How the pull of energy shaped her path
That February day was auspicious for scientist Dr. Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne. It was the day on which she faced her final interview to gain her professorship at the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering of the prestigious University of Moratuwa. It was also the day on which she won the much-vaunted 2026 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for [...]
Turning back the pages of Sri Lanka’s paper trail
Why the introduction of paper to Sri Lanka and its widespread use in society occurred only several centuries after the use of paper by the Chinese, Arabs and the Europeans, remains a puzzling question. Although paper was manufactured and readily available in most Asian countries such as India, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Burma and Thailand and [...]
One compost pit, one home garden, one village at a time
As Sri Lanka continues to face the twin challenges of extreme weather events, economic crises and rising food prices, a grassroots agricultural initiative in the Southern Province is offering farmers a practical pathway toward food security and sustainability. A community-based composting programme organised by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, in collaboration with IAAS [...]
Letters to the Editor
Efficient energy management: This is the time for the SSEA to show leadership The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SSEA) bears a national responsibility in guiding the public towards efficient energy management, particularly at a time when the country faces escalating energy costs and increasing environmental challenges. It is imperative that the Authority take a [...]
Appreciations
Thank you for the ‘Shakes’ legacy and valued friendship Dulip Flavian Raphael Jayamaha Dulip Jayamaha was well-read, gentle, conscientiously committed and interested in things. To me, in terms of appearance, he looked the same, from the moment I first knew of him some 30 years or so ago, until the day he died, unexpectedly, on [...]
An unflinchingly candid view of Sri Lanka with hope on the horizon
Aversion is Dr Devika Brendon’s debut novel released by The Jam Fruit Tree Publications in December 2024. An award-winning writer, editor, mentor and journalist, Brendon has created a genre-defying hybrid work challenging the initial expectations a reader may have of a conventional narrative structure. The author indicates that many of the events and experiences woven into the [...]
A feast for art enthusiasts
Two interesting art exhibitions caught the attention of art enthusiasts last week. At the Paradise Road Galleries on Alfred House Road, artist Wasantha Namaskara unveiled his deeply meditative abstract works. His exhibition titled ‘Dharshana’ will be on until May 13. From April 23-25 at the ITC Ratnadipa was a retrospective on the life and works [...]
Lecture on ‘Reclaiming the Past: The Problem with Colonial Cultural Objects’
Dr. Naazima Kamardeen will talk on ‘Reclaiming the Past: The Problem with Colonial Cultural Objects’ when she delivers this month’s National Trust lecture on Thursday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at the auditorium of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, No. 6, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7. (For those who join online: https://www.youtube.com/live/v5xtBt_Hlhg Debates over [...]
Tree walk: Get to know these sylvan sentinels in the heart of the city
This green oasis in Colombo is hidden in plain sight; one forgets what a blessing it is to have a refuge for the flying foxes, the occasional thalagoya and kabaragoya; a roost for the egret or the rock pigeon and of course a haven for sibilant, shady greenery. On Saturday, May 2, Ruk Rakaganno – [...]
International DNA Day and the sad story of Sandra Laing
Who would have thought that amongst the numerous international commemorative days there is even one for DNA. It fell yesterday, April 25. National DNA Day was first celebrated in 2003 by proclamation of the US Congress marking the day in 1953 when James Watson and Francis Crick published their findings on the double helix structure [...]