Author Archives: Rajgopal Nidamboor

When ‘Tiger’ Blazed Bright

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR Mansur Ali Khan ‘Tiger’ Pataudi was, doubtless, India’s leading batsman in the 1960s, and early 1970s. Yet, what takes precedence was his reputation as one of the best captains the country ever produced — the best, perhaps, of his type. As a batsman, ‘Tiger’ was cavalier and creative. The Atlas of Indian batting […]

Darwin: A Life In Science

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR  It is a common question — what’s the most extraordinary scientific legacy of Charles Robert Darwin’s vision of life? The answer is simple. Chance variation, juxtaposed by its primary motif of natural selection. A marvellously simple, yet elegant, tale of how organisms are created and extinguished. Modern biology expresses this fascinating story in […]

Leapfrog To Disaster

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR The frog, the legendary leaper, is nature’s original connection between fish and all living vertebrates. Frogs were also the first animals to possess a genuine voice, tongue and ear drum—since their ‘baptism’ on the living planet, over 250 million years ago. That they are considered the least harmful to human beings—because, the swampy, […]

Mind It To Mend It

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR The thrusting action behind every action is a persuasive longing to doing better, also one’s best, at every step. This uplifting idea works on that vibrant, enriching loop called conscious principle. The result is simple — a vigorous urge to become unequivocally useful to oneself and also others. There are decent folks around […]

Les Ames: Mr Twinkletoes

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR Character is, indeed, the psychological muscle that moral conduct requires. Its bedrock? Self-discipline, as Aristotle observed, not to speak of self-control. A related keynote of character is being able to motivate and guide oneself, whatever your occupation, including the ability to defer gratification, and control and channel one’s urges to act. Les Ames’ […]

God In The Equation

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR It has always been a delicate territory to tread — the parallels between science and religion. Besides, the whole idea of such a ‘bond,’ albeit not all-encompassing, in terms of precept and also percept, rubs people the wrong way on either side of the ‘barrier.’ Scientists, for obvious reasons, dislike the orientation of […]

Man With The Golden Voice

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR Partap Sharma, playwright, author, actor, director, filmmaker, and voice-over artist, with the golden larynx, was a genuine article. He not only carved a special niche for himself in everything he did, or explored, but he also set a benchmark — all his own. Sharma’s foremost job was, of course, keyed to his gilded […]

10 Facts About Supplements

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR Do we need nutritional supplements? Do they assure a ‘surge’ in health for individuals who are already healthy? Just like one size does not fit all, nutritional supplements aren’t for everyone. However, older, or elderly, adults and others with health and other issues may benefit from specific supplements. One should also not think […]