A theory is a battlefield in your head. –Murakami (Kafka on the shore)

A theory is a system of ideas that we use to explain something and is used as a frame of reference for analyzing the event. Theories are often modified based on subsequent events and new theories are a result of this evolution. The explanations that aim to prove or disprove theories are called hypothesis.

Theories are constantly under fire and can at any point be disproven by a single fact not aligning with the theory. This unstable nature of theories is essential to maintain the flexibility of our understanding of the world so that unexpected phenomenon can be assimilated into our understanding of the world.

The era after the industrial revolution was one of tremendous change and the theories and philosophies of old could not be used to explain a lot of the changes that were taking place. This resulted in the birth of several new philosophies. The present era shows signs of a similar dramatic change being in the offing. The rising discontent with religions, the increased information availability and utilization and the threat of climate change has changed the thinking of the younger generation compared to that of the previous generation.

The exposure to information that would otherwise be unavailable due to the usage of the internet and newer methods of communication has added new dimensions to everything from personal relationships to scientific thinking. This has created a discord in the standards of societal conduct that are used by different generations. The doors of research which earlier limited researchers to those scholars who spent years poring over books to uncover a single new fact have been thrown open for anyone who has access to the internet and time enough for a few searches. 

Information is no longer limited, but knowledge of how to use it is.The systems put in place for information dissemination which was required earlier have not adapted to the newer needs of the people and are now a barrier to the advancement of science.The gap in thinking between the people that control the systems and those who use them has resulted in systems that target the wrong theories.The framework of thought that is built up is redundant by the time the person comes out of the system and tries to apply them.

The battlefield of the modern world has changed, but the weapons haven’t. 

Diwali - The Festival of Lights

Where there is light, there is darkness

Lalitha ran to the puja room on hearing her mother’s voice and asked “What do you want me to do mom?” It was the eve of Diwali and her mom was leaving no stone unturned in making it a grand celebration. The festival of lights is celebrated with great fervor in the country of India and is celebrated to mark the killing of the demon king Ravana. Celebrated by wearing new clothes,  bursting crackers and adorning the house in lights, it is a day of celebration and joy for the vast majority of people.

But this year was different; Lalitha did everything that was told by her mother but she didn’t feel the surge of happiness and excitement she usually felt at this time of the year. Her father was working extra hours during the festival at his new job as a clerk at a jeweler’s shop to accommodate the festival rush and for the first time, there would be no fireworks at home either due to what happened the last time.

Amidst all the running around, she finally found a few minutes and gratefully took the opportunity and went to sit on the steps in front of her house reminiscing about the last year's celebration, She and her 7 year old brother were bursting crackers together with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood when a stray rocket exploded near her brother’s leg burning it and making him paranoid of any and all fireworks.
This year, he refused to step outside his bedroom and sat there huddled with their pet dog, Alex.The poor thing, this has always  been a hard time for him, the smoke and the noise from all the crackers which is almost overpowering for us, one can only imagine what it is like for something a hundred times more sensitive to it. It was a sight she did not like seeing but there was nothing any of them could do and with her father away at work, there wasn’t anyone to comfort them either. Hearing her name called again, she stood up, took a longing look at her friends' houses and ran back in.

It was the evening and she could see the kids coming out of their house and the air starting to get denser with smoke as the smell assaulted her nostrils. Through the smoke she could the other kids in the neighborhood bursting crackers, and pulling pranks on each other “who can say when what can go wrong”.

Dreams, Reality and Surreality

The onset of vacations is a surrealistic experience. Not only is it something that is awaited for and dreamt about for the better part of the previous month but in cases of an isolated campus like mine, its a mind twisting, dramatic experience.

The hype surrounding the last working day lived upto, the last night on campus survived, the train ride to the city in a coach so packed that several seniors spend their last train ride home standing, completed and then begins the wait for the flight to a place so different that it seems like another world.

The first day at home, I wake up lost and take few seconds to reestablish my bearings, the next  few days at home are spent sleeping, eating and generally doing nothing, a hangover from the last few days on campus spent in frantic preparation for exams, trips, farewells et al.  The next thing I know, I lose all track of time and college memories as I spend all my waking time planning for the next event to attend or the next person to meet. The first day at college is as dramatic a shift and all memory of what I did at home is lost and all focus shifts to events on campus which drives me to the central theme of this post.

In what context do I define myself?

Impromptu #4 - Another Random Post

Seemingly a lot of my recent writings have been random thoughts with little substance to think about and this is another post to add to that lot. Probably something that isn’t all that surprising considering I have my final exams for the sem coming up. My last few days have been sort of morose, the last minute rush of assignments, the farewells for the seniors and for good or for bad, the Diary of Anne Frank keeping me up at night are seemingly taking their toll.

My time on the laptop has also shot up recently, not just because of my assignments but because of a game that I’ve recently started playing. DOTA 2. This game is fabulously crafted with 104 ‘hero’s’ each of whom has a unique background and skill set with none of them being under or overpowered,  An amazing feat in and of itself. Add to this, heart stopping graphics and absorbing music and the end result is a game capable of stealing days of a person’s life before they realize it. The gameplay is challenging and has a steep learning curve, add contrary to expectations; this causes the excitement to build up rather than wane. My friend ends up spending well over 5 hours a day playing this before he calls it a day.  

An amazing game, and one I wish I had not started.

Bidding farewell to our seniors during the first two years felt sad, with a little emotion creeping in for the fact that I won’t be meeting them again for a while but this year, it was different. I don’t claim that I get very emotional nor that im very stoic at farewells but this time, the seniors were just an year senior to us and ones whom we knew extremely well. Besides that, there was an overpowering feeling of a grim reaper standing behind my ear whispering ‘You’re time is coming soon’, not in terms of mortality but a feeling close to it, that our time in the womb of this college might be at end and I sunk into nostalgic thoughts of what I achieved here, and what I wish I had done differently, what I learnt, my PS this summer and what I really ought to be doing instead of playing DOTA.

Science Fiction Blitz

Childhood’s End - Arthur C Clarke

Nightfall              - Isaac Asimov

The last few days, my waking time has centered around two things. Losing myself in the worlds of Clarke and Asimov followed by a post reading hangover thinking about what I just read. These books transcend ordinary science fiction and focus more on the human element of the stories.  Coming under the category of social science fiction, these books showcase reactions of humans (or equivalent races) to ingeniously defined scenarios.

 Childhood’s End describes the coming of age of the human race while under the control of an alien civilization and delves into the psyche of prominent humans in the age that follows while at the same time describing the reactions of the human race as a whole. The description and subtlety with which the book deals with the politics of taking care of a civilization as random as the human race, from the perspective of the overlords ensures that the reader is never sure which civilization he would rather side with. The book has several overlapping themes including science (obviously), philosophy, politics, psychology and surprisingly even spirituality, Para physics and mythology. Clarke manages to maintain suspense in the book with the plot shifting in ways that are unimaginable and ends on a very refreshing note being neither optimistic nor pessimistic.  It leaves the reader thinking of how we are tuned to only certain cues and never manage to be completely open minded even on things which we have never thought of or experienced.

“"You will find men like him in all the world's religions. They know that we represent reason and science, and however confident they may be in their beliefs, they fear that we will overthrow their gods.”

Impromptu #3 - Routine

Here I am, once again caught up in the humdrum of life, going to classes, giving presentations, writing quizzes every other day, working on inconsequential projects as a part of our courses, losing myself in the company of friends, reading random articles on the net. Stuck in the calm between storms, falling into a routine is something that is never immediately realized.

Falling into a routine does have its advantages, the comfortable life with no real thinking and no real effort is something that I can easily get used to partly because of my laziness. It gives me time to think and reflect back to what I want to do.  It also lets me spend all my time achieving none of it.

It’s this that kicks me back to action, when I realize that I’ve done nothing of what I wanted to achieve and that this routine is simply cheating me out of my time that I break out of it and get back to writing, reading papers and analyzing options and this is when I feel most alive but it always raises one question.

Why do I do what I do?

Mice on the Animal Farm

Suggestion: Read The Animal Farm by George Orwell before reading the following story

There was a celebration down at Manor Farm. Mr. Jones and his family sat at the table fully dressed with a fork and a spoon in hand feasting on food the likes of which the house hadn't seen for days. Mr. Mouse and his wife looked on from the crack in the wall in awe and were salivating at the thought of all the delicious leftovers they would be feasting on soon.

A week passed and Mr. Mouse was a worried mouse these days. There was a lot of excitement building up in the farm and everyone was singing “Beasts of England”. That night, he confided his worries to his wife. “I wonder what plans these rotten animals have, Mr. Jones has been our source of survival for so many generations, I wonder what ghost has gotten into them that they want to go against him. How do they plan to survive without him?” His wife gave a loud sigh and went to sleep. She didn't want to be troubled by all this

Anime Review - Shingeki no Kyojin

Shingeki no Kyojin literally meaning attack on titan is an anime that describes the fragility of human society.

Placed in a post apocalyptic era where the last remnant of human society tries to survive against huge human-like monsters called Titans.
The plot of season 1 starts off simple and reminds one of old school anime like Tengen Toppa but mid way through the series, it attains a life of its own and ensures that you can never guess what will happen next.

The best part of the anime though was the fact that it laid bare human feelings. Fear, Hate, Despair, Rage, Greed, Helplessness, Loyalty, Love, Friendship, Hope, the entire spectrum. The anime is soaked in blood and you feel the pain of loss at each instance and you pray for the survival of each character.




The characters are well drawn, extreme but realistic. They remind you of the extremes of emotions that humans are capable of when they pass through intense terror. While the characters are portrayed, you learn of their history and their nature seem plausible and you connect with each character. The main three characters Eren, Misaki and Armin each have their strengths and weaknesses and by the end of the season, you realize the role of each in the Anime. The support characters are as well described as the main characters. One of the themes of the anime is the mercilessness of the world and is amply shown throughout with no character being spared, you can never guess the next character who dies.

The Graphics and Drawing are well made with special attention on expressions on people. They highlight emotions of the characters as they pass through hell. The action appears in quick, intense bursts that leave the viewer gasping. The deaths, while not stressed upon, make an impact by sheer number. The music adds the the ambiance at various points but the viewer will almost never focus on it since the anime itself will hold the attention and never let go.

Fear and Hate more than anything is the driving force behind the characters of the anime and the various characters respond differently to it. The truly unique point about the anime is that it ruthlessly shows human nature in all its shades.

An anime that combines the best parts of TTGL and Code Geass, and makes you think. A anime that deserves a 25 episode marathon watching session.

Past, Present and the Future

In class, there was many a time when my friends and I pondered over why we studied history, boring stories about people who were now dead, countries that no longer exist and rules and regimes which have no influence in the present whatsoever. The question always met with the answer that the study of history was “To prevent history from repeating itself”, a statement made with the assumption that if man were to not be aware of what happened in the past, history would infinitely keep repeating itself, an ideology found in several religions. One which I have never fully understood. The reason being that it would require stagnation of human intellect and thought for the same decision to be taken century after century. It would need man to possess the exact same mental framework as the previous person who took the decision..... or to revere and emulate the previous person or his image that was carried forward into the future through the study of history. A contradiction which has never fully been tackled. Study of history might be the reason for repetition of history.

There’s an English idiom, “ Let the sleeping dogs lie” , and I would like to assume thoughts of egoism and superiority of races, genocide and the like were evolutionary tools necessary for survival in prehistoric times but a hell hole for trouble in the present times. It would be better off for humanity as a whole to try to avoid bringing up as a part of academic learning, instances of times when these feelings overpowered that of humanity in nations. We risk the birth of a new generation of people who hold the previous generations as their inspiration.

The Study of history to understand our past, to unravel mysteries of who we are and why we are, Study of the philosophies and methods of survival of previous civilizations, their culture and customs to further our understanding of our own past is what I perceive as its principle goal. Study of our past as an academic exercise for children who have a hard differentiating good from bad is an exercise heavily laden with risks.

The one thing that humans can do that animals can’t is to visualize the future, the consequences of decisions we make. This enables humans to think in ways different from animals whose thoughts focus solely on the present. We use history, both personal and learned as the framework for the visualization, which makes learning history an essential requirement to make a long term decision, but does a child need that? I would argue that a child should be allowed to experience as much as possible before carrying the additional weight of history.

Hypocrisy, Learned?

Its the Exam season again,

"Three students walk towards the mess discussing something about their exam the next day.

As they walk towards the mess, they run into a group of four friends who see them discussing the subject,
mock them, call them nerds and then walk towards the hostel.

The three students wonder what they did wrong, then ignore the interruption and get back to their discussion.

The four students get back to the hostel, make fun of their upcoming exam, call the education system and exams pointless, claim they'll get a pass grade without studying, split up and go back to their rooms, close the door and study"


"A student walks into a room where a group of his friends are studying, he asks, " Do you mind if i join you guys?"

A receives cold hard stares "No, you waste too much time discussing random stuff."

He walks back to his room and studies while everyone in the room keep discussing how disturbing and inconsiderate people are for the next hour before they break for dinner "

The Sunset Limited - A Review

Recent movies all have a protagonist and an antagonist battling it out over plains and mountains, in rain and snow with modern technology at their beck and call, with the antagonist trying to end the world and the the protagonist trying to save it. It ends with the the world safe and the protagonist in the hands of his love.

This movie steps away from the norm, it relinquishes action, and instead fills it with substance. The movie is a debate between black and white. With themes varying from religion to death to existentialism to perception and the purpose of life. It is a philosophical movie which is not everyone's cup of tea.

Black represents the theological, religious force who tries to save White, the scientific, agnostic professor from committing suicide.The entire movie is a one act play and takes place in the setting of a room in the downtrodden parts of the city and is a debate between Black and White. The movie progresses slowly from theme to theme, employing humor and domestic activities to indicate transitions. Each conversation can be taken independently or as part of the whole. It also tantalizingly hints at the happening of something paranormal that has lead to this conversation.

The narration of the movie is such that the audience is forced into the thinking the pros and cons of each argument made and comparing it with the values they hold. This is especially true when the movie steps into the high momentum discussion on existentialism. This slow paced movie ensures that there is always a gap after a high intensity debate so that the implications sink in and these pauses prove very important since that allows the required time for contemplation. It leaves the viewers changed.

It is a must watch movie for anyone who is philosophically inclined and wants to watch a movie that stimulates them mentally instead of pumping adrenalin. For my comments on the content of the movie, please keep reading

 --- Spoiler Alert ---

The Essence of Teaching. Lost?

India is a country with vast potential. The key to unlocking this potential lies in the hands of the few who guide and teach the younger generation. This is a realization that seemingly has not reached the population of India since teaching is still considered a fallback job, never a job that is to be aimed for.

Premier Engineering Colleges in India pride themselves on their faculty being Phd scholars who do their own research alongside teaching students. This promises students an opportunity to get wider exposure to the courses they are pursuing and to gain a deeper understanding regarding their subjects should they decide to do so. As a student at one of these colleges, from first hand experience, i can say that this is not the case in India.

There are several reasons, the teacher is forced to teach irrespective of his interests. The subjects he teaches are not  always related to his field of study. The only reason he teaches is so that he can earn his paycheck. The researcher loses his focus and time, the students don't gain any advantage in learning. Added to that, there is a lack of motivation from the teacher. It is everybody's waste of time.
In a country like India, there are several languages spoken and getting a Phd does not necessitate the learning of English which is the medium of teaching in these colleges. This means that the teachers at these colleges are forced to teach in a language which they never learnt their subject in nor can they communicate effectively in. These scholars are also reluctant to waste their time learning English since that is not what they are interested in, they would rather spend that time doing their research.
Combining the language barrier with lack of motivation of faculty means that transfer of information in classes is marginal at best.

The Truth Chamber

It was a particularly humid day at Johnson Grammar School and the 21 students of the International Baccalaureate program were complaining about it as they went about cleaning the classes after school hours. This school had a unique custom to make its students more responsible by making them take care of the classes and keeping them stocked. This was facilitated by each class having a president, a vice president and three committee members who were answerable for the class.

 As the clock struck 6, as the shadows loomed large, a shrill low pitch noise was heard from a corner of the class. This piqued the curiosity of everyone in the class and they all moved towards that corner. As they were advancing, the sound suddenly changed its tone from a low pitch to a deafening high pitch series of squeaks forcing everyone to cover their ears and at that instant the doors bolted shut, the windows suddenly went dark and everyone was left in pitch darkness. All the students immediately started screaming at the top of their voices and banging at the doors and windows hoping to find a way to escape, a few of the girls huddled together weeping and asking to be able to go home. A few others tried to use the benches to get to the ventilator but even that was shut tight. They were stuck!

After half an hour of hysterical wailing and screaming, the students had settled down to their fate and decided to wait and hope for a rescue from the outside. Suddenly, a eerie yellow light filled the room, it was coming from the corner where the noise had come from earlier, then, as they watched a throbbing globule of light floated into the air in front of their eyes and a metallic voice came from within “Welcome to the Truth Chamber, only those among you who can pass the challenges without lying shall survive”

Musings of a stargazer

The night skies, vast in its size, magnificent in its vastness, haunting in its magnificence is a sight that sends people into a trance to learn as much as they can about it and has been doing so since ages untold. The mysteries and stories of the stars transcend all boundaries and unite the sentient across the entire planet, across ages and for all we know, across galaxies. Its influence on mankind far exceed the technological advances made to try to unravel its mystery, it provokes us to think on a far more basal and philosophical note than most other stimuli.

As i gaze into the far reaches of space lying on the lawns in front of a temple, looking at the stars blinking at me and wondering at the message they wish to convey. I wonder how many people have looked up at this very same sky in search of answers, filled with hopes or in desperation. The sky is filled with patterns of stars, not constellations, but ones made by my own mind searching for sense among them. Everyday worries and thoughts ebb away from my conscience and a sense of calm and contemplation take their place. The actions of one person in this vast universe among billions of other people on a rocky planet far out in space seem inconsequential and meager at the sight of the majesty that surrounds us.

Cultural contrasts

"One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."
Morihei Ueshiba 


International travels tend to be an experience to cherish and learn from since its usually the first time we come across cultures distinctly different from ours. More so when that country is a country that is not frequented by people from your own country. One such country that i visited is Laos. This little known country has so far been overlooked but has incredible potential. 

The first thing noticeable on the drive from the airport is that the people in this country do not believe in rushing around to accomplish tasks, they take their time and work effectively. Being from India where a walk along a main road in Mumbai reminds you of rabbits scampering in a hurry at the sight of a predator with people in a perennial rush, The rush to get from one place to another,to accomplish something, to leave a mark, the chance to slow down did feel good, but what is more amazing is that people in Laos are happier than people in India, not having to worry as much about accomplishments. The pace of life at Laos is undeniably better and healthier than that of India

On staying for a while, i realized that in Laos, women truly run the country in all but name. The society is seemingly matriarchal with women manning establishments and running companies, again a marked departure from India where women have only recently started coming to the fore and where women security is still an issue. The freedom and security possessed by the women in Laos if allowed in India could possibly turn India into a much more stable and efficient state.

Besides these major differences, the people in Laos have system of living which is reminiscent of the older Indian system of living where people living in a community gather together and talk in the evenings, a very simple and peaceful way of life showing how technology can and does coexist with normal social interactions given the right inputs. 

After the visit to Laos  i went to Bangkok and the culture shock was huge. The huge difference in pace, the sudden increase in visible population, the traffic, the integrity of people. People in Laos are more honest than the money minded madness in cities like Mumbai and Bangkok and makes me realize its better to be happy and live a simpler life than to run around frantically trying to achieve something.

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."
Eddie Cantor 

Tinted Glasses

"The history of the world is not one big book, but several small ones"
No event recorded can ever be recorded in all its glory with every shred of thought that went into making the event . Even what little of it is recorded is based on the perception and bias of the writer, since it is upto him to decide what to record and what to leave out. So, the question arises, why do we read books when we know what is recorded in them is tinted?

A single event has several ways to perceive it. For example my very act of writing an article could be perceived as boring and ordinary by people who regularly use the computer or as an extra-ordinary feat by an il-literate person. This difference stems from the surroundings that the people are exposed to.
Every book, every article of any event is one such perception of an event, it is the point of view of one person, the author.

The author, even if he tries to maintain an independent opinion on the subject unconsciously calls on his upbringing when he tries to frame his thoughts. For example, an Indian author trying to describe the Indian way of life from a visiting tourist's point of view will unwittingly use a few terms that lie well outside the vocabulary of most tourists, simply because those are used frequently in his interactions

The simplest but not very time-saving way of going about this is to read as many books as possible about a certain event. Since, every book you read paints your perception of an event in its own tint, reading several books, each with their own distinct tint will paint a reasonably accurate picture of the event. The problem with this is, fairly obviously, the number of books that cover the event should be fairly large and should each have a different perception making it very time consuming.
The other solution which is much more challenging is to take a book, preferably of one who has attempted to remain objective about the event ( again, tough since events that are worth recording usually tend to bias people either for or against is ) and deconstruct the book within the psyche of his mind. Meaning that we first have to analyze the thoughts of the author through the rest of his books and using what is learned through that, attempt to workout the content of the book that isnt biased. Easier said that done.

Or as they say, let bygones be bygones, forget the event, pick up a fiction, play songs and let the world go round.


Music to listen :