Feb 2025 - A quieter world
There was some respite from bombs
Two wars began grinding to a halt this past month. A ceasefire in Gaza is still holding as I write this note towards the end of February. The war in Ukraine is showing signs of an end, with Russia and the USA coming to an understanding, while Ukraine has been screaming and waving in the background about being unfairly left out of these negotiations.
Here is a quick peek at the major highlights of the past month. There are
four news stories,
one set of book recommendations for young readers, AND
an update on our writing course for children.
Story 1
The mighty USA, the self-proclaimed overlord of Artificial Intelligence, was humbled by a tiny Chinese upstart, DeepSeek. While American companies smugly guarded their precious semiconductor chips (the secret ingredient needed to build AI models), a tiny little company in a corner of China built a brilliant AI chatbot as good as ChatGPT—but cheaper! Since DeepSeek’s launch, the stocks of companies that make semiconductor chips in the USA have crashed and many AI makers in the US are sitting worried with their heads between their knees. Meanwhile, the rest of the world (hello, India!) is throwing a party, thrilled to finally have an affordable AI toy to play with. Who knew the AI arms race would be won by a country outside of the US, when it was starved of chips?
DeepSeek: How China shocked the world
Two years ago, an app with a name that looked like someone had mashed their keyboard was released. It was called ChatGPT. The world went bonkers. In less than five days, a million people had downloaded it and were making it do everything—writing their homework, asking it deep philosophical questions like
Story 2
A Tanzanian startup is solving actual problems—like helping kids read after sunset. Imagine: no electricity, no light, no reading. Enter a genius who slapped solar panels on backpacks, turning sunlight into study time. Now, kids can read past sunset. Recently, it even received recognition from the UNDP’s (United Nations Development Programme) Funguo Innovation Programme.
Sunlight in a backpack brings books to life
James stood by his mobile library cart in a small Tanzanian village. The cart—a simple wooden rack on wheels—was packed with books, ready for eager young readers.
Story 3
Children in Sweden are doing something strange now. They are sitting with notebooks in hand, practicing handwriting. Some of them are also sitting in corners, quietly reading printed textbooks. Some are even drawing shapes on paper. It seems outlandish to the students because, until recently, Swedish schools had almost entirely shifted to learning from digital devices. Tablets and laptops taught them through fancy videos, and apps provided math problems. All that has been banished. Swedish schools discovered that learning plummets with digital devices, and the good old printed books are much more valuable if children are to learn to read, retain, and write. This decade-long digital experiment is an interesting eye-opener for children who adore their devices over their "boring" textbooks.
Sweden goes back to printed textbooks
In 2009, Sweden, in a fit of techno-optimism, decided to banish books from classrooms and replace them with the shiny allure of computers. Because, of course, who needs the joy of flipping through pages or the smell of old paper when you can have the cold, unblinking glow of a screen? Fast forward fifteen years, and Sweden has now spent a cool 104 milli…
Story 4
A giant underwater cable, longer than the Earth’s circumference, is about to be laid. Did you know that internet traffic depends largely on cables sitting on ocean floors? They carry 95% of the world’s internet data. Satellites, still the expensive sports cars of the industry, account for only a tiny share of the market. This giant underwater cable offers an interesting insight—that the nature of warfare is about to change—underwater cable sabotage might be the next big threat, not just drone surveillance from space. If you look carefully at the map below, you’ll notice that its route traces along areas less likely to become hotspots for wars and conflicts. It also touches regions home to the largest internet users (read: INDIA).
Fish, Whales, and Wi-Fi
Meta—the tech giant that owns WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook - has just announced the most extravagant project ever. They are building a 50,000-kilometer-long underwater cable that’s longer than the Earth’s circumference (which is about 40,000 kilometers, in case you were wondering). Meta is trying to wrap the planet in a giant internet shoelace.
Book recommendations for young readers
Books make excellent gifts, particularly for young readers seeking new stories and characters that transport them to imaginative worlds. In a recent podcast episode, ten young readers joined me to share their favorite books from 2024. These recommendations, perfect for children aged 8 to 15, span a wide range of genres—adventure, mythology, history, self-help, and fantasy. Where better to get book suggestions than straight from the source? The episode is now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can also listen to it by clicking the link below. Happy listening—and reading!
Our new writing course for kids
Ever wondered how to turn your child’s wild, wacky, and what-on-earth-is-this ideas into actual stories? Our writing course for kids is here to save the day (and everyone’s sanity)!
This isn’t your average group class chaos—it’s 1-on-1, so our little Shakespeares can go at their own pace (no rushing, no pressure). Built on the Cambridge Curriculum’s golden rules of writing, each session kicks off with fun games and ends with a writing prompt that’ll spark their creativity. By the end, they’ll have 8-12 short stories ready to impress. And guess what? If you’re feeling fancy, we’ll even help you turn their masterpieces into a real book!
✅ A 12-session journey where kids learn the framework of writing - all of this through games and writing short stories (no boring lectures!)
✅ They will write 8-12 short stories and refine their craft along the way.
✅ At the end, parents can choose to publish their child's very own book!
📌 Course Details
✔️ One-on-one sessions—pick a date & time that suits your child. This can change from week to week, per your convenience.
✔️ INR 600/- per session
✔️ Enrol now by paying for the first 4 sessions.
✔️ Once you enrol, you'll get access to the scheduling link to book your child’s sessions.