Arvind's Newsletter

1. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, arguably the greatest footballer ever, passed away at age 82, after a long battle with cancer. He was a prolific goal scorer (his 1279 goals in 1363 matches is world record unlikely to be surpassed) and the only footballer to win 3 World Cups. He was blessed with supreme athleticism, skill and tactical vision. He could run 100m in 11 seconds, shoot with either foot, and out jump the tallest defenders. Along with Muhammad Ali, he was the first black superstar. Nelson Mandela said of him, "to watch him play was a delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full."

Enjoy some of his amazing goals by clicking on attached link

2. Forbes magazine publishes its annual list of the Richest India (as on December 2 2022): The header says it is call the rupee may be weaker but the rich are richer, with Gautam Adani (wealth $150 bn) topping the list by far doubling his wealth during the year. India's 100 richest had a cumulative wealth of $800 bn and the top 10 are worth a cumulative $385 bn. There are 9 women in the list with the richest woman having net worth of $16.4 bn

3. An interesting article in the Mint newspaper, on whether India can afford to host the Olympics. Ahmedabad is planning to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. The city has set the ball rolling by laying the foundation for the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Complex at Motera, and drawing the blueprint for another sports complex in neighbouring Narapura. However, that would be just the beginning, even if India does win the 2036 event. First, the costs for hosting an Olympics event have soared, even pushing Greece towards bankruptcy after the 2004 event. Also, India will seriously need to consider whether hosting the Games in Delhi, instead of Ahmedabad, will make the event commercially viable. The capital already has a sporting and physical infrastructure in place. Read on

4.Several works— including Winnie-the-Pooh and Bambi — enter the public domain on Sunday. The expiration of copyright protection on a huge number of books, sound recordings and poems means that anyone can, in theory, adapt or republish them without having to pay for the rights or seek the owners' permission. The bonanza remains somewhat theoretical, however, as IP experts are watching to see whether The Walt Disney Company, which owns Winnie-the-Pooh franchise tries to block attempts to use it. Any legal wrangling will offer a preview of the fight to come -Mickey Mouse first enters the public domain in a year.

5. Are brain implants the future of computing ? Advancements are quickly turning brain-computer interfaces into plausible and life-changing devices. Video by Economist staff.