Akshay Dhan

Akshay Dhan

Senior Research Fellow at Computer Science Unit, ISI Chennai centre

Google Alerts: Your Personalized Information Radar

less than 1 minute read

Published:

In the vast realm of the internet, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and miss out on important updates. But fear not! Google Alerts is here to be your trusty information radar. This powerful service provided by Google allows you to effortlessly track specific keywords and receive timely notifications whenever new content related to those keywords appears online.

With Google Alerts, you can effortlessly track specific keywords and receive email notifications or set up an RSS feed whenever new articles or content related to those keywords appear online.

How to Set Up a Google Alert:

  1. Visit the Google Alerts website.
  2. Enter the keyword or phrase you want to monitor in the search box.
  3. Customize your alert settings, including language, region, sources, frequency, and result types.
  4. Choose your preferred delivery method: email or RSS feed.

Note: Setting up Google Alerts requires a Google account

You May Also Enjoy

Managing Multiple Email Addresses: A Solution

1 minute read

Published:

The tribulations of academia lie in our continued reliance on emails. An unencrypted multitude of email addresses abounds, yet the challenge remains in managing them all. … – anon

Some of my favorite xkcd comics.

less than 1 minute read

Published:

Everyone requires a stress release to avoid mental and physical breakdowns. Enter xkcd, Randall Munroe’s webcomic. If science, math, or programming tickle your funny bone, the stick-figure comics are a must-read. Indulge in xkcd at your leisure and utilize explainxkcd for clarifications and don’t overlook the captions. Here are a few of my all-time favorites.

Navigating Misinformation: A Digital Survival Guide

3 minute read

Published:

In today’s digital age, we find ourselves in a constant battle against the relentless waves of misinformation. The information landscape has evolved significantly over the years, and with the advent of social media and advanced technologies, the challenges have grown exponentially. To stay afloat and make informed decisions, we need a digital survival guide. The story of news media and propaganda has a long history, but it has reached new heights in the digital era. Misinformation, or false and misleading information, is disseminated at an unprecedented scale, thanks to social media. The information landscape is in a constant state of flux, and this discussion has never been more pertinent than in today’s global context.

The Intersection of Atheism, Science, and Belief: Reflections Inspired by Kushi

3 minute read

Published:

I recently watched the Telugu romantic comedy film “Kushi” (2023), and its portrayal of atheists sparked some intriguing thoughts that I felt compelled to share. In the movie, the character representing an atheist is depicted as a “science believer,” which, from my perspective, falls short of capturing the essence of atheism. Allow me to elaborate on this matter further. There’s a distinction between what we can call a “strong atheist” and a “science supporter.” A strong atheist, based on the classification by renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, is a person who asserts with 100% certainty that there is no God. However, even in this extreme case of atheism, one should not automatically assume a strong inclination toward science. The reason I emphasize the distinction between a “supporter of science” and a “believer” is rooted in the core tenets of scientific thinking. Science is fundamentally about inquiry, skepticism, and the pursuit of knowledge based on empirical evidence. It is not a system of belief but a conceptual tool for understanding the world. In science, one cannot merely believe; one must question in order to comprehend.