Jophin Mathai
@jofmat.bsky.social
philanthropy, education, social mobility, careers, social change | I read, write, listen
Pinned
Jophin Mathai
@jofmat.bsky.social
· Nov 18
Books I read/finished reading in 2025 🧵
This is a yearly ritual. I shall be adding to the thread every now and then. May you happily stumble upon something worth your time:
#booksky
This is a yearly ritual. I shall be adding to the thread every now and then. May you happily stumble upon something worth your time:
#booksky
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
I think this post nails the actual problem, for researchers at least—AI hallucinations would simply not be a problem in academic work if we’d not normalized citation-as-signaling rather than actual engagement—you can only cite a fake paper if you’re not in the habit of reading the papers you cite
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:01 PM
I think this post nails the actual problem, for researchers at least—AI hallucinations would simply not be a problem in academic work if we’d not normalized citation-as-signaling rather than actual engagement—you can only cite a fake paper if you’re not in the habit of reading the papers you cite
“Censors banned 13 films, citing national security reasons, between 2021 and July this year, while 50 films were “required to be modified,” the office said.
Hong Kong banned no films between 2016 and 2020, but that figure jumped to 10 in 2023.”
Hong Kong banned no films between 2016 and 2020, but that figure jumped to 10 in 2023.”
Hong Kong filmmaker Kiwi Chow says the banning of his latest movie exposes a trend for censorship in the region.
Banned film exposes Hong Kong’s censorship trend, director says
“If it involves Hong Kong’s real political situation, absolutely no one will make a movie about it,” says Deadline director Kiwi Chow.
ebx.sh
December 22, 2025 at 12:56 PM
“Censors banned 13 films, citing national security reasons, between 2021 and July this year, while 50 films were “required to be modified,” the office said.
Hong Kong banned no films between 2016 and 2020, but that figure jumped to 10 in 2023.”
Hong Kong banned no films between 2016 and 2020, but that figure jumped to 10 in 2023.”
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
Harsh Mander on supporting independent Southasian journalism.
We’re aiming for 100 new patrons by year-end. If you value this space, consider supporting us : https://ow.ly/c1tW50XN6Pk
We’re aiming for 100 new patrons by year-end. If you value this space, consider supporting us : https://ow.ly/c1tW50XN6Pk
December 22, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Harsh Mander on supporting independent Southasian journalism.
We’re aiming for 100 new patrons by year-end. If you value this space, consider supporting us : https://ow.ly/c1tW50XN6Pk
We’re aiming for 100 new patrons by year-end. If you value this space, consider supporting us : https://ow.ly/c1tW50XN6Pk
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
One of my favourites: an important, critical intervention by Tania Murray Li, particularly salient in these times.
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
December 19, 2025 at 2:17 PM
One of my favourites: an important, critical intervention by Tania Murray Li, particularly salient in these times.
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
One of my favourites: an important, critical intervention by Tania Murray Li, particularly salient in these times.
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
December 19, 2025 at 2:17 PM
One of my favourites: an important, critical intervention by Tania Murray Li, particularly salient in these times.
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
If imminent development is failing, what must come ‘after development’?
ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg...
"J&J’s exit isn’t an outlier; it’s part of a broader retreat from infectious disease research across the pharmaceutical industry, as companies shift toward drugs for wealthier markets: cancer, obesity, autoimmune disorders."
They call this a "textbook market failure".
Damn textbooks.
They call this a "textbook market failure".
Damn textbooks.
This brutal mosquito-borne disease may have a cure, but there's a catch
No one wants to make it.
www.motherjones.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM
"J&J’s exit isn’t an outlier; it’s part of a broader retreat from infectious disease research across the pharmaceutical industry, as companies shift toward drugs for wealthier markets: cancer, obesity, autoimmune disorders."
They call this a "textbook market failure".
Damn textbooks.
They call this a "textbook market failure".
Damn textbooks.
“The current shift to devolve the scheme to states and without commensurate fiscal support, now threatens its existence. States lack the central government’s financial capacity.”
Open letter to the Indian Government in Support of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
Open letter to the Indian Government in Support of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
An Open Letter to the Indian Government in Support of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) – Levy Economics Institute of Bard College
The Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA or NREGA) is the largest rights-based public employment program in the world, signed into law in 2005. It faces imminent repeal by the...more
www.levyinstitute.org
December 19, 2025 at 5:57 AM
“The current shift to devolve the scheme to states and without commensurate fiscal support, now threatens its existence. States lack the central government’s financial capacity.”
Open letter to the Indian Government in Support of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
Open letter to the Indian Government in Support of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
"The relational aspect of human powers suggests that our relations with others are really important for determining our individual and collective powers. Who and what we connect and relate to, and how we do so, profoundly affects what we can do and become."
December 18, 2025 at 2:14 AM
"The relational aspect of human powers suggests that our relations with others are really important for determining our individual and collective powers. Who and what we connect and relate to, and how we do so, profoundly affects what we can do and become."
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
It would be heartless not to empathise with Gen Z and Alpha (and whatever comes after) who are getting raw deal on nearly every front.
The study-to-work pipeline is fundamentally compromised in an area traditionally preferred.
The study-to-work pipeline is fundamentally compromised in an area traditionally preferred.
“Among his 400 classmates at the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, fewer than 25% have secured job offers. His course ends in May 2026, and there’s a sense of panic on the campus.”
“Everyone is so panicked”: Entry-level tech workers describe the AI-fueled jobpocalypse
Engineering graduates face shrinking opportunities and rising pressure to upskill beyond their curriculum.
restofworld.org
December 12, 2025 at 2:15 PM
It would be heartless not to empathise with Gen Z and Alpha (and whatever comes after) who are getting raw deal on nearly every front.
The study-to-work pipeline is fundamentally compromised in an area traditionally preferred.
The study-to-work pipeline is fundamentally compromised in an area traditionally preferred.
Jeez.
Coke admitted they had to generate 70,000 video clips for their latest Christmas slopvertising
BY MY CALCS:
- 4x the CO2 impact of a normal ad project
- 1 day of 2-5 medium hospitals
- 1 month of 250 households
- 44 years of continuous Netflix viewing
futurism.com/artificial-i...
BY MY CALCS:
- 4x the CO2 impact of a normal ad project
- 1 day of 2-5 medium hospitals
- 1 month of 250 households
- 44 years of continuous Netflix viewing
futurism.com/artificial-i...
December 17, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Jeez.
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
Mumbai’s rapid data center growth deepens energy pressure, fuels coal dependence and exposes widening inequality. Read Sushmita's report for @techpolicypress.bsky.social to learn more: https://loom.ly/cuSIyzM
📸Credit: Gloria Mendoza/Better Images of AI/CC by 4.0.
📸Credit: Gloria Mendoza/Better Images of AI/CC by 4.0.
December 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Mumbai’s rapid data center growth deepens energy pressure, fuels coal dependence and exposes widening inequality. Read Sushmita's report for @techpolicypress.bsky.social to learn more: https://loom.ly/cuSIyzM
📸Credit: Gloria Mendoza/Better Images of AI/CC by 4.0.
📸Credit: Gloria Mendoza/Better Images of AI/CC by 4.0.
Someone please tell me this is AI.
December 17, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Someone please tell me this is AI.
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
Our Library need more books, many members preparing for competitive exams are sharing limited books and waiting their turn to study. You can help, from anywhere. Order a book directly from our Amazon Wishlist here-https://amazon.in/hz/wishlist/ls/3OU1S7O6Z65SL?ref_=wl_share
#SupportFreeLibrary
#SupportFreeLibrary
December 16, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Our Library need more books, many members preparing for competitive exams are sharing limited books and waiting their turn to study. You can help, from anywhere. Order a book directly from our Amazon Wishlist here-https://amazon.in/hz/wishlist/ls/3OU1S7O6Z65SL?ref_=wl_share
#SupportFreeLibrary
#SupportFreeLibrary
"Living all of your life staring into a smartphone in a megacity and eating prepared fast food without ever knowing where it comes from and how it is produced does not mean that some holy bond between you and nature has been broken; it just means that…
December 16, 2025 at 4:23 PM
"Living all of your life staring into a smartphone in a megacity and eating prepared fast food without ever knowing where it comes from and how it is produced does not mean that some holy bond between you and nature has been broken; it just means that…
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
“Much like governments’ agreed-upon nationally determined contributions to cut greenhouse gas emissions, governments could also commit to national inequality reduction plans with clear goals to reduce income and wealth inequality…”
article-14.com/post/the-hid...
article-14.com/post/the-hid...
The Hidden Cost Of India’s Economic Boom: Inequality At Historic High, As Wealth & Income Growth Leave Out Millions
The World Inequality Report 2026 finds India’s celebrated growth story sitting atop deep and record inequality. The country remains one of the world’s most unequal, and an extreme concentration of eco...
article-14.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:03 AM
“Much like governments’ agreed-upon nationally determined contributions to cut greenhouse gas emissions, governments could also commit to national inequality reduction plans with clear goals to reduce income and wealth inequality…”
article-14.com/post/the-hid...
article-14.com/post/the-hid...
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
‘The Fever’ by Wallace Shawn is such a masterpiece.
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
December 14, 2025 at 1:30 PM
‘The Fever’ by Wallace Shawn is such a masterpiece.
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
"a visible link between rising temperatures and domestic violence"
Climate justice is feminism.
Climate justice is feminism.
India’s women are bearing the hidden health costs of extreme heat, study warns
India’s women are bearing the hidden health costs of extreme heat, study warns
The research shows that heat is no longer just an environmental threat, but a growing public health emergency for women.
thesouthfirst.com
December 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
"a visible link between rising temperatures and domestic violence"
Climate justice is feminism.
Climate justice is feminism.
Excellent 🧵
The cliche that ‘having an idea’ is the hard part of writing is persistent and pernicious. Realising the idea is the craft of it. That FAQ of…
December 15, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Excellent 🧵
‘The Fever’ by Wallace Shawn is such a masterpiece.
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
December 14, 2025 at 1:30 PM
‘The Fever’ by Wallace Shawn is such a masterpiece.
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
One of my favourite parts, packed with interlinked concepts: charity, meritocracy, ownership, freedom.
wischik.com/lu/senses/fe...
Thoughts and prayers, interminable.
December 14, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Thoughts and prayers, interminable.
Reposted by Jophin Mathai
Over the years, farmers of Kerala have been moving away from rubber. The reasons are many and all directly or indirectly linked to a changing climate. scroll.in/video/108928...
In this week's #EcoIndia, we discuss how Kerala's farmers are adapting to the growing crisis of its rubber industry.
In this week's #EcoIndia, we discuss how Kerala's farmers are adapting to the growing crisis of its rubber industry.
Eco India: How Kerala's farmers are adapting to the growing crisis of its rubber industry
Over the years, farmers of Kerala have been moving away from rubber. The reasons are many and all directly or indirectly linked to a changing climate.
scroll.in
December 14, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Over the years, farmers of Kerala have been moving away from rubber. The reasons are many and all directly or indirectly linked to a changing climate. scroll.in/video/108928...
In this week's #EcoIndia, we discuss how Kerala's farmers are adapting to the growing crisis of its rubber industry.
In this week's #EcoIndia, we discuss how Kerala's farmers are adapting to the growing crisis of its rubber industry.
Clean air is de facto commodified in the Delhi region.
You get the air you can afford. The massive inequality ensures only a few ‘merit’ healthy breathing.
When it comes to air, policymaking itself has been emancipated. Don’t hold your breath for good governance.
You get the air you can afford. The massive inequality ensures only a few ‘merit’ healthy breathing.
When it comes to air, policymaking itself has been emancipated. Don’t hold your breath for good governance.
December 13, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Clean air is de facto commodified in the Delhi region.
You get the air you can afford. The massive inequality ensures only a few ‘merit’ healthy breathing.
When it comes to air, policymaking itself has been emancipated. Don’t hold your breath for good governance.
You get the air you can afford. The massive inequality ensures only a few ‘merit’ healthy breathing.
When it comes to air, policymaking itself has been emancipated. Don’t hold your breath for good governance.
I’ve been following Jacob Collier since his early YouTube days. It has been delightful to witness his musical journey and growth. Such a gift!
(Also one of the few artists who makes it a point to perform in India)
Sharing a couple of versions of ‘A Rock Somewhere’
(Also one of the few artists who makes it a point to perform in India)
Sharing a couple of versions of ‘A Rock Somewhere’
Jacob Collier - A Rock Somewhere [feat. Anoushka Shankar & Varijashree Venugopal] Live in Amsterdam
YouTube video by Jacob Collier
youtu.be
December 13, 2025 at 8:04 AM
I’ve been following Jacob Collier since his early YouTube days. It has been delightful to witness his musical journey and growth. Such a gift!
(Also one of the few artists who makes it a point to perform in India)
Sharing a couple of versions of ‘A Rock Somewhere’
(Also one of the few artists who makes it a point to perform in India)
Sharing a couple of versions of ‘A Rock Somewhere’
Doing no harm > doing good.
The principle must be followed across different roles/positions one assumes.
The principle must be followed across different roles/positions one assumes.
In general, things would be way better if only there was an intellectually honest and serious commitment to prevent maleficence.
December 13, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Doing no harm > doing good.
The principle must be followed across different roles/positions one assumes.
The principle must be followed across different roles/positions one assumes.
In general, things would be way better if only there was an intellectually honest and serious commitment to prevent maleficence.
December 12, 2025 at 6:25 PM
In general, things would be way better if only there was an intellectually honest and serious commitment to prevent maleficence.