Can you share a memorable experience from your career as a science and technology journalist? What story or event stands out to you and why?
One big story was a SpaceX Dragon shuttle ferrying an experiment to make space beer to the ISS. At least, that was what made the story blow up on the internet and reach the frontpage of Reddit. It was a really long and detailed story, but the other stuff was unnecessary in its viral value. Another story that exploded was a photograph of a page from the Digit Buying Guide, it was a chapter on gaming chairs, and I had used a meme for the image showing pewdiepie asking 'But can it do this', that got a lot of upvotes.
There were two memorable days in the newsroom. The first was when Trump won the elections, the graph of votes crossed, with Hillary leading at first then Trump winning. One guy had shown up in office with a Trump mask. There was a lot of online chatter till the time Trump started leading, after which there was a stunned silence for a while as it sank in. Then the internet exploded.
The other memorable day was the landing of Chandrayaan 3. It was the most important story of the year. The whole office was asked to generate ideas for the headline. More than 40 entries were discussed and shortlisted by the editors and desk heads. At the end of it, ten headlines were selected. Then there was a poll. After all that effort, and really creative headlines, the editors made the call to go for something simple and straightforward. It was this story:
Touchdown! Chandrayaan 3 successfully soft lands on lunar surface
In the rapidly evolving field of science and technology, how do you stay updated on the latest developments and ensure your reporting is accurate and insightful?
I tried to setup RSS feeds but not all sites have those. I monitor hundreds of university sites around the world, as well as space agencies, aerospace industry companies, defence contractors, and consumer electronics companies, as well as major technology companies. The PR for companies also send press releases to my inbox. They also call me to events and offer opportunities for interactions. A simple and straightforward answer would be: press releases.
As far as it comes to making the pieces insightful, we are trying to make click-baity headliens, and then make the story click-worthy. So what we do, is we add small paragraphs next to a story that further explains the main story. If an asteroid is making a close approach, then we add subheads such as, 'But why is this important?', 'What would happen if such an asteroid actually struck the Earth?' or 'How to prevent an asteroid impact'. Subheads are good for the SEO as well, and a great place to use keywords.
What are some of the challenges you face in communicating complex scientific and technological concepts to a broader audience? How do you overcome these challenges?
One problem is that scientific publications use an entirely different vocabulary, and simplifying it can end up not communicating what really happened at all. For example, ISRO's Aditya L1 spacecraft conducted a trans-Lagrangian manoeuvre, but no one actually reported that, they just said 'important', or 'crucial' manoeuvre. Another challenge is that the audience does not really care for scientific and technical content at all, or would rather watch a YouTube video than read a news article. I try to overcome these by trying to write more compelling, educational stories that are good to share on social media, but would like to know better approaches that work here.
As a journalist covering science and technology, you likely encounter a variety of exciting innovations. Is there a particular technology or scientific breakthrough that you find particularly fascinating or promising for the future?
I find both biotechnology and artificial intelligence very exciting and having a lot of potential. I am an accelerationist, in that I believe that technologies should be released in the wild instead of trying to regulate it and police it too much. Unfortunately, this is happening too much to AI, with a lot of great tools locked away in labs. There are also cutting edge tools that are challenging for consumers to use. There are private AI models that perform much better than the ones in the wild on benchmarks.
One of the big biotechnologies breakthroughs that I am anticipating is the introduction of a wide range of life extension drugs, which are going to get increasingly effective in any case. I also think that neuroscience will advance rapidly and sufficiently for people to make digital copies of their brains, or upload your mind. Then I think, that these brains will be allowed to mix with AI. If we can have portable brain activity interpretation machines, or even a more direct brain-machine interface, I even think we can start making the hivemind.
At the very least, we will be able to make chatbots that mimic us, essentially providing some kind of digital immortality to everyone.
Then one last thing, NFTs are considered dead now, but I still like the idea. Digital collectibles will become something big in the future, as well as phygital ones, and these need not be things, they can even be experiences. Im closely looking at developments in this space, which was killed by financial institutions trying to introduce too many tools too rapidly, making crypto an investment vehicle with volatile pricing, that makes any token increasingly inadequate for practical use.
With the increasing role of technology in our lives, there are often ethical considerations and societal impacts associated with scientific advancements. How do you approach reporting on these aspects, and what role do you see journalism playing in shaping public discourse on these issues?
We are guided primarily by the audiences here, and what they vote, share or engage with is eventually what is worth writing. What audience engages with changes the discourse on issues. If more people will consume, discuss and share an 'AI is going to kill you and your dog' story, then that is what we are going to write.
We always focus on the societal impact first, like what is this going to do for me. One thing we are careful of is that we do not use superlative words such as 'breakthrough, or 'major advancement' or 'game changer' or 'paradigm shift', especially when it comes to reports on life-saving or medical advancements.
We are careful, and we humbly listen to any feedback in these areas.
What sparked your interest in science and technology journalism? Was there a specific moment or experience that led you to pursue this field?
Digit Magazine CDs that my friend's older brother had lying around in his room. I used the CDs, read the magazine, and decided to become a journalist and work for Digit magazine. My mom forced me into science in 12th standard, but I was allowed to graduate in mass media. After graduation, I applied for a job in Digit and got one. I made the DVDs still they stopped making DVDs.
Outside of your professional life, what are some of your hobbies or interests that might surprise people who know you primarily as a science and technology journalist?
I am pretty open minded about magic. I got into all the subjects taught in Harry Potter, and all of it is extremely fun. Ancient Runes are such simple magic, its the power of words. You just write 'strong' on a shield, or 'peace' in a house, and that object becomes that word you have written on it. The 'magic' is so simple and beautiful.
Then I like Tarot, the decks have beautiful art, and you have to consult a little guide book that helps you interpret the results during reading. You can place the cards in all sorts of random patterns, and it is just fun. I do a few single card and three card readings online, for those who ask for it.
As someone deeply involved in covering cutting-edge developments, what futuristic technology or scientific advancement do you personally hope to see in your lifetime?
The digital brain uploading hivemind of immortals melded with AI thingy.
Reflecting on your career journey, are there any mentors or influencers who have played a significant role in shaping your approach to journalism and your passion for science and technology?
All my bosses, and many of my colleagues. They were all incredibly passionate people about both technology and journalism. At Digit I was pushed to see past the marketing of companies and focus on the relevance to users. At Firstpost, I was pushed to write more detailed, long pieces. Then at Digit again, it was for more authoritative pieces. At News9, it was towards writing more experiential reviews, and content that is relatable to people who do not care much about science and technology.
In the ever-evolving landscape of journalism, how do you balance the demands of staying informed and being on top of your beat with maintaining a healthy work-life balance? Do you have any rituals or practices that help you recharge outside of work?
I finish my work on time and leave office. I don't pick up the phone, or respond to communications after office hours.
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