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A Legacy of Discovery: James Watson, Co-Architect of the DNA Double Helix, Passes at 97

Hadia Rashid
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A Legacy of Discovery: James Watson, Co-Architect of the DNA Double Helix, Passes at 97

James Watson, the co-discoverer of the double helix, the name every biology student has underlined at least once in a textbook, has passed away at the age of 97. In one of the greatest breakthroughs of the 20th Century, he identified the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953 alongside British scientist Francis Crick, setting the stage for rapid advances in molecular biology. Along with fellow researchers Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, he won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of DNA’s double helix shape.

James D. Watson was born on April 6, 1928, in the United States. By the age of eleven, Watson was already joining his father on a birdwatching walk. So early on, he heard of Charles Darwin, the architect of the theory of evolution by natural selection

Later, as a zoology major at the University of Chicago, Watson came across a review in the Chicago Paper of a book called “What is Life?”  by the great physicist Erwin Schrödinger. And that was a question he wanted to know. While Darwin explained life after it began but what was the essence of life itself? Schrödinger suggested that life’s essence lay in information carried in chromosomes and that this information must exist on a molecule.

Watson had never truly thought about molecules in this way before. The notion that this information could be digital and that it could be copied ignited a determination in him: he would become a geneticist. 

His journey led him to Indiana, where he got the impression that genes were like DNA. By the time he completed his PhD, he was ready to pursue DNA itself. Watson first went to Copenhagen, hoping to train as a biochemist, but this path wasn’t going anywhere toward saying what the gene was.

It was at a meeting in Italy that he met Maurice Wilkins, who hinted that DNA could indeed be the hereditary molecule on chromosomes and showed an X-ray photograph of DNA. Watson wanted to work with Wilkins, but the former birdwatcher was not what Wilkins had in mind. 

Eventually, he went to the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge because it was the best place in the world for X-ray crystallography. There, Watson met Francis Crick, a 35-year-old physicist, while he himself was just 23. They worked together at the University of Cambridge, UK, and solved the structure of DNA within a few years of their first meeting. In 1953, they published a seminal paper in Nature titled A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.

But the discovery of the DNA helix turned into a big controversy. Watson and Crick elucidated the complex structure with the help of data and ideas from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, who were working at King’s College London at the time. Some of this data was taken without Franklin’s permission.

Wilkins was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 with Watson and Crick. Franklin had died of ovarian cancer 4 years earlier at the age of 37, and so was ineligible for the award.

In 2022, a few experts visited Franklin’s archive at Churchill College in Cambridge, UK, and went through her notes, reconstructing the development of her ideas. They found a hitherto unstudied draft news article from 1953, written in consultation with Franklin and for Time Magazine. They also found a letter from one of Franklin’s colleagues to Crick. These documents reveal a different account of the discovery of the double helix. Franklin did not fail to grasp the structure of DNA; she was an equal contributor to solving it.

Today, when we pay homage to D. Watson, getting Franklin’s story right is crucial because she has become a role model for women going into science. She was up against not just the routine sexism of the day, but also more subtle forms embedded in science, some of which are still present today.

The Living Legacy of Watson’s Double Helix

Watson’s discovery didn’t just change biology; it changed humanity’s relationship with life itself. The double helix he had helped to reveal became the foundation for nearly every medical and forensic breakthrough of the modern era.  Diseases that once seemed untouchable, like cancer, genetic disorders, or even pandemics, are now being challenged through therapies rooted in the structure Watson helped uncover.

DNA testing now plays a crucial role in identifying criminals, identifying the innocent, and solving forensic cases worldwide. The first conviction based on DNA profiling in 1988 marked a moment when Watson’s scientific curiosity reached the courtroom. 

Every cloned gene, every sequenced genome, and every life saved through DNA technology is a living tribute to James Watson’s vision. His discovery didn’t end in a lab. It continues to pulse in every vaccine, every diagnosis, and every act of justice shaped by the language of our genes. 

Memorizing Names, Not Ideas: Pakistan’s Science in Stagnation

And yet, as the world celebrates Watson’s contributions, we in Pakistan must confront a difficult question: what have we done with this inheritance of knowledge? It has been seven decades since the discovery of the structure of DNA milestone every student of biology in the country remembers; the national contribution to molecular biology remains small.

Our research infrastructure lags, our universities struggle with underfunding, and the brightest minds often have to move abroad to seek recognition. We have built institutions, not intellectual ecosystems.

If we truly want to honor Watson, we must ensure that Pakistan’s young scientists inherit more than textbooks. They must inherit vision. Let us build research labs that are alive with questions. Let us give our scientists freedom to experiment, to fail, and to learn. Let us celebrate those who think, not just those who memorize.

James Watson once said, “Knowing ‘why(an idea) is more important than learning ‘what” (the fact).” Perhaps, that is the very message Pakistan needs most today. 

Despite being involved in several controversies and being largely disliked due to his racist and sexist remarks, Watson’s academic accomplishments place him as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. His work opened the door to entirely new fields of study, bringing us insights into how hereditary information is stored.

References:

More from the Author: Antibiotics in Chicken Farming: A Recipe for Disaster in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Crime Scene Investigation, Clickbait, and Screens: How Media Reshapes Forensic Reality

Anam Ilyas
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Crime Scene Investigation, Clickbait, and Screens: How Media Reshapes Forensic Reality

Cameras flash. The courtroom is more of a film set than a court of justice for a crime turned spectacle. Millions of people observe it through their phones and break down every look, every inhalation, and every tear. TikTok is swarmed with videos marked as evidence. YouTube gurus pass their judgment each day, way before the jury. It is streamed, clipped, and hashtagged.

From the trial of Johnny Depp-Amber Heard to Making a Murderer, courtroom drama has become entertainment all over the world, and somewhere in between crime, clicks, and courtrooms, truth begins to lose definition.

Everyone’s a detective now.

The last 2-3 decades of television and social media have made forensics an entertainment; it has taught us that any crime has a perfect trace, and that the truth will always be covered in lab lights and DNA results.

Real life isn’t that neat.

The Birth of the CSI Effect

CSI was not just a hit but was a cultural phenomenon when it was first aired in the early 2000s. Laboratory work was glamorized through the show. Murderers were resolved with investigators in designer clothes in 45 minutes. Blood patterns glowed. Computers solved them within a few seconds.

In reality, forensic scientists could not have an opportunity to look away. Courtrooms began to change, where jurors mostly demand solid evidence, including DNA, fingerprints, digital trail, etc. They had faith in evidence they had watched on screens, not in testimony they had heard.

Scientists began to refer to it as the CSI Effect, caused by media, especially shows like “Crime Science Investigation”, and is seen as a misleading expectation that shapes what jurors and the public expect in real trials. This phenomenon is typified by the hope that forensic evidence is always available, flawless, and rapid. This is likely to cause jurors to ignore non-science-based evidence or a feeling that a crime cannot be solved without a gun or forensic evidence.

Was it real?

The meta-analysis subsequently establishes that watching crime dramas had a minimal effect on the verdicts. Nevertheless, the expectations of jurors were certainly influenced by TV, and they believed that all evidence in a trial had to be forensic.

The irony? The CSI Effect does not need to be massive to be significant. How justice is practiced can be altered through even a slight change in people’s expectations.

When Fiction Becomes Public Truth

Real-life crime programs were the next to burst.

Making a Murderer…… Mindhunter….. The Staircase….

Every episode was full of truth and closure. However, the editing of the story was done as a thriller behind the camera. Heroes, villains, dramatic revelations, and justice were packaged for viewers. Individuals began to think that they were knowledgeable in forensic science. Bloodstains told stories, fiber evidence had the power to convict, and DNA solved everything.

But it didn’t…

Real forensic work is slow, messy, and often uncertain. Samples degrade, labs backlog, machines fail… However, everything was clear and definite in the media version, and that’s where the danger lies. The difference between the reel and the real, and when such a distance goes to court, it may distort justice itself.

The Digital Crime Scene

Not every crime results in bodies and blood. Some live inside screens. A deleted text, a hidden server, a photo in the cloud….

It is at this point that digital forensics comes in, the art of tracing the digital fingerprints. It does not concern magnifying glasses and powders. It’s about code, data, and logic. Professionals check phones, computers, and networks to reclaim the lost or deleted data. Each click, each message, each log, may tell a story.

Nevertheless, digital forensics is not television; it does not have a magic data recovery button. It is meticulous research, finding, gathering, and providing evidence in a manner that can withstand in court, and the stakes are growing.

Online fraud, ransomware and cyberattacks are literally everywhere. Digital forensics has become an essential component of justice, yet it encounters massive challenges, legal loopholes, a lack of tools, and the endless development of malware. Nevertheless, it is the new frontier of the truth that lives in the unseen corners of the internet.

When Your Fridge Testifies

Today, smart devices are what the world operates with. Your automobile, wristwatch, and even your refrigerator speak to the cloud. It is the Internet of Things (IoT ) that refers to a network of physical objects that contain a sensor, software, and other technologies that connect and communicate data via the internet. Such things may include domestic devices and wearable, or even sophisticated industrial equipment, allowing them to communicate with one another and with their owners, which can, in many cases, be used to automate tasks and present new knowledge.

It’s convenient, until it isn’t. Crime scene investigators are now looking at the data of the IoT, such as the doorbell cameras, the smart thermostats, and the fitness trackers. During a murder, a heart rate spike may be registered by a smartwatch, and the GPS of a car may follow the track of a suspect.

Sounds futuristic, right? But there’s a catch: IoT forensics is a tangled mess.

The data in each device is stored differently; the evidence could be stored in servers in different countries and encrypted, and with data being erased that easily, each second counts. Researchers are creating new technologies to defend digital evidence, blockchain verifications, privacy-guaranteed infrastructure, and cloud-based solutions known as Forensics-as-a-Service (FaaS).

However, it is not only technical, it’s moral. Once your household appliances have been called to testify, where does privacy end and justice begin?

Inside the Real Crime Scene…

Turn off the TV, and enter into an actual investigation…. The floor is cold, and the lighting is faint; there is still the odor of chemicals. One detective in a brown suit takes pictures of a footprint before it gets washed away by the rain….

Crime
The Author generated this photo with AI.

This is the actual crime scene work…. Quite on the contrary, it is motivated by patience and precision, and also burdened by budget reductions, staff shortages, and obsolete equipment. Recent studies reveal a widening gap that is increasingly growing between what is on the screen and what is on the tape. Crime scenes are chaotic, dynamic environments, and evidence that is living cannot manage without training, and not merely technology.

However, with the falling budgets, automation is coming to the forefront; Machines begin to take over what human beings are doing. That could be effective; however, it is dangerous. Forensic science is judgmental, and the human eye can see what the computers are blind to.

The actual question is: Is it possible to have justice when it is autopiloted?

When Media Becomes the Jury

The courtroom was formerly sacred; now it’s streamed. The Amber Heard and Johnny Depp case was the trial that was being watched by millions of people live, breaking down every glance, every tear, and every word. Memes became testimony under TikTok clips. The evidence frame by frame was dissected by YouTube experts.

Crime
Photo: Los Angeles Times

It is the fresh appearance of the CSI Effect; social media does not simply report trials; it actually performs them. Viewers are jurors, liking, sharing, as well as judging in real time.

The danger? The boundary between the truth and entertainment is lost.

A viral video is more believable than a sworn statement. Facts are quick to be “liked and shared,” and propaganda is quicker than the facts, and justice in confusion becomes a popularity contest. It is not that people don’t care about the truth; they care too much. However, now caring with screens is different; it is not always the real story that prevails when the louder one is used.

Restoring Trust in Forensic Reality

It is not the solution to prohibit the real crime shows or shut down the internet. It is to educate individuals on how to narrate a story out of science. Media literacy is the key; people ought to be aware of what a real forensic work is like in the waiting, the uncertainty, the rules that make the evidence play straight. Lawyers and judges need to identify cases where jurors have very high expectations, and forensic scientists have to step out and talk directly to the general population.

There are already labs that are preparing for this future. They are experimenting with new systems to gather evidence, such as blockchain trails, which demonstrate the integrity of data. Scientists are developing frameworks of Forensics Readiness programs, which assist the investigators in gathering the digital evidence ethically and expeditiously.

Forensic readiness programs are pre-planned strategies that enable an organization to gather, conserve, and process digital evidence in legal, regulatory, or internal investigations. The purpose of these programs is to ensure that, in the event of an incident, the organization is equipped with quick and efficient response mechanisms to mitigate the effects of such occurrences, minimize business impacts, and reduce investigation costs. Additionally, the evidence collected is admissible and reliable. It is not about the ideal science. It’s trustworthy science.

Truth in the Age of Spectacle

Justice had been a matter of fact. Now it’s about visibility.

The reality is cut, edited, and sensationalized in the race for clicks on social media. But all true detective workers know, real facts do not shine. It conceals itself in the dull and stubborn details. The CSI Effect is, perhaps, not as massive as we believe it to be, but its shadow is long. It defines the kinds of justice in our eyes, our expectations of technology, and the way we determine guilt and innocence.

Perhaps, it is the true danger, not to believe a lie, but to hope for perfection. The fact that in real courtrooms, truth does not come in neon wrappings makes this possible. It arrives gradually and very quietly, one examination at a time.

“Sometimes the hardest evidence to find is not at the place of the crime, but what we want to believe.”

References:

  • Schanz, K., & Salfati, C. G. (2020). The CSI effect and its controversial existence and impact: A mixed methods review. Reviewing Crime Psychology, 145-164.
  • Rose, K., Eldridge, S., & Chapin, L. (2015). The internet of things: An overview. The Internet Society (ISOC), 80(15), 1-53.
  • Stoyanova, M., Nikoloudakis, Y., Panagiotakis, S., Pallis, E., & Markakis, E. K. (2020). A survey on the internet of things (IoT) forensics: challenges, approaches, and open issues. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 22(2), 1191-1221.
  • Zahari, F., Harun, A., & Nasrijal, N. M. H. (2022). A systematic literature review on the usage of digital photography in the crime scene investigation process. Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results, 13(6), 2061-2069.
  • https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-07-13/johnny-depp-amber-heard-defamation-trial-tiktok-documentary

More from the Author:

Blood Doesn’t Lie: How DNA and Serology Are Transforming the Legal Systems Worldwide

When Science Meets Silence: Decoding Post-Mortem Techniques in the Humaira Asghar Investigation

Lights, Camera… Forensic Science: Scientia Welcomes Dr Umair Haroon to its Advisory Board

Aliza Waqar
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Lights, Camera… Forensic Science: Scientia Welcomes Dr Umair Haroon to its Advisory Board
In an era where science shapes every aspect of our lives—from the technology we use to the health decisions we make—hearing directly from those advancing and communicating scientific knowledge has never been more crucial. Recently, Scientia Pakistan had a brief conversation with Dr Umair Haroon, a forensic scientist, producer, director, and elected member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS), the organization responsible for the International Emmy Awards. Dr Umair Haroon is known for launching Pakistan’s first forensic science-based investigative TV series. He recently joined Scientia Pakistan as its Advisory Board member; with his diverse background, we look forward to his amazing suggestions in advancing our mission of promoting scientific awareness in Pakistan. He has significantly contributed to forensic science, science communication, and the public’s understanding of science. His insights offer a fascinating glimpse into the challenges, inspirations, and evolving landscape of forensic science in today’s world.
In this conversation with Aliza Waqar, Dr Umair reflects on his journey, discusses how he envisions the future of forensic science and Science journalism in Pakistan.

Aliza: It’s a pleasure to have you, and would lyou ike to start with a brief introduction of yourself?

Dr Umair: First of all, thank you so much for inviting me and having me on the advisory board. I want to thank Saadeqa Khan; she’s doing wonderful work, and obviously, Scientia is a wonderful organization. I think it’s one of the rare voices that speaks reason, speaking for public understanding of science — and Scientia is one of those; it’s an honor to interact with your team.

By training and qualification, I’m a medical doctor. I completed my MBBS from Sindh Medical College in Karachi, with my specialization in forensic medicine. Forensic medicine is one of the rarer specialties in medicine, where we look at the legal aspects of medicine — how medicine can be helpful in legal matters to get justice. DNA fingerprinting is one of the famous parts of it; we also do many other things, but DNA has had a celebrity status in recent years.

After completing my fellowship from Dow University of Health Sciences in Forensic Medicine, I went to the USA and appeared in an exam in a similar field — the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. That examination is required for conducting a death investigation. I attempted and was the first Person who pass it while holding a Pakistani passport. 

After 2014, I worked with organizations such as GIZ and the British High Commission, and then my focus shifted to the media industry. I started my own show called Kadi Se Hathkadi — it was the first practical forensic-science show in the Pakistani media industry. I was very impressed with shows like Dr. G: Medical Examiner and American forensic programs I watched, which inspired me to create a Pakistani version that could both entertain and educate. 

The show was shot in a crime lab set — we developed a sample crime lab — and that is something I can speak more about when the question arises. Currently, I lead a TV channel called Metro One News, serving as the channel’s President, and I also manage a digital media platform called Voice of Sindh. We publish magazines, write books, and run three websites in three different languages, and I lead those efforts as well. 

Forensic
Photo, Aaj TV

Aliza: Honestly, I’d like to start with a little bit about your journey from studying medicine at Sindh Medical College and how your fellowship at Dow University of Health Sciences shaped your career path.

Dr Umair: As usual, there were a few options — engineering, medicine, chartered accountancy — people usually choose the “best” ones. I got admitted to a medical college, completed my medical degree, and then completed the fellowship. I enrolled in the Department of Forensic Medicine at Dow University of Health Sciences and completed the program (a four-year degree program that I completed in five years). 

Aliza: Was there a defining moment or influence that inspired you to specialize in forensic sciences?

Dr Umair: I was always impressed with crime-scene work: Sherlock Holmes-style solving of mysteries. That inspired me. Also, there was less competition in the field, which I later regretted a little when I ended up moving to media — medicine didn’t always give me enough workspace to grow. Forensic medicine taught me about the reality of life and death; doing many post-mortems gives you a close view of how precious human life is. 

Aliza: From your perspective, what are the biggest challenges facing forensic investigation in Pakistan today?

Dr Haroon: The major issues are resources and training. There are fewer trained experts and a limited scope for career growth. In forensics, you mostly end up in lecturership/academia, with little practical forensic-science infrastructure. There is no proper, functional forensic-science lab in many areas yet; although the Punjab Forensic Science Agency exists, practical facilities are still limited. I was among those writing proposals around 2012–13 to build such capabilities. 

Aliza: You became the first Pakistani Diplomate of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators — what did that achievement mean to you personally and professionally?

Dr Umair: It was important — it helped my career a lot. Passing the exam allowed me to learn how the system works in developed countries — how they conduct modern forensic investigations — and I brought that knowledge back. After passing the exam, I was interviewed in a Pakistani newspaper in America. This article was then noticed in the country, and I was invited by the National Defense University (NDU) for national security workshops. The recognition opened opportunities and was a rewarding step in my career. 

Aliza: You launched Pakistan’s first forensic-science investigative TV series — what inspired that idea?

Dr Umair: I used to watch US forensic programs and thought, “Why not have a Pakistani version?” The idea was to educate the public about forensic science and increase awareness, and I wrote a concept paper and pitched it. Although the project had delays, Express News later agreed to broadcast it, and we developed the show there. The inspiration was shows such as Forensic Files, CSI, and Dr. G: Medical Examiner. 

Aliza: How did you manage the scripts for the series, and who helped make complex forensic ideas understandable for TV audiences?

Dr Umair: There are two aspects to this storytelling: one is the scientific expert (my role), and the other is translating the ideas into language that the general audience can understand. I worked with a writer — a good friend who is a poet and lecturer — who could take the forensic concept and craft it into a strong, comprehensible story.

For example, the pilot had an unidentified dead body found at sea; forensic findings showed the person actually died in fresh water, not saltwater, which guided the investigation. Another episode involved a case where a steroid shot had been replaced by insulin, causing a death in the ring. We aimed to combine strong storytelling with accurate forensic detail. 

Aliza: You recently received an award from the Karachi Bar Association for your contribution to scientific awareness through the media. You’ve spoken about justice and corruption in Pakistan. What challenges did you face producing such content, and how did you overcome them?

Dr Umair: It’s not easy in developing countries. We often had to “hide” the truth behind fiction — using fictional stories to convey real messages and to educate without directly confronting sensitive matters. Fiction becomes a protective “loophole” to speak truths. That approach let us address difficult topics while avoiding direct conflict. 

Aliza: At Scientia Pakistan, we’ve published articles on forensic science and trained young writers — how can these writers move into television/film?

Dr Umair: Fewer programs are addressing forensic or scientific aspects on TV. Convincing producers to take on science-focused programs is difficult because of TRP (ratings) concerns. You need to build audience appetite and maintain quality, so viewers choose to watch.

Documentary is a powerful medium and is an excellent entry point — short documentaries and docu-series can be very effective. Use digital platforms, like Voice of Sindh and other independent channels, to produce high-quality content and then push it toward broadcasters and festivals. Also, send productions to festivals — we don’t have a strong culture of submitting to international festivals, and that needs to change.

Aliza: You are an elected member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS) — the only Pakistani member. How does that feel, and what responsibilities come with that role?

Dr Umair: Membership in the International Academy is a big honor — it’s like the Oscars for television (the Emmy is the major TV award). IATAS promotes and supports quality production worldwide. As a member, we review and judge content, rate productions, and help elevate global standards. I hope to bring more Pakistani members on board and to submit Pakistani content to the International Emmys. Being part of the Academy allows meeting leading figures in world television and advocating for Pakistani work internationally. 

Aliza: What advice would you give to Pakistani creators aspiring to reach platforms like the Emmys? What makes a story globally resonant yet authentically Pakistani?

Dr Umair: Be genuine, produce high quality, and focus on the human factor. Stories must rise above ethnicity and local divisions to touch universal human emotions. Also, send your work to festivals and competitions — we must build a culture of submitting productions for international exposure. 

More From the Author: Is Artificial Intelligence Our Ally or an Enemy?

Flood Prevention Revolution: Harnessing Karez and Advanced Bio-Ecological Drainage for a Safer Future

Aneesa Zeb Awan
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Flood Prevention Revolution: Harnessing Karez and Advanced Bio-Ecological Drainage for a Safer Future

A report published in Reuters showed that it was the thought-provoking testimony from 2025 flood survivors in Northern Pakistan. What began as seasonal rain resulted in a catastrophic environmental disaster. Climate change is projected to increase flood risks two to five times by 2050. Pakistan stands at the forefront of climate-hit countries, and its socio-economic and geographic conditions make it particularly vulnerable to flooding.

The recent flood disasters in 2022 and 2025 are the harsh foreshadowing of the new normal. Conventional flood management approaches include constructing dams, effective drainage systems, and levees. Such interventions are linked with ecosystem disruption and are unsustainable in the long run. On the other hand, biological interventions focus on mitigating flood risks while leveraging ecological processes. This phenomenon is termed Natural Flood Management (NFM) (Bagheri‐Gavkosh et al., 2025).

Decoding floods

Floods are one of the serious environmental concerns, being exacerbated by urbanization, deforestation, and climate change. Riverine floods are associated with heavy rainfall and snowmelt. Flooding occurs when soil and plants cannot absorb water, and it flows in abundance and enters a zone of land that is not usually underwater. This causes damage to infrastructure, biodiversity, and humans. Causes of flooding include continuous rainfall, deforestation, geological factors, and low soil permeability (Javadinejad, 2022).

The 2025 floods are one of the recent examples that resulted in nearly 1000 human casualties. Several homes and buildings have been swept away in key districts like Buner, Swat, Mansehra, Gilgit, and AJK. These floods are also accompanied by land degradation and crop damage. This would have severe economic consequences, given that more than 60% Pakistanis are dependent on Agriculture. According to a report published in The Express Tribune, roads and bridges are also damaged, impacting the connectivity of several districts with the rest of the country and intensifying the region’s battle with the recent surge in terrorism.

“Roads and bridges are also damaged, impacting the connectivity of several districts of KPK with the rest of the country, intensifying the region’s battle with the recent surge in terrorism.”

How Could Biological Approaches help Flood Management?

Climate change and socioeconomic developments are increasing the frequency and severity of floods. Flood management is widely recognized as an effective way to reduce the adverse consequences, and more resilient and sustainable approaches with effective policies have been implemented globally. One of them, and widely accepted, is the biological approach for effective flood management. Below are some key areas in which this approach is helping to reduce flood risks.

Reforestation and Vegetation

According to Global Forest Watch, Pakistan experienced a 1% decline in forest areas due to the massive flooding in 2022. Trees are beneficial in flood prevention as their roots create channels in the soil, which allows water to infiltrate deep into the ground instead of becoming surface runoff. Roots also stabilize the soil by binding it together and preventing erosion. Additionally, most of the rainwater is intercepted by the leaves and branches, preventing it from reaching the ground (Maqsood et al., 2024).

Thus, it is required to reforest the catchment areas of major rivers, the Indus, Chenab, and Ravi, to reduce the amount of water entering rivers. On the other hand, to prevent urban flooding, green spaces such as parks and urban forests can act as natural sponges. To protect major cities like Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi from urban flooding, permeable green spaces should be created that could help prevent waterlogging and resulting damage.

Mangrove Reforestation

Mangroves not only act as a physical barrier against coastal flooding but also stabilize shorelines and prevent coastal erosion. These forests also help in the process known as “accretion”, in which roots cause the water to slow down, allowing sediments to settle out.

In this regard “Delta Blue Carbon” project has been launched in Pakistan. This project was carried out in partnership with IUCN and has been hugely successful in restoring the mangrove forests (Mitra et al., 2024). These forests are protecting native communities from environmental atrocities, including flooding. For example, during Cyclone Kyarr (2019), the villages behind mangrove forests suffered less compared to those that lacked any natural barrier.

Flood Management.
The Delta Blue Carbon project has been launched in Pakistan and helped address key issues, including coastal flooding. Source: © 2024 Delta Blue Carbon | All Rights Reserved.

Wetlands

Wetlands are considered natural sponges that absorb excess rainfall and enhance infiltration, thereby reducing surface runoff. Pakistan has nearly 19 wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. They are found in regions like the Indus Delta, KPK (Tanda Dam), and Gilgit and AJK (Satpara and Sheosar). Their restoration alongside rivers is essential for flood management, so they could act as water storage parks. This could be achieved by connecting river channels with floodplains so the water pressure could be minimized on the main channel. They could also act as distributed water storage parks.

Along with disaster management, they are also beneficial for agriculture. They release stored water during dry spells and recharge aquifers, and ultimately help farmers in irrigation management. For example, Haleji Lake in Sindh is not only a Ramsar site but also an important source of water for nearby farms (Batool et al., 2025).

Soil microbiology

This science deals with the microbes, including bacteria and fungi, that colonize the soil and define soil characteristics. A diverse soil microbiome is a prerequisite for creating a landscape that can withstand and recover from flooding. For example, fungal hyphae help in creating stable soil aggregates that make the soil porous and promote vegetation and plant growth.

Moreover, to protect the soil and prevent flooding in Pakistan, many incentives could be employed, including subsidizing cover cropping and organic amendments in the soil. Especially the salt-affected soil in Punjab (that becomes waterlogged and generates massive runoff) could be treated with organic amendments to promote healthy plant growth within the soil. In this regard, composting and vermicomposting plants should be set up near soil-degraded areas (Humphries, 2020).

Karez System

This system involves slowing down the flow of water, spreading it over a wide area, or sinking it into the ground. The Karez system comprises underground water channels that are connected to the groundwater. In this system, water flow is guided by gravity. Karez acts as a water supply to arid areas and helps the growth of trees and crops, which in turn also improve soil structure and help mitigate flooding by acting as a bio-hydrological regulator (Buriro et al., 2024).

This system is usually found in Baluchistan and KPK mountainous areas, but due to the increasing use of tube wells and other irrigation systems, its use has been declining. However, modern engineering techniques should be incorporated into this system to make its maintenance safer and efficient. Moreover, the Karez system could be introduced in areas like the Potohar region and the Kirthar mountains foothills to prevent the entry of water into the flat plain of Sindh from upstream regions.

Flood Managment
The Karez system could be introduced in areas like the Potohar region and on the outskirts of major cities; Credit: ResearchGate

Bio-ecological Drainage Systems

They integrate biological components with engineering solutions to manage stormwater. This transformative approach helps in managing urban water by leveraging natural processes to prevent flooding. It builds a network of integrated natural features specialized to slow, infiltrate, and store rainwater at its source (Chaplot & Asli Charandabi, 2024). This system consists of various features such as Artificial wetlands, Vegetated channels or bioswales, Permeable pavements, Rain gardens, Artificial ponds, and Green roofs.

Bio-ecological drainage system offers a critical solution to the issue of urban flooding in Pakistan, as it prevents the overloading of traditional, limited drains, and manages rainwater in streets, parks, and houses in urban areas.

Challenges and Policy Recommendations

To implement Natural Flood Management (NFM) in Pakistan, numerous hurdles need to be overcome. First is the lack of coordination among government departments. Separate departments exist for Agriculture, disaster management, and water management. Moreover, there is limited participation of local communities in government-funded afforestation efforts and indigenous water management programs.

Another critical challenge is a shortage of technical capacity for designing and implementing modern bio-ecological drainage systems. These projects also require huge funding and investment, which would demand competition with grey infrastructure funding projects (Ateeb & Zia, 2023).

To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to make NFM a key part of the national disaster management policy, specifically water and flood management. Water management experts like Dr Taskeen Zahra Buriro and Qammar Un Nisa Jatoi recommend enhanced coordination among government departments.

There is a need to implement economic incentives for farmers to adopt soil-friendly practices and subsidies for urban developers to adopt a bio-ecological drainage system. Local communities should be taken into confidence for the success of indigenous solutions.

Additionally, international funding should be secured from funds like the Green Climate Fund to support NFM projects at the national and provincial levels. Finally, research and collaboration among national and international universities should be strengthened to replicate global NFM projects in Pakistan (Buriro & Un Nisa Jatoi, 2025).

Climate and policy experts recommend that the escalating flooding demand a fundamental shift in management strategy in Pakistan. Under such circumstances, NFM has proven to be a sustainable and resilient pathway. A synergistic approach is required, from afforestation to reviving the Karez system to an advanced bio-ecological drainage system in urban areas, to prevent flooding in Pakistan.

These options are linked with sustainable flood prevention and provide additional ecological benefits like recharging natural aquifers and promoting biodiversity. To implement these solutions effectively, Pakistan needs an integrated approach of combining effective policy-making and allocation of proper funds.

References: 

  • Ateeb, M., & Zia, S. (2023). A Case Study of Pakistan’s 2022 Floods. IC4R-2023, 103.
  • Bagheri‐Gavkosh, M., Panici, D., Puttock, A., Dauben, T., & Brazier, R. E. (2025). Hydrological Analysis and Impacts of Natural Flood-Management Strategies: A Systematic Review. Journal of Flood Risk Management, 18(3), e70112.
  • Batool, A., Parveen, A., Nawaz, M., Razzaq, D., Mukhtar, M., & Mustafavi, N. (2025). Wetlands of the Plains of Pakistan. Wetlands of Tropical and Subtropical Asia and Africa: Biodiversity, Livelihoods and Conservation, 67-83.
  • Buriro, S. A., Abro, A. A., & Abro, A. A. (2024). Sindhi Indigenous Ecological Knowledge: Sustainable Practices for Climate Change Resilience. Journal of Asian Development Studies, 13(3), 734-748.
  • Buriro, T. Z., & Un Nisa Jatoi, Q. (2025). Pakistan’s Flood Management Strategies: A Critical Review of Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Risk Mitigation. Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, 31(4), 84-90.
  • Chaplot, B., & Asli Charandabi, M. (2024). Bio‐Ecological Drainage System (BIOECODS) for Flood Management: Case Study: Maharani Janki Kunwar College, Bettiah. Journal of Hydraulic and Water Engineering, 2(1), 98-111.
  • Humphries, N. H. (2020). Microbiological and geochemical response of biosolid amended soils to flooding, University of Leeds.
  • Javadinejad, S. (2022). Resources, Environment and Information Engineering, 4(1), 173-183.
  • Maqsood, M. H., Mumtaz, R., & Khan, M. A. (2024). Deforestation detection and reforestation potential due to natural disasters—A case study of floods. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 34, 101188.
  • Mitra, B., Rahman, M. M., Khan, A. A., & Rahman, S. M. (2024). Assessing the impact of sea level rise on the Indus delta in Pakistan: A comprehensive analysis of flooded areas and future vulnerabilities. Heliyon, 10(12).
  • https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/pakistan-villagers-say-floods-hit-in-seconds-toll-rises-2025-08-20/
  • https://tribune.com.pk/story/2563380/k-ps-twin-battles-terrorism-and-climate

More from Scientia: Incandescent Concrete Jungle: A Looming Threat to Public Safety in Karachi 

Reflections on Attending the Science Journalism Forum 2025: A Hybrid Gathering of Ideas and Innovation

Scientia
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Reflections on Attending the Science Journalism Forum 2025: A Hybrid Gathering of Ideas and Innovation

From October 27 to 30, 2025, our team attended the Science Journalism Forum (SJF) — a global hybrid event held at the Dubai Knowledge Park Conference Centre/Audi­torium, United Arab Emirates. The forum gathered hundreds of science journalists, communicators, researchers, and media professionals to discuss the evolving landscape of science reporting in a rapidly changing world.

Hosted in a hybrid format, SJF 2025 offered participants across continents the opportunity to join interactive sessions, keynote talks, and workshops both online and in person. This inclusivity not only expanded participation but also reinforced the importance of global collaboration in strengthening science communication.

Throughout the four days, speakers and panelists addressed a wide range of timely topics — from climate and health journalism to AI-driven storytelling, data reporting, and media ethics. Discussions highlighted how science journalists can navigate the challenges of misinformation, enhance storytelling for digital audiences, and ensure that scientific knowledge reaches communities with clarity and credibility.

Journalism
Photo, Science Journalism Forum
SJF25 is the most diverse event in science journalism. It welcomes a broader audience and provides space for journalists, researchers, policymakers, and the public to connect. The event began on 27 October with a dynamic opening featuring Saad Lotefy and Bothina Osama, the two main organizers. In their addresses, they highlighted the forum’s role in uniting global voices and fostering robust dialogues for impactful science journalism.

With its mission to promote dialogue and diversity in science storytelling, SJF25 aimed to highlight diverse voices and more impactful journalism. This year’s theme was “Science Journalism at a Crossroads – Rethinking Trust, Funding & Innovation”. The forum featured in-person and virtual sessions in six languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese), making it more accessible and inclusive, as always.

One of the recurring themes was the growing role of innovation in science journalism. Participants explored how emerging AI tools and multimedia platforms can make science reporting more accessible and engaging, particularly for younger audiences.

On Day One, in a very insightful session, Dr. Hakim Hacid, a computer science professor and department chair at Zayed University, spotlighted the urgent need to develop and adapt AI for underrepresented languages and how this can transform access and inclusion in science journalism, as AI does not speak only English.

There was a very engaging session by Sima Hamdah on “virtual lenses, real science and public trust”. The speaker skilfully explored how Extended reality reshapes science storytelling and public trust. She also emphasized the responsibility of journalists to maintain accuracy, trust, and inclusivity in an era where science is more publicly visible than ever before.

A key session at the event focused on how generative AI can empower journalists with disabilities worldwide. Their challenges are rarely addressed in open forums, and they often feel overlooked at global events. SJF25 highlighted these issues and brought together journalists, editors, and AI experts to develop meaningful solutions.
Journalism
Beyond the sessions, the event provided an invaluable networking opportunity. Photo, Science Journalism Forum

Beyond the sessions, the event provided an invaluable networking opportunity — connecting professionals from diverse backgrounds who share a commitment to bridging the gap between science and society. Whether attending virtually or on-site in Dubai, the spirit of collaboration and shared learning was evident throughout.

Several Scientia Pakistan members attended the sessions and participated in discussions.

Attending the Science Journalism Forum was an inspiring experience that reaffirmed the vital role of science communicators in shaping informed, evidence-based dialogue worldwide.

Our team looks forward to applying the insights gained from this year’s forum to our ongoing efforts in promoting accessible, engaging, and responsible science journalism. We believe that the future of this global event is bright, and it will continue to connect and highlight diverse, multilingual voices from different cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities.

Also read: Scientia Pakistan Takes the Lead: Official Media Partner of the Science Journalism Forum 2025!

Recent Coverage by Scientia: Lahore Science Mela 2025— The Ocean of Knowledge

Reviewing “JANE” — When Science Meets Empathy and Courage

Khadija Tariq
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Reviewing “JANE” — When Science Meets Empathy and Courage

Jane (2017), directed by Brett Morgen and produced by National Geographic, is a thought-provoking documentary that celebrates the life and legacy of Jane Goodall, the English primatologist, ethologist, conservationist, and humanitarian who forever changed our understanding of chimpanzees. Born on April 3rd, 1934, Jane Goodall’s life is a story of determination, curiosity, and a deep love for nature. It is captured by the film in beautiful shots that may evoke nostalgia. 

The documentary opens with a stunning montage of the flora and fauna of Gombe, Tanzania, which became Jane’s home for the next sixty years. At just twenty-six years old, Jane’s childhood dream of visiting Africa came true when Dr. Louis Leakey, a renowned palaeontologist, chose her to observe and record chimpanzee families in their natural habitat. The decision to select someone without formal scientific training was unconventional and difficult to understand at first. Still, Leakey saw in her something academia could not teach: relentless passion and empathy for living creatures.

As the film unfolds, the audience is transported into a world that feels straight out of the adventure movies we all grew up watching. The archival footage, lost for decades and rediscovered in 2014, adds to the film’s nostalgic charm. Initially, Jane struggles to gain the Chimps’ trust; every time she approaches, they flee. The documentary portrays her early disappointments and the very realistic fear of loss of funding, which every scientist can relate to.

“At the back of my mind, there was always the fear that if I don’t find out something exciting, the money will run out”.

 

Five months into her work, a breakthrough came: an older male chimp, recognizable by his white beard, didn’t run away. Instead, he led her to his group, marking the first real connection between human and chimpanzee in her research. This moment of trust opened doors to groundbreaking discoveries. 

Jane’s observation of “object modification”, chimpanzees using tools to extract termites, revolutionized science. With this finding, she challenged long-held beliefs that tool use was unique to humans. Her meticulous data collection and visual records, captured through notes, sketches, and photographs, gave credibility to her work. Soon, the scientific community took notice. 

With the press came funding and a young wildlife photographer, Hugo van Lawick, who was sent to document her work. Initially, Jane found his presence intrusive, but over time, their shared passion for nature and their work brought them together. Their relationship is beautifully portrayed through tender scenes; the best shot, in my opinion, is where Jane and Hugo mirror the chimps they are observing, highlighting their harmony with the wild. 

Jane
Photo, Jane Goodall Institute

The film doesn’t just focus on science; it also delves into Jane’s personal journey and her strong bond with her mother, Vanne. Her mother, a doctor, accompanied her to Africa and supported her emotionally during the difficult early months when isolation and illness loomed large. Their mother-daughter relationship adds warmth and humanity to the story, a reminder that behind every great pioneer is someone who believed in them unconditionally. 

At a particular point, she realises that she is pregnant, and “Flo”, a mother chimp) gives her the courage to be a mother. Flo had a baby recently as well, whom Jane called “Flint”. Her empathy grew even stronger as she began to notice parallels between maternal care in chimps and humans. This is a smart and insightful realization, showing how living beings learn from each other’s behaviours and instincts; also known as “Biomimicry”. 

The documentary reveals an exciting reality about Jane’s personal life as her son was raised in the research centre at Gombe. Since Chimpanzees attacked human infants, he was enclosed in a cage for his protection. It is interesting to note that when parents take their kids to observe enclosed animals in a zoo, Jane was an exceptional mother. Jane enclosed her child for protection to observe the animals teaching the child humanitarian values from a very young age. 

Despite the chaos of camp life, the humidity, insects, and constant challenges, Jane’s optimism and humour shine through. She is witty, often satirizing men who doubted her, and steadfastly committed to her mission. The documentary conveys the message that true happiness comes from submitting to a cause you believe in. Through breathtaking cinematography and Philip Glass’s moving score, Jane becomes not just a documentary but also a heart-warming journey, one that celebrates perseverance, love, and the power of purpose.

Jane (2017) is more than a film about science; it is a story about devotion, discovery, and humanity’s connection with nature. It teaches us that passion, not credentials, is what drives real change. It shows us how nothing can be in your way once you decide to accomplish something or fulfil a dream. As Jane says herself

“I couldn’t watch an animal suffering, any more than I could watch a human suffering and not help if I could; I see no difference in helping a human and helping an animal”.

References: 

More from the Author: Delhi’s Basement Infirmary: A Review on ‘All That Breathes’

Lahore Science Mela 2025— The Ocean of Knowledge

Anam Ilyas
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Lahore Science Mela 2025— The Ocean of Knowledge

“What we know is a drop, what we don’t know is an ocean.” You could sense the ocean the minute you crossed the gates of Crescent Model Higher Secondary School, Shadman in Lahore. There was an air of excitement at the Lahore Science Mela; children with curiosity in their minds, parents with their cameras, and volunteers running here and there among the colorful stalls were all united by the same factor: “curiosity”.

Khwarizmi Science Society (KSS) transformed this school into a land of exploration on 25-26 October 2025. Out of smoldering chemical combinations to robots on command, from fossils that were older than time to the telescopes staring up at the stars, all this talked of the same thing: curiosity.

The Strength of Learning through Practice

Science is not in a textbook. It’s the thrill of asking “why?” and finding your own answer. It is what Lahore Science Mela has been celebrating.

Children who had only read pictures in books had the opportunity to see a real specimen, observe a real experiment, and ask questions. A small girl, before one of the model volcanoes, said in a low voice, “So that is how volcanoes work!” Her teacher glimpsed the smile. These glimpses reflect that a child has just been opened up in her mind.

To most underprivileged students, the mela was not just a field trip, but a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They eventually got the appearances of photosynthesis, magnetism, and chemical reactions. LSM brought science not only out of classrooms but also into life, demonstrating that all children, regardless of their background, need to learn through wonder.

Lahore Science Mela
To most underprivileged students, the mela was not just a field trip, but a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Photo, KSS

Science Everywhere: Life, Space, Technology, Matter, and Energy

The mela was split into several corners, representing a mini-world of science to explore.

There was the buzz of the Life Corner. Students were flocking to biology exhibits, looking through microscopes and fossils. The GCU Stephenson Natural History Museum displayed preserved specimens and evolution artifacts, and narrated their stories. The Pakistan Museum of Natural History presented a geological element with sparkling rocks and ancient fossils. While the Pakistan Meteorological Department demonstrated how weather can be predicted with the help of satellites and sensors, and how something as simple as a rain prediction becomes a tale of science and information.

At the KSS Planetarium, located in the dome of Khalai Kachwa, visitors could lie back and look up at the galaxies, at the ceiling. The planets circled, the stars burst, and the Milky Way stretched into unending space above. It was a spectacular lesson that science can reduce us to insignificance in the universe, and at the same time, provide us with immense power.

Lahore Science Mela
The planets circled, the stars burst, and the Milky Way stretched into unending space above. Photo, Author

Movement was present in the Technology Section. The wheels of the robots were rolling on tables, mechanical hands were waving, and blinking lights. UET Science Society astonished visitors with machines created by students. LearnOBots organized exciting hands-on activities with DIY kits and educational robots. Robonex attracted people with interactive demonstrations of the robots that combined learning and entertainment.

The training on how to identify internet-based scams and protect information became interactive when the team of Sadaqat Ali created mini-games to educate people about the subject. In the meantime, the Punjab Safe City Authority has impressed families with the opportunities of AI to make cities safer, both by road monitoring and identifying emergencies.

The buzz in the Matter and Energy Zone was literally electrical. Visitors gasped as superconducting magnets made small objects float mid-air, defying gravity. Green chemistry exhibitions were used to demonstrate how simple choices in materials would save our world. Waste management, renewable energy, and a green car, designated to be fuel-efficient, were also exhibited.

In the “Shooting Stars” exhibit, there was a telescope that was facing up to the sky, with the young astronomers showing people their constellations. A couple of minutes later, the sky of Lahore turned into a schoolroom, and the stars were all educators.

Our National Science Treasures!

No corner was prouder than the one that showed the scientific treasures of Pakistan. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission displayed its progress in nuclear medicine and nuclear energy generation, where complex scientific research was demonstrated in easy and understandable forms. The National Centre of Physics conducted some interesting live experiments that transformed invisible theories into actual phenomena.

What fascinated visitors more was the natural history and meteorological exhibits, the story of the creation of the Earth through rock formations, and the instruments used in weather prediction that save lives. It reminded us that science is not alien; quite on the contrary, it exists here, on our earth, sky, and in us.

Lahore Science Mela
This was a corner that was a reminder that curiosity is powerful. When science is demonstrated joyfully, all of the children become explorers. Photo, Author

Surpriseum

The very core of the mela Surpriseum (Hairat Ghar) was the place where science was almost pure magic. The hall was full of shining eyes, crackling noises, and the rapturous sound of discovery.

Children bent over tables to see how bubbling chemicals turned color, marbles into new patterns, and light created a rainbow. KSS volunteers demonstrated many phenomena, like optical illusions, sound waves, and static electricity. To the wandering children, the volunteer smiled and said, “That’s science, not magic, but it is like magic, and it feels that way, doesn’t it?” 

This was a corner that was a reminder that curiosity is powerful. When science is demonstrated joyfully, all of the children become explorers.

Indoor Workshops

In indoor workshop sessions, students were assisted alongside scientists, artists, and engineers to discover extraordinary ideas with easy experiments. Organizations like Space Research Centre (SRC), Space Education Research Lab (SERL), and SUPARCO explained space stations. Students created models of small satellites, read about rocket launch, and were briefed about how scientists study the universe.

Hast-o-Neest Institute of Traditional Studies & Arts provided a touch of creativity, where Islamic geometry, calligraphy were shown, and how architecture blends art with science. Numbers were turned into puzzles, not problems that the LUMS Maths Circle made them feel. The Precision Medicine Lab presented the visitors with the magic of genetics and contemporary healthcare.

These were not lectures at all, but adventures. Students felt, constructed, experimented, and studied, learning how to become a scientist in the future. 

Lahore Science Mela
Scientia’s team members Muneeb Siddiqui, Hifz U Rahman, and Mohammad Owais with Palestinian Scientist Abdulrehman Abou Dahesh at the Scienci Bethak. Photo, Scientia

Scienci Bethak

On one side of the mela, there was a quieter place, where the thinkers were invited to sit together, the Scienci Bethak. Researchers, learners, and teachers gathered to discuss artificial intelligence and robotics, neuroscience, and philosophy, among others.

This bethak was open and friendly as opposed to formal conferences. Anyone could ask questions. An adolescent who simply wants to learn more about space would be able to speak to a professional. An artist might have ideas about creativity and science. It was a spot to which disciplines blended, where ideas were as freely floating as tea cups were being filled.

Here, Scientia’s team member Hifz Ur Rehman had a meaningful conversation with the Palestinian scientist, Abdulrehman Abou Dahesh, who travelled from the US to take part in the mela. The conversation will be published soon on Scientia. 

Auditorium Sessions 

Science was in the air, in the great auditorium. Sessions on architecture, environmental science, geography, and historical preservation were conducted by experts based all over Pakistan. Each talk showed the extent to which science influences our world, whether it is the air we breathe or the buildings we inhabit.

The best part? The meetings were participatory. Crowds requested clarifications, discussed concepts. To young visitors said that it was inspiring to listen to scientists speak about the things they love doing. It demonstrated that science is not remote, but it is human, imaginative, and close to everyday life.

Equity and Learning

The Lahore Science Mela was not only a festival it was also a movement for equal education. During two days, people could enjoy free access to expensive and rare scientific equipment. Government school students were standing neck to neck with every student of a private school; their curiosity united them.

It was very touching to see children with telescopes, fossils, and mixing chemicals in their hands. It revealed that learning prospers everywhere when there is free sharing of knowledge. The mela made it clear to everybody that science was not a privilege at all, but a right.

Lahore Science Mela
The Co-founder and General Secretary of the Khwarizmi Science Society (KSS), Pakistan, invites you all to visit the Mela next year. Photo, KSS

The Reason why you should not miss the Mela Next Year!

If you have not been there, promise yourself now that you will go to the Lahore Science Mela next year. It is no ordinary exhibition; it is the place where children can find their future profession. It is the place where parents understand that learning can be fun. It is where the teachers find the interest back in the eyes of their students.

The mela shows that science is not a subject; it is a party. You do not observe experiments, you experience them. You do not simply hear lectures, you live them.

Then next year, invite your friends, your family, and your questions. Wander through the halls of light, sound, and exploration. Talk to the robots. Look through the telescopes. Make something with your hands. You will not only know more, you will wonder more when you leave Lahore Science Mela. And that, truly, is where every great discovery begins!

More From the Author: Blood Doesn’t Lie: How DNA and Serology Are Transforming the Legal Systems Worldwide

Sudden Goodbyes: The Alarming Truth About Cardiac Arrest’s Hidden Dangers

Lubna Rasheed
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Sudden Goodbyes: The Alarming Truth About Cardiac Arrest’s Hidden Dangers

It was a hot and humid evening on June 30, 2025, when a 36-year-old teacher named Niaz Ahmed died of a sudden cardiac arrest while giving a lecture during a professional training session at Crescent Model Higher Secondary School in Lahore, Pakistan. A video of the tragic incident, which showed him collapsing unexpectedly, quickly went viral on social media.

Across the border, India was also awakened to equally shocking news in the same month, when actress and model Shefali Jariwala, a prominent figure in Indian pop culture, died at just 42. There were no known heart conditions or prior symptoms; her life was just cut short by the same unseen danger. Later, investigations revealed that she had been taking anti-aging injections over the years, which might be the potential contributors to sudden cardiac arrest. 

Worldwide evidence shows that cardiac arrest strikes seemingly healthy young people. A comprehensive review published in JAMA reported that seemingly healthy young adults under 40 are most likely affected by cardiac arrest at a rate of about 4 to 14 cases per 100,000 people worldwide [1]. Despite the global scale of the problem, in developing countries, cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrests are a major cause of mortality.

It is estimated that 60% of the world’s coronary artery disease (CAD) patients are South Asians who have a high prevalence of CAD risk factors at a relatively young age [2]. Sudden heart collapse among young, healthy people is increasing, and the chances of survival without intervention are alarmingly low.

This article explores cardiac arrest, its silent threats, its factors, and what we can do to protect ourselves.

Why are Young Adults at Risk for Cardiac Arrest?

We often think heart attacks happen to older people with known heart problems. But this idea is dangerously wrong. Chronic stress is one of the biggest silent threats in adults as well as youngsters. While struggling with constant stress, the body keeps releasing stress hormones that raise blood pressure and cause inflammation, which in turn slowly damages the heart. Over time, this disturbance in the body’s natural balance can lead to irregular heartbeats and increase the risk of serious events like cardiac arrest.

Another underestimated risk of cardiac arrest is the lack of sleep. Research indicates that individuals who sleep fewer than six hours a night regularly are three to five times more at risk for developing life-threatening heart issues, such as sudden cardiac arrest, as compared to individuals who receive a minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep. Energy drinks do not feel dangerous, apparently, but they secretly interfere with the heartbeat and raise blood pressure.

These beverages have the potential to cause deadly incidents like cardiac arrest when taken in large quantities, at times combined with alcohol or during intense physical activity. Performance-enhancing drugs and hormones also have severe consequences. Drugs like steroids and hormone enhancers disrupt the normal electrical rhythm of the heart. Even in individuals who have had no prior heart conditions, the administration of these medications can initiate abnormal heart rhythms and increase the risk for sudden, catastrophic heart failure.

One should remember that these things are usually not detectable and don’t present in regular checks. A person may feel completely fine from the outside, but internal damage is taking place silently. The danger is that the risk isn’t always linked to age or fitness level; even young and active people can be affected without warning.

Cardiac Arrest
Hands-on CPR training. Image: American Heart Association

So what exactly is Cardiac Arrest?

Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. When an artery is blocked and blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off, then a heart attack happens. In contrast, an electrical malfunction in the heart causes the heart to stop beating suddenly, which results in cardiac arrest.

The difference between these two is critical.  During a heart attack, a person typically remains conscious and also experiences warning signs such as chest pain or pressure. There is always a short window of time to act during which blood flow can be restored by immediate medical treatment. However, Cardiac arrest strikes without warning. The victim collapses and becomes unconscious. The victim is not breathing or breathing normally; this may mean they are making gasping noises. Without CPR or an electric shock, death occurs within minutes.

This is why cardiac arrest is so deadly. The survival rates are tragically low, often under 10 percent, outside of the hospitals. The difference can only be made by quick actions. The use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) at a time increases the chances of survival dramatically. But the reality is that cardiac arrest can happen to anyone.

Expert Opinions on Heart Disease

Heart disease and cardiovascular risks are alarmingly increasing among Pakistan’s youth. Experts are sounding a grave warning about this growing health crisis. Dr. Asaad Akbar, Chief of Cardiology at Shifa International Hospital, states that sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, smoking, and stress are the main contributors to the rise in youth cardiac cases. Especially for teens with family histories, early detection can save lives. Dr. Abdul Hakeem of NICVD adds that, “After 30, everyone should get a heart checkup,” pointing out that many patients experience vague symptoms that risk delayed diagnosis (dawn).

How Can We Protect Ourselves?

There are life-saving, simple actions that greatly reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. One of the first steps is awareness. If you ever feel chest pain, unusual fatigue, or shortness of breath, then never ignore these symptoms. They may be your heart’s way of signaling that something is wrong.

Another key factor is good sleep and stress reduction. Sleep six to eight hours at night. Give rest to your heart, which is as important as eating and exercising. Some little things, such as taking a break in the day, walking, or deep breathing, calm your heart and lower stress. Exercise is good for a healthy heart and keeps everything in balance. The heart needs moderate, safe, and regular exercise, not burnout or exhaustion, because pushing your body too hard can harm.

Go for important regular heart check-ups, especially for a person who has a family history of heart disease. A simple blood test or ECG check once a year can reveal risks that may go unnoticed. Lives can be saved by detecting the hidden symptoms early. If these hidden symptoms are detected early, lives can be saved.
The best idea to make ourselves and the victims nearby safe from cardiac arrest is to get trained in CPR.

And to learn how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). These machines are now commonly available in schools, gyms, and workplaces. It only takes a few minutes to learn how to use them. But it will make the difference between life and death in an emergency.

The increasing cases of sudden cardiac arrest in Pakistan and South Asia are wake-up calls for us. Heart problems can strike anyone, regardless of how physically fit they look. You should adopt healthy habits, recognize symptoms early, and equip yourself with life-saving skills. In this way, you can protect your heart and your loved ones from this silent killer.

References:

More from Healthcare: Can Your Brain Really Grow New Cells? Exploring the Hype and Hope of Neuroplasticity

Antibiotics in Chicken Farming: A Recipe for Disaster in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Hadia Rashid
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Antibiotics in Chicken Farming: A Recipe for Disaster in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Imagine sitting at your favorite restaurant, your food served, and taking a bite of a crispy, fried chicken piece. Hot, juicy, and delicious. You don’t question it; you shouldn’t. But suppose that every piece of chicken had something more than spices and protein attached to it. What if it had residues of antibiotics, untouched and unaffected by cooking? What if that meal progressively caused you to become resistant to life-saving drugs? This is the untold story of how antibiotics have changed the way we grow chickens, and how, if we don’t act now, they could transform the future of medicine in ways none of us want.

Why Do Farmers Use Antibiotics?

Chicken is everywhere. It’s on our plates, in our packed lunches, at weddings, and even on the street corner, sizzling away in roadside stalls. And it’s not uncommon for poultry production to have tripled in the last few decades. Farmers around the world are forced to produce more, quicker, and cheaper yields, and one of their most trusted shortcuts is Antibiotics.

Originally introduced to treat disease, antibiotics then found another job: making chickens grow faster. These are known as antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs). To satisfy increasing demand, farmers give chickens small amounts of antibiotics in their feed not to help them recover from illness, but to speed up growth and minimize the threats of disease. Such usage gives chickens more weight per pound, shorter life cycles, and eventually more meat to meet consumer preferences.

The Invisible Ingredient in Your Chicken: Antibiotics

Most people think that cooking destroys all that is bad. Heat kills bacteria, right? It’s easy to assume that cooking would take care of any antibiotics in meat, but is that really the case? Not exactly.

Research shows that the amount of antibiotic residues in meat can be minimized by cooking, boiling, roasting, grilling, or microwaving. A recent Egyptian study, conducted by Kamouh et al. (2024), detected residues of OTC, gentamycin, and oxytetracycline in retail chicken. The study reported that boiling for 30 minutes reduced OTC and gentamycin levels by 88-95% while ciprofloxacin levels dropped by 31%.

So, that perfectly grilled chicken leg? It may still carry tiny leftovers of antibiotics. Not enough to make you sick immediately, but enough to slowly mess with your gut health or worse, train bacteria in your body to resist future medications.

Antibiotics
It all starts at the farm, where a farmer gives chickens low-dose antibiotics in feed, which might seem harmless or even helpful. Photo, Nature

The Slow and Silent Rise of Antibiotic Resistance

Resistance doesn’t appear overnight; it develops gradually, step by step, through ongoing exposure to small doses of antibiotics in our food. It’s not a single meal or single mistake; it’s a process. Let’s trace the path from chicken feed to antibiotic resistance.

It all starts at the farm, where a farmer gives chickens low-dose antibiotics in feed, which might seem harmless or even helpful. But inside chickens, not all bacteria are killed. Some of them survive, adapt, and become stronger. These bacteria learn to survive the antibiotics and slowly evolve into drug-resistant strains. These resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues stay in the meat.

The meat is processed, cooked, and eaten; these resistant bacteria, on entering the gut, transfer their resistance genes to the natural bacteria. The next time you get sick, the infection might not respond to antibiotics. It is because the bacteria have already been exposed to the antibiotic, and they have developed resistance to it.

Antibiotics
How antibiotics in chicken feed end up fueling resistance on our plate. Photo, Science Direct

This is not a hypothetical concern; evidence from multiple studies highlights the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including E. coli and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), in chicken meat, farm environments, and even among individuals with no direct contact with livestock, indicating the food chain as a significant route of transmission.

Global Action on Antibiotic Use: Progress Made, Gaps Remaining

Some developed countries, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the European Union, have taken bold steps and banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters, resulting in a noticeable drop in resistant bacteria both on farms and in the food. But in most regions of the world, the application of antibiotics in chicken farming remains uncontrolled. In some areas, including Pakistan, antibiotics essential for human medicine are used freely in animals. Regulatory policies exist on paper but are poorly enforced, and short-term profits are prioritized over long-term public health.

These practices have raised concerns about animal welfare, health problems in oversized birds, and questions about meat quality.

What Can Be Done and What You Can Do?

The solution to this problem is not giving up chicken. This chicken–antibiotic–antimicrobial resistance triad crisis can be solved by demanding better and smarter practices. What can actually be done?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to involve veterinarians at every stage of antibiotic usage while discouraging reliance. Farm hygiene and animal health must also be improved to limit the use of antibiotics. The World Health Organization takes it further, making a bold stance:

In line with this, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that farmers need to be trained to follow withdrawal periods— the time it takes for antibiotics to fully leave a chicken’s system before it’s processed for food. Organizations such as ICARS urge the investigation of alternatives to antibiotics, like prebiotics, and natural antimicrobial substances, promising a brighter future in which dependency on repeated antibiotic use is not the norm.

You, as a consumer, also have power. Stand behind poultry brands that adhere to safe and sustainable practices. Ask questions. Make informed choices. Because it’s not just a farm problem—it’s a kitchen table problem.

The same medications that healed millions last century are gradually losing their strength, and one of the major contributors is the chicken on our plates. But awareness is the first step to action. The next time you have chicken for dinner, “Pause”. Not to feel guilty but to feel enlightened; beneath the flavors is a tale, a tale of science, farming, resistance, and the opportunity to alter direction before it’s too late.

References:

  • Muaz, K., Riaz, M., Akhtar, S., Park, S., & Ismail, A. (2018). Antibiotic Residues in Chicken Meat: Global Prevalence, Threats, and Decontamination Strategies: A Review. Journal of Food Protection, 81(4), 619–627. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-086
  • Fey, P. D., Safranek, T. J., Rupp, M. E., Dunne, E. F., Ribot, E., Iwen, P. C., Bradford, P. A., Angulo, F. J., & Hinrichs, S. H. (2000). Ceftriaxone-resistant Salmonella infection acquired by a child from cattle. The New England journal of medicine, 342(17), 1242–1249. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM200004273421703
  • Levy, S. B., FitzGerald, G. B., & Macone, A. B. (1976). Changes in intestinal flora of farm personnel after introduction of a tetracycline-supplemented feed on a farm. The New England journal of medicine, 295(11), 583–588. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197609092951103
  • Kamouh, H. M., Abdallah, R., Kirrella, G. A., Mostafa, N. Y., & Shafik, S. (2024). Assessment of antibiotic residues in chicken meat. Open Veterinary Journal, 14(1), 438–448. https://doi.org/10.5455/OVJ.2024.v14.i1.40
  • (Aarestrup, Frank Moller, et al.; Bager, Flemming, et al.)

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Adapting to Space: How Microgravity Impacts Astronauts’ Musculoskeletal Health

Ayesha Kakakhel
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Adapting to Space: How Microgravity Impacts Astronauts’ Musculoskeletal Health

Often, when we think of astronauts in space, we picture them floating around gracefully (much like ballet dancers but in slow motion) across the never-ending emptiness of space, marveling at the unworldly views of the orbiting planets and the glamorous galaxies. We imagine weightlessness, bodies gliding with ease and Freedom. However, behind that elegance is a hidden cost, and a quite hefty one; the very absence of gravity or microgravity imposes an extremely harsh toll on the human body. 

How do Bones and Muscles Function under Normal Conditions? 

Quite like many specialized cells in the body, bones and muscles are in a state of dynamic turnover: bones involve 3 cells mainly, osteoblasts that build bone, osteocytes that are mature bone cells responsible for regulating the balance between bone formation and bone resorption, and osteoclasts that break down damaged bone cells.

In contrast, muscle fibers don’t have different cells but repair and grow in a process called Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) while old or damaged muscle fibers are degraded and expelled from the body by a process known as Muscle Protein Breakdown (MPB), keeping the body in homeostasis. On Earth, our muscles stay in shape because they are under constant gravitational effect.

Every time we stand, walk, sit upright, hold out an arm, or lift a leg, our muscles have to contract to support our body weight. These repeated contractions that occur every time we make even a slight movement act as a natural workout against gravity. Similarly, gravity also pulls on our bones and joints, and that pressure is what keeps our musculoskeletal system strong and efficient.

Thus, under normal conditions, the consistent resistance provided by our own body against gravity is what keeps the muscles and bones intact. This exertion of pressure or weight is called mechanical loading; bones and muscles add mass when we put some stress on them, and atrophy or deteriorate when we remove that mechanical stress.

What is Microgravity? 

The term microgravity, sometimes also referred to as zero gravity, might be a bit misleading, as it hints at there being “less or no gravity in space”. Contrary to popular belief, space is not completely devoid of gravity. In fact, gravity, a force between any two masses, is present everywhere: between the moon and the Earth, the planets and the Sun, and between the stars in a galaxy.

The weightlessness that astronauts seem to experience is not because there is no gravity in space, but because they are in a state of free fall – the astronauts and their surroundings, i.e., the spacecraft, are all falling together under gravity’s pull. This is microgravity. 

The Shrinking Strength of Bones and Muscles in Space

During spaceflight, due to being in constant free fall, the musculoskeletal system does not experience any sort of compression or tension; instead, it retracts to a ‘mechanical rest state’. Muscles don’t need to work as hard to support the body’s weight; thus, as a result of this reduced mechanical loading, they start to ‘rust’ and wither away. 

microgravity
Photo, ESA

In 1994, an experiment using bioartificial muscle cells was cultured to determine whether muscle deterioration was intrinsic to muscle fibers themselves or related to other factors such as growth hormone levels. It was then flown into space, on the Space Shuttle Atlantis, mission STS-66, for a span of 9 to 10 days. Two years later, in May 1996, a follow-up was performed on Space Shuttle Endeavour, mission STS-77. 

In technical terms, the findings of this experiment were that the anabolic process of Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) is relatively less active in space than the catabolic process of Muscle Protein Breakdown (MPS), hence resulting in a direct net loss of muscle fibers. This shows that microgravity directly affects muscle physiology and induces muscle atrophy, rather than being a secondary effect. 

Similarly, bone homeostasis is also severely affected in long durations of spaceflight. According to NASA, there is a 1-2% reduction in bone density per month spent in space. For some context, the most common crewed space expeditions are the ISS missions, which typically last around six months. 

Under microgravity, osteocytes, the cells that modulate the processes of bone formation and bone resorption, experience reduced connectivity, which in turn affects bone remodeling, while also going into a state of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis. 

To put it simply, the lack of weight on bones results in a higher rate of bones being broken down by osteoclasts, while the rate of bone formation by osteoblasts is greatly reduced. This results in an overall net loss of bone mass and density, particularly in weight-bearing bones such as the femur and the spine, making them more porous and hence, more susceptible to injuries and fractures. 

Clinically, this is termed as ‘osteoporosis’ – a chronic condition in which the balance of bone making and degrading is adversely affected. Space-induced osteoporosis is far more rapid and severe than on Earth: an astronaut who has spent just six months in space will have symptoms similar to those of an osteoporosis-affected elderly woman on Earth. 

Other Effects of Microgravity on the Human Body

As bone cells are broken down, calcium previously stored in bones is released into the bloodstream; an excess of calcium can cause kidney stones. Potassium citrate is often prescribed as a suitable preventive measure for this complication. 

Moreover, fluid inside the body shifts upward due to the lack of force pulling it down, which may lead to nasal congestion, sinus pressure, and vision problems. In order to counter this, astronauts wear compression cuffs on their thighs, which control fluid shifts in the body. 

Current Protective Measures and Potential Future Solutions

Astronauts on ISS missions exercise for about 2 hours daily in order to maintain the strength of their muscles and bones and mitigate the effects of microgravity. Exercising machines like the TVIS treadmill, which has a harness that keeps the person attached to the machine during exercise and mimics gravity by doing so, and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), another machine that enables astronauts to do weightlifting in space, are indeed useful inventions in this matter. However, these machines are too heavy to take on a long-term space mission. 

A lot of experimentation is currently being conducted to study countermeasures for the complications of bone and muscle atrophy, such as Vertebral Strength, an experiment that studies scans of astronauts’ muscles and bones pre-flight and post-flight, providing researchers with a comparison for further study.  

References: 

More about Space Exploration: AI in Space: Pioneering the Next Era of Interstellar Exploration

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