Puzzles Editor Kabir Firaque is the author of the weekly column Problematics. A journalist for three decades, he also writes about science and mathematics.
Articles by Kabir Firaque
Problematics | The colours of mathemagic
Meet a magician deducing which member of the audience has which packet of Holi colours in his pocket. What is the mathematics that makes the trick work?
Published on Mar 25, 2024 07:51 AM IST
Problematics | As the crow flies
Centuries ago, one dropped pebbles into a jar to be able to drink water. This week, another smart crow is looking for an optimum flight path
Published on Mar 18, 2024 11:32 AM IST
Problematics | The long and the short of growing flowers
This week, an ancient puzzle in a new setting that involves two rectangular flowerbeds, followed by a flower sale
Published on Mar 11, 2024 06:46 AM IST
Reconstructing Indians’ evolutionary history
Most Indians trace their ancestry to three groups, and all of them carry genes from Neanderthals and Denisovans, a new study finds
Updated on Mar 06, 2024 09:40 PM IST
Problematics | Walk, don’t run
A speed-and-distance puzzle set in a forest where wild animals may be lurking, plus a sitter about the numbers on the face of a clock.
Published on Mar 04, 2024 12:09 PM IST
Scientists make key progress in developing antibody against most snake venoms
Scientists have developed an antibody that can neutralize toxins from a variety of snake species, but a universal antivenom is still a long way off.
Updated on Feb 27, 2024 04:58 AM IST
Kabir Firaque, New Delhi
Problematics | Five Oscar nominees, five viewers
Ahead of the Oscars, an Einstein puzzle involving 5 Best Picture nominees, followed by a probability puzzle
Published on Feb 26, 2024 09:47 AM IST
This scientist has led the way in tapping into the quantum world for new tech
Aditi Sen De received the GD Birla Award for Scientific Excellence for her contribution to the field of quantum technologies. Simply put, here's what she does
Updated on Feb 23, 2024 04:20 PM IST
Problematics | Reluctant recruits go to war
This week, a mathematical puzzle in which you work out the number of men and women who enlisted for battle, plus a set of cricket anagrams.
Published on Feb 19, 2024 08:00 AM IST
Problematics | Who wins this race?
Five athletes in their lanes, each from a different country and dressed in her favourite colour. Who is wearing what, and who wins?
Published on Feb 12, 2024 08:00 AM IST
Problematics | The fast and the furious
We give you three runners, the differences in their speeds and in the time they clocked. What is the length of the race, and how long did each runner clock?
Updated on Feb 05, 2024 11:26 AM IST
Science or pseudo-science? A debate rekindled
Indian-American doctor Deepak Chopra presented his latest book, Quantum Body, proposing the idea of a "quantum body" distinct from our physical body. Chopra asserts that understanding the quantum body can revolutionize disease eradication. The theory of consciousness, which suggests consciousness arises from quantum activity in the brain's neurons, is distinct but related. While some scientists have dismissed Chopra's ideas, others have taken the theory of consciousness seriously. Recent experiments have shown indications of quantum phenomena in the brain, but the Orch OR theory that connects these phenomena to consciousness remains unproven.
Updated on Jan 30, 2024 06:08 AM IST
Kabir Firaque, New Delhi
Weird Science | The theory of everything, quantum body and mind edition
This is not the first time that someone has connected the mysteries of everyday life with the quantum world. The end effect is a whole lot of unknowns
Published on Jan 29, 2024 02:23 PM IST
Problematics | Lewis Carroll transported to Haryana
The creator of Alice in Wonderland was also a mathematician and master puzzler. To mark his birth anniversary, here is an adaptation of one of his puzzles
Published on Jan 29, 2024 08:00 AM IST
Problematics | How to arrange your bookshelf
Arrange your books vertically and you run out of space. Stack them up flat on their backs and your shelf is left with unused space. How many books are new?
Published on Jan 22, 2024 08:00 AM IST
Weird Science | How X-59 could break the sound barrier without too much sound
NASA and Lockheed Martin recently unveiled the X-59 aircraft that aims to conquer one of the key issues with supersonic aircraft- a sonic boom
Published on Jan 15, 2024 09:40 PM IST
Problematics | Highs and lows in T20 cricket
Meet 10 players playing a tournament like the IPL. From the clues given, can you pair them into their respective teams and find out who scored how many runs?
Published on Jan 15, 2024 08:16 PM IST
The math of leap years: Why Feb 29 does not come once every four years
Leap years occur every four years, except for years ending in 00. The Gregorian calendar adjusted for the slight discrepancy in the length of a solar year.
Updated on Jan 13, 2024 05:38 AM IST
Kabir Firaque, New Delhi
Problematics | How to complete your course before the exams
The speed at which you intend to study often ends up as wishful thinking. Meet a student who went a bit slow and figure out how much she needs to make up.
Published on Jan 08, 2024 12:29 PM IST
Problematics | Lies and truths for the New Year
We kick off 2024 with some people who always tell the truth and some others who always lie. Can you determine how many there are of each kind?
Updated on Jan 01, 2024 08:27 PM IST
A walk through Indian time from Ujjain to Mirzapur via Greenwich
As things stand now, the vast breadth of India follows a single time zone based on the Mirzapur line, midway between the country’s eastern and western extremes
Updated on Dec 27, 2023 08:37 PM IST
Problematics | Merry Xmas to all
The headline is a Christmas greeting but is also a hidden mathematical puzzle. Can you solve it, besides distributing some goods for the festive occasions?
Updated on Dec 25, 2023 03:01 PM IST
Having kids doesn't keep you younger
The same genetic mutations that enhance reproduction early in life are likely to lead to ageing in later years, meaning that fertile individuals may age faster
Published on Dec 23, 2023 04:49 PM IST
Problematics | When Einstein and Galileo watched Oppenheimer
Archimedes, Bohr, Curie, Darwin, Einstein, Faraday and Galileo watch a movie after distributing their money. How much money did each have in the beginning?
Published on Dec 18, 2023 08:00 AM IST
Problematics | Speed test while walking and running
One person runs and another one walks on a circular road, moving in opposite directions, before they switch roles. Can you determine where and when they meet?
Published on Dec 11, 2023 10:28 AM IST
Weird Science | Let’s settle the eternal Mumbai v Delhi argument
Delhi residents, facing lower temperatures, scoff at ‘winter’ in Mumbai. Why do residents of the coastal city and the northern city seem to feel equally cold?
Published on Dec 08, 2023 03:36 PM IST
Problematics | Games with matches and jumbled scientists
Here is an ingenious variation of nim, the game in which two players remove matchsticks from the table. Can you identify the winning strategy?
Published on Dec 04, 2023 04:21 PM IST
Problematics | When robots bowl spin
In a future world, where AI controls everything including cricket, some Einsteinian puzzling about which iconic robot specialises in what kind of spin
Published on Nov 27, 2023 03:39 PM IST
Weird Science | What puppy dog eyes and cat’s (trembling) whiskers really mean
Researchers have identified 276 facial expressions in cats. To convey the same kind of emotion, a cat may present one expression to a human and another to a cat
Published on Nov 23, 2023 07:27 PM IST
Problematics | Addition without adding
Here’s a party trick in which you can tell the sum of five numbers, chosen by two different persons, without actually adding them. What is the secret?
Published on Nov 20, 2023 11:31 AM IST