris, a highly resistant and easily transmissible fungus. This discovery adds a sixth clade to the global list. Candida auris is a major global health concern due to its high transmissibility, resistance to multiple treatments and tendency to cause outbreaks.  This discovery, made by researchers from Singapore General Hospital, A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), and the Yong Loo Lin Schoo...
Good Food Movement •

Assam school swaps plastic waste for education | Good Food Movement

Following Mahatma Gandhi's Nai Talim model of experiential learning, a small school in the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam addresses the struggle to educate its most vulnerable communities. Founded in 2016 by Parmita Sarma and Mazin Mukhtar, Akshar foundation provides free education to children from underprivileged families in exchange for plastic waste.  Many of these youngsters, under 14, used to work in local stone quarries for meagre wages. Now, instead of money, they pay fees with plastic wast...
Mongabay Environmental News •

A Ladakhi podcast spurs conversations about wildlife and conservation

An initiative in Ladakh aims to raise awareness about wildlife in the region and encourage conservation efforts through a podcast delivered in the local Ladakhi language.

A year ago, Morup Namgail, a photographer, and Padma Rigzin, a researcher, launched Ladakh Si Podcast, which literally translates to “Podcast from Ladakh” in Ladakhi. This self-funded podcast weaves together narratives of ecology, culture, and discusses the impacts of climate change on the region’s wildlife.

Morup, 29, hails...
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Tai Chi Can Improve Survival Rate of Advanced Lung Cancer Patients By A Year

AsianScientist (May. 15, 2024) – Tai chi could significantly improve sleep quality and reduce fatigue in patients with advanced lung cancer, and improve their survival rate by a year, a new study has found. Patients with advanced lung cancer often experience sleep disturbances which can aggravate physical and psychological symptoms, resulting in decreased quality of life and survival.

To address these issues, researchers from the University of Hong Kong’s medical school investigated non-pharmac
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Forests Can Trap Airborne Microplastics

AsianScientist (May. 08, 2024) – In recent years, microplastics have gained global attention due to their negative impact on the environment and human health. Microplastics have infiltrated every corner of our environment, from the depths of oceans to the air we breathe and even within cloud water. However, there is some good news. A recent study has found that forests potentially serve as a vital sink for airborne microplastics.

Airborne microplastics are tiny plastic particulates – less than
Asian Scientist Magazine •

A Big Feat: Scientists Have Turned Skin Cells Into Limb Cells

AsianScientist (Mar. 27, 2024) – A new study has identified a mechanism that can turn skin cells into limb cells, opening possibilities for regenerative therapy.

In a collaborative study, researchers from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, have identified proteins that can change fibroblasts, or skin cells into cells that behave like those found in developing limbs. This finding opens up possibilities for using these transformed cells in regenerative therap
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Bullying Could Lead To Psychosis In Teens

AsianScientist (Feb. 29, 2024) – A new research conducted by the University of Tokyo showing a link between teenagers who get bullied and the early stages of psychotic episodes they experience.

The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, found that bullied teens not only face a higher risk of experiencing early psychotic symptoms but also exhibit lower levels of a critical neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for emotion regulation. The finding suggests that this neurotransmitter, called
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Climate Change In South China Sea Can Impact Global Weather

Asian Scientist Magazine (Feb. 22, 2024) — Climate change in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas could have “profound impacts” on both local and global climate patterns, a new study has found. The South China Sea, located in the eastern part of Southeast Asia, is a partially enclosed sea surrounded by Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The South China Sea and its surrounding areas (SCSSA), which includes the Indo-Pacific Oceans, Southeast Asia, and t
Plum Blog •

HPV Myths Busted: Truth About Cervical Cancer in India

Akansha Singh*, a 34-year-old Delhi based Public Relations officer, found herself grappling with a shocking health revelation last year. Following a papsmear, Akansha was found to be positive for a high-risk strain of the Human Papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV. The virus had led to the development of precancerous cells in her cervix, which if left untreated, could progress to cervical cancer in the coming years.

Despite maintaining regular visits to her gynaecologist, Akansha had never und
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Dog Ownership Can Cut Dementia Risk By 40% In Older People

Asian Scientist Magazine (Jan. 26, 2023) — Adding to the list of benefits of having a canine companion, a new study from Japan has found that having a dog can lower the risk of dementia in older adults. The study, published in Preventive Medicine Reports, found that dog owners over the age of 65 are 40 percent less likely to develop dementia.

The researchers claim that this is the first study to establish a clear link between dog ownership and a lowered risk of dementia.

People with dementia e
The New Indian Express •

Masterchef India runner-up revives village school, fosters hope in Meghalaya

Call it cooking up a miracle. The ‘tribal chef of Meghalaya’—Nambie Jessica Marak—created ripples in the culinary world and became the first runner-up of Masterchef India 8. But what won the hearts of viewers was her rustic life in Meghalaya’s Upper Rangsa village, and her school, bustling with students in the nearby Nongrisan village. This school, abandoned and dilapidated, was revived a year ago by Nambie and her husband, Sunny Arokiadoss, giving hope to families that have had to migrate to As
Asian Scientist Magazine •

Microplastics In clouds: Scientists Warn Of “Plastic Rainfall”

Asian Scientist Magazine (Dec. 01, 2023) —Microplastics exist everywhere around us – soil, oceans, rivers, and even in human placentas. Now scientists in Japan have discovered microplastics in cloud water, which could potentially contaminate crops and water through “plastic rainfall”. The study was recently published in Environmental Chemistry Letters.

In the study, researchers from Waseda University in Tokyo analyzed cloud water collected from mists shrouding the summit of Mount Fuji, the sout
The Hindu •

Cherrapunji’s abundant rainfall is now in a premium gin

Meghalaya’s sister towns Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, receiving over 11,800 millimetres of rainfall annually, are the rainiest places on Earth. This perpetual monsoon not only draws over 1.5 million visitors to the State every year, but also presents an abundant resource — rainwater. For Shillong native Mayukh Hazarika, this rainfall sparked an unconventional ambition — to convert this copious downpour into a designer gin using regional botanicals.

Mayukh realised that several people visit Cherra
The Hindu •

Treasures of a bygone era

An insatiable fascination for antiques recently had me making the rounds of Chickpet, one of Bengaluru’s oldest and bustling localities. I was in search of an antique shop, nearing its centenary. After three rounds around the busy market area located in the heart of the city, and manoeuvering through narrow alleys, with Google Maps for assistance, I finally spotted a black-and-white sign that said Balaji’s Antiques & Collectibles. The store was tucked inside an inconspicuous alley.

When I point
Deccan Herald •

Ziro’s hills are alive with music

“Initiated in 2012 by musician Bobby Hano, and Menwhopause guitarist Anup Kutty, and hosted by the Apatani community, the Ziro Music Festival has become one of the most popular festivals for music and nature lovers over the last decade. The festival has been designed in a sustainable, environment-friendly way, keeping in consideration the core beliefs of the Apatanis that are rooted in Paganism. It is perhaps the first and only festival in India, made almost completely from locally sourced eco-f
The Third Pole •

Divided by borders, Lahore and Delhi are united in smog

The sister cities of Lahore, in Pakistan, and New Delhi, in India, share many things – food, culture, and now a pall of air pollution that hangs over the cities through much of the winter months. While New Delhi has consistently ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world, in recent years Lahore has swiftly climbed up those rankings – sometimes overtaking New Delhi.

In both cities, the brunt of the problem falls hardest on children. In New Delhi, schools were ordered to shut in Novem
Mintlounge •

Cancer survivors take first steps towards conquering mountains

Swagatika Acharya and Dr Kunal Kumar Das may be poles apart when it comes to age, but not in spirit. The two recently climbed more than 11,800 feet to Dayara Bugyal in Uttarakhand. But that’s not their only achievement. 24-year-old Acharya and 71-year-old Das are both cancer survivors. The duo, along with six other survivors, embarked on this four-day trek organised by Apollo Cancer Centres and IndiaHikes, to prove to themselves and to others that there is life after cancer. The survivors, aged
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