Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

It was a name we often heard with awe,
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam.
My teacher nudged me to read all his books,
And threatened to question me from the nooks
and crannies. Thus, I ventured to open 'Ignited
Minds'. Lo and Behold! That was such a sight.
A glimpse of his soul shone brightly from it.
Knowledge, truth and a plan for betterment
of India, our unique home. You advised
us children like nobody ever did,
full of life, full of hope and full of smiles.

You taught us to dream and believe our dreams.
Your life was to me, one of the best themes
for motivation. Born in such humble
conditions, you chose a task most would fumble.
With the vision to lead, you steered us all
to greater heights. India was in the thrall
of the duality of your greatness and you humility.

You knew the solution to every plague.
And it was never ever very vague.
Your Vision 2020 was proof
of your intelligence beyond reproof.
You taught us how rich India is and how
we can be indigenous and yet succeed now.

Your genius transcended all boundaries.
You amazed people of arts and sciences.
Your joy and love for children is legend.
Today one of them is deeply saddened.

I renewed my promise to chase my dreams today.
India will rise from the depths of history once again.

Book Sherlock vs. the Series Sherlock

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be have thoroughly enjoyed the hugely popular TV adaptation. I wrongly assumed the series would be totally unlike the original. The juxtaposition of the quaint 1800's where "cabbie" referred to horse drawn carriages to taxis was quite unnerving to say the least. At the same time, it made the genius of Sherlock to the general public.

To give you a perspective on how mind-boggling it is for a Sherlock Holmes fan to follow the series, I'm going to cut/copy/paste something from Wikipedia about the third episode in Season 3, "The Great Game".

• Sherlock's surprising ignorance, discussed on John's blog, about several commonplace subjects including astronomy, comes from A Study in Scarlet.
• Holmes' annoyance, about ordinary people filling their minds with useless subjects and unable to use their brains in the right errand, also comes from A Study in Scarlet.
• Andrew West, the name of the MI6 clerk, comes from "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans", in which the victim is called Arthur Cadogan West; the idea of the culprit being the brother of the victim's fiancée appears in "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty". The Bruce-Partington Plans are also referenced in Sherlock's final blogpost before meeting Moriarty at the pool.
• When Sherlock asks Watson what he thought about the trainers, that is clear reference to a scene early in The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle where Holmes asks Watson to deduce what he can about Mr Henry Baker's hat in the original story.
• The pink mobile phone receives messages with Greenwich Pips, with their numbers decreasing with each message, pointing towards "The Five Orange Pips".
• The investigation of the death of Connie Prince resembles "The Adventure of the Retired Colourman", especially Watson's idea about masking tetanus with calcium hypochlorite on the cat's paws and Holmes reading internet forums to gather information about the TV star's relatives.
• The conversation between Holmes and Moriarty in the final scene mirrors and quotes the confrontation in Holmes' study in "The Adventure of the Final Problem".
• The "thick Bohemian paper" comes from "A Scandal in Bohemia", as does the scene where Sherlock notes Molly's weight gain.
• Sherlock's statement "I'd be lost without my blogger" echoes his "I am lost without my Boswell" from "A Scandal in Bohemia".
• Holmes' network of homeless persons who help him locate the Golem are referred to as his "eyes and ears all over the city", similar to the Baker Street Irregulars who appear in many of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
• Sherlock firing a gun at a smiley face spray-painted on the wall at the start of the episode and the holes left in the wall is a reference to "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual", in which "Holmes, in one of his queer humours, would sit in an armchair... and proceed to adorn the opposite wall with a patriotic V. R. done in bullet-pocks".
• The scene where Watson examines the shoes resembles a scene in "A Case of Identity" where he tries to deduce information about Miss Mary Sutherland. Sherlock's remark that Watson "missed everything of importance, but...hit upon the method" is also from the same story.
• The conversation between Holmes and Watson after investigating the house of Connie Prince, where the former says, "We have to do some burglary", is from "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton".

Clearly, the author of the series is one of the biggest fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. To weave together so many dialogues and characteristics from the 200 odd stories is definitely the work of an obsessed genius.

Sherlock Holmes

The book Sherlock Holmes is a bit more dignified, just ever so slightly. However, the arrogance and the "Science of Deduction" has been portrayed most brilliantly. I loved the screenplay where they flashback and show his thought process. Some of the thought processes were a bit expected for me, but most were improvised and fantastic. 

Mycroft Holmes

I was a bit disappointed that Mycroft was introduced in the very first episode. There is a certain thrill when Watson discovers a man infinitely smarter than Sherlock but lacks the dexterity Sherlock possesses. I felt the genius of Sherlock had not been established well enough to ready the audience for Mycroft.

Moriarty

Similarly, Moriarty's involvement with Sherlock comes much later. Moriarty is a bit of an enigma in the books, with his physical features being described almost after a dozen stories that mention him. So, it was definitely a weird experience to see Moriarty in the flesh.

Dr. John Watson

I believe this was the character that was depicted most accurately. An intensely loyal worshipper of Sherlock and his methods, A brilliant man himself but not quite in the league of Sherlock. He published books/blogs on the science of deduction used by Sherlock. 

Lestrade

Ah, the bumbling inspector Lestrade. Who cannot sympathise with him? From the book, I imagined him to a young energetic man, but that was obviously an error considering he is the head of Scotland Yard!

In all, the series Sherlock Holmes is a must watch for any fan. Though it may make you cringe at some points, they are remarkably less than the avid book fan would criticize a screen adaptation. 

Get Deducing!

Ashwin Sanghi : Double Book Review

In April, I bought two books - Ashwin Sanghi's best-sellers - the Krishna Key and Chanakya's Chant.

I read Chanakya's Chant first. A mind-boggling thriller about two extremely shrewd and successful political operations - one in India years ago and the other in an India that has just won it's independence. The story oscillates between these two stories providing a well-written glimpse into the political acumen of both the protagonists - Chanakya and Gangasagar. Both of them designed a ruler to hold India together - Chandragupta Maurya and Chandini. This story is not for the faint-hearted. As the story proceeds, it keeps you on the edge. The historical facts intertwined with fiction is quite beautiful. I knew Chandragupta Maurya had female body guards. Hats off to the author for converting that one-line fact into an interesting story about Vishakanyas, maidens who could tolerate poison and whose bite would kill. Even though the narrative kept shifting between the plots, it was very enjoyable. In the end, the reader also savours the success of the protagonists.

Krishna's Key is about the tenth avatar of Vishnu, Kalki. While Chanakya's Chant drove mostly from history, this is from mythology. The story of Krishna and present-day murders intertwine. As I read the story, I could not help getting strongly reminded of Angels and Demons. 4 people died with a mark triggered that feeling. This is also a very well-researched novel. However personally, I did not find the magic of the previous book. However, it was kind of like an Indian Indiana Jones adventure. The climax was profoundly philosophical but left the adventurer in me feeling - four murders for this?

In all, the books are gripping and thrilling. Personally, I liked Chanakya's Chant better. Ashwin Sanghi has amazing talent and his writing is engaging.

Coming to Terms with being perceived Average Looking

There are lot of fancy terms for such things, how to deal with "negative body image" and how to promote "healthy real role models". All these are polite terms that basically say how to deal with being told you look average.

Personally, I thought outer beauty would never bother me. I had ranted about the utter waste of the cosmetic industry when I was 19. When I left school, I was a supremely confident girl, bordering on arrogance.

However, college truly tested me in this regard. While for most of my part, I was not bothered and was concentrating on maintaining my academic rank, there were some statements that would prick me. Guys rating girls on a numerical scale would leave me repugnant. A part of my soul rankled as to how can some people who would themselves score poorly if they were assessed in a similar manner, judge others.

It took me some time to realise while this an issue that seems more relevant to women, is actually gender-neutral. The stigma of being dark, fat and other perceived unattractiveness is prevalent in both and is swept under the rug by both.

Outer beauty is celebrated, what with best looking girl awards, likes on Facebook, what not. And I failed miserably in all these parameters. Being dark, oily skinned, curly haired isn't exactly the recipe for extravagant looks. When I started shopping for make up, I ended up choosing costly ones because the cheap ones don't even come in my skin tone. Those experiences made me feel like, even make up can't help me.

All this did not matter when I had high self esteem. But when a few setbacks lowered my self esteem, looking average hurt. This was something I cannot change no matter how hard I work or practise, I am born with this face and body and I am in love with it. At the core of my soul, I don't want to change it. Yet, to say that I did not wish for some recognition in this department would be a blatant lie. Sometimes I even wondered perhaps the reason I had not experienced a single case of harassment thank God, was not because I was lucky but perhaps because I am not worth looking.

I slowly built my confidence back again. Yes, I messed up the silk saree I wore for my symposium, but people didn't forget the voice when I compeered. Yes, I have got average likes for my profile photos when I was in college but nearly all of my friends liked the status where I described I am doing a PhD at IIT.

When I showed my mother my farewell photos, she was downright indignant I didn't get a prize for looks. And she went on to compare me with every single girl in my class and described in which exact feature I looked better. That was when I truly understood that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. My mother's love for me made it impossible for her to see me as anything but beautiful. It also made me realize I should not need for somebody else to validate my looks, I only need to love myself and the person I see in the mirror will transform into someone beautiful. But to put this knowledge into practice, it nearly took me two years and even now I do succumb to the weakness of expecting praise. Today I get twice the number of likes I used to get, partly because statistically I have more friends and partly because I really feel beautiful on the inside and it shows :)

Part of this pressure to look stunning all the time is due to the media for unrealistic standards. I'd be happy to see a female actor who decides to be simple like Rajnikanth and decides to come to an award show sans make up. And my humble request, please don't openly talk of giving points for beauty like the infamous Kareena Kapoor in K3G. You have no idea how detrimental it may be for a person's confidence.

Lastly, if you have at any point delved into self-doubt about your looks, remember that every birth on this planet is for a reason. It really does not matter, find what makes you beautiful and strive towards that.

Because in the end, the 19 year old me had much better common sense. Girl, with your smile, you are beautiful.

The Tale of the Rhinoceros

Today morning I was disturbed by the news of the extinction of the West African Black Rhinoceros. Maybe it was because of Captain Planet, maybe it was just basic human decency but the way we abuse our Earth is something that has troubled me since I could comprehend it. I remember I made a huge speech on the possible extinction of the rhino when I was 9, that is in 2000. In 2011, one subspecies has disappeared from the face of the Earth for good.

Rhinoceroses are hunted for their horns. Their horn is made up of the exact same material as our nails. Even though their horns can be removed painlessly, it is far easier to kill the animal than persuade a one-tonne short sighted herbivore to give up it's horn. Besides, its slow speed and weight will make it vulnerable without its horn that it is as good as killing the rhino.

The demand is from Asian countries who believe powdered rhino horn have medicinal properties. The belief is so strong, that the material costs as much as gold supposedly. With both demand and big money, poachers are always increasing.

Back in our country, we have an indigenous species, the Indian Rhinoceros which is one-horned unlike the African counterpart. Fearing what its state of preservation is, I was searching for information on it. Luckily, it is not critically endangered due to the Kaziranga National park in Assam.

I was pleasantly surprised to know that this park was established by Mary Curzon, the wife of Lord Curzon. Lord Curzon was a champion of divide-and-conquer politics and split Bengal into religious halves - East and West Bengal. Which is why we will always have West Bengal to the East of our country. For once, I'm happy to see his name. Mary Curzon's initial effort no doubt helped make it an important site for government investment. She realized the declining numbers even when they were wildly roaming across Asia.

Though we can momentarily relax as far as the Indian rhinoceros is concerned, I wonder what will happen when the demand becomes too high. There are only two solutions that appeal to me - cut the demand and fund anti-poaching.

I do not know how to cut the demand, all I can conjecture is to spread awareness and hopefully it will finally reach the consumers. There are films being made I heard. I know this blog post is not going to be of any actual concrete use. But I wanted to rant about. People share their two cents on everything that disturbs them and we as a nation love registering when we are offended. I am offended by this senseless killing. I understand we are surviving because we are the fittest but that freedom should come with some responsibility. Species are inevitable going to disappear due to the expansion of human population and our consumerist tendencies that is trashing the planet. When we have destroyed so much, it really makes no sense to kill animals to extinction.

To fund anti-poaching, visit here. There are similar sites in India as well but I have to verify the authenticity of the sites.

And if you really want to be consumerist about it, get a few save the rhino T-Shirts :P

Eclipses

Yesterday I saw the blood red moon in a lunar eclipse. An eclipse is a phenomenon that puzzled people for centuries. From demons feasting on the moon to jaguars making it bleed, the stories across cultures are abundant. As a beautiful scientific phenomenon, today I decided to write about what causes a lunar eclipse.

Of course, you can just Google this :P

To fully understand how a lunar eclipse occurs, one needs to see how the phases of the moon are formed.

So if you see this image carefully, you'll notice that as the moon revolves around the Earth, one half is in light and the other half in darkness much like how we experience day and night. However, only a portion of the lit surface is visible to us and that portion is the particular phase. To emphasize, the phases of the moon are not caused by the Earth's shadow on the moon, they are simply the portion of a moon's side that is experiencing day.

Now coming to a lunar eclipse, which on the other hand is caused by the Earth's shadow. Hence, the only possible position where it can occur is on a full moon day. Instead of being completely lit and white, it is in the Earth's shadow. Hence, the sun, the Earth and the moon are in a straight line.

Why does the moon appear red?

Even though the moon is completely in the Earth's shadow, the Earth's atmosphere refracts light. While lower wavelengths get scattered and absorbed, red passes unencumbered onto the moon. I actually saw an orange moon. The conditions vary according to the present composition of dust and clouds and such.

Why isn't every full moon an eclipse?

The circular orbit of the moon around the Earth is only a convenient approximation. In reality, the plane of revolution is inclined at 5 degrees. Also, the Earth is revolving in an elliptical inclined plane to the sun. So, if there is a full moon at the place where these two planes meet, there will be a lunar eclipse.

It seems downright magical that huge bodies of matter are in constant motion driven by gravitational force with predictable precision. Our ancient calendars predicting eclipses were possible only because of the mathematical repeatability of patterns. To witness something different from the ordinary and just look at the stars, you'll forget your worries and dreams for a moment and become one with the cosmos. I hope I could inspire some of the wonder I have for the skies and stars beyond.

Atheist who Prays

Today I felt very philosophical and thought this is the time to narrate my religious stance. This is not in any way an advocate of what is right or some nonsense like that. Religion or the lack thereof is a very personal choice. Why I'm writing is for my own record and I think it'll be an interesting read for people who like this kind of stuff. Plus, I really don't have the energy to hear debates on what I believe in.

So after all those disclaimers, let me begin :)

First, a little background about me. My mother is a religious person and my father is an atheist. When I was a child, I was brought up by religious rituals as well as the usual values of respect, honesty, service and discipline. I would not laugh at others for making a mistake. I would not hit people who hit me. On the downside, my childhood failings were anger and jealousy. By and large, anger is an emotion I've conquered but I'm not so good with jealousy yet.

I was a very religious person. If I stepped on a book, I'd think Saraswati would curse me and pray. If I was scared, I'd say 'Muruga' ten times until I calmed down. I went to the temple every Friday and prostrated before every idol. I prayed everyday with full zeal.

When I was about nine, I started having my first misgivings about prayer. My sister was thought to be deaf for a long time. My mother had tearfully prayed at every temple, promising all kinds of things, coconuts, flowers, a trip to Pazhani, what not. Finally, my sister started talking and listening and my mother packed us all off to Pazhani. A mix of bad planning and timing, that trip was one of the scariest memories of my short journey in life. I did not understand the concept, I did not see why we had to take so much trouble to fulfil what I could only see as a bribe. Isn't God supposed to be above all these emotions?

Amidst my turmoil and incessant questions, my father gently introduced his ideas. Now I know his leanings aren't entirely atheistic, as Dan Brown says, he has no problem with God, he has a problem with man's interpretation of God. He was extremely practical and reasonable, he classified the types of prayers and he went on to explain how each is a manifestation of an insecurity - fear, greed, guilt, injustice or ignorance. He also mentioned praying for everyone to be happy is also an acknowledgement of fear. I also explored my daily observances. A person's degree of belief in God was not directly proportional to their peace of mind.

Armed with my new found philosophy, I went around gloriously denouncing tradition and religiousness. At one point, my mother was moved to tears at my blasphemy. My father was utterly displeased with me. He told me all these ideas should not hurt others, love is really the only religion. He was also very convinced about Karma. I can recount several incidents where people who have hurt me unjustly have been punished in the exact same way, sometimes in much more measure than my suffering. Similarly, instances of my arrogance have got a sound beating.

I again straightened out my beliefs. But at this point, I lost my mind. I was by now thirteen and I realized one day I will die. I will cease to exist. It doesn't matter what I achieve, this is but a fleeting dream. I lost purpose in life. What is the point of anything?

So what did I do? I started praying.

I started praying everyday for me to live another day. I was very very sick as a child and I had no confidence in my body. My mind was restless once again. I started devouring religious books. Across religions, I've read quite a lot of stories, read about histories and observed similarities and dissimilarities. I also found religious texts overly prescriptive with no immediate logical explanation.

To me, the Advaita philosophy is very attractive. To my understanding, God exists in both the creator and the creation. Today my belief is centred on the power of life. To the people who believe God exists, God really exists because they are in some sense, a manifestation of God. To the people who do not believe in God, there is no God. The planet forms a delicate order from chaos where I simply do my duty regardless of the result. I'm no saint, sometimes I'm in body-ripping pain - physical and emotional because I cared too deeply about some result. And those times I pray fervently. I pray for peace of mind. Even though I don't believe mythological stories word for word, everyday I pray. Prayer is a way to surrender to my fate. Only my soul knows what hardships it has been through and what successes it has tasted. A prayer makes me independent. This new year, I resolve to reduce my complaints because I truly am blessed in many ways. Every instance of blinding agony has been followed by the sweetest agony.

I believe the science of prayer is such that I focus my mind away from the seemingly insurmountable insecurities that plague me. Praying gives me blind hope, blind faith and blind optimism. I also believe boundless hope has helped me develop an indomitable will. Or as some people say, a characteristic stubbornness. I still have a very long way to go. I am very sensitive but I strive to not let it show. I pray to someone who I do not believe in. I have my model of reality but I live on a fairy tale island where I can believe somebody else will take care of me. Also, I focus my energies into belief. I believe obstacles are removed by Ganesha. I believe it is my inherent belief that is responsible for me to believe in the seemingly impossible, perform in pain, work for something with no visible gain.

I believe in karma, and in some sense I pray to that. I believe every time I'm in pain, I wash away my own sins. I help others as much as possible, to the point of being taken for granted. I believe that's their karma. If someone has hurt me, I don't want to take revenge on them or celebrate their downfall. I observe. If I'm lucky and pure of heart, I do see karma work. My own weaknesses are jealousy and ruthless competition propelled by an underlying lack of confidence in myself. I pray, I have faith and I believe God has some grand design for me. Yes, the God who I don't believe in. I believe it's a psychological concept that gives me something to root for.

I am an atheist who prays everyday.