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Saturday, 23 March 2024
saturdayfeeling
Your weekly guide to an intelligent lifestyle
By Shalini Umachandran

Good Morning

The trees at the new Science Gallery Bengaluru wear backpacks, lumpy little triangles of brown strapped to their trunks. I assumed it was a new-fangled gardening tool to send nutrients directly into weakened trees, but inside the gallery, standing in front of an interactive installation by artist Jane Tingley, I realized the little backpacks housed sensors that tracked the way the trees react to wind, carbon dioxide in the air, sunshine, rain, sound and ambient light. The data morphs and pulsates with vitality, illustrating the secret life of the trees. Every exhibit in the show, Carbon, makes one contemplate the interconnectedness of science, art and everyday life. Some installations are serious, others playful, but each links scientific concepts to beauty, philosophy, conflict, justice, consumption, and every other aspect of living. About 100 years ago, Albert Einstein said that the greatest scientists are artists as well, but in India, the distinction between science and art remains particularly stark. We’re separated into different streams at the age of 15, as if the two cannot necessarily coexist. Fortunately, a number of artists across the country have started pushing back against this presumption and are using science as the basis for their art, as our story Wisdom, Wonder and the Art of Science details this week. The result is art that helps us make sense of the world in which we live, and ask questions about everything from the purpose of being human to problems of excessive fossil fuel use. And if you are in Bengaluru, do visit the Science Gallery—it brings these concepts to life in ways that no volume of words can, and their coffee isn’t too bad either. Moving on to other ways to spend your weekend, as always, we have plenty of recommendations for you.

     

Why napping is good for you

It’s the weekend, a time to relax, but it’s likely that a big chunk of the global population will spend hours fighting to fall asleep or fighting sleep. If you don’t get your eight hours at night, you could make up for some of that lost sleep by napping during the day. There is much misinformation and hearsay about napping, including the claim that naps are unhealthy. Sleep experts, doctors and researchers dismiss all talk of naps being bad, finds Shrenik Avlani, a firm believer in the afternoon nap. He writes that naps are good for one’s health, memory, creativity, intelligence and productivity. Read more.

     

10 players to watch for in IPL 2024

From the return of Rishabh Pant to the rise of another wicketkeeper-batsman, Dhruv Jurel; from Mitchell Starc’s turn to justify being the highest paid player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to his Aussie teammate Pat Cummins’ debut as an IPL captain; from Hardik Pandya taking over from Rohit Sharma at Mumbai Indians (MI) to Shubman Gill getting the chance to lead Gujarat Titans (GT); from the arrival of the latest Caribbean speed demon Shamar Joseph to a chance for Kagiso Rabada to emulate Garibdass Da; from the “everyellow” M.S. Dhoni to the reinvented Virat Kohli—IPL 2024 will be full of players bringing this tournament to life with their incredible stories. Sumit Chakraberty picks the 10 players who are sure to provide hours of cricketing joy and conversation this season. Read more.

     

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Time for Japan’s sakura feast

The Sakura or cherry blossom season in Japan is short but it’s one filled with beauty and anticipation. The ongoing sakura season is an explosion of all things deliciously cherry blossom, offering a plethora of edible treats. As the flowering reaches its peak, people will go for cherry blossom viewing (hanami) parties, where they will sit on mats under the flowering trees in parks and public places, taking in the heady aroma of the blossoms and indulging in sakura-flavoured delicacies such as mochi or rice dumplings and pink dango skewers. Raul Dias takes you on a Sakura-flavoured tasting tour. Read more.

     

Family, friends and fashion inspiration: Alia Bhatt

Pantsuits are often vilified as politician-wear but they’re actor Alia Bhatt’s current favourite. She describes them as comfortable, versatile, and, when worn with the right accessories, an outfit that can add height to any frame. “You are the happiest when you are with family and friends, so fashion should feel like that,” she says, explaining that one’s style should reflect one’s personality and doesn’t always have to be consistent as long as one is comfortable with it. The actor-entrepreneur tells Dhara Vora Sabhnani about her personal style statements, self-care rituals and why she loves dressing like her mother. Read more.

     

The trouble with self-diagnosis

Social media psychologists are a dime a dozen, giving advice on everything from gaslighting and burnout to depression and ADHD. As useful as their information may be, it’s having an insidious effect on the mental health of teens. Addicted to short videos and posts, a number of young people are self-diagnosing and misdiagnosing mental health conditions, which could have serious repercussions. In some cases, it means people don’t get the help they really need, and in others, they’re talking themselves into believing they have a serious illness instead of just seeing something as a passing phase, writes Azera Parveen Rahman. Read more.

     

A picnic at a graveside

Picnicking in a cemetery may seem ghoulish and macabre, but the resting places of the dead have been used by the living for a long time in Europe. Before cities had parks and gardens, it wasn’t unusual to see families with food hampers heading to the local picnic destination: the cemetery. Located on the city’s outskirts, they offered green lawns, winding paths, waterbodies and relative peace. Many cemeteries in Europe are also the final resting places of famous authors, philosophers, scientists, thinkers, politicians, musicians, actors and social reformers, which makes them destinations in themselves, writes Teja Lele. Read more.

     

Shalini Umachandran is the Editor, Mint Lounge.

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Written and edited by Shalini Umachandran. Produced by Nirmalya Dutta.

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