Author Archives: Akshat Rathi

About Akshat Rathi

Science and Technology Journalist

When free will, causality and privacy are all at stake

Posted on April 6, 2013

Review of Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and Kenneth Cukier’s Big Data We live in a world where flu outbreaks are predicted faster and more accurately by analysing Google search results rather than by doctors or clinicians, where traffic jams are better judged by crunching data … Continue reading →

Posted in books | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Redefining the notion of a book

Posted on April 6, 2013

Two months of failing to fulfill my reading goals towards the #100bookschallenge has made me rethink the purpose of taking up the challenge Less than a decade ago, it was easy to recognise a book. It was anything that could … Continue reading →

Posted in books | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What intellectually stimulating conversations look like

Posted on March 21, 2013

Nicholas Taleb’s Reddit AMA has been, by far, the most intellectually stimulating “ask me anything” that I’ve ever read. I don’t agree with everything that he says (see last question below, for example). Nevertheless the whole thread was thoroughly enjoyable. Here … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How to stop fooling yourself

Posted on March 16, 2013

When I first wrote about self-deception, a little more than a year ago, I found the experience traumatising. It can be very troubling to realise that inside my own head I maybe tucking away truths that I am already aware … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments