.

.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Post Office - Not just an office

Whenever I enter a post office, I try to imagine how it would've looked 25 years ago, or how it would look 25 years hence. And I must say, I can't think of anything much that would've changed or would change. The stately post master, the old but regal and stolid clock, the huge rubber stamps, the ink stains on the walls, the smell of wax seals, rusty almariahs full of ledgers, the pictures of our national leaders - It is the same feeling of belonging to India that engulfs you when you enter a Government School in a village. The Indian Post office is the widest post office network in the world with 1.5 lakh offices around the country and has been in existence for 150 years now. Though it is difficult to believe, only 4 of its 20 postal services are profitable. With the advent of email, mobile phones and private courier services, the dependence on the Post Office has really come down. But I hope it never goes out of vogue or gets privatized because for me it is not its efficiency or its success that should justify its being there. Its the peace you get when you see its simplicity, timelessness and patriotism. It is one of those things you would always like to stay. And NOTHING can replace the joy of waiting for a letter from the good ol postman on his bicycle with his red box :) God bless him !!!

Monday, June 08, 2009

"Cat"apulted :)

Two months back, I received this email from my sister - "Please meet the world's most wonderfully lazy, feminine, mischievous cat - Joan Maynard Keynes ".

My first thought was "What is she talking about? Its only a cat. Anyways, cats are supposed to be aloof". Ouch, not true people. If you think aloof is a stereotype we have come up with, then hold your breath - so is cat!! Just as we feel its unfair to say blondes are dumb, so is cats are aloof, dogs are faithful etc etc..One word to describe the entire personality (ahem, so very presumptuous of us to call it "person" ality, thus dissociating animals from having one). It was upon meeting Keynes that I realized my sis is right - she is just like a person. And she definitely has a personality, a wonderful one at that. She gets happy and sad, seeks attention, senses people's intentions, has mood swings, and even gets bored. Oh, and she is really very trusting of newcomers, is even forgiving. And all the love you give her comes back to you - and yes, she is lazy and mischievous:) In other words, "cat" doesn't really describe her at all:) If someone asks us to describe ourselves, we wouldn't just say we are "humans" and leave it at that, would we?

Sunday, June 07, 2009

How Math Explains the World

Mathematics is sometimes called a religion since it is pretty much the language of Physics or even Science in general, which goes a long way in explaining the world. Well, that may be a bit far-fetched or maybe not since any explanation for the world as it is has potholes anyway. However, this book I read recently by Stein called How Math Explains the World is really worth a read. The book talks not only about how integrated the applications of all the forays into Math and Physics are into the world around us, but also manages to invoke curiosity and a yearning to know more. Many of us recall the Laplace Transform, the Youngs' Modulus, the Planck's constant etc, as just arduous concepts we were compelled to learn. Well, this book sure gave me an attitude transplant. I see the world in numbers now :) Or maybe also as beautiful geometry. But thats not all the book has to offer. Some really fascinating insights such as the ability of photons to "know" that they are being watched, or how an epidemic of fever compelled people to discover irrational numbers, or how the Hope Diamond got its name, or why the car you sent for repair is never ready on time, or a list of "impossible" problems mankind can never solve- its all there. And if you lasted the end of this blogpost, you will surely love it :)

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Flatland - No bird's eye view!

Take a good look before you comment :)

I am what I am?

A scary concept I recently read about - When we extend the theory of natural selection to ourselves, it throws up something that we should all be happy to hear - we are who we are only because it suits us the best. It even discounts a person's will by saying a person's subconcious will allow him to change himself only if it helps him survive better than before. So as per this theory, we needn't blame ourselves for not being able to change. Think about it - If a person is rude, it is because he will survive best by being rude. Ditto lazy, mean, dishonest, truthful, cheerful, kind, insensitive, absent-minded, crazy, shabby, neat-freak, pious, double-faced, rigid, open-minded etc. Food for thought indeed. And the Emergent state is stable which may/may not be desirable (to others), the operative word being stable here. The same argument as order/ survival as opposed to chaos/ disintegration even if it is not "good". Imagine if this was proved true - all our laws have to be repealed since theres no way we can have laws that threaten survival instincts that aid existence :) And all our judgements will disappear since we would give everyone equal credit for being who they are, and understand that they are because they cannot be anything else :) But hey, but its not totally foregone and being aware is definitely a way out. But what about those who can't allow themselves to be aware, under the same rule?

Monday, June 01, 2009

Chessbored?

As a chess player, I sometimes really wonder why we always play by the rules. The current form of chess has been in vogue since as long as the 15th century. The moves of each of the pieces are given and accepted worldwide generation after generation. Yet, every game is different and we never get tired of it. Does the game really allow us such a wide berth that our minds never find the rules limiting and each game has something new to offer? If so ,was this by design or is this random?? Will there ever be a day when we'll say lets change the moves of a bishop, it'll make it more exciting? Why haven't we ever questioned these fundamentals? Maybe this is true of all games, or maybe we're too busy winning to see if we can get anything more out of it. Or maybe this thought is just a parallel to all what we hold as given vis-à-vis what we are willing to change or question.

Details - God or the Devil ???

I urge anyone who subscribes to the good ol God is in the details or the more cautious Devil is in the details to re-consider the "details" part and why we think it is always needed. Step back and look at it and you will wonder if the details themselves translate into God or the Devil, constructive or destructive, good or bad, friend or foe.....This argument can be extended to almost anything which would then lead us to wonder whether somethings are more beautiful when not completely known.

Snap Shots

Get Free Shots from Snap.com

  © Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP