Rachel Lopez
Rachel Lopez is a a writer and editor with the Hindustan Times. She has worked with the Times Group, Time Out and Vogue and has a special interest in city history, culture, etymology and internet and society.
Articles by Rachel Lopez
Phrases we never thought we’d say but for 2020 !
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON MAR 01, 2021 02:16 PM IST
Sentences we never thought we’d say, and then 2020 happened
Planning a quiz? Here’s how to pop the questions
By Rachel Lopez
UPDATED ON FEB 28, 2021 07:13 AM IST
What makes for a perfect quiz? Clues that go past Googled facts, and an audience that enjoys discovering what they didn’t know they knew. Here’s how good quizmasters do it
All right, I’m in! Our favourite on-screen hackers, programmers and techies
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 08:52 PM IST
Need a plot device? Bring in the IT experts. See how our understanding of tech evolved with pop-culture
The microprocessor is 50 years old. But what makes it so special?
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 08:19 PM IST
Half a century ago, Intel’s 4004 chip was born, ushering in the digital revolution. Take a closer look at the little chip that changed the world, altered India’s place in it, and quietly powers modern life
Why Dante, 700 years later, is still a hell of a journey
By Rachel Lopez
UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 07:32 AM IST
See how The Divine Comedy’s ideas of hell, demons and the afterlife continue to shape our imagination.
The beginnings of Bombay: Tracing a Portuguese legacy
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON FEB 05, 2021 07:54 PM IST
It’s been 360 years since the Portuguese handed over a few malarial islands to the English, jumpstarting the story of Mumbai. What still remains of that era?
How to survive the 24x7 sale season
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON FEB 05, 2021 06:27 PM IST
What used to be an annual event is now a year-round medley. If you want to join the resistance, here’s how to frame the fight-back.
What will define the decade gone by? Recharge by Rachel Lopez
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON JAN 29, 2021 07:18 PM IST
Ten years after the phenomenal success of the radio show, podcast and book A History of the World in 100 Objects, experts try to choose an item to symbolise the 2010s. What will it be?
Good morning, Starshine! Scroll through the universe with the most iconic images of space
By Rachel Lopez
UPDATED ON JAN 30, 2021 04:40 PM IST
As telescopes gets smarter and space voyages more adventurous, take a look at the best recent views of worlds beyond our own, and what it takes to create them.
Run and hide! The mullet is rearing its ugly head again
By Rachel Lopez
UPDATED ON JAN 24, 2021 06:36 AM IST
Everyone’s hair nightmare has made another comeback. Here’s why it keeps returning, and why celebrities love it so much.
Wikipedia at 20: The internet’s go-to reference site, by the numbers
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 04:56 PM IST
Did you know it’s reached the moon, makes an update every second, and made its billionth edit last week?
Hire calling: How to update your CV for a pandemic-era work world
By Rachel Lopez
PUBLISHED ON JAN 15, 2021 09:34 PM IST
Should you mention that you were laid off? That you prefer to work from home? That you have excellent skills on TikTok? Recruiting is getting a reboot. Catch up here.
Singapore’s street food has a Unesco tag. Can India’s hawkers get one too?
By Rachel Lopez
UPDATED ON JAN 16, 2021 10:13 AM IST
Indian street food isn’t confined to hawker centres. It’s spread across the country, with small vendors often selling a single item. But our diversity alone deserves being celebrated as our intangible heritage. Experts weigh in
Lend me your years: How the Indian National Calendar came into being
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 02, 2021 08:29 PM IST
See how, back in 1955, an elite team headed by astrophysicist Meghnad Saha untangled India’s confusing variety of almanacs.
Love lists? You’ll love these books that celebrate them
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 02, 2021 11:53 AM IST
A compilation of writings about our fondly held obsession with sorting, creating order and extracting sense from nonsense.
1, 2, 3: How lists keep us safe, sane and stress-free
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 01, 2021 07:41 PM IST
In resolutions season, here’s a look at what lists do for us, why we make them, and our long and colourful relationships with them.
How to ace the to-do list
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 01, 2021 06:10 PM IST
Done right, it can save time, even lives. But a mess of a list is just a waste of time and effort. Here’s what to do and what to avoid — in the form a handy list.
Surprise, all ye faithful! The odd history of Christmas carols
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 18, 2020 04:50 PM IST
The best-loved seasonal songs aren’t as old as you think, were borrowed from raunchy folk songs and might even have been written for Thanksgiving.
What happens when you let a science geek loose in an Indian kitchen?
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 18, 2020 04:46 PM IST
Krish Ashok is neither a scientist nor a chef. But his new book Masala Lab breaks down the science of Indian cooking to help novices master recipes faster.
Superhero showdown: Who’s the best Batman on screen?
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 11, 2020 10:59 PM IST
There are Hollywood stars, voice actors and even animated Lego. Tell us if your favourite is in here.
On your radar: A real-life guide to Batman’s tech
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 12, 2020 02:46 PM IST
Take a closer look at some of Gotham City’s futuristic gizmos and inventions, drawn from the real world.
Why is Gotham in the entertainment spotlight?
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 13, 2020 02:19 PM IST
There are new films, new shows, headlined by new heroes and villains. There’s even going to be a show for pre-schoolers about the Batmobile. More than 80 years after Batman debuted, the DC Universe is welcoming new fans who take their cues from screen, not comic.
Could you remember everything at a memory championship?
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 12, 2020 07:56 PM IST
New research is changing how we understand mind and recollection. But at national and global events of total recall, it’s all about speedy storage and retrieval.
Say it in style: The woke fashion glossary
By Madhusree Ghosh & Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 12, 2020 09:13 AM IST
Say ”dripping” instead of ”flattering”, choose conscious over organic, and always question the fat tax.
Are you on top of this week’s news?
By Rachel Lopez
UPDATED ON DEC 06, 2020 02:09 AM IST
The HT quiz is for know-it-alls and those who want to know it all. Ten questions every Sunday, covering events of the week. So, what’s your score?
Case in point: True-crime podcasts that break the mould
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 04, 2020 07:20 PM IST
After a while, all true-crime podcasts start to sound the same. These shows break format and enter new territory
Lesson from Kerala: How to hatch a bird atlas
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 04, 2020 07:05 PM IST
It’s the largest systematic bird survey in Asia. See how 1,000 citizen volunteers spent five years tracking flight paths, nesting spots and migration dates, keeping count of flying friends.
The Playbook: How to get your office to let you work from home
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 04, 2020 06:47 PM IST
Lockdown restrictions have lifted but the pandemic is still on. You reasons to prefer your home to a cold cubicle may vary, but they’ll need delicate approaches to become a reality.
Click hear: This Mumbai duo beat pandemic blues with radio-era live gigs
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON NOV 21, 2020 02:03 PM IST
‘The next song goes out to...’. Reena & Lindsay’s revival of AIR’s Saturday Date is giving house-bound music lovers worldwide a way to rewind to a simpler, groovier time
Clocking out: Is India ready to disrupt the workweek?
By Rachel Lopez | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON NOV 13, 2020 08:07 PM IST
Around the world, the pandemic and lockdowns have forced companies to break away from the Monday-to-Friday, 9-to-5 template. In a world of remote working, four-day weeks, uncapped leave and free therapy, see how work and play are being reinvented for the future.
