Thoughts And Trivia

Scripting Music

2009-10-09T16:59:00.005+05:30

Labour of Love is a Waste of Time

I am fond of Hindi film songs of 1950 to 1970's. I have been collecting Mp3 songs of this period, for last 9 years. The collection has now grown to 7,000 songs.
(A photo taken by me: "Seven Thousand Noses""- Like my Music Collection)

Many like minded friends have shared their archives with me. Because of diverse sources, the songs were not having consistent or uniform "Tagging". It was a daunting task to clean tags of 7,000 songs. I have now completed that. Let me share with you the pains and pleasures of this labour of love.

MP3 is a compression protocol for crunching up a song file so that it takes up a smaller space on the computer with a minor loss of fidelity. In addition it carries lots of information embedded in it about the song. This information could be: Title; Artist; Album; Composer; Year; Lyricist; Genre; Album art; Lyrics; etc. This information is stored in "Tags” at the beginning of the song file. Music Programs like Windows Media Player use these tags and build up a database of your Library of song files.
Since I got my songs from diverse sources, the tagging information was not consistent. Moreover there is mo standard tag to put name of the film of the song. I put it in Album. The songs I had, the titles were erratically crammed with film name, artist, Composer, year with all sorts of brackets/ dashes/ underscores/ equal signs etc.
One way was to edit each song by song for all the 7,000 songs - obviously an impossible task – but still a must for a few songs. I therefore used program scripts. Although I am no longer that ace a programmer I once was, yet I still retain the unerring nose for debugging a program - it’s almost instinctive. I can also fill in the gaps in my knowledge of new current programming languages by intelligent guesswork based on my past knowledge.
One interesting script was to transfer film name written in brackets in the Title to Album tag without the brackets and delete it from the Title.
Other was a script for Titles having film name and title separated by dash or equal sign.
One was for removing song numbers from the Titles.
And many others similar oddities.
I use "Media Monkey" software for managing my music collection and "The Godfather" (TGF)software for batch conversion of tags.
Finally I used Media Monkey to clean up multiple entries of same film names or same artist names due to different spellings or different capitalisation.
Now I am ready to weed out duplicate files of same song by using the "Find Duplicates"facilitiy of TGF software. I finds out duplicate even if there is mis-spelling etc.
I was at it hammer and tongs many hours each day for last one month – to the utter depression of my better half. You can well imagine the efforts I had make to keep her in good humour by other means.

Recognising Faces

2009-10-02T18:32:00.008+05:30

Software That Sends Chill Down The Spine

Recognising faces is such an amazing God-given gift that we fail to realize the complexities of the process. Only when we try to build machines to do this, that we realize the near impossobility of the task.

(On the left, is me @ 13 Yrs of age, 1963, a school group photo. Notice the determination in the eyes. I love this boy!)

Picasa, the photo software from Google has added face recognition in its recent version 3.5. I tried it on my 5,000 odd photo collection. Let me give a rewiew of Picasa's face recognition abilities.

I am computer world's senior citizen. I wrote my first computer program in 1969 on a 2nd generation machine which filled a big hall in our college. Since then I have kept pace with various fast paced changes in the technology. During the course of these 40 years, I have put all my music (7,000 songs) and photos (5,000) on the PC. The photos represent a vertable history of my life and my times. Oldest photo is of 1954 - when I was a 4 year old toddler. It has been a herculian task to maintain this treasure, specially due to transfers and changes of computers and software.

I downloaded and upgraded Picasa 3.5. On opening it started the task of recognising the faces in my stock of albums.
It asks you to name the faces it recognises and asks your confirmation wherever it has any doubt.
The accuracy is amazing. It not only recognized 'me' with or without beard - that I keep growing and shaving from time to time, but it could recognize my son's childhood photos and linked these to his adulthood face. A normal person who has not seen my son grow would not be able to do that!
Rather than successes what sent a shiver down my spine was its errors. It confused between my son and faces of myself, his mother and sister. That means that it can discern genetic signatures. DNA tests may become redundant.
I thought that the software appeared to be "God's hand". But such horrorific ideas vanished when it also made silly mistakes like confusing between a female face and a face of a bearded policeman. I felt relieved and granted myself a smile. The software doesn't have "God's hand" but is all too human. Even that is a disturbing achievement!!!

What For Am I Here?

2009-09-17T19:50:00.003+05:30

The Purpose of Our Existence

One of the quest for which this blog is written is "What for am I here?". In seeking lifelong quests, we should not restrict ourselves to hand-me-down answers not even from this blog. Such answers are however definitly helpful to draw your own answers.

Some people do feel that there is no grand purpose in our existence. We are here just for existence merely? To get born, live and die? At best leaving progeny to carry our genes ahead.

I feel that this is only partially true, but what we do to pass time on this planet is also important.

"Geeta" says we all have come to this earth for a specific purpose - which it terms as "Swadharma" - our unique individual duty! This "Swadharma"also changes with time. As you grow old this swadharma also unfolds into something new. Its not static.

But How do We know our "Swadharma". I have found that there is no easy answers. But its not difficult. Be alert and be introspective. Be vigilant of your own feelings.
"Swadharma"is easily idenfied as that work that gives you most pleasure and fulfilment. The one you want to do again and again.
But it cannot be physical pleasures - eating etc. It will mostly be connected with people directly or indirectly.
It could be creation of physical assets for some? Like buildings, bridges etc. But indirectly its because of Humans that will benefit by it.
Even Big tycoons who earn money for themselves - actually serve humanity by creation of wealth for others by trickle down effects.
So what is your Swadharma? Have you fealt that glow of satisfaction after doing somework other than physical pleasures?

Reconciliation Not Retribution

2009-08-01T19:38:00.006+05:30

Young Generation Can Make India A Peoples' Democracy

Most of us are unhappy with what is happening in the society and the country. There is extreme poverty. There is corruption. There is communal intolerance. The Administration acts more like an Occupation Force than Public Servants. We are unhappy with almost all spheres of public life - Healthcare/ Education/ Governance/ Media/ Law and Order/ Status of Women. Most of the time people think that punishing the guilty will solve all the problems. (Isko hang karo, usko umar kaid do). Naxalites think that revolution is the only answers (Uda-do sabko). The philosophical essence of my experience of 37 years in Public Life - is that reconciliation rather than retribution or revolution can mitigate all the ills of the society. I will flesh out my ideas later, (perhaps in a separate blog with the Heading from subtitle above). But gist of the basis of my conclusion is given here.

I will state only the conclusions here and will give reasons and logic later. All the problems that our society faces are due to the way one group of people treats and behaves with other groups. How we perceive other groups and individuals? All the problems are arising out of interpersonal dynamics of the society. The problems are not due to imperfect laws. The problems are not due to imperfections in Political structure or bureaucracy. There has to a change in this interpersonal group relations for things to change. This change cannot come about by violent means. This change cannot be brought about by the Govt. or politicians. There has to be reconciliation through intense interaction between the groups. This can come about by a social movement. This will need that type of energy - that was there at the time of independence struggle. To an extent such energies are seen in youth movements - say JP Movement during emergency. Only a countrywide motivation of young generation can acieve it. It needs kick-starting. But once started no body will be able to control it - nobody can stand in way of youth power.

Railway Genes

2009-07-25T18:37:00.005+05:30

A Hereditary Trap

Indian society had and still has insidious stratification based on caste groups. Originally these caste groups started out as work-guilds. A group of carpenters - for example interacted and lived together for professional reasons. Opportunities and mobility being restricted, generations after generations took up jobs of their ancestors. Thus the work-guilds crystallized into water-tight caste groups. A child was condemned (or blessed - in the case of upper castes) to follow family calling. Even modern day professions had their own entrapment for children. I, even in 20th century was destined to become a Railwayman - almost as a karma of birth in a Railway Family....

My grand-father in early 20th century was a clerk in a station in Metre Gauge section of what is now called North-eastern Railway. It’s not known whether my great grand father was also in Railway - it would be a fair guess that he too must have been a Railwayman. Jobs in Railways at that time used to be gifted to children of loyal Railwaymen. It was difficult for outsider to enter the profession - unless the person was highly qualified. Thus our family tree is entwined with Railways for over a century, not much later than the inception of Railway in India in mid 19th century. Nobody from the family worked outside Railway (except my father). Nobody married outside a Railway Family (except me). Thus all my relatives - uncles and cousins were Guards, Drivers, Station Masters or Union Leaders. My father escaped the entrapment into Railway, due to untimely death of my grand-father in mid 1920s.He was sent to work in Haridwar Station as a replacement to the locals, who had succumbed to Cholera epidemic. My grand-father also fell to cholera within a month. Although this meant pauperization of the family, my father ultimately did much better than he would have done in Railway. He escaped the Karma of Railway-birth (not berth).
I remember most of my holidays in childhood were spent with Railway Relatives. We played in Railway Yards. We sneaked into forbidden areas like Station Master's room or Signalling Huts. We also played in equipment storage areas - where we played about with signal levers and trolleys etc. Many times we were chased away by the chowkidars. Informally we learnt a lot about Railway operations during playing. In the evening my uncles used to clarify any doubts we had, during our informal coaching in Railway. The discussions over dinner were mostly about Railways. This knowledge and experience fleshed out the bland training I received later during induction into Railway. The Railway entered my Genes by osmosis.
Although I passed out among top quartile of class from IIT-Delhi and most of my class-mates managed to get a career in USA, yet I got trapped to join Railway, due to family persuasions. Firstly, I was persuaded to just enter the competitive Exams For Railway (After all even if you get selected, you can always back-off). Later having succeeded - a whole congregation of relatives emotionally blackmailed me to join. Railway-birth leads to a berth in Railway.
I spent over 37 years in Railways and rose to become CEO of a Zonal Railway.
But it was galling that I could not rise further, because people with no roots in Railway, questioned the depth of my groundings in Railway Operations. Ultimately I resigned.
None of my children joined Railway despite my prodding and escaped the hereditary profession. They were able to break the Railway voodoo. I wish I could have too!!

Holding Back Tears

2009-07-18T19:51:00.002+05:30

A Journey to after Worlds

As I wrote in an earlier post, I took voluntary retirement from my Job as a CEO (General Manager) of a Railway Zone of Indian Railways. I had anticipated the emotional turmoil and the insecurities of a work-less future, but the events were much more heart wrenching than I had anticipated. I could barely manage to not to cry openly in Public. In retrospect I feel I should have let the tears flow..
Let me start with the defining moment of my last day in office.
The build-up upto that day had left me physically and emotionally tired. A month of leave-taking farewell parties had already taken its toll on my digestive system. A big deficit of sleep had accumulated over a few weeks. It has been a tenet of self-discipline with me, that I should always retain enough physical and mental reserves, needed for any unexpected emergencies like - accidents and other mishaps that are the professional hazards of the job.
But that day (3rd July 2009) I was not in such a condition. I could not sleep despite a pill. (A Hindi film dialogue says: "Sleep, my dear, is not a daily affair"). Before leaving for office, my wife and I stood in the temple at home and prayed to God and our Parents. I told her that, what we are leaving behind was never ours. We were tenants here and it’s the attachment that had developed - which is causing us the pain. Let’s move-on and not look back over the shoulders.
Office was as hectic as any normal day. There was backlog of paperwork that I could not leave for my successor. Then suddenly people started trooping into my office room at 5pm. It was the last farewell. There were even 5 divisional heads and their teams on video-conference. Suddenly, all too soon, the formalities were over and I was ushered out of my room. Used to giving orders in that room, that day I complied to the dictates like a child. From the beginning of the scene I had become emotionally numb.
I had imagined that when I leave office, I will try to look back from the door at the scene of last two and half years of cheers and tears. I will try to burn an image good enough for rest of life. But it was not to be. Like a person in trance, I was moved out by a tidal wave of crowd that had gathered. Events had gathered a momentum of their own. A part of me rebelled and wrestled with the flow of events. It did not want to go. I realized my full persona was not united in my decision to leave my Job prematurely – it was more an intellectual decision.
The scene in the lobby below was much more sombre. People were lined in large crowds to bid farewell in traditional way - with garlands and handshakes. There was also a band playing cacophonic film songs. Soon I was lead into my usual seat in the car. But it was very unusual. By now tears were welling up in my eyes. I controlled them with all my strength. There were people all over office complex. On all balconies and even on the roof. I had truly loved all Railwaymen who worked with me and had developed deep emotional bonds, but I had not known its reciprocation. Soon the car gathered speed and I realized that it’s all over. I will never get a chance to look back. I should have allowed my emotions the cathartic luxury of sobbing at the end of one world and entry into after-world.
It was not unlike real death and soul's journey beyond. I could experience, how my soul will get tortured on my death by the attachments. Even there, part of me will never like to go. But there I will be able to sob without anybody noticing or hearing.

Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity

2009-04-25T12:10:00.010+05:30

One post from this blog was quoted in BBC correspondent Sam Miller's book on walking tours of Delhi named above. I was under an assumption that quoting from a blog would need prior permission or intimation at least from/to the blog-owner. I not only don't mind that but rather feel elated. Thank you Sam! One of my class-mate from school (out of touch since 43 years) noticed it first and followed the footnote mentioning my blog and contacted me. It was a pleasant surprise?
The post quoted is a passing reference to history of my school's building "Ludlow Castle".

The author makes well-planned walking trips in Delhi, covering all the hidden nooks, corners and oddities. He has a questioning and overly inquisitive mind, which remains unfazed by bizarre situations. During his perambulations, many circumstances tested his mental poise, but that was equally matched by his recessionary physical equilibrium. He had propensity to suddenly become horizontal during his vertical ambulations. He measured the floor length of a Metro coach by sprawling over it, he paralleled the act of a "Sashtang Pranam" devotee; he also measured the depth of a manhole by falling into it(Vertically). He was also floored by assorted pigs and pie-dogs. No wonder he discovers Delhi, like nobody has done it before, with this down to earth, ear to the ground approach.
He has a knack of turning the turd over to look at the hot and steaming universe underneath, peopled by voice-less power-less strata. As a child, I enjoyed doing that to real cow-dung with a twig. What disturbs you more is his post-mortem doctor's non-judgemental factual observations. Really pithy are his social comments on the abject poverty and shadowy world of people left behind by India Shining. Delhi is like a shiny over-polished apple which has worms inside. Cut it open at your own peril!! But Sam has gone ahead and done it, and has left it for all to see.
No, No, It's not a dark look at Delhi only a 'Gestalt' view.

A Velcro Detachment

2009-04-23T13:41:00.003+05:30

Readying for a new life

Retirement age in my organisation is 60 years, and I would have retired in March next year. But for over an year, since Jan'2008, I have been looking at opting out of my Job. I had then terminated the tenancy in my flat - where I am to finally settle down. I have now put in papers seeking voluntry Retirement. This gives me time till June end to pack-up. Having spent 36+ years in an organisation, getting up and going away is like detaching a velcro strap - there is ear jarring sound. Its like a necessary but painful surgery. Its more like dying in one universe and getting rebirth in another.

Working for the same organisation for all your working life, means that your personality and your job get so hopelessly entwined, that its not possible to untangle them. But the charm of retirement is to get the excitement and thrill of a totally new life. Society has laid down elaborate rituals for similar situations like marriage and death. That eases the emotional switch involved in such changes. There is none for retirement. Turning one's back determinedly and pulling back the emotional attachments is the only way, how so ever painful. Perhaps focussing on selfish future than on the future of the organisation is the key. This however makes the three month period as too long to bear.
So, help me GOD!!

Love Affair With Bicycle

2008-10-25T17:32:00.011+05:30

Pedalling The Romance

There is a folk song in Punjabi Language about romance of riding double with your girl-friend on a cycle:

Oh! Lo I see you riding away on the cycle,
but what relationship you have with her,
Oh! whom you carry on the bar in front.
Tell me what fragrance does her hair have?

No double-meanings here please. But let me start chronologically.
Since childhood I was very much fascinated with the Bicycle or cycle to be colloquial. Initially we two brothers were carried to school (5 Km away) by one house-help on his cycle . It used to be fight among us - who will sit on the front - which afforded a view of the traffic - although it was a pain (you know where) to sit on the rod for good 30 mins ride. But sitting in rear was boring. Then it was a triumph to learn to ride the cycle myself - after many falls and bruises. Then finally I got the gift of a used cycle from my father. I rode it myself to school, with friends.
When I was on my first Job, I bought a brand new cycle - green in colour - fitted with fancy bell, saddle, a dynamo and headlight. It was around this time that I got married. And you know what - we used to go for movies riding on this cycle - she on the front bar, nestled to my chest, and I riding the cycle through the crowded streets. The conversation we had during the ride - breath to breath - was romantic. The Punjabi song was very appropriate for such times. I used to hum this song - which caused her to giggle.
Problem is, that for my short height, there are no special sized cycle in India - as is available in Europe. Regular sized cycles are too tall for me. So I had to dismount to stop at the traffic lights.
I used that one for only 1 year and gifted it to a house-help.
I then bought a scooter and used it for 12 years. My son who was born soon, used to like riding on the front foot-board, clutching the handle - making believe that its he who is driving.
Much later at the age of 45 or so, I bought a 10 geared cycle and loved riding it on hills. I was quite regular in using this as an exercise.
Part of my romance with machines is maintaining these. I was most happy with my tools. Taking down the cycle or later scooter to its nuts and bolts. Troubleshooting, repairing and modifying these.
But no longer do I cycle. I just get driven around in a car. How boring!!!

Grief, Misfortune, Bad Times and Worse

2008-10-09T18:19:00.010+05:30

When Even The Street Dogs Bark At You

Warmth of relationships; Most loved people
Are not always sublime,
You realize God sent you alone to this world,
Its such Time - not unlike
The red-hot steel under the forging hammer
Gold assayed in fire,
Clothes through the wringer,
Its not how go through it all,
Screaming, cussing, blaming God
Its how you come out that matters -
Stronger, brighter and cleaner.
Its all in how you look at the world
Without colouring your perception with hurt
Without burdening others with your load,
Without wanton violence,
Without blaming everybody else.
Showering all love & care
On the most important person on Earth
That's you yourself, none other!
Go out treat yourself to -
Ice-cream & chocolate
Fried Chicken and steaming soup
A costly dress, a lovely accessory.
Like everything else it will also come to pass.
This will gift you a fresh new perspective
iron out the erroneous zones in personality
You will be tougher, more lovable
Thats how you will come out of the wringer
(To be refined)

Rajasthan, Jaipur, Jaisalmer & Jodhpur

2008-09-27T16:54:00.016+05:30

A Royal Trip On Palace On Wheels

Rajasthan in India has a Royal and Warrior heritage. Its worth a leisurely tour. Its a place to first hand experience the dusty desert, medieval history, Royal Palaces, complexly structured society - and of course cows on the road.
But Palace on Wheel is a Train of Royal Coaches for a whirlwind conducted group tour in seven days. It does leave you breathless and disoriented - but is best for people who cannot afford to stand and stare.

The tour covers Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur besides Agra & Delhi on way.It takes you to Forts, Palaces, Havelis, Tiger Reserves & Bird Sanctuaries.
I took the tour starting 17th Sep. You get to ride an elephant and then a camel on the sand dunes of desert. There is lots of shopping opportunities - as Rajasthan has also a tradition in handicrafts, embroidery, leather goods, toys and sculpturing.

I indulged in my hobby of photography and stitching the landscapes. Here are some of the stitchings.

The Brave World Of Left & Right Hemispheres Of Our Brains

2008-08-23T12:08:00.006+05:30

We have two hemispheres in our Brain, Right & Left. Both are quite separate with a minimal shared bandwidth between them. Both are quite different. Right one is a parallel processing computer hooked to various energy sensors in our body, simultaneously gathering millions of streams of data. It connects to the world outside. Its very chaotic, it cannot make sense of what it gathers, because it cannot distinguish self from the universe, present from the past and future.
Its the left brain which is a serially, logically processing machine, which has enormous wealth of past records. It also has a sense of "SELF". Its this brain which makes sense of Right Brain inputs and its effect on our selves.
Right brain is what gives us a sense of being connected to the rest of living beings and with the rest of the grand universe. It gets the sense of being permeating the whole universe and vice-versa. Its raw, fleeting, slippery and transient and present moment in time - that has no past no future.
The left brain is what brings us down to earth, controls our actions and makes us a calculating, methodical entity, separate from the rest of living beings and we-and-they feeling regarding the rest of the universe. Its past and future with the present moment missing.
One can understand this when we just come to conscious from anaesthesia generated unconscious. I wrote about my experience of this 80 Fathoms below conscious. As I regained consciousness, the right brain kicked in with gibberish data. Immediately left brain came back, failed to resolve the inputs but alive enough to say that "you are ok, I cannot make sense of it but its enjoyable even in raw form. Do not let others shake you out of it, enjoy while it lasts".
Without the left brain (as can happen in a left brain stroke) you feel the feeling of becoming one with the universe, but you become non-functional - cannot process language, cannot understand numbers or remember who you are. The feeling is not unpleasant - as told by people who have gone through it. The feeling is of "Nirvana" or "Moksha" of release from the limited life to unlimited peacefulness. Here is the talk by Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight about her such experience. If the video doesn't work go to the site.

Vaishali - The First Democracy of The World

2008-08-16T16:34:00.008+05:30

(<-A modern Japanese Pagoda on the banks of Coronation Tank of Vaishali)
On my recent visit to the archaeological remains of the ancient city of Vaishali, I tried to feel how it must hae been to live in those times. Its a sobering experience and makes you respect people who lived then.
Vaishali, a city in North Bihar, India is known to have existed since at least 6th century B.C. It was very large, very populous and rich. It was also the capital of the state of Vaishali. The legend has it that one of the earlier king, "Nabhaga" abdicated the throne due to an accusation about Human Rights violation and is believed to have declared: "I am now a free tiller of the soil, king over my acre". The city then declared itself a democratic Republic - the first democracy of the world - much earlier than the ones in Greece.

(<-The earliest of Ashokan Lion pillars. Unlike later ones it has no religious edict engraved on it. On right is an irreverent look at the butt of the lion. The lion's facial expression is pathetic not majestic or ferocious - where have you strung me up?)
The place is also linked with the lives of Mahatma Buddha and Mahavira (the 24th incarnation of Jain Religion). Buddha spent most of his last years here. During this time, the place was famous for its courtesan - Amrapali. She is the focus of many legends and stories of that time for her beauty and wealth. Modern day Hindi Novel - "Vaishali Ki Nagar Vadhu" (Vaishali's City Bride) is also about her. Buddha's influence (or is it vice-versa) converted her to a female-monk, for which Buddha broke his rule of allowing only men-folk as monks. This change almost broke the Buddhist community into two warring sides (shades of "Helen of Troy").
There are now many archaeological remains in the area. Most of these show layers of construction in various periods of the history - from 6th century B.C. till 7th century AD.

Telescopic Memories

2008-08-13T19:26:00.006+05:30

Of the bewildering and encyclopedic events in our life, some memories stick to the brain and some do not. The selection of remembered event is based on the intensity of interest that we had in the event at the time of occurrence.
But this interest changes as we grow older. As a child the level of curiosity is so intense that large percentage of memories of our lives from age of 3/4 years to 17/20 yrs get remembered. Later on this percentage goes on reducing. This makes interesting study when you compare the memories of life spent together with your children or parents.

Recently my son suddenly recalled, that once I had fainted due to vaso-vagus syncope. This nothing but a metabolically programmed, shut down of brain due to intense pain, to reduce the damage to the body. I learnt that I was more prone to it as a trait. About 25 years back, my wife, me and my son (then only 5 years) were sleeping and I woke up due to some stomach pain. I sat up on the edge of the bed slightly leaning forward due to intense colic pain. I had vaso-vagus syncope and I fainted, just keeled over, and hit the wall in front like a sack of potatoes. The sound of my head hitting a ledge must have woken them up. I do remember this event, but the detailed imagery that my son recalled, was very vivid. He could create a complete visual scene, although very small kid at that time. The boom of the tree, the exact place I was lying. The sounds , the colour of the floor etc. I did not have that much detail in my mind.
Being at the center of the three generations, I recalled my and my father's relative memories of shared events- and found it to be true in reverse order.
I think that is good as well! Otherwise our minds would have been clogged with too many memories of more busy portions of our life.

Flare Of A Dying Flame

2008-08-09T07:11:00.011+05:30

Flame of an oil lamp, flares up, one last moment, before it runs out of oil and it just starts spewing black soot.
Evolution of societies also follow this route to oblivion. The dying society flares into megalomaniac creations just before being snuffed out. Is the present 21st Century also the last for the Human Race? From the megalomaniac creations - it just looks to be the case of burst of the dying flame.
There is a web-game about what it would be like for the human race to die in year 2100, if do not wake-up.
But look at the megalomania. We have created a Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Europe to just smash two protons (travelling at almost the speed of light) together, just to prove whether two mathematically elegant theories could actually govern the sub-particle universe.

LHC has been built in a circular tunnel 27 km in circumference. The tunnel is buried around 50 to 175 m. underground. It straddles the Swiss and French borders on the outskirts of Geneva.
The statistics and Money spent is nothing Human Race has ever seen. For example:

The combined strands of the superconducting cable being produced for the LHC would go around the equator 6.8 times. If you added all the filaments of the strands together they would stretch to the sun and back 5 times with enough left over for a few trips to the moon.

Part of the LHC will be the world's largest fridge. It could hold 150 000 fridge full of sausages at a temperature colder than deep outer space.
The cost of the accelerator only (without experiments and computing) but including manpower and material is 4.7 Billion CHF (that's around 3.03 billion euros)

There is more on the web, officially.
...and unofficially
I think there could be a simpler way to do science.
This is not all. The type of buildings that we are now making in the Middle East is super-megalomania.
Mahatma Gandhi used to say: "There is enough on earth for our needs, but not enough for our greed."
We are going to kill the Human Race if we do not temper our use of Earth's resources.
What Do You think? Please leave comments!!!

How To Deal With Difficult Persons

2008-08-02T12:26:00.010+05:30

We do face people with whom we find it difficult to deal. May be we are ourselves difficult person to deal with! ;-)
How to deal with persons we are having difficulties in social/business interactions:- here is the cheat-sheet:
1. Have an inner dialogue (I-D). The attempt by him/her is to put you in a non-rational frame of mind - to numb you with high-emotions so that you are not able to think. Therefore deliberately think and have an internal dialogue - give yourself a pep-talk - "I am not going to get cowed down here!". What is he saying? What are the issues involved?
2 Keep to basics (B's). Do not get drawn into tangential supplementary issues. Point out the basic issues. Insist on not getting into peripheral issues. Point out this is not appropriate to discuss "Always" - stick to the immediate provocation. (e.g. You are 'always' late for appointments! Let him/her state are you late this time? Other past instances are not being discussed.) Step 1 above, Inner Dialogue should help you think what is the basics here.
If he/she comes down to basics and if you are at mistake accept it! You need not explain in detail how this happened, instead promise that you will not commit such mistakes in future. Express (with self-respect) regret at the inconvenience caused.
3 State feelings , opinions, beliefs (F-O-B). You have right to express how you are feeling in this transaction (I am feeling being unfairly treated.). State your opinions freely. Express what you believe is involved. BUT BUT please stick to basics, do not fly into tangential - do not step up emotional temperature.
4 Be not a party to dis-assertiveness, state your needs and wants (D-N-W). Resolve during the internal dialogue that you are not going to be a party to dis-assertiveness. I will not accept unfairness towards me!. State your Needs and wants clearly: (I need to be given time to work on this report. I need to be given such & such resources if this result is required. I want that I may not be please treated discourteously.)

Well this needs to be practiced. Practice the opposite party role also. Get unfairly tough on somebody and see how he handles it ;-). Explain it off after its over. Keep a printed slip with following in your purse:
1 (I-D) Have an inner dialogue
2 (B's) Keep to basics
3 (F-O-B) State feelings , opinions, beliefs
4 (D-N-W) Be not a party to dis-assertiveness, state needs, wants

Did you find it useful! Do you have better strategies? Please leave comments!!!

View From a Window

2008-07-25T12:17:00.002+05:30

Even as a child my favourite time-pass was sitting on the window which had a wide ledge. The window looked out on a public ground. Munching on peanuts, I could ask my mother:
Who is That Man? Where is he going?
Why does he not play a game? Will his mother be angry if he is late?
What could be in his bag - that he is carrying? etc.
I got fairly plausible and patient answers. She I now recall used to be amused and pleased at such questions.
Is it Genes? My son also asked similar questions. I also loved such sessions and answered him patiently and with humour.
I treasure both sets of remembrances as moments dripping with pure love.
But now as an adult (as you see in my profile "About Me"), I look at the world and ask myself those same questions again. Sometimes I look inwards and ask myself about myself!
What do you get from writing such Blogs? Will your wife be not angry for spending too much time on computer?
Who reads them and why do they?
You could play the role of my mother and try answering that ;-)

Child Is The Father Of Man

2008-07-13T14:06:00.002+05:30

Child is the father of Man. If we want to understand hows and why of behaviour of early Humans, lets look at what is relevant to an infant.
Understanding Physics by early humans is not surprising - since even a child learns of laws of nature by an intuitive interaction with the world. But I wonder, how and why did humankind learn to understand numbers and then on to mathematics? For numbers do not have that direct a day to day relevance for an infant - except for that acquisitive instinct to possess more of what it likes. But why numbers to mathematics and then application of mathematics to Physics. It does not make evolutionary sense.
Only explanation could be that numbers, mathematics and physics in mathematical language is hard-wired in human mind. BUT WHY?
Will a community isolated from learned mankind arrive at the same mathematics and physics? If we are hard-wired - it should and if we are not then the Human knowledge is only a soft skill passed on and extended from generation to generation.
In Andaman Island there are two tribes (The Jarawaks and ?) in some islands, who have shunned contact with rest of humans - except at a distance. They are known to understand numbers and arithmetic. They are so averse to human contact - that we cannot find if they have knowledge of any rudimentary mathematics or physics. But their mere knowledge of arithmetic supports the hard-wired conjecture.

Who Is Afraid Of Lightning Bolt

2008-07-13T14:03:00.003+05:30

I am afraid of the Lightning since childhood. I read a lot about lightning as a child out of curiosity. This has instilled a sense of panic in me when the clouds are angry - specially in the dark.
What I recall learning is:

The bolt of the lightning travels at a speed of 60,000 m/s ; temperature of 30,000^oC (five times hotter than surface of Sun)and carries a current of 40-120 kilo-amperes. A normal strike travels a distance of approx 1.3 Kms. Target is struck actually by 3-4 strikes 30-40 ms apart, due to repeated discharge of the charge in the cloud. The discharge channel in air is only 1 cm dia.

Lightning strikes the highest or the electrically the least resistive path to the earth. Be away from these high sites. Do not stand under a tree in an open space.

Its its search of least resistive paths that causes the cracking sound due to sudden changes in its paths. The thundering sound is due to the shock wave created by air in contact being suddenly heated to 10,000^oC.

In a structure it strikes the corners. Stay away from corner rooms or a corner in a room.

If standing in a row, it strikes the extremities. Stand in the middle of a line.

On striking or even before it may divide into a large number of splinter paths. If you are slightly afar from a target, even then you are vulnerable. People even 25 metres away may be vulnerable.

Rarely its has been seen to come as a balloon of bright light. Though lots of eye-witness reports are there, but there has never been a scientific confimtion of this.

More lightning is seen in rains after a particularly dry spell.

Mostly the lightning is negative charged. But rarely it is positively charged - which is more damaging - travels larger distances before striking. So even area not having clouds may get struck - really bolts from blue!

Lightning is the deadliest weather phenomenon, 24,000 people get killed and 2,40,000 are injured by it each year

Safest place is to be inside a strong house, but stay away from anything that can conduct electricity - phones, TV, Computer, plumbing, Metal doors/windows.

Car's tyres are ineffective as insulation. Its metal body of car that conducts away the charge that saves the ocuupants - if they are not touching any metallic part at that time.

No! No! I didn't want to infect you with my panic. Honest. Being forewarned isn't being forearmed always.

My First Girl Friend

2008-07-13T12:22:00.002+05:30

The hit counter on this blog is entering into that range of figures - about which I feel very nostalgic. In 1953 I was 3 years old. Chubby, naughty, playful - 4th child out of five. I was very greedy about food and used to steal goodies from kitchen. I had started going to Nursery School at that age - which I hated. I remember feeling very lost and crying on the first day - when a very pretty classmate came, hugged, kissed and consoled me. I can recall even the pillar against which I leaned to cry. Thereafter I think I must have stopped crying and started playing with her. Its not a love story, the girl left school after 2/3 years - I don't know her. I graduated from the same school at 17 years of age. Its a rosy feeling to recall that act of kindness. Oh! no! Let me not cry again.
Originally published in my blog Nothing That Matters, where you can see the comments.

Ah! A Fresh Layout

2008-07-12T18:56:00.002+05:30

After a long time, I returned to the site, and did what I had been hoping to do for a long time.....
I found out ways to make a better layout for this blog. I came across the blogbuster site. It has downloadable template for magazine style - three column layout with widgets.
So, here it is. It was lot of slogging. Not easy. I was familiar with HTML. I had been tinckering a lot with earlier template - with lots of customization. But XTML or widgets, I had not tried.
I lost lots of earlier customizations and had to bring it in again.
I still not through, but yes its up and running for the time being.
Thanks to my wife for her patience with me - while I worked on it for hours.
What do you think of the changes??

Living By The Ganges

2007-10-20T19:37:00.003+05:30

Its an honour to be living on the banks of the holy river Ganges. Ganges is full of life - nee its life itself

Ganga is life, Life is like Ganga
Its sometimes clear and often muddy like life
Its mostly calm but sometimes in furious spate like workedup emotions
Its mighty but also humble in face of obdurate obstacles like us
It can take you across safely or drown you despite all your resouces
It has a new face new geometry everyday
Ganga is life, Life is like Ganga

Floods In Bihar Stay Mainly In The Plains

2007-10-19T22:23:00.002+05:30

Floods in Bihar are seen to be believed. North Bihar has so many rivers criss-crossing it - all coming down from Himalaya. This year rains were particularly furious. From July onwards, till even today only embankments of Roads and Rail can only be seen, rest is under water. Imagine how beneficial it will be if we could harness all this water. How? Linking all the rivers? Storing this water some-place-else undergroung or otherwise.

A Rough Guide To Life

2006-12-26T22:11:00.002+05:30

In physics most of the equations have a large number of terms. For ease of computations we ignoring less significant terms. Moreover in a phenomenon we ignore minor effects of weaker forces - for example when we study mechanics of two moving stones, we ignore the insignificant gravitational attraction between the stones.
If this is not done it would be impossible to learn or teach physics - at all. These approximations do not take away the validity of the conclusions arrived at.
Similar is the model of life that we as a child, are handed down.
Its only a rough guide to life.
As we grow we learn the many nuances which do not jell with what we had been taught. Like:-

Honesty is not the least cost alternative.
The meek do not inherit the earth.
Cheating may be profitable many times.
Truth does not always triumph.

But as a rough guide to living - what we are handed down is superb and the nuanced exceptions discovered by us do not negate the essence of rough guide.

Birth Before Conception

2006-12-17T07:51:00.001+05:30

During screening of a Film on Chengiz Khan in our college's (IIT Delhi) open Air Theatre in 1969, the scene of the heroine giving birth to child was shown before the scene of her rape that resulted in the pregnancy - due to erroneous shuffling of film cartridge by a sozzled projectionist.
But film making is like that. First scene may actually be shot in the end. Or the scene in Vienna may actually be shot in a studio in Mumbai. Even the Hero fighting the villain may not actually be the Hero - but only his substitute. Thus film breaks down boundaries of time, geography and personalities.
So does Information Technology (IT).
Apart from the mere increased efficiency, the sociological effects of IT on an organization are also similar (in a subtle way). It breaks down the debilitating departmental and geographical divisions in the organization. Its tones down the hierarchical rigidities. It makes a mockery of office-hours and allows 24X7 support to the customer. It de-individualises the personality behind a job - your call may be answered by a Bangalorean with a false accent!
It shifts the power balance away from megalith organizations towards the customer. It thus makes the organization more cohesively oriented towards its customers.
All these effects are sorely required in government to shift focus to citizens. Hence thorough implementation of IT in all Govt processes are a must.
Perhaps some more research on this may be needed.
Bertrand Russel also discussed the impact of Science on Society - in particular shift of power balance between the individual and the society.
Please do come back again, I will blog about that later!!