Dr. Kishore Paknikar

Open a research paper today and you may feel you are decoding a message rather than reading a sentence. A single paragraph can appear as a string of capital letters, each representing something important, yet together making the text harder to follow. What begins as simplification often ends in confusion. We encounter such abbreviations not only in scientific writing but also in news reports, government policies, corporate communication, and everyday conversations. Acronyms, originally meant...

Two recent developments in scientific publishing should worry us. In one case, AI-generated inputs were found in peer review, leading to the rejection of papers. In another, an AI-written paper successfully passed peer review. Together, these highlight a deeper shift in how science is now created and assessed. For the first time, AI is not just aiding science on the fringes. It is now involved in the entire scientific process, from writing to evaluation. There is a fundamental question we...

Democratizing science does not mean lowering standards but widening access for talent to translate into meaningful work.   We like to believe that science is a fair field where the best ideas win, talent rises to the top, and hard work gets rewarded. It is a reassuring belief, especially for young students entering research. But reality tells a different story. Two scientists may have similar abilities, equal curiosity, and the same level of dedication, yet their careers can look very...