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By:

Anil D. Salve

21 March 2026 at 8:11:09 pm

A Drought of Wisdom in an Ocean of Information

We live in an age where information is everywhere. With a single click, we can access news from across the world, thousands of opinions, countless videos and endless claims. Knowledge has never been so accessible. Yet, in this overwhelming flow of information, something increasingly scarce is discernment-the ability to distinguish what deserves our belief from what deserves our doubt. Information and knowledge are not the same. Reading, watching or hearing something does not automatically...

A Drought of Wisdom in an Ocean of Information

We live in an age where information is everywhere. With a single click, we can access news from across the world, thousands of opinions, countless videos and endless claims. Knowledge has never been so accessible. Yet, in this overwhelming flow of information, something increasingly scarce is discernment-the ability to distinguish what deserves our belief from what deserves our doubt. Information and knowledge are not the same. Reading, watching or hearing something does not automatically make it true. We need the ability to verify information, understand its context, recognise its purpose and only then form an opinion. In the digital age, this ability has become one of the most important forms of wisdom. Social media has transformed the way information travels. WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms have made communication faster, wider and more accessible. But the same speed that connects society can also overwhelm it. Information often reaches us before facts do. A headline is read before the full story. A short video is watched without knowing what happened before or after it. A photograph is circulated without its original context. A message arrives with the familiar words, “Forwarded as received,” and within minutes it may reach thousands of people. By the time the truth catches up, the rumour may already have done its work. The problem becomes even more serious when misinformation is deliberately created and circulated. Rumours may be planted not merely to mislead individuals but to divert public attention from an important issue, create suspicion, damage someone's reputation or push society towards a particular narrative. A distraction does not always need to be completely false. Sometimes a small piece of truth is mixed with exaggeration, selective facts or emotional language. The result can be more powerful than an outright lie because it appears believable. This is how narratives are manufactured. Social media platforms can become powerful tools in this process. A repeated claim begins to look familiar, and familiarity is often mistaken for truth. A provocative post attracts attention. Thousands of reactions create the impression that “everyone” believes it. One emotional video triggers another, comments intensify the mood, and before facts have an opportunity to speak, public sentiment may have already shifted. This is where mob psychology enters the picture. A society can move from calm to anger, suspicion to trust, or optimism to fear with surprising speed. People who would ordinarily think carefully may react differently when they see thousands of others expressing outrage, fear or hostility. The individual begins to follow the crowd, and the crowd begins to reinforce the individual. The danger is not limited to negative emotions. The same mechanism can also be used positively-to mobilise people for social causes, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, public awareness and community action. Technology itself is neither wise nor foolish. Its impact depends on how information is created, amplified and consumed. The greatest danger, therefore, is not that we have too much information. It is that we may lose the habit of thinking while consuming it. We are increasingly becoming consumers of information rather than creators of thought. Everyone has access to information today, but access does not necessarily mean understanding. The boundaries between a rumour and a report, an opinion and a fact, popularity and truth are becoming increasingly blurred. A post does not become true because thousands of people have liked it. A video does not become evidence merely because it has gone viral. An opinion does not become a fact because it is expressed confidently. An idea does not become correct simply because it confirms what we already believe. This last point deserves particular attention. We often accept information not because it is accurate, but because it is comfortable. We are naturally attracted to information that confirms our existing beliefs and suspicious of information that challenges them. In the digital world, this tendency can be amplified by algorithms that repeatedly expose us to content similar to what we have already watched, liked or shared. Gradually, we may find ourselves living inside an information bubble where we hear many voices-but mostly voices that agree with us. That is not diversity of information. It is an illusion of certainty. Discernment does not mean doubting everything. It means thinking before believing. It means asking simple but powerful questions: Who is saying this? What is the evidence? What is the context? What may be missing? Who benefits if I believe it? And have I heard the other side? These questions may take only a few seconds, but they can prevent hours, days or even years of misunderstanding. This responsibility is particularly important for the younger generation. Children today are growing up in an environment of unprecedented information exposure. They can encounter more information in a few hours than earlier generations might have encountered in weeks. Therefore, education cannot merely teach students how to collect, remember and reproduce information. It must teach them how to question, verify, analyse and interpret it. A student who can write the correct answer in an examination may be academically successful. But a student who knows how to ask the right question is better prepared for life. The classroom of the future must therefore produce not merely informed students, but thinking citizens. They must learn that forwarding a message is also a form of responsibility. Sharing a post is not an innocent act when it can affect someone's reputation, create public fear or influence social behaviour. The challenge becomes even greater in the age of Artificial Intelligence. AI can generate information, images, audio and video with extraordinary speed and sophistication. The distinction between what is real and what merely appears real may become increasingly difficult. In such a world, human judgment becomes more valuable, not less. Technology can produce an answer in seconds. It cannot automatically tell us whether that answer deserves our trust. Some answers require experience. Some require context. Many require the ability to think independently. We have more information, more technology and more connectivity than any previous generation. Yet our real challenge is to preserve something technology cannot manufacture for us: the capacity to think for ourselves. The ocean of information will only become larger. The question will no longer be, “How much information do we have?” The more important questions will be: What should we accept? What should we question? What should we verify? And what should we reject? No technology can completely answer these questions for us. No number of likes can substitute for evidence. No viral trend can replace judgment. No majority can turn misinformation into truth. That responsibility belongs to human beings. Information can tell us what happened. Discernment helps us understand what it means, why it happened, what may be missing from the story and how we should respond. Perhaps, therefore, the greatest educational challenge of our time is not to teach people how to find more information. They already know how to do that. The greater challenge is to teach them how to pause-to pause before believing, to pause before reacting, to pause before forwarding and to pause before joining the crowd. Because sometimes the most intelligent response to information is not an immediate reaction, but a moment of reflection. The ocean is already around us. It is growing deeper every day. What we need now is not more information to swim through it-but the wisdom to know which direction to take. (The writer is the Principal of Podar International School, Ausa, Latur. Views personal.)

Forensic Odontology: Dental Science in Criminal Investigation

Dr. Keshav Kumar and Shiwani Phukan
Oct 14, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

Dental Science

The use of dental science in legal proceedings, or “forensic odontology,” is a branch of forensic science that uses dental science to identify deceased individuals in legal proceedings. It involves comparing ante- and post-mortem records to identify individuals, aiding in mass catastrophes, criminal investigations, ethnic studies, and corpse decomposition. Forensic anthropologists create a comprehensive postmortem record, adding details like ancestry, age, and sex. Accurate dental records are crucial for patient care and medicolegal obligations.


Forensic odontology has roots dating back to ancient times, with notable instances of dental identification dating back to 66 A.D. A historical case involved Nero’s wife being identified by her distinctive black anterior teeth. The formal recognition of forensic odontology began in the 19th century with the Webster-Parkman case in 1849 in the United States. Dr. Oscar Amoeda is often referred to as, the “father of forensic odontology” for his work in identifying Paris fire victims using dental records. Forensic identification in India began in 1193 with the murder of Jai Chand. In 1776, dentist Paul Revere fabricated a small denture to identify Dr. Joseph Waren, allowing him to be buried with military honour.


Forensic odontology played a significant role in criminal investigations, such as the 2013 Delhi Gang Rape Case known as the Nirbhaya case, where dental forensics provided critical evidence against the accused. The dentist compared the arrangement of teeth with the bite mark left on the victim, leading to the arrest of six men, including a juvenile. In the 2014 murder of a child in Mumbai, dental records were used to identify the dismembered victim, emphasising the importance of dental identification in cases involving severe mutilation. In the 2018 Murder of a Young Woman in Telangana, bite mark analysis linked the suspect to the crime scene, leading to a conviction based on dental evidence. Another case where bite marks on victims played a crucial role in the conviction of serial rapist and murderer Umesh Reddy in India.


The Honourable Supreme Court of India has emphasised the significance of forensic odontology as a crucial piece of evidence in criminal investigations. In the Nirbhaya case, the court upheld a death sentence based on corroborative forensic evidence, including bite mark analysis. The court praised the scientific rigour of forensic odontologists, recognising dental records as conclusive proof in cases of decomposition or mutilation.


DNA analysis techniques from dental pulp are becoming more refined, allowing for victim identification in mass disasters and criminal cases. Digital forensics ultilises computer-assisted technologies for dental records and analysing bite marks, which give precise comparisons between antemortem and postmortem dental records, improving the reliability of identifications. Facial reconstruction and tongue print analysis are being explored to enhance identification possibilities in forensic investigations. Additionally, software like ABFO (American Board of Forensic Odontology) scales for bite mark analysis and advanced techniques to match dental records have made significant strides in recent times. Digital tooth reconstruction uses dental socket morphology to replace missing teeth from skeletal remains, with minimal discrepancy between natural and 3D printed teeth, proving identification valid post-mortem.


Forensic Odontology, as a scientific discipline, and its wide scope in criminal investigations in India are yet to be enhanced, and its exposure to law enforcement agencies must be incorporated as part of their training. Some of the eminent forensic odontologists of India include Dr. Ashith B. Acharya (Professor & HOD of Forensic Odontology, SDM College of Dental Science, president-elect of the Indian Association of Forensic Odontology), Dr. Abraham Johnson (Asst. Professor at National Forensic Sciences University, executive committee member, Indian Association of Forensic Odontology, and member of Indo Pacific Academy of Forensic Odontology), and many more.


Forensic odontology is an invaluable tool in criminal investigations, offering unique insights into identifying victims and solving cases. Its continued advancement and integration into law enforcement practices promise to enhance justice and accountability in the future.


(Dr. Kumar is a retired IPS officer and forensic consultant to Assam government. Phukan is student of Forensic Science in NFSU, Guwahati. Views personal.)

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