It all began with a pleasant morning,
Which didn't bestow any kind of a warning,
A little boy awoke with a start,
Yawned, stretched and smacked a small fart,
On his face lay a sly flat smirk,
For it was time to get back to work.
Time passed, days rolled, years strolled,
Yet the boy considered himself bold.
Skeptical about what lay ahead,
He was paranoid and so nothing he said.
He was inviting an unusual guest,
Who would prepare him for life's ultimate test.
The boy didn't quite recognize him,
In the room with the light quite dim,
Hesitantly he welcomed the stranger,
Hospitality first so he treated him as a ranger.
Little did he know, the man was here to dwell,
For a period that made his life living hell.
Initially it was all quite well,
Suddenly began ringing the alarming bell,
Awestruck by the sudden turn of events,
The boy struggled miserably with every passing moment.
Someone who was once so authoritative,
Was reduced to a being so contemplative.
It was a series of events culminating in a bizarre situation,
Bit by bit it increased his frustration.
Unable to bear the tension
Quite soon he became overwhelmed,
His agony was now turning into a wicked dell.
Not many folks could dare,
To stay alive with a living nightmare.
Its root cause was still unknown,
Little did he know that his guest had overgrown.
Life was difficult to manage for both of them,
Meanwhile, the guest had found a new gem,
He bade the little boy goodbye,
Who by now was emotionally very high.
"Beware", the man said, "I might visit you again",
"At that time, too, there would be nothing for you to gain".
It was a bolt from the blue, the boy realized,
Now, he seriously had his life to analyze,
The boy wondered what further omens did he lure,
Frightened about what else he had to endure.
As though reading my thoughts, the man replied, "By the way, my name is Failure..."
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The 'Karyalaya' - Contd.
A visit to an Indian Government Office - Day 3
Two working days had been wasted completely for the sake of a simple signature. As usual, I arrived early and the respective officers arrived way after the scheduled time. Yesterday's frustration kept me determined to obtain the signature today at all costs. I asked the clerk to inform me about the Inspector's arrival. He gave me the usual 'He'll be busy' dialog which I completely ignored.
Thankfully the Inspector arrived early, this time in his khaki uniform because of which I spotted him without any worry. The bloke was a tall man with a lot of mass around the equator. Almost every sausage sized finger of his had the trademark signet rings encrusted with colourful stones. Hair greased with oil and combed back completely. Thankfully he was quite fluent in English(which i will later figure out), unlike many of his colleagues, but Marathi was his preferred language of communication
I didn't wait for a chance to be called for, I directly approached him saying that I needed his signature urgently and that I've been waiting five days for it. He was rather calm and didn't find my approach disrespectful. He called me to his office and wrote a chit and handed it over to me and asked me to forward it to his secretary. He told me that she would verify the documents (I only had one sheet of paper)and he would sign it accordingly later that day. I froze thinking about the possibility of waiting another day. Unfortunately this eventually came true. He asked me to leave the paper with his secretary and return to collect it tomorrow.
I didn't know what to say. I quietly accepted the chit and left his office. handed over the chit and the document with his secretary and returned home, saddened by the fact that I had to return another day, but slightly glad that at least he promised me he would surely sign it. Hope he keeps his word.
Day 4
I arrived this morning with high hopes. Thankfully for me the man actually had signed it and the official seal was put too. I quickly returned home contented.
Conclusion:
This was one horrendous experience for me. Its actually a bad reflection of the way work gets done even in a progressing nation like India. Lack of computers and other amenities actually create a discouraging work place - This was one thing I learnt during my visit. You may ask - "Then why do people prefer to work in such a place ?" The answers simple. Its the five figure salary that these people receive with minimal work pressure. Where else do you get second and fourth Saturdays, of every month, off. Its may be convenient for the employees to work in such a jolly atmosphere; but for the common man, its a living nightmare which all of us dread to face, but eventually we all have to make that dreadful trip to a government office. Its could be the regional passport office(Gosh!), where you'll need to bribe people at times to get work done. Take the good samaritan policy of anti corruption and you'll never find your work getting done.
One thing these people need to learn, is how to value other peoples time. In my case, the inspector could have just signed the document (I had verified the document a million times) rather than waste time writing the chit. I hope I never ever have to make a trip to another one of these offices again, although eventually, I'll have to end up in the worst place possible - The Regional Passport Office.
Two working days had been wasted completely for the sake of a simple signature. As usual, I arrived early and the respective officers arrived way after the scheduled time. Yesterday's frustration kept me determined to obtain the signature today at all costs. I asked the clerk to inform me about the Inspector's arrival. He gave me the usual 'He'll be busy' dialog which I completely ignored.
Thankfully the Inspector arrived early, this time in his khaki uniform because of which I spotted him without any worry. The bloke was a tall man with a lot of mass around the equator. Almost every sausage sized finger of his had the trademark signet rings encrusted with colourful stones. Hair greased with oil and combed back completely. Thankfully he was quite fluent in English(which i will later figure out), unlike many of his colleagues, but Marathi was his preferred language of communication
I didn't wait for a chance to be called for, I directly approached him saying that I needed his signature urgently and that I've been waiting five days for it. He was rather calm and didn't find my approach disrespectful. He called me to his office and wrote a chit and handed it over to me and asked me to forward it to his secretary. He told me that she would verify the documents (I only had one sheet of paper)and he would sign it accordingly later that day. I froze thinking about the possibility of waiting another day. Unfortunately this eventually came true. He asked me to leave the paper with his secretary and return to collect it tomorrow.
I didn't know what to say. I quietly accepted the chit and left his office. handed over the chit and the document with his secretary and returned home, saddened by the fact that I had to return another day, but slightly glad that at least he promised me he would surely sign it. Hope he keeps his word.
Day 4
I arrived this morning with high hopes. Thankfully for me the man actually had signed it and the official seal was put too. I quickly returned home contented.
Conclusion:
This was one horrendous experience for me. Its actually a bad reflection of the way work gets done even in a progressing nation like India. Lack of computers and other amenities actually create a discouraging work place - This was one thing I learnt during my visit. You may ask - "Then why do people prefer to work in such a place ?" The answers simple. Its the five figure salary that these people receive with minimal work pressure. Where else do you get second and fourth Saturdays, of every month, off. Its may be convenient for the employees to work in such a jolly atmosphere; but for the common man, its a living nightmare which all of us dread to face, but eventually we all have to make that dreadful trip to a government office. Its could be the regional passport office(Gosh!), where you'll need to bribe people at times to get work done. Take the good samaritan policy of anti corruption and you'll never find your work getting done.
One thing these people need to learn, is how to value other peoples time. In my case, the inspector could have just signed the document (I had verified the document a million times) rather than waste time writing the chit. I hope I never ever have to make a trip to another one of these offices again, although eventually, I'll have to end up in the worst place possible - The Regional Passport Office.
The 'Karyalaya' - Contd.
A visit to an Indian Government Office - Day 2
Firstly, I'm sorry for the delay in this post which should have been put up weeks ago. I was busy with studies and tests.
So after a rather long weekend, (Sat. and Sun. and Mon. (2nd of October is declared a public holiday on account of Mahatma Gandhi's B'day)) I was back again at the mercy of the hon. educational Inspector of the Suburban district. As usual, I arrived way before time and similarly (usually) the office opened half an hour after the scheduled time. It was a dull morning and the sound of the rain pelting on the asbestos roof quite reflected my distorted state of mind. All in all, it was a series of events culminating in a bizarre situation.
I was welcomed by the same two people, the clerk and the employee. This time, the clerk gave me his typical discouraging excuse by saying that the Inspector would be arriving early on account of important work at 11.30 am (Early!! Think again). I didn't have a choice, it was now or never. I and sat on a wobbly wooden bench next to the door leading to the Inspector's office expecting his arrival.
The clock ticked away. Time passed - 10 o'clock, then 11 then 12 and there was still no sign of the Inspector. During this period, the office had a lot of visitors, most of them chatted away in Marathi (The regional Language, something which I'm scarcely familiar with). After a rather long period of two hours, I finally went and asked the clerk where in the world was this darn inspector. To my horror, the bloke replied by saying that the Inspector had already come and gone. That day, he didn't have the need to visit his office on the 1st floor (where I had been waiting anxiously). I cursed and left the place completely frustrated.
Firstly, I'm sorry for the delay in this post which should have been put up weeks ago. I was busy with studies and tests.
So after a rather long weekend, (Sat. and Sun. and Mon. (2nd of October is declared a public holiday on account of Mahatma Gandhi's B'day)) I was back again at the mercy of the hon. educational Inspector of the Suburban district. As usual, I arrived way before time and similarly (usually) the office opened half an hour after the scheduled time. It was a dull morning and the sound of the rain pelting on the asbestos roof quite reflected my distorted state of mind. All in all, it was a series of events culminating in a bizarre situation.
I was welcomed by the same two people, the clerk and the employee. This time, the clerk gave me his typical discouraging excuse by saying that the Inspector would be arriving early on account of important work at 11.30 am (Early!! Think again). I didn't have a choice, it was now or never. I and sat on a wobbly wooden bench next to the door leading to the Inspector's office expecting his arrival.
The clock ticked away. Time passed - 10 o'clock, then 11 then 12 and there was still no sign of the Inspector. During this period, the office had a lot of visitors, most of them chatted away in Marathi (The regional Language, something which I'm scarcely familiar with). After a rather long period of two hours, I finally went and asked the clerk where in the world was this darn inspector. To my horror, the bloke replied by saying that the Inspector had already come and gone. That day, he didn't have the need to visit his office on the 1st floor (where I had been waiting anxiously). I cursed and left the place completely frustrated.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Steve Jobs - "...Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"
I really admire and look up to Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple Computers Inc. and of Pixar Animation Studios, for the wonderful motivating speech that he delivered urging graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks—including death itself—at the Stanford University's 114th Commencement on Sunday in Stanford Stadium. He highlights the following:
You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
"...Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
The 'Karyalaya'
A visit to an Indian Government Office - Day 1
Many Indians share a variety of views about the functioning of an Indian government office. Some people call it as sloppy place while others term it as a place where even obtaining a seal takes ages. Well recently I had my share of experiences at one such office.
My task - to obtain the signature of the Education Inspector of the Mumbai Suburban district. I planned a visit to the Inspector's office on a Friday. Anticipating some or the other form of delay, I reached at 9.30 am for a 10 o'clock appointment. By the time I reached the place the office hadn't opened yet. I decided to wait until it opened. The office was a small one floored building with decayed walls full of moss due to the damp weather. The building hadn't been painted in years.
At half past 10, a lady arrived on her moped and handed over the keys to the clerk. He opened the door and the three of us entered. The sight inside was astonishing. Along the walls, were hundreds and thousands of files and stacks of paper all stacked over one another almost six feet in height. Most of the racks were already full and it definitely meant that there just wasn't adequate place for the rest of the files. Most of them had sides eaten by rats and other insects. Cobwebs covered most of the wall surfaces. Dust was another thing found to be plentiful. I doubted if any of the employees knew where to look for a file in all this mess. The place was just poorly ventilated and had to be brightened by switching on the lights at ten in the morning. Most windows had broken panes or missing latches and were half covered by the stacks of files.
One thing that caught me by surprise was that every desk had a typewriter along with some sheets of paper. In the age of computers, I think the last few of the typewriters that exist in this world can be found in one such office. Instead of photocopy machines, they used carbon papers!! In one corner, I saw a large door with bright blue paint and I guessed it to be that of the inspector's office door.
I was told by the lady that the inspector would be busy with some work at the High Court and won't be available for the rest of the day. This however is the typical way in which a person at a government office responds to any clarification. I took the gamble and decided to wait. I hadn't seen this inspector before and therefore didn't have a clue who he was. After waiting for over one and a half hour, I was told that the inspector had already left. I had blown this good chance. The following Saturday was a holiday being the second Saturday of the month (Government offices in India remain closed on the second and fourth Saturday of every month) and I would get my urgent work done only the following Monday. Hope luck favors me on Monday!
Many Indians share a variety of views about the functioning of an Indian government office. Some people call it as sloppy place while others term it as a place where even obtaining a seal takes ages. Well recently I had my share of experiences at one such office.
My task - to obtain the signature of the Education Inspector of the Mumbai Suburban district. I planned a visit to the Inspector's office on a Friday. Anticipating some or the other form of delay, I reached at 9.30 am for a 10 o'clock appointment. By the time I reached the place the office hadn't opened yet. I decided to wait until it opened. The office was a small one floored building with decayed walls full of moss due to the damp weather. The building hadn't been painted in years.
At half past 10, a lady arrived on her moped and handed over the keys to the clerk. He opened the door and the three of us entered. The sight inside was astonishing. Along the walls, were hundreds and thousands of files and stacks of paper all stacked over one another almost six feet in height. Most of the racks were already full and it definitely meant that there just wasn't adequate place for the rest of the files. Most of them had sides eaten by rats and other insects. Cobwebs covered most of the wall surfaces. Dust was another thing found to be plentiful. I doubted if any of the employees knew where to look for a file in all this mess. The place was just poorly ventilated and had to be brightened by switching on the lights at ten in the morning. Most windows had broken panes or missing latches and were half covered by the stacks of files.
One thing that caught me by surprise was that every desk had a typewriter along with some sheets of paper. In the age of computers, I think the last few of the typewriters that exist in this world can be found in one such office. Instead of photocopy machines, they used carbon papers!! In one corner, I saw a large door with bright blue paint and I guessed it to be that of the inspector's office door.
I was told by the lady that the inspector would be busy with some work at the High Court and won't be available for the rest of the day. This however is the typical way in which a person at a government office responds to any clarification. I took the gamble and decided to wait. I hadn't seen this inspector before and therefore didn't have a clue who he was. After waiting for over one and a half hour, I was told that the inspector had already left. I had blown this good chance. The following Saturday was a holiday being the second Saturday of the month (Government offices in India remain closed on the second and fourth Saturday of every month) and I would get my urgent work done only the following Monday. Hope luck favors me on Monday!
Monday, April 2, 2007
Latest Read - The Scarlet Pimpernel
... By Baroness Emmuska Orczy.
It is 1792 and France is in the grip of a seething, bloody revolution. Mobs roam the streets of Paris hunting down royalists and others from the aristocratic community. Barricades block any chance of escape and everyday hundreds die under the blade of the ruthless guillotine. But in the hearts of the condemned nobility there remains one last vestige of hope: rescue by the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel. Renowned for both his unparalleled bravery and his clever disguises, the Scarlet Pimpernel's identity remains as much a mystery to his sworn enemy, the ruthless French agent Chauvelin, as to his devoted admirer, the beautiful Lady Marguerite Blakeney.
The story leads into a wonderful thrilling episode when its time comes for the Scarlet Pimpernel to risk everything, and carry out his best rescue mission ever - to rescue the Monsieur le Comte. In the various disguises, the Scarlet Pimpernel comes close enough to smell the breadth of his enemy. The French, on the other hand have no clue at all of the elusive path the Scarlet Pimpernel has taken to reach France from England completely undetected. The book is written in such a wonderful way that it tends to keep the reader guessing the actual identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel, until it is finally revealed by a set of clues. I would love to tell you the identity of the Pimpernel but I would hate to spoil the fun too, so I'll leave you to enjoy the book for yourself.
First published in 1905, the book guarantees thrills.
It is 1792 and France is in the grip of a seething, bloody revolution. Mobs roam the streets of Paris hunting down royalists and others from the aristocratic community. Barricades block any chance of escape and everyday hundreds die under the blade of the ruthless guillotine. But in the hearts of the condemned nobility there remains one last vestige of hope: rescue by the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel. Renowned for both his unparalleled bravery and his clever disguises, the Scarlet Pimpernel's identity remains as much a mystery to his sworn enemy, the ruthless French agent Chauvelin, as to his devoted admirer, the beautiful Lady Marguerite Blakeney.
The story leads into a wonderful thrilling episode when its time comes for the Scarlet Pimpernel to risk everything, and carry out his best rescue mission ever - to rescue the Monsieur le Comte. In the various disguises, the Scarlet Pimpernel comes close enough to smell the breadth of his enemy. The French, on the other hand have no clue at all of the elusive path the Scarlet Pimpernel has taken to reach France from England completely undetected. The book is written in such a wonderful way that it tends to keep the reader guessing the actual identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel, until it is finally revealed by a set of clues. I would love to tell you the identity of the Pimpernel but I would hate to spoil the fun too, so I'll leave you to enjoy the book for yourself.
First published in 1905, the book guarantees thrills.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Blood Diamond - The Movie
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, James Purefoy, Arnold Vosloo.
Directed by: Edward Zwick
This is the latest one of the best movies that I have ever seen. Blood Diamond presents the pursuit of a rare pink diamond in the war-torn country of Sierra Leonne. Set in the backdrop of Sierra Leone in 1999, th movie portrays three characters who in three different ways are linked to the bloody diamond trade in Africa. Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou)plays the role of a fisherman whose family is abducted by the rebels controlling the local area while he is forced into diamond mining. In the process, he comes across a rare pink diamond which he hides in hope of using it to bargain with rebels for his family. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of Danny Archer a mercenary from Africa who smuggles diamonds, looking to get his hands on a rare pink diamond. He comes across Solomon Vandy an reaches an agreement with him wherein he (DiCaprio) agrees to reunite Solomon (Hounsou) with his family in exchange for the pink diamond.
DiCaprio seems a pathological liar at first meeting, only later to stun the viewer with his brutal honesty when he is confronted by reporting journalist, Maddy Bowen, looking for the truth behind the diamond business in Sierra Leone. He agrees to tell her everything about the diamond business, the dark, hidden secrets, in exchange for a way to the pink diamond. Djimon Hounsou gives a staggering performance as Solomon Vandy; in one scene he evokes anger, empathy, and hopelessness in the audience.
The plot unfolds brilliantly and tends to invoke a sympathetic feeling onwards the diamond trade that has been claiming millions of lives over the years. The captivating plot line and outstanding cast performances make this film a must see.
Directed by: Edward Zwick
This is the latest one of the best movies that I have ever seen. Blood Diamond presents the pursuit of a rare pink diamond in the war-torn country of Sierra Leonne. Set in the backdrop of Sierra Leone in 1999, th movie portrays three characters who in three different ways are linked to the bloody diamond trade in Africa. Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou)plays the role of a fisherman whose family is abducted by the rebels controlling the local area while he is forced into diamond mining. In the process, he comes across a rare pink diamond which he hides in hope of using it to bargain with rebels for his family. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of Danny Archer a mercenary from Africa who smuggles diamonds, looking to get his hands on a rare pink diamond. He comes across Solomon Vandy an reaches an agreement with him wherein he (DiCaprio) agrees to reunite Solomon (Hounsou) with his family in exchange for the pink diamond.
DiCaprio seems a pathological liar at first meeting, only later to stun the viewer with his brutal honesty when he is confronted by reporting journalist, Maddy Bowen, looking for the truth behind the diamond business in Sierra Leone. He agrees to tell her everything about the diamond business, the dark, hidden secrets, in exchange for a way to the pink diamond. Djimon Hounsou gives a staggering performance as Solomon Vandy; in one scene he evokes anger, empathy, and hopelessness in the audience.
The plot unfolds brilliantly and tends to invoke a sympathetic feeling onwards the diamond trade that has been claiming millions of lives over the years. The captivating plot line and outstanding cast performances make this film a must see.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Human Brain vs the Super Computer ?
This post is cross-posted from http://goo.gl/7vsEk. Pardon the grammatical errors, but I posted this as a reference for myself.
The modern science believe that if the human brain can work to its full potential, free of all the fears, tension, complexes etc., it can be much more efficient (2-3 times) than the super computer.
The major functions of the super computer are memory and speed. Memory is confined in the Bites and speed in FLOPS (Floating Point Operations per Second). One thousand Bytes are defined by K and one thousand K from a Mega. The memory of a standard PC runs from 16 MB (Mega Bytes) to 22 MB. The storage space (of data) though goes upto many Giga Bytes (1000 Mega=1 Giga). In spool type storage computers, the Bytes are calculated in Tera Bytes (100 Giga=1Tera). On the other hand, human brain uses Neurons (or brain cells) to store the memory. Although the scientists have not been able to put together a definite figure, recent findings put it to approx. 20 billion. These Neurons are, in turn, connected with each other through fibrous tissues. These joints are virtually uncountable and the approx. figure is put at 1000 billion. If we consider each joint as one byte, the approx. capacity would be 1000 Giga Bytes or 10 Tera Byte. As a RAM, this is much more than any super computer.
As far as the speed is concerned, speed of a modern computer is calculated in FLOPS or Floating Point Operations per Second. K2 super computer's speed is approx. 1 Giga FLOPS. K2 was one of the earlier computers. By 1990 the speed was improvised ten times; being 10 Giga FLOPS. Further innovation came in CM5 in 1992 which ran at 100 Giga FLOPS. The latest one, however, has surpassed all earlier inventions and has a speed of 2 Tera FLOPS. We shall analyze the speed of human brain in comparison.
If there is an electrical vibration in Neuron, it is considered activated. When the electric charge flows in the Neuron, it is said that the Neuron is "Fired". At a time 1% to 10% Neurons are fired in the brain. Each Neuron, in turn, fires (or vibrates) 100 times per second. From the total Neurons of 20 billion, if 1% to 10%, i.e. 200 million to 2 billion Neurons fire 100 times per second, we can surmise the speed of the brain. If one Fire of Neuron is considered 1 FLOPS, the speed (of only 1% to 10% capacity) would be from 20 giga FLOPS to 200 giga FLOPS. If we assume that all the Neurons Fire in the brain at one time at a rate of 100 Fires per second, the total speed would be 20 billion x 100 FLOPS per second; i.e. 2000 giga or 20 Tera FLOPS that is much beyond the speed of any super computer.
We can, therefore, see that in both the capacity and speed the human brain is much more efficient and capable that a modern computer.
The modern science believe that if the human brain can work to its full potential, free of all the fears, tension, complexes etc., it can be much more efficient (2-3 times) than the super computer.
The major functions of the super computer are memory and speed. Memory is confined in the Bites and speed in FLOPS (Floating Point Operations per Second). One thousand Bytes are defined by K and one thousand K from a Mega. The memory of a standard PC runs from 16 MB (Mega Bytes) to 22 MB. The storage space (of data) though goes upto many Giga Bytes (1000 Mega=1 Giga). In spool type storage computers, the Bytes are calculated in Tera Bytes (100 Giga=1Tera). On the other hand, human brain uses Neurons (or brain cells) to store the memory. Although the scientists have not been able to put together a definite figure, recent findings put it to approx. 20 billion. These Neurons are, in turn, connected with each other through fibrous tissues. These joints are virtually uncountable and the approx. figure is put at 1000 billion. If we consider each joint as one byte, the approx. capacity would be 1000 Giga Bytes or 10 Tera Byte. As a RAM, this is much more than any super computer.
As far as the speed is concerned, speed of a modern computer is calculated in FLOPS or Floating Point Operations per Second. K2 super computer's speed is approx. 1 Giga FLOPS. K2 was one of the earlier computers. By 1990 the speed was improvised ten times; being 10 Giga FLOPS. Further innovation came in CM5 in 1992 which ran at 100 Giga FLOPS. The latest one, however, has surpassed all earlier inventions and has a speed of 2 Tera FLOPS. We shall analyze the speed of human brain in comparison.
If there is an electrical vibration in Neuron, it is considered activated. When the electric charge flows in the Neuron, it is said that the Neuron is "Fired". At a time 1% to 10% Neurons are fired in the brain. Each Neuron, in turn, fires (or vibrates) 100 times per second. From the total Neurons of 20 billion, if 1% to 10%, i.e. 200 million to 2 billion Neurons fire 100 times per second, we can surmise the speed of the brain. If one Fire of Neuron is considered 1 FLOPS, the speed (of only 1% to 10% capacity) would be from 20 giga FLOPS to 200 giga FLOPS. If we assume that all the Neurons Fire in the brain at one time at a rate of 100 Fires per second, the total speed would be 20 billion x 100 FLOPS per second; i.e. 2000 giga or 20 Tera FLOPS that is much beyond the speed of any super computer.
We can, therefore, see that in both the capacity and speed the human brain is much more efficient and capable that a modern computer.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Something to think about....
The human body is considered to be one of the most supreme manifestations of nature's creations. It is believed to be the most complex structure on earth, consisting of billions of cells performing billions and billions of various life supporting activities every second. The most complex cells in the body are of course the brain cells or the neurons. Just as complex, is the foetal cells, found in the female body in the umbilical cord during the period of pregnancy. A few hundred lies in the placenta too.
According to tests conducted, scientists have determined successfully that the foetal cells are responsible for the protection of the foetus from various hereditary diseases. These diseases are caused due to exchange of body fluids between the mother and the foetus. These foetal cells are so complex in their orientation in the thin umbilical cord that they have the ability to distinguish between the nutritive cells and the diseased ones. The HIV virus has been an exception as it mutates the DNA of the cells. Nothing apart from these can be transferred from the mother to the foetus and vice versa. Is that so?
Well, recently scientists have embarked upon a mind blowing journey that baffled them due to its complexity. It has been found that after gestation (child birth), these foetal cells overcome all the various barriers and instead of disintegrating, travel all the way to the mother's brain and occupy a place in the cerebrum in an area which remains emotionally active for the next 21 years, after which they finally disintegrate.
It is believed that, it is these cells that account for the emotional attachment between mother and child. Even though the child doesn't feel much attached to his mother after a particular stage, the mother still tends to be always attached ad caring even though she doesn't realize it. This phenomenon is active strongly in the first 10 years after child birth, irrespective of whether the child is dead, abandoned or alive. It is believed that mothers of dead and abandoned children too remember about them as frequently as every six months.
After 21 years the emotional activeness is at its least value, but not absent. This remarkable phenomenon has been observed in most mammals and in a few crustaceans and arthropods.
Something to really think about then!!!
According to tests conducted, scientists have determined successfully that the foetal cells are responsible for the protection of the foetus from various hereditary diseases. These diseases are caused due to exchange of body fluids between the mother and the foetus. These foetal cells are so complex in their orientation in the thin umbilical cord that they have the ability to distinguish between the nutritive cells and the diseased ones. The HIV virus has been an exception as it mutates the DNA of the cells. Nothing apart from these can be transferred from the mother to the foetus and vice versa. Is that so?
Well, recently scientists have embarked upon a mind blowing journey that baffled them due to its complexity. It has been found that after gestation (child birth), these foetal cells overcome all the various barriers and instead of disintegrating, travel all the way to the mother's brain and occupy a place in the cerebrum in an area which remains emotionally active for the next 21 years, after which they finally disintegrate.
It is believed that, it is these cells that account for the emotional attachment between mother and child. Even though the child doesn't feel much attached to his mother after a particular stage, the mother still tends to be always attached ad caring even though she doesn't realize it. This phenomenon is active strongly in the first 10 years after child birth, irrespective of whether the child is dead, abandoned or alive. It is believed that mothers of dead and abandoned children too remember about them as frequently as every six months.
After 21 years the emotional activeness is at its least value, but not absent. This remarkable phenomenon has been observed in most mammals and in a few crustaceans and arthropods.
Something to really think about then!!!
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Book Review - 'Inside the Wire' by Erik Saar and Viveca Novak
A Military Intelligence Soldier's eyewitness account of Life at Guantanamo
Inside the Wire is a gripping portrait of an American soldier's six month tenure at Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo), Cuba, a high level terrorist detention center that houses the 'worst of the worst' al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, most of whom were captured during the US led 'war on terror' invasion of Afghanistan.
The author,Erik Saar, gets posted as a military intelligence linguist at Gitmo. His job - to carefully extract crucial intelligence from the terrorists. Saar was more than excited to begin working at Gitmo and would always look forward to the day of his posting. But then he finds himself in the bizarre world of life at Gitmo that defied everything he had ever expected.
In his powerful account, he takes us inside the cell blocks and interrogation rooms and describes what its like to talk, question and sit face to face with the captives.
Saar describes all the various tortures that the captives were subjected to in order to get them speaking and blurt out valuable intel information. Most of the captives were detained way back in 2001 and many more keep arriving each month.
Gitmo has been largely criticized by many Human Rights activists group for the appalling sexual interrogation tactics used on detainees. Many of detainees were convinced that they would never be released ever again and so many went to the extent of even trying to commit suicide. Simple objects like tooth brushes, shaving blades were sharpened and used as make shift weapons. Former detainees say in most cases the prisoner made a noose out of clothes or sheets and tried to hang himself from the cell bars; one, they say, tried to slit his throat with a knife he had made from metal.
Saar describes his job of reading the letters ,both, written by the detainees to their families in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine etc. and written by their families to them. As he reads the various letters, he struggles to decide whether to be sympathetic to them or be ruthless as everyone else.
Inside the Wire is one of those rare and unforgettable eyewitness accounts for a momentous and deeply sobering chapter in American history and a powerful cautionary tale about the risks of defaming the very values we are fighting for as we wage the 'War on Terror'
* Viveca Novak is a Washington correspondent for the TIME magazine and has been covering legal affairs and terrorism for a long time.
From INSIDE THE WIRE...
The commander radioed the IRF (Initial Reaction Force) team leader and told him to start moving in. A detainee in the end cell shouted, "Allah Al-Akbar"- God is great-the common cry when the shit was hitting the fan. Then loud, synchronized stomping as five soldiers entered the block in helmets, over-the-knee shin pads, chest protectors and thick black-leather gloves. The first solder in line carried a shield. They were in no rush; the psychological effect of their march down the corridor, boots echoing off the metal floor with frightening, deafening thuds, were powerful. One NCO was with a radio camera. I was told the tapes were used for training.
The detainee very slowly kissed the Koran, closed it, placed it in its white covering and set it on his cell ledge. Then he stood up and took off his orange shirt. He was thin but had a wiry build with sharp muscle definition. We later learned that he was a kick boxer at home. The guard commander offered him one last chance. He said nothing and simply indicated with his hand that he was ready for the IRF team.
The air on the block seemed to vibrate as everyone anticipated the onset of orchestrated violence. Some of the detainees were genuinely frightened, moving to the back of their cells. The others started shouting "American Dogs!". "Kafer!", "Allah Al-Akbar!" I had never witnessed such mayhem.
Inside the Wire is a gripping portrait of an American soldier's six month tenure at Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo), Cuba, a high level terrorist detention center that houses the 'worst of the worst' al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, most of whom were captured during the US led 'war on terror' invasion of Afghanistan.
The author,Erik Saar, gets posted as a military intelligence linguist at Gitmo. His job - to carefully extract crucial intelligence from the terrorists. Saar was more than excited to begin working at Gitmo and would always look forward to the day of his posting. But then he finds himself in the bizarre world of life at Gitmo that defied everything he had ever expected.
In his powerful account, he takes us inside the cell blocks and interrogation rooms and describes what its like to talk, question and sit face to face with the captives.
Saar describes all the various tortures that the captives were subjected to in order to get them speaking and blurt out valuable intel information. Most of the captives were detained way back in 2001 and many more keep arriving each month.
Gitmo has been largely criticized by many Human Rights activists group for the appalling sexual interrogation tactics used on detainees. Many of detainees were convinced that they would never be released ever again and so many went to the extent of even trying to commit suicide. Simple objects like tooth brushes, shaving blades were sharpened and used as make shift weapons. Former detainees say in most cases the prisoner made a noose out of clothes or sheets and tried to hang himself from the cell bars; one, they say, tried to slit his throat with a knife he had made from metal.
Saar describes his job of reading the letters ,both, written by the detainees to their families in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine etc. and written by their families to them. As he reads the various letters, he struggles to decide whether to be sympathetic to them or be ruthless as everyone else.
Inside the Wire is one of those rare and unforgettable eyewitness accounts for a momentous and deeply sobering chapter in American history and a powerful cautionary tale about the risks of defaming the very values we are fighting for as we wage the 'War on Terror'
* Viveca Novak is a Washington correspondent for the TIME magazine and has been covering legal affairs and terrorism for a long time.
From INSIDE THE WIRE...
The commander radioed the IRF (Initial Reaction Force) team leader and told him to start moving in. A detainee in the end cell shouted, "Allah Al-Akbar"- God is great-the common cry when the shit was hitting the fan. Then loud, synchronized stomping as five soldiers entered the block in helmets, over-the-knee shin pads, chest protectors and thick black-leather gloves. The first solder in line carried a shield. They were in no rush; the psychological effect of their march down the corridor, boots echoing off the metal floor with frightening, deafening thuds, were powerful. One NCO was with a radio camera. I was told the tapes were used for training.
The detainee very slowly kissed the Koran, closed it, placed it in its white covering and set it on his cell ledge. Then he stood up and took off his orange shirt. He was thin but had a wiry build with sharp muscle definition. We later learned that he was a kick boxer at home. The guard commander offered him one last chance. He said nothing and simply indicated with his hand that he was ready for the IRF team.
The air on the block seemed to vibrate as everyone anticipated the onset of orchestrated violence. Some of the detainees were genuinely frightened, moving to the back of their cells. The others started shouting "American Dogs!". "Kafer!", "Allah Al-Akbar!" I had never witnessed such mayhem.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Roger Waters' tour of Mumbai
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then the one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
from 'Time' by Pink Floyd
I was eager to see Roger Waters perform live at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai on Sunday the 18th of Feb. Tickets ranged from Rs.1000 to Rs.3000. The concert was mainly part of 'The Dark Side of the Moon' Live Tour. Roger Waters had been touring Australia, the Middle East and South East Asia. By the time I decided to go, the Rs. 1000 tickets were already sold out.
I was disappointed and as usual while fooling around on the Internet, I came across an advertisement that mentioned something about winning tickets to the concert. I decided to try my luck and registered. I was made to answer a few questions and for the first time I took the risk of revealing my personal details like my address and telephone number on the Internet.
Three days later I find a courier at my doorstep with an acknowledgment letter and a free Rs 1000 ticket. I was overjoyed and words can't describe my emotions for those couple of minutes.
It was the first time I had ever been to a Pink Floyd concert and it was really wonderful. Typical Pink Floyd. The lighting and the fire works effects on the stage was awesome. The album art played on a huge screen behind Waters.
The theme was supposed to be a man who was having a glass of whiskey and a puff of smoke turning on the radio and tuning to a channel where he hears Roger Waters singing. The entire concert was based on this theme. Waters sang selected songs from 'The Wall' in the first half of the concert and then performed 'The Dark Side of the Moon' in its entirety in the second half.
As usual, just before the interval a huge trademark pink coloured pig with all sorts of political messages written across it took to the skies. Messages included : 'Say No to racism', 'Caste System Sucks' and right across its butt were the words 'Impeach Bush Now!!'. The lightings were awesome and quite a large crowd consisting of foreigners and Indians alike turned up. Ages ranged from 16 year olds to 60 year olds
Next day the concert made headlines on the Times Of India. it was really a memorable experience and I would be looking forward to more such concerts in the future. I only hope that the next time its the entire band rather than one band member's solo performance. And then at the end of that song, when all you can hear is the loud thump-thump thump-thump of a heartbeat, you hear the voice declare,
“There is no dark side of the moon; In fact, it is all dark.”
'Parallel Universes' - A Journey through Hyperspace, Higher Dimensions and Universal Existence
Albert Einstein predicted the existence of something called Parallel Universes during his work on the General theory of Relativity in the 1930s. Although such a phenomenon has not yet been proved, the very thesis has made scientists scratch their heads in wonder.
Einstein proposed from the fact that, since energy can neither be created nor could it be destroyed, means that there exists a balance in everything that exists in our world. For protons, there are electrons, for positive charges there are negative charges etc. This causes the entire universe to be in equilibrium and in a stable state and came to be known as the Universe's Governing Principle of Symmetry.
But, as we know all that we visualize around us is made up of Matter and part of the Universe that we have seen too is made up of Matter. For the principle of symmetry to be true, there has to be a similar place or universe that is completely made up of Anti-Matter (the polar opposite of Matter). This was the propaganda put forth by Einstein.
At that time Anti Matter was a new concept altogether and seemed to be a vague theory. But by the end of the 19th century, scientists have been successful in creating this 'Anti-Matter' at CERN Labs in Switzerland. Antimatter being the polar opposite of Matter, tends to be attracted by it (Matter). It reacts violently with Matter causing explosions as powerful as hydrogen bombs.When created, Anti-Matter had to be stored in particle accelerators and be suspended in vacuum (Even contact with the walls of the particle accelerators had to be prevented). This explains why Anti-Matter was never ever discovered but had to be created artificially. Since matter can neither be created nor could it be destroyed, Anti-Matter too could neither be created nor be destroyed. This proves that since Anti-Matter cannot be created out of nothingness it must be existing somewhere in another Universe altogether (Since our universe is made up of Matter, antimatter cannot exist in a stable state). This new Universe came to be known as the Parallel Universe.
The existence of parallel universes could explain the lack of antimatter in our world. In Parallel Universes, there could be objects similar to the planets and stars we are familiar with in our own, but constructed of antimatter (this is one of the most recent theories, after the principles of dissymetry, and of the annihilation frontier).
A possible way to reach this Universe is through a worm hole. Albert Einstein and another physicist by the name of Nathan Rosen posited that each black hole would symmetrically lie on another gravitational well called a white hole. The black hole-white hole pair would form a "Wormhole" This bridge is believed to lie in the emptiness of space (occupied by a material called Luminiferous ether) in between the two Universes. This theory however makes the universe to be visualized as a curve.
All in all nothing has been confirmed as of yet and all we can currently do is to wait till any further progress is made, both, from our end as well as from people (if they exist) from the other Universe.
This was a topic that I chose for my science project in school and thoroughly enjoyed working on it.
Visit the following link for pictures :
http://picasaweb.google.com/rohitsm/ParallelUniverses
My Cleopatra
I was born sometime around fall of '89,
I guess at that time all was quite fine,
Precisely it was quarter past three,
When I self declared that I was born free.
That’s when I developed this strange affection,
With someone who would save me from any dangerous action,
Believe me this is no fiction,
And truly, between us there isn’t any friction.
Many don’t even get an opportunity to even see this strange friend,
They develop a fake one only according to their future’s trend,
But I was lucky for this very cause,
So my life continued without any pause.
When I think of this person, tears trickle down my cheek,
For, this person underwent a lot of trouble to reach me to the peak,
So 18 years I grew in Sun and Shower,
Most said, I was even prettier than a Lotus flower.
When eyes are red and body warm,
This person would sit beside me holding my arm,
This happened not once, but several number of times,
The very presence felt like the good luck of the wind chime.
This person was as beautiful as Cleopatra,
And could sing even louder than an orchestra,
Who would love and cuddle us when we were small and soft,
Try to remember whom we were all very fond of.
Who is this Divine Manifestation?
Many may ask out of total frustration,
I’ll say they answer awaits you,
Coz those who realize its value are very few.
A step closer to the answer is a clue,
By which most of you would think it was so simple,
Where would you find this person who does care?
Don’t search the world for such people are very rare.
Who is this dear person whom we actually love,
Before whom we must join hands and bow,
You may get puzzled and ask others,
But I tell you my friend, its none other than our very own ‘Mothers’
I guess at that time all was quite fine,
Precisely it was quarter past three,
When I self declared that I was born free.
That’s when I developed this strange affection,
With someone who would save me from any dangerous action,
Believe me this is no fiction,
And truly, between us there isn’t any friction.
Many don’t even get an opportunity to even see this strange friend,
They develop a fake one only according to their future’s trend,
But I was lucky for this very cause,
So my life continued without any pause.
When I think of this person, tears trickle down my cheek,
For, this person underwent a lot of trouble to reach me to the peak,
So 18 years I grew in Sun and Shower,
Most said, I was even prettier than a Lotus flower.
When eyes are red and body warm,
This person would sit beside me holding my arm,
This happened not once, but several number of times,
The very presence felt like the good luck of the wind chime.
This person was as beautiful as Cleopatra,
And could sing even louder than an orchestra,
Who would love and cuddle us when we were small and soft,
Try to remember whom we were all very fond of.
Who is this Divine Manifestation?
Many may ask out of total frustration,
I’ll say they answer awaits you,
Coz those who realize its value are very few.
A step closer to the answer is a clue,
By which most of you would think it was so simple,
Where would you find this person who does care?
Don’t search the world for such people are very rare.
Who is this dear person whom we actually love,
Before whom we must join hands and bow,
You may get puzzled and ask others,
But I tell you my friend, its none other than our very own ‘Mothers’
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