"The trouble with you Chicago people is that you think you are the best people down here, whereas you are merely the most numerous."-Mark Twain
No offense Twain, but I object. We are certainly not the numerous (we rank 59th based on population density in the USA) and we are most definitely the best. It's a challenge to be a Chicagoan. You may think of Chicago as the ivy league of cities. Only the best and the brightest belong here. And I can prove it.
It was 47 F in Chicago today. And most of us Chicagoans agreed that it was a beautiful day. It had just the right amount of wind and sun. The average high in December is usually around 35 F and so this exceptionally warm day was welcomed with open arms by us. Walking around on State St. with many others, I was reminded not just of how beautiful my city was, but also about the uniqueness of Chicagoans.
Many people have spoken in praise of this amazing city. And many more have defamed it. But there is more to this city than meets the eye. The city of Chicago has a way to creep into your soul. Being a Chicagoan is more than just loving the eccentricity of a city life and enjoying the plethora of food options. Perhaps one of the most important attributes of being from here is the ability to live truly and to live always.
What most people consider cold and gloomy, Chicagoans consider warm and sunny! We are the epitome of people who believe the glass is half full. And why shouldn't we? Our politics, weather, neighborhood and the overall infrastructure of the city and its culture begs one principle of us: Carpe Diem.
Two glass bottles were placed on a table with a pile of large rocks on one side and a pile of sand on the other. The task was simple; Put the sand and the rocks into the glass bottle. The first person examined the two piles and reached for the sand first. However, he failed as he tried to fit the large rocks on to the bed of sand. The second person reversed the order. He was easily able to fit the rocks into the empty bottle. He then poured the sand down that gracefully filled up the precipices between the staggered rocks. The rocks here represent the major priorities of life and the sand represents the simple amusements. This is Chicago, where we occasionally find a warm day trickle into the crevices of cold, dark reality, and we most certainly seize it.
We have the most corrupt of all politics, the harshest of weathers, and the most dangerous airport. Yet, we are happy. It's because we know what's important and have a way of making the best of everything. If life gives us snow, we make snowmen, if life gives us sun, we make people jealous at the beaches, and if life gives us Derrick Rose, we make MVPs. We are a city of people that open our luxurious lofts to strangers when Lake Shore Drive is blocked. We are a city of people that make Pizza more delicious than it's ever been in Italy. We are a city of people that combine the traditions of the world to make our own unique identity.
Yes, not everyone can live in Chicago. But a Chicagoan can live everywhere!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Just a Taste
There is a cozy little tapas bar in the Ithaca Commons, "Just a taste!". It isn't my favorite tapas place(Cafe Iberico is!), but I loved going there for one main reason: samplers! Tapas in themselves imply taste portions of incredible delicacies, but this little place also offered flights of wine in taste portions. It was an invitation to indulge in everything you desire, but in moderation. Say you got that crispy cauliflower in yogurt sauce and realized you didn't quite like it, that's okay, because the portion was just large enough to grab a taste of, but not so much so that you had to finish it even if you felt sick.
In some ways this is how I feel about boys. I think I'm excited to taste but afraid to order the whole entree. In a recent conversation with myself (because I do that sometimes to rationalize things), I had an epiphany. My longest relationship has been with Biomedical Engineering (BME). It's been seven years and going strong. And that too is because you can taste several engineerings in one bite of BME. Now, I know what most of you are thinking. Am I really going to compare real life with food? So for you, even though it's a completely valid comparison, I'll add some science to this. With the food example it may sound like this desire to taste is just a want, but with science, perhaps I can prove that it is actually a need.
Last week I was exposed to many many brilliant minds in the beautiful city of Washington, DC. Now now, hold on to your chairs, because I don't mean the politicians. I am actually talking about the great neuroscientists who unfold the mysteries of our brains. Dora Angelaki is one such scientist. She gave a talk on the importance of sensory integration. In her introduction, she explained that the significance for sensory integration lies in its ability to reduce noise and to avoid ambiguities. Her example was about the pilot who is accelerating through the clouds and is unable to tell the difference between flying upwards and plummeting downwards because his vestibular input can't separate the tilt and the translation. Without his visual feedback, the input signal is both noisy and ambiguous. By the time his head is out of the clouds (no pun intended), it's too late to correct this mistake and the plane crashes.
Perhaps my fear to commit is not irrational. Maybe when I meet my chocolate covered strawberry I'll know. Maybe all my senses with be in sync and I'll be able to make that weird promise called "love". But that time isn't now. I'm still juggling two-week crushes and quirky dates. I'm still enjoying getting hit on during Saturday night extravaganzas. I'm still loving to taste without the after taste.
Plus, I truly believe what the Blakes have sung!
In some ways this is how I feel about boys. I think I'm excited to taste but afraid to order the whole entree. In a recent conversation with myself (because I do that sometimes to rationalize things), I had an epiphany. My longest relationship has been with Biomedical Engineering (BME). It's been seven years and going strong. And that too is because you can taste several engineerings in one bite of BME. Now, I know what most of you are thinking. Am I really going to compare real life with food? So for you, even though it's a completely valid comparison, I'll add some science to this. With the food example it may sound like this desire to taste is just a want, but with science, perhaps I can prove that it is actually a need.
Last week I was exposed to many many brilliant minds in the beautiful city of Washington, DC. Now now, hold on to your chairs, because I don't mean the politicians. I am actually talking about the great neuroscientists who unfold the mysteries of our brains. Dora Angelaki is one such scientist. She gave a talk on the importance of sensory integration. In her introduction, she explained that the significance for sensory integration lies in its ability to reduce noise and to avoid ambiguities. Her example was about the pilot who is accelerating through the clouds and is unable to tell the difference between flying upwards and plummeting downwards because his vestibular input can't separate the tilt and the translation. Without his visual feedback, the input signal is both noisy and ambiguous. By the time his head is out of the clouds (no pun intended), it's too late to correct this mistake and the plane crashes.
Perhaps my fear to commit is not irrational. Maybe when I meet my chocolate covered strawberry I'll know. Maybe all my senses with be in sync and I'll be able to make that weird promise called "love". But that time isn't now. I'm still juggling two-week crushes and quirky dates. I'm still enjoying getting hit on during Saturday night extravaganzas. I'm still loving to taste without the after taste.
Plus, I truly believe what the Blakes have sung!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Just Desserts
It's been a while. Today I'll be talking about cake. And not just any cake, but the one that you get on your birthday. See, birthday cakes are just slightly more special than regular cakes. Each layer of this cake represents a unique quality of yours and with each bite, you embrace the blessing of a friend. The cake is even more delicious because someone else ordered it for you. Someone else went through the trouble to make this day special. Yes, birthday cakes are the best.
In the dark room, there is nothing but the flames of your years, glowing brightly and illuminating the surrounding. It's symbolic of the radiance that you create in others' lives. Beneath those candles is your name, carved in beautiful calligraphy atop a frosting that one can only crave for. You close your eyes and make a wish. A pause is necessary in case you want to change it. But you go ahead with your initial wish. I want the largest piece of cake today.
Now the knife makes its way through the layers. For the first time, you catch a glimpse at the inside of the cake. Each layer so beautifully structured. You stop to wonder why your life isn't an accurate reflection of this cake? Why aren't all the layers so perfect? And it suddenly dawns on you, perhaps the knife needs to cut farther to reveal the perfection of those layers in your life.
You feed the first slice to your best friend in the room. She takes a giant bite and poses for the camera. But you're not done here. She offers to feed you. SMACK. The delicious frosting is now sporting a Santa-like beard on your face. Oh those perfect layers are now smeared in utter randomness. And you, the birthday celebrity, look just a tad ridiculous.
You smile and pose for the camera. So what if these layers are mixed and mashed and smothered upon your face? You stick your tongue out and reach for the corner of your mouth. Mmm.. A hint of chocolate ganache mixed with coconut and butter-cream. The deliciousness is retained. You return for another piece and repeat the ritual with every special person in the room. More layers reduced to art on your face. The cake is now getting smaller. There are only so many pieces left. In an effort to feed others, you have forgotten to save a giant piece for yourself.
And the night comes to an end. All that remain are the remains of your birthday cake. So, in your empty living room you ponder.
Did I get the largest piece of cake?
In the dark room, there is nothing but the flames of your years, glowing brightly and illuminating the surrounding. It's symbolic of the radiance that you create in others' lives. Beneath those candles is your name, carved in beautiful calligraphy atop a frosting that one can only crave for. You close your eyes and make a wish. A pause is necessary in case you want to change it. But you go ahead with your initial wish. I want the largest piece of cake today.
Now the knife makes its way through the layers. For the first time, you catch a glimpse at the inside of the cake. Each layer so beautifully structured. You stop to wonder why your life isn't an accurate reflection of this cake? Why aren't all the layers so perfect? And it suddenly dawns on you, perhaps the knife needs to cut farther to reveal the perfection of those layers in your life.
You feed the first slice to your best friend in the room. She takes a giant bite and poses for the camera. But you're not done here. She offers to feed you. SMACK. The delicious frosting is now sporting a Santa-like beard on your face. Oh those perfect layers are now smeared in utter randomness. And you, the birthday celebrity, look just a tad ridiculous.
You smile and pose for the camera. So what if these layers are mixed and mashed and smothered upon your face? You stick your tongue out and reach for the corner of your mouth. Mmm.. A hint of chocolate ganache mixed with coconut and butter-cream. The deliciousness is retained. You return for another piece and repeat the ritual with every special person in the room. More layers reduced to art on your face. The cake is now getting smaller. There are only so many pieces left. In an effort to feed others, you have forgotten to save a giant piece for yourself.
And the night comes to an end. All that remain are the remains of your birthday cake. So, in your empty living room you ponder.
Did I get the largest piece of cake?
Monday, July 18, 2011
Acrimonious Apathy
"I am not scared, I am not shocked, I don’t feel anything." It's two days after the Mumbai blasts, but the city runs. Drenched in pouring rain and the stench of bloodshed, Mumbai is moving on. Twenty-one people lost their lives. Hundreds lost a limb or a toe. Thousands were traumatized. And millions across the world watched in silent wonderment as Mumbai once again took a toll at the hands of terrorists. It's happened before and it will surely happen again. So, we can just sit around at this narrow stall and enjoy some fresh jalebis.
The common man in India is a miracle. He lives through life, working and laughing, waiting in hope for a better life. He nurtures his dreams through his children-- first, he teaches them lessons of ideals and principles and soon, he exchanges those morals and trains them to speak white lies and commit minor felonies to climb the ladder of the corporate world. And so the child of this common man, like all his peers, unwillingly yet consciously, falls in the face of corruption. This is my land. The land of the free, brave and corrupt.
During a recent visit to India, I engaged in a discussion with my cousin about the way corruption was embedded in every vein of every being who was local to the one country that teaches tales of honesty and perseverance through examples of freedom fighters and mythological heroes. As a child, my mother narrated the story of Valyo lootaro to me every night. The bandit of the jungles reformed himself and became Rishi Valmiki, the great sage who wrote the epic of Ramayan. Today, we lead our lives in reverse. A Valmiki gets lost and trampled in his attempt to embrace honesty while the Valyo soars above with fake certificates and ridiculous bribes. So I asked my cousin, where does it start? Can there be a way to cleanse our people from this vicious virus? And his answer yet again was that it starts with the common man. It takes one man to refuse a bribe. One man to ignore a donation. And just one man to lead a country.
But I disagree. I refuse to admit that the power is bestowed upon a single man. In fact, the power lies in the hands of corporate India. India is one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world. It's middle class is made up of young, educated and liberal minds. The youth is creeping into corporations as engineers, managing directors and CEOs of start-ups. And it's upon this population that the responsibility lies. Our political class is made up of old hags who have been stuck in a blame game since 1947. But we are smarter than that. And perhaps now is the time to say no. The youth in India has already rebelled against many outdated religious traditions and stigmas. It's now time to rebel against those corporate traditions. If you get pulled over for no mistake of your own, refuse to pay the bribe. If you are denied admission because your father can't afford the donation, say good-bye to the greedy dean and pack your bags for a future abroad. But don't do it alone. Bring a friend.
In an effort to cleanse the corruption internally, we will finally recognize the external enemies. A good friend once said, "The key to a strong democracy is to have a common language, a common religion and a common enemy." While it was a wise statement, I'd like to believe that the key to a good country, democracy or not, is to adopt a common principle (of honesty). This bloodshed was a calling that something is wrong. In this country of apathetics, the youth must rise with passion to overturn the corrupt. Because until we defeat the snakes that are hiding under the cloaks of evil politicians and crooked business tycoons, our battle against the terrorists will remain superficial. Once that is done, it'll be easy to kill the bastards who had the nerve to repeatedly attack our most precious city. Mumbai won't take it anymore. India won't be quiet. "I am not scared. I am not shocked. Because, I am empowered!"
References:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Inc-must-clean-up-its-act-to-rid-country-of-graft/articleshow/9277245.cms
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/13/mumbai-bomb-blasts-india
http://tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ws160711Mumbai.asp
The common man in India is a miracle. He lives through life, working and laughing, waiting in hope for a better life. He nurtures his dreams through his children-- first, he teaches them lessons of ideals and principles and soon, he exchanges those morals and trains them to speak white lies and commit minor felonies to climb the ladder of the corporate world. And so the child of this common man, like all his peers, unwillingly yet consciously, falls in the face of corruption. This is my land. The land of the free, brave and corrupt.
During a recent visit to India, I engaged in a discussion with my cousin about the way corruption was embedded in every vein of every being who was local to the one country that teaches tales of honesty and perseverance through examples of freedom fighters and mythological heroes. As a child, my mother narrated the story of Valyo lootaro to me every night. The bandit of the jungles reformed himself and became Rishi Valmiki, the great sage who wrote the epic of Ramayan. Today, we lead our lives in reverse. A Valmiki gets lost and trampled in his attempt to embrace honesty while the Valyo soars above with fake certificates and ridiculous bribes. So I asked my cousin, where does it start? Can there be a way to cleanse our people from this vicious virus? And his answer yet again was that it starts with the common man. It takes one man to refuse a bribe. One man to ignore a donation. And just one man to lead a country.
But I disagree. I refuse to admit that the power is bestowed upon a single man. In fact, the power lies in the hands of corporate India. India is one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world. It's middle class is made up of young, educated and liberal minds. The youth is creeping into corporations as engineers, managing directors and CEOs of start-ups. And it's upon this population that the responsibility lies. Our political class is made up of old hags who have been stuck in a blame game since 1947. But we are smarter than that. And perhaps now is the time to say no. The youth in India has already rebelled against many outdated religious traditions and stigmas. It's now time to rebel against those corporate traditions. If you get pulled over for no mistake of your own, refuse to pay the bribe. If you are denied admission because your father can't afford the donation, say good-bye to the greedy dean and pack your bags for a future abroad. But don't do it alone. Bring a friend.
In an effort to cleanse the corruption internally, we will finally recognize the external enemies. A good friend once said, "The key to a strong democracy is to have a common language, a common religion and a common enemy." While it was a wise statement, I'd like to believe that the key to a good country, democracy or not, is to adopt a common principle (of honesty). This bloodshed was a calling that something is wrong. In this country of apathetics, the youth must rise with passion to overturn the corrupt. Because until we defeat the snakes that are hiding under the cloaks of evil politicians and crooked business tycoons, our battle against the terrorists will remain superficial. Once that is done, it'll be easy to kill the bastards who had the nerve to repeatedly attack our most precious city. Mumbai won't take it anymore. India won't be quiet. "I am not scared. I am not shocked. Because, I am empowered!"
References:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Inc-must-clean-up-its-act-to-rid-country-of-graft/articleshow/9277245.cms
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/13/mumbai-bomb-blasts-india
http://tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ws160711Mumbai.asp
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Superman
“One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.”
It will come as no surprise to anyone, that today's topic is about Fathers. I will talk about the best one I have ever known. His name is Jyotish K. Pathak. He has made a beautiful world for himself in the village of Skokie. A civil engineer by profession, he is blessed with two engineer daughters and a gorgeous wife. But his remarkable elegance isn't just displayed in how awesome his family is, but oozes out of every action of his. The running joke in our houselhold is that my dear father has secured a place in heaven, while the rest of us will be trapped in the cycle of reincarnation. Basically, he is a good person. Wait scratch that-- He's the best person I have ever known. Yup, my daddy IS the strongest! :)
However, this father-daughter relationship is only based on complications. There are fights, numerous ones, and arguments that span everything from politics to my daily diet. At one point in my life, my father was my idol. He slowly grew into being my biggest enemy. Then, he was a great banker for my lavish tastes. But today, he is a mentor. He is a support system. He is the reason I am so loud, ambitious, optimistic and opinionated.
I wish to share a brief anecdote to paint a picture of how my father and I interact with each other.
Day 1
Me: Dad, Can you please pick me up on time?
Dad: But, I'm only five minutes late.
Me: Umm.. My train gets here at 8:35pm.
Dad: Well, It's only 8:50pm.
Me: That's 15 minutes, not 5
Dad: Oh 8:35 just gets rounded to 8:45.. I mean 8:35 is such an odd time for the train to arrive anyway!
Me: ::Dumbfounded with this argument:: I'm just going to have Neh pick me up tomorrow
Day 2
Lather, Rinse and Repeat!
This happens to us all the time. But I guess my dad teaches us an important lesson every time he makes us wait-- the virtue of patience. In those 5-10 minutes, our anxiety to see him becomes so great, that we literally can't wait to see him. He almost creates an inevitable importance for himself. And his value just increases with a little bit of wait from us. I suppose this is the most important lesson I have learned from him. To realize and appreciate the gift of time.
Sure it's great to be punctual, but occasionally it's waiting that pays off. The happiness of achieving something after great hard work and insurmountable patience is incomparable. His famous line is, "Wait, think it through. Is that what you really want?" It annoys us sometimes, but he's correct. Even the way he talks reflects this carefree, yet wise attitude. He pauses before every thought; And my sister, mom and I move to the edges of the chair, waiting for him to complete his sentence. "That was it," he'll conclude. "You paused for a whole minute to tell us you were done?" we'll retort back. "I just wanted to be sure. And yup, that's really the whole story. Unless.... I forgot something!" We roll our eyes. But inside we know he's right. It is only wise to think before you speak and contemplate before you act. It's perhaps the most valuable advice anyone can ever give.
There are a million other things about my dearest dad that irritate me. Sometimes I yell. Other times I walk away. And on rare occasions, I wait and ask myself, "Is that really what I wanted?" But I'm sure in every interaction of his, he conveys some knowledge, departs some wisdom and in his own strange way, makes us better people.
Dad, I may not always understand your strange ways, but you rock. I will always respect you for the great person that you are. And undoubtedly, I will always love you (more than mom, but let's just not tell her!)
Happy Father's Day! <3
It will come as no surprise to anyone, that today's topic is about Fathers. I will talk about the best one I have ever known. His name is Jyotish K. Pathak. He has made a beautiful world for himself in the village of Skokie. A civil engineer by profession, he is blessed with two engineer daughters and a gorgeous wife. But his remarkable elegance isn't just displayed in how awesome his family is, but oozes out of every action of his. The running joke in our houselhold is that my dear father has secured a place in heaven, while the rest of us will be trapped in the cycle of reincarnation. Basically, he is a good person. Wait scratch that-- He's the best person I have ever known. Yup, my daddy IS the strongest! :)
However, this father-daughter relationship is only based on complications. There are fights, numerous ones, and arguments that span everything from politics to my daily diet. At one point in my life, my father was my idol. He slowly grew into being my biggest enemy. Then, he was a great banker for my lavish tastes. But today, he is a mentor. He is a support system. He is the reason I am so loud, ambitious, optimistic and opinionated.
I wish to share a brief anecdote to paint a picture of how my father and I interact with each other.
Day 1
Me: Dad, Can you please pick me up on time?
Dad: But, I'm only five minutes late.
Me: Umm.. My train gets here at 8:35pm.
Dad: Well, It's only 8:50pm.
Me: That's 15 minutes, not 5
Dad: Oh 8:35 just gets rounded to 8:45.. I mean 8:35 is such an odd time for the train to arrive anyway!
Me: ::Dumbfounded with this argument:: I'm just going to have Neh pick me up tomorrow
Day 2
Lather, Rinse and Repeat!
This happens to us all the time. But I guess my dad teaches us an important lesson every time he makes us wait-- the virtue of patience. In those 5-10 minutes, our anxiety to see him becomes so great, that we literally can't wait to see him. He almost creates an inevitable importance for himself. And his value just increases with a little bit of wait from us. I suppose this is the most important lesson I have learned from him. To realize and appreciate the gift of time.
Sure it's great to be punctual, but occasionally it's waiting that pays off. The happiness of achieving something after great hard work and insurmountable patience is incomparable. His famous line is, "Wait, think it through. Is that what you really want?" It annoys us sometimes, but he's correct. Even the way he talks reflects this carefree, yet wise attitude. He pauses before every thought; And my sister, mom and I move to the edges of the chair, waiting for him to complete his sentence. "That was it," he'll conclude. "You paused for a whole minute to tell us you were done?" we'll retort back. "I just wanted to be sure. And yup, that's really the whole story. Unless.... I forgot something!" We roll our eyes. But inside we know he's right. It is only wise to think before you speak and contemplate before you act. It's perhaps the most valuable advice anyone can ever give.
There are a million other things about my dearest dad that irritate me. Sometimes I yell. Other times I walk away. And on rare occasions, I wait and ask myself, "Is that really what I wanted?" But I'm sure in every interaction of his, he conveys some knowledge, departs some wisdom and in his own strange way, makes us better people.
Dad, I may not always understand your strange ways, but you rock. I will always respect you for the great person that you are. And undoubtedly, I will always love you (more than mom, but let's just not tell her!)
Happy Father's Day! <3
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Uncanny Valley
"Yeah, I can fly!" - Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man is one of the greatest movies of our time. Not because Robert Downey Jr. plays an attractive engineer from MIT who is nick-named "Merchant of Death", but because it brings alive a character that we fondly imagined after spending hours underneath our blankets with flashlights and Marvel comic books.
Well, these stories of fiction have caught up with reality. The exoskeleton suit that enabled Tony Stark to fight with supernatural powers has already been invented in parts across the world. In fact, research studies involving humanoid robots are heavily funded. Their applications have been identified in the fields of military, assistive devices, social replacements and to develop superpowers for ordinary people. Superpowers, you ask? It has been said that much of this research is progressing towards building unconventional suits to arm the common man with insane amount of power we witness in superhero movies.
What is ironic however, is the hypothesis of the uncanny valley, first coined by Masahiro Mori. The origins of this concept can be found in the works of Ernst Jentsch and Sigmund Freud. The theory is that as a robot is made to look more like a human in appearance and function, the response from human beings will be positive. However, at a certain point this response will become that of a strong revulsion. As more advances are made on the product and the robot's characteristics become even less distinguishable from that of a man, the response once again turns positive. The valley results between "barely human" and "fully human" states of the robot.
The reasons for this valley have been attributed to mortality salience (strengthened fear of death), sorites paradox(stimuli with human and nonhuman traits undermine our sense of human), and a violation of human norms.
However, I believe that we all have experienced this valley already even without coming across these robotic engineering marvels. There are enough humans walking around this planet to instill the fear of death, undermine our sense of of human and question our belief system. Humans are threatened by other colleagues, jealous of friends, and always struggling towards that peak of power. How many times have we shut out our best friends because they can do something better than us? How many times have we abandoned people in our lives because they just don't serve a purpose anymore? How many times have we stepped on toes to climb that ladder of success? Unfortunately, I stand guilty!
These robots need to come around sooner, because with a common enemy at least our revulsion against each other might be minimized. Perhaps this futuristic concept is not too far into the future. But our encounter with the uncanny valley is definitely historic. We are not waiting to fall into this valley, because we're already buried deep. And when we fly with these super human robot systems, we can finally dig our way out!
Iron Man is one of the greatest movies of our time. Not because Robert Downey Jr. plays an attractive engineer from MIT who is nick-named "Merchant of Death", but because it brings alive a character that we fondly imagined after spending hours underneath our blankets with flashlights and Marvel comic books.
Well, these stories of fiction have caught up with reality. The exoskeleton suit that enabled Tony Stark to fight with supernatural powers has already been invented in parts across the world. In fact, research studies involving humanoid robots are heavily funded. Their applications have been identified in the fields of military, assistive devices, social replacements and to develop superpowers for ordinary people. Superpowers, you ask? It has been said that much of this research is progressing towards building unconventional suits to arm the common man with insane amount of power we witness in superhero movies.
What is ironic however, is the hypothesis of the uncanny valley, first coined by Masahiro Mori. The origins of this concept can be found in the works of Ernst Jentsch and Sigmund Freud. The theory is that as a robot is made to look more like a human in appearance and function, the response from human beings will be positive. However, at a certain point this response will become that of a strong revulsion. As more advances are made on the product and the robot's characteristics become even less distinguishable from that of a man, the response once again turns positive. The valley results between "barely human" and "fully human" states of the robot.
However, I believe that we all have experienced this valley already even without coming across these robotic engineering marvels. There are enough humans walking around this planet to instill the fear of death, undermine our sense of of human and question our belief system. Humans are threatened by other colleagues, jealous of friends, and always struggling towards that peak of power. How many times have we shut out our best friends because they can do something better than us? How many times have we abandoned people in our lives because they just don't serve a purpose anymore? How many times have we stepped on toes to climb that ladder of success? Unfortunately, I stand guilty!
These robots need to come around sooner, because with a common enemy at least our revulsion against each other might be minimized. Perhaps this futuristic concept is not too far into the future. But our encounter with the uncanny valley is definitely historic. We are not waiting to fall into this valley, because we're already buried deep. And when we fly with these super human robot systems, we can finally dig our way out!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Eternal moment
Consider time as a complex element. Now re-consider it as a mathematically complex element (a+bi) with a real term and an imaginary term.
If you are like me, you are probably thinking, WTF?!! How can time be defined on the imaginary axis? Of all the parameters we investigate, time is the only parameter that should be both real and irreversible. However, a recent seminar (http://prezi.com/s-ezktsfry-w/wanted-nails-to-be-hit-with-numerical-ode-hammers/) I attended presented time as a particularly complex phenomenon.
Now switch modes from your objective, scientific mindset to perhaps a more subjective, artistic one. And re-evaluate the concept of time. Perhaps, think about the real component as time in which we live and imaginary term as time in which we think. It adds value to the mathematical point of view that begs one to think about time that way.
Needless to say, I wandered off on a tangent as I began thinking about how this concept falls into place in our lives. I immediately referred to my good friend, wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time) and was amazed at the analysis of time in terms of biopsychology, time travel, big bang theory and core philosophy.
Ironically, by the time I returned to reality, the talk had reached conclusion. Time went by incredibly fast. The discrepancy between real time and imaginary time was finally apparent. I thought about the last 24 years. It seemed like they went by so fast. Then I thought about every time I had to present or perform a dance and each moment leading up to it seemed like eternity.
Even in our neuromotor control discussions, we are repeatedly faced with how we learn time-dependent tasks. Most of the studies have concluded that we in-fact don't learn in time-dependent coordinates, but instead in velocity, proprioceptive or visual coordinates. So, there is obviously an inconsistency of time in our perception, but it isn't obvious whether the real time is consistent either.
So what is consistent? What is real? This is clearly an open question and I am not sure anyone really has an answer, but we can definitely admit-- Time is a complex element!
"Time is making fools of us again." -J.K. Rowling
If you are like me, you are probably thinking, WTF?!! How can time be defined on the imaginary axis? Of all the parameters we investigate, time is the only parameter that should be both real and irreversible. However, a recent seminar (http://prezi.com/s-ezktsfry-w/wanted-nails-to-be-hit-with-numerical-ode-hammers/) I attended presented time as a particularly complex phenomenon.
Now switch modes from your objective, scientific mindset to perhaps a more subjective, artistic one. And re-evaluate the concept of time. Perhaps, think about the real component as time in which we live and imaginary term as time in which we think. It adds value to the mathematical point of view that begs one to think about time that way.
Needless to say, I wandered off on a tangent as I began thinking about how this concept falls into place in our lives. I immediately referred to my good friend, wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time) and was amazed at the analysis of time in terms of biopsychology, time travel, big bang theory and core philosophy.
Ironically, by the time I returned to reality, the talk had reached conclusion. Time went by incredibly fast. The discrepancy between real time and imaginary time was finally apparent. I thought about the last 24 years. It seemed like they went by so fast. Then I thought about every time I had to present or perform a dance and each moment leading up to it seemed like eternity.
Even in our neuromotor control discussions, we are repeatedly faced with how we learn time-dependent tasks. Most of the studies have concluded that we in-fact don't learn in time-dependent coordinates, but instead in velocity, proprioceptive or visual coordinates. So, there is obviously an inconsistency of time in our perception, but it isn't obvious whether the real time is consistent either.
So what is consistent? What is real? This is clearly an open question and I am not sure anyone really has an answer, but we can definitely admit-- Time is a complex element!
"Time is making fools of us again." -J.K. Rowling
Friday, April 8, 2011
Four eyes
Every night as I crawl under my blanket, I take off my glasses and tuck them under my pillow. My sister, my father and my grandfather all followed the same ritual. Perhaps this is an old habit that I inherited. Or it is just another one of those small things that was meant to teach me a bigger lesson.
I never gave much thought to my eye glasses or the way I treated them until they broke one night. They were kept under my pillow for convenience and in the middle of the night, I rolled over them. The next morning, I woke up blind. My glasses were shattered and my world was blurry. I had to wear contact lenses for a whole week until I got a new pair. Unlike my old Prada beauties, the new maroon pair was Chesterfield Seventh Street 4. Not only was it not designer, it was cheap, funny-looking and I hated it. Nonetheless, my dad paid for it and restored my vision.
Last night, I noticed a crack on the frame. I spent over a year making these glasses a part of me. I tuck them under my pillow every night and for some odd reason, I now love them. However, I recognized two key things with this incident. First, I was forced to recognize the innate objective of eye-glasses to provide new sight and how they symbolize clarity and perspective. Secondly, it made me realize how easily we get attached.
Gaining new perspective on situations is the most proven way to be successful. It becomes even more important when you understand how it correlates with the desire for victory. Any incident can be viewed as a win as long as you approach it with the right "perspective". I spent several years chasing a dream that was neither a part of my fate, nor an honest ambition of mine. Now, I am doing what part of this world will consider pointless, another part will deem overly-ambitious and yet another part will be ignorant of how happy it really makes me. But it really does make me happy and therefore I am a winner for finding what I love.
I hope the US government can find some perspective on the issues our nation is facing. I am sure blame is not part of gaining perspective. Nor is shutting down completely. Perhaps, it would be "perspective" to learn from other countries that are actually doing it right and implement it on our government to pull out of this mess. Maybe, it would be "perspective" to recognize the mistakes of the past not as an excuse, but as an opportunity to improve upon a system that was created hundreds of years ago and is definitely due for an upgrade. It would be "perspective" to accept that you're NOT the supreme and just this once, you can opt to focus on problems on the home-front instead of judging, meddling, and "helping" the world.
Attachment has been described as the inevitable evil. Personally, I think my attachment has transcended the basic. I may even refer to myself as a generally possessive person. I am attached to my family, my friends, Chicago, my blanket, my memories, pretty much everything. Sometimes, I can't differentiate whether my feelings towards something are a result of my attachment or my stubborn-ness. I guess this is where I'll need "perspective"!
I believe America's attachment to power has grown to an addiction. However, like me, America is stubborn and divided. Each individual is attached with a group. Each group is attached to its principles. And each principle is attached to our downfall. This is where perspective isn't just an option, but a necessity.
America needs a pair of glasses. The brand should be honesty. The objective must be to recognize their attachments and find perspective on how to undo this mess. And the result will be a clearer and happier world for all us. I hope!
"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it. "
I never gave much thought to my eye glasses or the way I treated them until they broke one night. They were kept under my pillow for convenience and in the middle of the night, I rolled over them. The next morning, I woke up blind. My glasses were shattered and my world was blurry. I had to wear contact lenses for a whole week until I got a new pair. Unlike my old Prada beauties, the new maroon pair was Chesterfield Seventh Street 4. Not only was it not designer, it was cheap, funny-looking and I hated it. Nonetheless, my dad paid for it and restored my vision.
Last night, I noticed a crack on the frame. I spent over a year making these glasses a part of me. I tuck them under my pillow every night and for some odd reason, I now love them. However, I recognized two key things with this incident. First, I was forced to recognize the innate objective of eye-glasses to provide new sight and how they symbolize clarity and perspective. Secondly, it made me realize how easily we get attached.
Gaining new perspective on situations is the most proven way to be successful. It becomes even more important when you understand how it correlates with the desire for victory. Any incident can be viewed as a win as long as you approach it with the right "perspective". I spent several years chasing a dream that was neither a part of my fate, nor an honest ambition of mine. Now, I am doing what part of this world will consider pointless, another part will deem overly-ambitious and yet another part will be ignorant of how happy it really makes me. But it really does make me happy and therefore I am a winner for finding what I love.
I hope the US government can find some perspective on the issues our nation is facing. I am sure blame is not part of gaining perspective. Nor is shutting down completely. Perhaps, it would be "perspective" to learn from other countries that are actually doing it right and implement it on our government to pull out of this mess. Maybe, it would be "perspective" to recognize the mistakes of the past not as an excuse, but as an opportunity to improve upon a system that was created hundreds of years ago and is definitely due for an upgrade. It would be "perspective" to accept that you're NOT the supreme and just this once, you can opt to focus on problems on the home-front instead of judging, meddling, and "helping" the world.
Attachment has been described as the inevitable evil. Personally, I think my attachment has transcended the basic. I may even refer to myself as a generally possessive person. I am attached to my family, my friends, Chicago, my blanket, my memories, pretty much everything. Sometimes, I can't differentiate whether my feelings towards something are a result of my attachment or my stubborn-ness. I guess this is where I'll need "perspective"!
I believe America's attachment to power has grown to an addiction. However, like me, America is stubborn and divided. Each individual is attached with a group. Each group is attached to its principles. And each principle is attached to our downfall. This is where perspective isn't just an option, but a necessity.
America needs a pair of glasses. The brand should be honesty. The objective must be to recognize their attachments and find perspective on how to undo this mess. And the result will be a clearer and happier world for all us. I hope!
"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it. "
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Reality Check
"Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time."- Bill Gates
"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."-Frank Lloyd Wright
The good versus evil of technology debate has been going on long enough. And I am not denying that our dependence on technology is ridiculous. However, I have recently realized, we no longer use technology, but instead we live it.
Many times the facts of the real world share a blurry line with the inferences of the world wide web. Some people lead parallel lives in which their facebook profiles indicate the exact opposite of their worldly personalities. While others have a hard time differentiating what is appropriate for their online audience and what should be reserved for those who don't identify them as just an avatar.
Yes, I laugh at the thirteen-year old who absolutely must have the new social-media, mp3 wired cell phone. But I would be lying if I said new gadgets didn't excite me. However, that is not all. I recently wrote a poem about digital love and how the new generation feels more comfortable chatting online before having that first date. Blocking is now synonymous to ignoring someone and emoticons are the new weapons to subtle flirting.
Everyday I board my train assuming it will be a good way to sneak in a nap. However, for the first 15 minutes I browse facebook. Then, I read the daily news on NYTimes, TIME, CNN, BBC. Half-way into my ride I realize there's not enough time for my nap and so I catch up with my literature review articles. I get off the train, tired, sleepy and slightly more informed. I promise myself that the ride back will be more relaxing since I won't have a full day of classes and assignments to complete. Nonetheless, the evening commute follows the same schedule.
Being wired in isn't a luxury anymore. We expect instant replies. We submit to our curiosities. We are so desperate to be connected with each other in the virtual world, that sometimes we forget what the real world demands. A recent experience helped me realize the true worth of doing things the primitive way.
I recently mailed a birthday card to an old friend. On any occasion of modern communication, I would've expected an immediate thank you or acknowledgment of having received my generous greetings. But as I paid for my postage and walked out of the post-office a sense of calm came over me. Yes, there was still anticipation about when my wishes would reach him, but they were coupled with a satisfaction of sending something tangible. My heartfelt gesture would not just be one of the many casual fb wishes. It would not be an e-greeting lost amongst spam emails. It would not be a tribute to the greatness of cyber lords. Instead, it is a symbol of my thoughtfulness. It is a symbol of the time I spent to pick out and mail the card in today's super-fast lifestyle. It is a symbol of the few moments I spent actually thinking about my friend and his upcoming birthday. I don't believe there is any gift greater than that.
Every year, only few selected people have the privilege of receiving snail-mail from me. I certainly hope it means as much to them as it does to me. If not, it might be time to re-evaluate the reality of my world. It might not be worth detaching myself from the black-hole of technology. It might forever conclude, that the lifeless digital forms of communication have replaced true emotions. However, if that gesture still means something to my precious friends, it gives me hope that once in a while we'll check into reality and spend more time thinking about them and not their latest blog post or their fb status. It gives me hope that we'll see the world through our own eyes and not through flickr. It gives me hope that our innovations will be a medium for progress like Gates hoped and not a via point for a state of extreme laziness as claimed by Wright.
Finally, it gives me hope that these bursts of reality checks will keep me anchored to the real world, a world so beautiful that no digitalization can even come close to justifying its magnificence. A world that cannot be described with a million poems and pictures. A world that I don't have to log in and out of. A world that is mine, forever!
"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."-Frank Lloyd Wright
The good versus evil of technology debate has been going on long enough. And I am not denying that our dependence on technology is ridiculous. However, I have recently realized, we no longer use technology, but instead we live it.
Many times the facts of the real world share a blurry line with the inferences of the world wide web. Some people lead parallel lives in which their facebook profiles indicate the exact opposite of their worldly personalities. While others have a hard time differentiating what is appropriate for their online audience and what should be reserved for those who don't identify them as just an avatar.
Yes, I laugh at the thirteen-year old who absolutely must have the new social-media, mp3 wired cell phone. But I would be lying if I said new gadgets didn't excite me. However, that is not all. I recently wrote a poem about digital love and how the new generation feels more comfortable chatting online before having that first date. Blocking is now synonymous to ignoring someone and emoticons are the new weapons to subtle flirting.
Everyday I board my train assuming it will be a good way to sneak in a nap. However, for the first 15 minutes I browse facebook. Then, I read the daily news on NYTimes, TIME, CNN, BBC. Half-way into my ride I realize there's not enough time for my nap and so I catch up with my literature review articles. I get off the train, tired, sleepy and slightly more informed. I promise myself that the ride back will be more relaxing since I won't have a full day of classes and assignments to complete. Nonetheless, the evening commute follows the same schedule.
Being wired in isn't a luxury anymore. We expect instant replies. We submit to our curiosities. We are so desperate to be connected with each other in the virtual world, that sometimes we forget what the real world demands. A recent experience helped me realize the true worth of doing things the primitive way.
I recently mailed a birthday card to an old friend. On any occasion of modern communication, I would've expected an immediate thank you or acknowledgment of having received my generous greetings. But as I paid for my postage and walked out of the post-office a sense of calm came over me. Yes, there was still anticipation about when my wishes would reach him, but they were coupled with a satisfaction of sending something tangible. My heartfelt gesture would not just be one of the many casual fb wishes. It would not be an e-greeting lost amongst spam emails. It would not be a tribute to the greatness of cyber lords. Instead, it is a symbol of my thoughtfulness. It is a symbol of the time I spent to pick out and mail the card in today's super-fast lifestyle. It is a symbol of the few moments I spent actually thinking about my friend and his upcoming birthday. I don't believe there is any gift greater than that.
Every year, only few selected people have the privilege of receiving snail-mail from me. I certainly hope it means as much to them as it does to me. If not, it might be time to re-evaluate the reality of my world. It might not be worth detaching myself from the black-hole of technology. It might forever conclude, that the lifeless digital forms of communication have replaced true emotions. However, if that gesture still means something to my precious friends, it gives me hope that once in a while we'll check into reality and spend more time thinking about them and not their latest blog post or their fb status. It gives me hope that we'll see the world through our own eyes and not through flickr. It gives me hope that our innovations will be a medium for progress like Gates hoped and not a via point for a state of extreme laziness as claimed by Wright.
Finally, it gives me hope that these bursts of reality checks will keep me anchored to the real world, a world so beautiful that no digitalization can even come close to justifying its magnificence. A world that cannot be described with a million poems and pictures. A world that I don't have to log in and out of. A world that is mine, forever!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Kaleidoscopic Karma
Do, or do not. There is no 'try'!
Yoda's wisdom is unmatchable. Often, we fail to notice how many times in a day we shield our incompetence with the word 'try'. This word is our tribute to the saying, "it's the thought that counts." But is that true? Is the thought enough? For that matter, is 'try' enough?
As part of our moral science lessons, we were taught, "try try again, and one day you will succeed!" However, success is not a product of trying; Rather, it is a result of doing. I believe neither the thought, nor the try, are sufficient. They are a mockery of our true potential and just hinder our progress. We deliberately choose to live in the blurry middle instead of clarifying our true intent and moving to a side. We must do something or we must not. There should not be room to say, "I tried to do it and my thoughts were in the right spirit."
I think back to high-school physics. When learning about the concept of work( Work = Fx), our teacher emphasized that in order for work to be non-zero, there MUST be displacement. So, if there is infinite force, but no displacement, no work is done. Perhaps this definition translates into real life. 'Trying' is like applying infinite force with no displacement. The end result of both is zero. Nothing lost, but nothing accomplished either.
Karma, or action is emphasized in every major philosophy. Simply put, it's the law of cause and effect. However, not all karma leads to good results. Therefore, I'm advocating kaleidoscopic karma: Action that is rapidly changing. A kaleidoscope is an instrument built with a series of mirrors that reflect a constantly changing pattern. Our actions should resemble this. They should be directed in an effect to change something. If the change isn't reflected, the course of action must be altered.
The kaleidoscopic method was also employed by Faulkner in writing A Rose for Emily. His story follows a sequential path in which one object or action triggers the next scene. It's about time I focus on my kaleidoscopic karma. One action must lead to a better action. Eventually, this cascade of actions should help me achieve my end goal. At any point if I feel that the path is leading to nowhere, it is only wise to abandon and begin on a different path. But what if it's not the path, not my actions, but the goal that seems unattainable? To this I'll quote from Star Wars again.
Luke: I can't believe it.
Yoda: That is why you fail.
So, one must do and believe. That leads to success. But isn't belief a thought? While a thought might not be sufficient, it is a precursor to action. I will explore the concept of force again. Physics describes a static condition(velocity and displacement are both zero) and a dynamic condition(motion). Thought is like the force applied in the static phase. And the static phase must precede the dynamic phase. The dynamic phase resembles action during which work is being done. So, it's not really the thought that counts. It's the action, especially one that changes your thoughts and leads to better actions.
So I will (try to) commit to kaleidoscopic karma: Indulge in actions with a cause and discard the other ones. I will (try to) believe that my goal is attainable. I will (try to) follow Yoda.
May the force be with (me and) you!
Yoda's wisdom is unmatchable. Often, we fail to notice how many times in a day we shield our incompetence with the word 'try'. This word is our tribute to the saying, "it's the thought that counts." But is that true? Is the thought enough? For that matter, is 'try' enough?
As part of our moral science lessons, we were taught, "try try again, and one day you will succeed!" However, success is not a product of trying; Rather, it is a result of doing. I believe neither the thought, nor the try, are sufficient. They are a mockery of our true potential and just hinder our progress. We deliberately choose to live in the blurry middle instead of clarifying our true intent and moving to a side. We must do something or we must not. There should not be room to say, "I tried to do it and my thoughts were in the right spirit."
I think back to high-school physics. When learning about the concept of work( Work = Fx), our teacher emphasized that in order for work to be non-zero, there MUST be displacement. So, if there is infinite force, but no displacement, no work is done. Perhaps this definition translates into real life. 'Trying' is like applying infinite force with no displacement. The end result of both is zero. Nothing lost, but nothing accomplished either.
Karma, or action is emphasized in every major philosophy. Simply put, it's the law of cause and effect. However, not all karma leads to good results. Therefore, I'm advocating kaleidoscopic karma: Action that is rapidly changing. A kaleidoscope is an instrument built with a series of mirrors that reflect a constantly changing pattern. Our actions should resemble this. They should be directed in an effect to change something. If the change isn't reflected, the course of action must be altered.
The kaleidoscopic method was also employed by Faulkner in writing A Rose for Emily. His story follows a sequential path in which one object or action triggers the next scene. It's about time I focus on my kaleidoscopic karma. One action must lead to a better action. Eventually, this cascade of actions should help me achieve my end goal. At any point if I feel that the path is leading to nowhere, it is only wise to abandon and begin on a different path. But what if it's not the path, not my actions, but the goal that seems unattainable? To this I'll quote from Star Wars again.
Luke: I can't believe it.
Yoda: That is why you fail.
So, one must do and believe. That leads to success. But isn't belief a thought? While a thought might not be sufficient, it is a precursor to action. I will explore the concept of force again. Physics describes a static condition(velocity and displacement are both zero) and a dynamic condition(motion). Thought is like the force applied in the static phase. And the static phase must precede the dynamic phase. The dynamic phase resembles action during which work is being done. So, it's not really the thought that counts. It's the action, especially one that changes your thoughts and leads to better actions.
So I will (try to) commit to kaleidoscopic karma: Indulge in actions with a cause and discard the other ones. I will (try to) believe that my goal is attainable. I will (try to) follow Yoda.
May the force be with (me and) you!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Pseudo Reality
"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Human behavior has always fascinated me, but recently, I've had the opportunity of analyzing it with a novel perspective. Being a biomedical engineer comes with its perks, and one of them is the ability to break apart every aspect of human and represent it in terms of models and equations. While this ability has advanced us greatly in the field of technology and medicine, it brings me back to a very commonly asked question. Who are we?
None of the proposed mechanisms have been able to holistically represent the human. Even when taken apart into components of mind and body, not one definition justifies the numerous theories and observations that account for what we call human behavior.
However, this is not an attempt to analyze human behavior, but instead it is an effort to take a characteristic displayed by the majority and discuss its pros and cons. As represented by the urge to converge to a solution, ironically, one distinct human characteristic is the need to categorize. This is quite obvious in both history and science. We built societies, religions, and generalized equations to group similar subjects(people, phenomena, animals, etc). One may argue that this innate need is actually to develop an organized view of the world and function more efficiently in that model.
First of all, like any model, our personal human model of the world is also not honest. It is biased, tainted, and sometimes just absurd. Secondly, categories establish differences and in order to attain efficiency, these differences need to contribute to the easier accomplishment of something. But often, these differences aren't a medium for ease. They are instead obstacles that provide for worthless basis on which to separate ourselves. They are products of fear and insecurity. This brings me to my third point, that categories don't make us efficient, but they make us comfortable. They accommodate for our vulnerability.
So maybe they do have a functional role in our evolution, but is this need to group still necessary? Or better yet, would the human race be better off without self-proclaimed differences?
I recall an incident that occurred when I was just a naive freshmen, thrown into the world of engineering. As I aimlessly struggled with the post-processing of some very noisy data, my mentor intervened. "Adjust the cutoff frequency to eliminate your garbage data, leaving you with a clean signal." I wonder if we are modulating our cutoff frequencies in order to conveniently alienate certain groups. I also speculate whether the threshold could be lowered enough to include everyone in the entire human race as one giant group. Simplify each being's existence. Alternatively, the threshold could be set so high, that the group reduces to one person and each person becomes a group. The quality of individuality is what we refer to as "unique."
So, I leave you with some questions. Should we abandon this urge to group and find a belonging within that group? Is the nature of characterization hindering human progress? While we know that the recognition of differences may be the root cause of many evil conflicts, will embracing those differences make room for peace? Or will that in turn just seed a new way for human evil to emerge? How can society value conformity, but also uniqueness? Paradoxically, how can a person who claims to be unique(a quality highly prized by the community) conform to society's expectations of being unique?
I certainly hope you all will be rather creative and individualistic in your answers and conform to my high expectations! :)
I recall an incident that occurred when I was just a naive freshmen, thrown into the world of engineering. As I aimlessly struggled with the post-processing of some very noisy data, my mentor intervened. "Adjust the cutoff frequency to eliminate your garbage data, leaving you with a clean signal." I wonder if we are modulating our cutoff frequencies in order to conveniently alienate certain groups. I also speculate whether the threshold could be lowered enough to include everyone in the entire human race as one giant group. Simplify each being's existence. Alternatively, the threshold could be set so high, that the group reduces to one person and each person becomes a group. The quality of individuality is what we refer to as "unique."
So, I leave you with some questions. Should we abandon this urge to group and find a belonging within that group? Is the nature of characterization hindering human progress? While we know that the recognition of differences may be the root cause of many evil conflicts, will embracing those differences make room for peace? Or will that in turn just seed a new way for human evil to emerge? How can society value conformity, but also uniqueness? Paradoxically, how can a person who claims to be unique(a quality highly prized by the community) conform to society's expectations of being unique?
I certainly hope you all will be rather creative and individualistic in your answers and conform to my high expectations! :)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Glorious Game
It's been a while. The new year has begun. I am now 24. And I have lost a very dear person in the last few weeks. I will try to keep my thoughts organized, but I can't guarantee that I won't turn this into a giant rant. Because after all, that is what you are here to read anyway.
I have written about my grandfather before. However, it saddens me to refer to him in the past tense. He might not be here physically, but I am sure his principles and teachings are continuing his legacy by inspiring the lives of his wonderful children and grandchildren. He liked to engage in discussion and learn about new phenomena. He enjoyed traveling and playing the flute. But my dearest memories of him bring forth a very child-like character. He would play games with me, learn with me and also indulge in mischief. But that is what he considered life. A child's game. Not one to be taken seriously, but instead an experience to enjoy and cherish. Like any game, you win some and you lose some, but at the end of it, you wrap up the board, boil a pot of tea and just open up another game.
And so I have. I closed a few boards in my life and opened up new ones. I am making my moves carefully, but those damn dice have a mind of their own. So what do I do? I just play. Other players can join or leave as they please, but this time I'm playing to win. Here I am faced with another old problem. What about cheating? Is that okay as long as I win in the end? Ah, but in the game of life, you only live by the rules that you define. :)
So then it's okay to tweak those moves a little and make amends, say a little prayer before rolling the dice, and conveniently collaborating with another player. These forms of modulation are in fact necessary to succeed in the ever glorious game. Here I am, creating smaller games in this mega-tournament. Every task is a puzzle and every action is a move. If my calculation is correct, this time around, I've started off strong. Other players are already collaborating with me. Some just don't know it yet. My faith has found a permanent place. And perhaps my ego has enhanced this quality.
Playing these mini-games is almost an addiction now. Sometimes I play them unconsciously. On other occasions, I ponder retrospectively, analyzing every move made by me and by my opponent. I assign points, perhaps in a biased manner, because I always win. And the wins make the game even more enjoyable ( a positive feedback loop?).
As a conclusion to this ridiculous rant, I will pay some tribute to my latest game. Its key players are undeniably the most important people in my life. This game is strange, because the winner doesn't have to defeat the opponent, he just has to bring the opponent to his side. It's a tug of war. It's an intellectual debate. It's an adventure. It's the best game I've ever started!
I'll end with a very dear line from my favorite book, Catcher in the Rye, "Life is a game, boy."
ps: While I engage in my own exaggerated matches, I wish the Indian Cricket team the very best on the upcoming World-Cup! :)
I have written about my grandfather before. However, it saddens me to refer to him in the past tense. He might not be here physically, but I am sure his principles and teachings are continuing his legacy by inspiring the lives of his wonderful children and grandchildren. He liked to engage in discussion and learn about new phenomena. He enjoyed traveling and playing the flute. But my dearest memories of him bring forth a very child-like character. He would play games with me, learn with me and also indulge in mischief. But that is what he considered life. A child's game. Not one to be taken seriously, but instead an experience to enjoy and cherish. Like any game, you win some and you lose some, but at the end of it, you wrap up the board, boil a pot of tea and just open up another game.
And so I have. I closed a few boards in my life and opened up new ones. I am making my moves carefully, but those damn dice have a mind of their own. So what do I do? I just play. Other players can join or leave as they please, but this time I'm playing to win. Here I am faced with another old problem. What about cheating? Is that okay as long as I win in the end? Ah, but in the game of life, you only live by the rules that you define. :)
So then it's okay to tweak those moves a little and make amends, say a little prayer before rolling the dice, and conveniently collaborating with another player. These forms of modulation are in fact necessary to succeed in the ever glorious game. Here I am, creating smaller games in this mega-tournament. Every task is a puzzle and every action is a move. If my calculation is correct, this time around, I've started off strong. Other players are already collaborating with me. Some just don't know it yet. My faith has found a permanent place. And perhaps my ego has enhanced this quality.
Playing these mini-games is almost an addiction now. Sometimes I play them unconsciously. On other occasions, I ponder retrospectively, analyzing every move made by me and by my opponent. I assign points, perhaps in a biased manner, because I always win. And the wins make the game even more enjoyable ( a positive feedback loop?).
As a conclusion to this ridiculous rant, I will pay some tribute to my latest game. Its key players are undeniably the most important people in my life. This game is strange, because the winner doesn't have to defeat the opponent, he just has to bring the opponent to his side. It's a tug of war. It's an intellectual debate. It's an adventure. It's the best game I've ever started!
I'll end with a very dear line from my favorite book, Catcher in the Rye, "Life is a game, boy."
ps: While I engage in my own exaggerated matches, I wish the Indian Cricket team the very best on the upcoming World-Cup! :)
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