Whispering India

Medical science has given a unique gift to sex workers—but even this has become a matter of controversy. Globally, the risk of HIV (AIDS) infection among sex workers is 30 times higher. Around 6% of sex workers worldwide are HIV positive. Recently, a drug has been developed that prevents AIDS altogether. That means, with just two injections per year, a person can avoid getting AIDS—even if they have sex with someone who is HIV positive, they won’t get infected. This issue is linked to a new HIV drug called Lenacapavir. In India, a social organization working with people affected by HIV, Sankalp, has opposed the patent application filed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. Sankalp argues that the patent application is based on an old compound, and according to Indian patent law, this cannot be considered a new invention. India’s patent law prevents “evergreening”, which means drug companies cannot repeatedly make minor changes to maintain patent monopoly and block aff...

 Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized that either humanity must establish civilization on other planets, or one day, a catastrophic event will occur on Earth that will bring an end to life. A comet could destroy everything in an instant—our civilization, science, and all that has taken thousands of years to develop—and then, after millions of years, everything would have to start again from zero. Musk believes this prediction can be made based on history, as massive comets have collided with Earth in the past and wiped out life multiple times. In a recent post, Musk once again reiterated his belief that if we want to preserve our existence, we must become a spacefaring civilization. A spacefaring civilization means that humans should not remain confined to Earth but should also promote life on other planets. Musk says, “Either we become a spacefaring civilization, or we die.” According to him, life-destroying events on Earth—like a comet collision or the sun’s expansion—are bound to...