The Bard Meets the Bot

If you are going down the merry path of generative AI, be prepared for this conversation between "THE BARD" and his new AI bot-mate. William Shakespeare: Pray tell, mechanical muse, dost thou reckon thy generative wit surpasses the folly and wisdom of man? AI Chat Bot: Verily, Sir Shakespeare, I …

3TB Shorts 7: Where Our Furniture Goes to Die. And More Nuggets

Once I stood proud in homes adorned with grace, Crafted with care, I had my place. Now in a bakery's warm embrace, I fuel the flames, no trace of space. From resting weary bones to a fiery dance, I've changed my role, not left to chance. What am I? If you got this, you could be the Riddler, the su…

Seller Sees, Buyer Sees, The Market Sees - ONDC

Pop Quiz - Have you heard of Kudumbashree? Or Cauvery Handicrafts? What about Biswa Bangla? If you are at a loss, you are missing the ONDC bus. Kudumbashree (Kerala Emporium) deals in Pickles, Honey and other Gourmet foods. Cauvery Handicrafts deals in wooden crafts like Channapatna toys, Rosewood …

3TB Shorts 6: The Arse Fruit, the Love for Fountain Pens and Our Guide to Answering Any Question

If you thought PPP stood only for Public-Private Partnerships, you are not much of a writer. At 3TB, we think PPP should only mean Petrache Poenaru Pen - dedicated to the inventor of the fountain pen. With everyone agitating for a name change, it is time for us fountain pen activists to get a pen n…

3TB Shorts 5:The Paradox of Flooding, QWERTY Mysteries and the Usborne Future

In this episode, we take you deep into the wondering world of the QWERTY keyboard, where: the longest top-row word is 'rupturewort', a type of plant Peru is the only country that can be typed on one row of a keyboard If you type letters using alternate hands, skepticism is the longest typed word yo…

Ghar Ghar ki Kahani

Growing up, we always thought that any housing crisis could be solved like Amol Palekar and Zareena Wahab in Gharonda. By singing Do Deewane Shahar Mein around a whole bunch of under-constructions buildings. We were so naive :-). In India, more than half of urban households live in single rooms, w…

3TB Shorts 4: Men in Heels, Abusive Parrots and Oscar-Winning Cameos

Do you understand the token economy? If yes, then you are in exalted company - the company of Psittacus Erithacus. No, it is not a Roman Emperor. It is the big-brained African Grey Parrot. They are known to exchange currency for food. Parrots also have some other attractive traits, which will be re…

The Balloonist, Load-Shedding and Game Theory

We so love our trivia and science. And, as purists, we hate fakes. Which is why we do not get why, while most of the characters in the series Rocket Boys are real people, Dr. Raza Mehdi, who is shown to have played a significant role in Bhabha’s life, is fictional. Why did they do that? Wouldn't Me…

3TB Shorts 3: Donald Duck's Sister, Geopolitics and the Peanut Butter Sandwich

People find all kinds of new ways to use tech and devices. In 2010, the United States Air Force used 1,760 PlayStation 3 consoles to build a supercomputer for the Department of Defense. They used PS3s because it was more cost-efficient and “green.” Closer to home, we had washing machines making la…

3TB Shorts 2 - The Tortoise, The Hamburger and a Pilot's Dilemma

Emboldened by your response to our first "Shorts", we are back with our next episode.  Our knowledge-seeking journey led us to find the longest (and possibly "wisest") living land being. From then onto parrots on the token economy, hamburgers and Hamburg and practical tips on the right time to gar…