Author Archives: Kartik Aiyer

“If there is magic on planet earth, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eiseley                          Water is a magical substance, quite literally. Oceans, rivers, lakes and waterfalls invoke a sense of wonder and beauty. Our planet is special because of the presence of water. Water has shaped our planet in unique ways, and life onlyContinue reading “Water: A weird wonder”

If you’re following the news on COVID-19 testing, you may have heard the debate about effective testing methods. The primary questions asked relate to the speed and accuracy of antigen testing versus RT-PCR testing. But what exactly are these methods? And what do the letters RT, PCR, qPCR and Ct stand for? How do theyContinue reading “How is Covid-19 tested? An overview of RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests”

One of the biggest mysteries of Covid-19 has been why some people become very ill, while a large number of people who are infected show no symptoms at all. It turns out that this protection may be linked to the most mundane of illnesses…the common cold. It may turn out that a common cold whichContinue reading “Covid-19: Asymptomatic or falling ill in case of infection?”

All living organisms need energy to sustain life. Living cells and organisms can extract energy from their environment and use it to power various biological activities like growth, movement, development and reproduction. This unique ability to harness chemical energy from the environment and channel it to perform biological work defines life. Life can perform aContinue reading “Biomolecules and Metabolism”