By: Divya Venkataraman — At some point or another, we have all had to make a tough choice. We may think, ‘ do I want to major in biology or chemistry?’ or ‘ should I rent or buy this house?’; when faced with difficult decisions such as these, we tend to begin panicking. In…

Discussing recent advancements of technology in medicine and the ethics behind them — A robot that serves as a surgical assistant in a hospital. A nanodevice in the form of a pill that can explore your entire digestive system in a matter of minutes. 3D-printed biotissues to replace ones lost in a fire. Fascinated yet? All of these are examples of the numerous…

By: Divya Venkataraman — There’s a common phrase that says, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” And for the Taarika Foundation, kindness — in any form through any medium — matters. This year, Random Acts of Kindness Week is from February 13, 2022, to February 19, 2022, according to the…

A collection of short stories using various vocabulary words — I. Lucid By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The fire was making a discordant sound amongst the rustle of the leaves. I saw my nemesis, John, with a gallon of gas and a match. From what I saw it was plausible that he deliberately fabricated the fire. …

Divya Venkataraman — Abstract Imagine waking up one morning to the smell of fresh baked cookies from your loving mother. Now, imagine seeing your mother, but thinking that she is an imposter, someone who looks exactly like your mother, but isn’t. “My parents looked funny the other day… I think they’ve been replaced…

How one summer illustrated the strength of grief and the importance of defeating it — By Aashi Venkat and Divya Venkataraman I met her last summer; her seemingly misplaced optimism made my head spin and my world turn. She was the bright light illuminating my then-muted mind, making the dreary environment of rehab gleam. We were discharged in early August, but I decided to break…

Debunking the conspiracy theory of SARS-Cov-2 being a bioweapon and discussing its xenophobic consequences — By Divya Venkataraman and Angela Zhang On March 16th, a mass shooting took place at several spas in Atlanta Georgia. As six of the eight victims were Asian women, this tragic event is a clear reflection of the anti-Asian sentiment that plagues the United States. Since the start of the…

The effects of eating disorders and the power of self-love — Thump! 16-year-old Reyna rushed to the door after realizing her package had been delivered. She had just woken up. Swoosh! A light breeze swept her hair as she picked the big cardboard box up and closed the door. She went into her room and quickly grabbed her scissors. Swipe! …

The science behind lucid dreaming and its positive impacts on metacognition and mental health. — At one point or another, we all have had to make a tough choice. We think, should I rent or buy this house? or should I stay in Cupertino or move to Fremont? More often than not, when we don’t know what to do, we start to feel anxious and…