Eye Culture

Before time caught the train: When rail journeys became family rituals

Back when India moved slowly, every window seat came with a view, and every rail journey came with excess baggage - food, fears, family drama

Power, promise and an unfinished dream: The paradox of America at 250

For generations, millions of immigrants crossed oceans in search of freedom, security or simply a better life

The politics of image: How the World Cup became a battlefield of symbols

As several scholars have written, a symbol has language. But a symbol also has multivale¬n¬ce. It can mean many things at the same time

A voyage to infinity and beyond: Voyager's remarkable journey continues

Gliding through "interstellar space" at about 61,000 km an hour, Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause, the boundary where the Sun's solar wind gives way to the interstellar medium, in 2012

Far from sealed: Archaeology, nationalism and an ancient mystery

A tiny seal from Mohenjo-daro has reignited a century-old debate over whether the Indus civilisation shares a direct cultural link with later Hindu traditions

The stars have acquired a user interface: When AI meets astrology

As AI enters astrology apps and predictions, technology is becoming a new interface for humanity's oldest questions about uncertainty and the future

An open letter from Pluto: A compelling geophysical case for planethood

A witty open letter from Pluto questions its 'dwarf planet' tag, reviving debate on planetary definitions and whether science-or simplicity-drove its demotion

Leaking truth to power: Iranian filmmakers navigate and defy restrictions

Censorship remains a favourite tool of totalitarian leaders, and circumvention is the reflex it keeps on producing in filmmakers

Ask for the Moon: Artemis II may revive humanity's path beyond Earth orbit

For all its benign demeanour, which has inspired many a song, the Moon isn't exactly welcoming. Approaching it demands precision. Landing on it even more so

Beyond the boundary: How Associate nations are reshaping T20 cricket

In a three-hour format, opportunity can be engineered. For Associate cricket, that opportunity is no longer symbolic. It is there in scorecards, in contracts signed, and in sustained belief

The alpha illusion: Is Bollywood's hypermasculinity biology or spectacle?

Even physiology resists the fantasy: Alpha males carry stress levels comparable to those at the bottom of the hierarchy. Power is labour

Billboards make a comeback as a shared cultural and experiential moment

As streaming platforms multiplied, billboards slid into oblivion. Now they are making a comeback, serving once again as a shared cultural and experiential moment

Ironies of history: Vandemataram debate may throw up uncomfortable truths

What has come with the territory are the celebrations of 150 years of the composition of Vandemataram, which Parliament is expected to "debate" next week

A new documentary about aliens hangs between revelation and speculation

Even after Dan Farah's documentary, we remain where we have always been - cataloguing mysteries and arguing over possibilities about extraterrestrial life

Screens are the new mirror: How AI is steadily rewriting our self-image

Google's "Nano Banana" trend feels playful, but its soft edits and nostalgic glow reveal how deeply screens now shape our self-image and the way we measure our own faces

Ritwik Ghatak, rebel auteur who drew upon his life and times for his art

November 4 marked the centenary of Ghatak, Indian cinema's rebel auteur. Along with Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, he is often hailed as one of Bengali cinema's three maestros

Night stolen by light: How our love of brightness became overexposure

As cities battle filthy rivers and toxic air, with cloud seeding now the latest half-measure, few mention another pollutant - the constant glow that is erasing the stars

Homebound: The film pushes many buttons, and that keeps it from greatness

We don't remember Henry Fonda from the cinematic The Grapes of Wrath, nor Om Puri from Bhisham Sahni's Tamas (both excellent performances) but are awed by the films themselves

Lights, camera, Diwali: How global TV shows spotlight the festival

Numerous Indian films and television series have featured Diwali over the years, many of which have also gained popularity outside India

Master of artistic coups: Panahi's Palme d'Or divides Cannes, Iran

Oppressive rules are a universally occurring absurdity, as Panahi's travel experiences establish