Shoor Aamhi Sardar ... जरा भिती बाळगा!

This is a parody of the popular song "Shoor Aamhi Sardar".
There are certain people in this world who have have no value for relationships, love, patriotism, other's lives, values, etc. They typically indulge in excesses -- of expenditure, substance abuse, gambling, wastage of property and lives, material comforts, etc. This song is sung by one such person ...

शूर आम्ही सरदार आम्हाला काय कुणाची भीती ॥
देह, दास अनं कामापायी, पाप घेतलं माथी ॥ध्रु॥

आईच्या गर्भात उमगली जुगाराची रीतं ॥
तलवारीशी लगिनं लागलं जडली येडी प्रीत ॥
लाख रुपये खेळूनं टाकू, अशी पहाडी बँक ॥
देह, दास अनं कामापायी, पाप घेतलं माथी ॥१॥

झिंगावं वा पिऊन पडावं, हेच आम्हाला ठावं ॥
बसूनं फुकावं, फुकतं मरवं, हेच आम्हाला ठावं ॥
देहापायी सारी विसरू माया ममता नाती ॥
देह, दास अनं कामापायी, पाप घेतलं माथी ॥२॥

--Sandeep Ranade

Progress of Mutual Attraction in a typical Bollywood movie

Legend

A: Hate at First Sight - Boy and Girl meet in less than perfect circumstances.

B: First Fight - More friction leads to increased animosity.

C: First Blood - A significant event (misunderstanding, an exposed lie, malicious elements, etc). causes a sizable drop in affection.

D: The Silent Treatment/Encounter Avoidance phase - Rate of increase of hate slows down to a small constant.

E: Encounter of the nerd kind - Once again, opportunity for romance is destroyed by imbecile friends (or villainous entities).

F: The rescue mission - Girl finds herself in an impossible situation. Boy makes crazy sacrifice to rescue her, sustaining multiple deadly looking injuries on face, arms and back in the process.

G: Going Steady - Girl and Boy declare their affection for one another. This is followed by a series of ridiculously aerobic song and dance numbers.

H: Second Blood - A serious fight engulfs the Girl and Boy causing an all-time low in affection.

I: Grand Finale Rescue Mission - Girl once again finds herself in a life threatening situation. Boy rescues her, albeit with more close calls with torture chambers, fire and a fleet of half-trained, double-armed henchmen. He demonstrates incredible spurts of anger induced energy, the knife wielding finesse of a chef at MacDonald's and the martial arts of a crippled ballet dancer. At the end of all this ruckus, he has one patch of skin near his forehead that is not soaked in blood.

J: Happily Ever After: A steady increase in the rate of affection. This segment is interspersed with more supposedly romantic musical excursions (more calisthenics) followed by a wedding/engagement. The rate of change of affection is extrapolated by the Director/Story Writer as "Happily Ever After".

K : (not shown) - Couples therapy!

--Sandeep Ranade

Characteristics of the Balanced-One

(interpreted from "Sthitapradnyachi Lakshane", from Vinoba's Gitai)

Arjuna asked Krishna:

O Krishna, he who has let go of all strife,

how does the Balanced One live his life?

Krishna answered:

Letting go of worldly desires, he who shall learn,

at peace with himself, he is the Balanced One.

Unperturbed by sorrow, he lusts not after happiness.

Fearless, devoid of anger, he indulges not in excess.

Not prosperity, not hardship, shall shake his balance.

Not ecstasy, not rage, shall cause him disturbance.

He withdraws his senses, and focuses them within,

like a tortoise sensing danger, drawing itself in.

Worldly pleasures can be renounced by any abstinent,

but lingering desire is destroyed only by enlightenment.

The practitioner’s mind is susceptible to bad influence.

Rouge Senses can drag the mind away from its balance.

The mind must be controlled through great ingenuity.

Focusing the mind through meditation returns tranquility.

He who shall hunger after material pleasure,

shall be consumed by lust, lust begetting anger.

Anger begets jealousy, that warps rational judgment.

A dead intellect shall cause the soul’s total demolishment.

With fury and hatred tamed, the senses shall be harnessed.

The controller of senses with cheerfulness will be blessed.

Cheerful zest will banish all grief and pain;

a balanced, sharp intellect is all that shall remain.

A warped mind is hollow, cold and emotionless.

Frigidity shall turn to worry, turmoil killing happiness.

Uncontrolled senses, sway the mind’s balance,

like a boat being rocked, by strong turbulence.

He who withdraws his senses from material pleasure,

shall achieve perfect balance that shall last forever.

The Balanced One keeps away from earthly distractions.

His mind is attracted by thoughts the common soul shuns.

Like an eternally full ocean,

that consumes all the rains,

he drains away experiences,

till only calmness reigns.

Without worldly desires, he walks with confidence.

By casting off ego and longing, attains Perfect Balance.

O Arjun, this state is an eternal accomplishment.

Perfect Balance shall lead, to divine enlightenment.

--Sandeep Ranade

(See the full version, with Vinoba's original Shlokas here [www.sandeepranade.com])

Emotional Resonance

I was in California for an Indian classical vocal recital. The recital took place at my student's house; a small, private and informal setting. The audience was only about 8 people, comprising of mostly his friends and family. However, they had the listening capacity and the fine appreciation of an audience of a thousand! It felt like they were drinking my music with an intense thirst. As an artist, this feeling is very satisfying.

I sang Raag Malkans for an hour and a half. Though predominantly melancholy, Malkans is quite versatile and can express romance too, both soft and powerful. I presented a variety of moods and shades using 3 different compositions. I was indulging my audience in an emotional roller-coaster ride.

The first composition expressed the lament of a young woman who is torn between love and pain. The mood became overwhelmingly melancholy with a slight tinge of anxiety to highlight her dilemma. This was the time that true resonance took place. When they felt what I felt, the mood in the room started converging to my own emotional state. This intensified my own emotions and this had a direct effect of strengthening the emotional quality of my music. This then intensified the audience'’s mood further; setting up a positive feedback cycle till the mood reached its climax. It was like the room was ‘ringing’ with emotion. Resonance!

The next composition was a different shade of blue. It expressed the loneliness of a woman who's lover has been away for a while. She complains of his insensitivity towards her feelings, the lack of communication and neglect. The loneliness is tinged with loving anger. By this time, the audience was much more receptive to emotional suggestion, and the resonance was reached quickly.

The last composition changed the mood significantly. The lyrics expressed the excitement, nervousness and the romantic tension of a woman eagerly awaiting her soul-mate to meet her after a painfully long time. The mood is enhanced by description of the electrifying atmosphere just before a rain-storm. This mood was predominantly that of romance and the anxious joy of a long wait coming to an end. This time round, resonance was almost instantaneous. I seemed to have struck a chord!

Every artist experiences such resonance to some extent in concerts and recitals. However, this experience was truly exceptional. This just goes to show how much inspiration an audience can bring to the artist, providing encouragement, appreciation, acceptance and energy. It was as though a communication channel opened up and I could directly transfer emotions to their hearts directly and vice versa. I imagine heaven to feel something like this!

I feel truly blessed to have the gift of creativity, of being able to express my emotions through music and to have an audience that enjoys music as much as I do!

--Sandeep Ranade

Towards more humorousque Flights

Recently, I had the opportunity to fly with Anonymous Airlines (name changed for privacy reasons). I have flown with a lot of airlines before and after experiencing yesterday's flight, I came to a realization. There are three kinds of airline crew. Rude and Cold, Professional and Tepid, and Genuine and Warm. I had encountered both cold-rude and tepid-polite crew members before, but it was only yesterday that I experienced what genuine warmth felt like.

As we were waiting to taxi away from the gate, the captain appeared in the cabin-doorway and said,

"Hi Folks! I don't mean to scare you by making an announcement like this. I am your captain, and I have *not* forgotten the keys to the plane in my other pants like yesterday. The flight plan looks good, my glasses are in my coat pocket, and I just had a Caffe Latte, so I'll stay awake for the remainder of the flight! So, time to take this baby off the ground!"

The effect the captain achieved from this small standup-routine was remarkable. People laughed, relaxed and all the passengers suddenly united as an audience to enjoy the performance of the comic captain! The air lightened considerably, blood pressures dropped and the entire plane was drenched in warm friendliness. What an effect to achieve for four measly lines!

The crew was also funny and warm. Seat conflicts were sorted out with a laugh and everybody was left feeling happy and in good hands. Between this and the time that the captain actually took off, there was this sudden spurt of friendly chit chat. Never before had I seen anything like it. Everyone was mingling, introducing themselves to their neighbors, making friends and the compressed air was filled with laughter and hellos and hi there's! The planes atmosphere transformed from a 'flying-coffin' grave mood (forgive the pun) to one that is encountered in that cozy downtown restaurant with great food.

We took off on this warm and fuzzy note and the rest of the flight was smooth. Even when there was turbulence in mid flight, the captain announced

"Sorry for the bumps folks, arriving at the California tollbooth!"

No resentment, no disgruntled passengers. This was the first captain I knew to get a sitting-applause on a perfect landing!

Less than enjoyable situations can be turned around by using a well chosen remark. I had experienced classroom humor before, that made the lesson memorable, but never before had I experienced the lightening of the tense air in the plane before takeoff. Humor can be used as a weapon to inflict pain, but when well used can be therapeutic!

In the footsteps of Aristotle I say,

"Anyone can make a joke -- that is easy. But to use humor on the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way -- that is not easy!"

Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliation with Anonymous, or for that matter, any other airline. This is not intended to be an advertisement of any sort. The captains dialog have been changed both for privacy reasons, and for effect. The above experience details one experience with one crew instance should not be generalized to other crew, or other airlines. (In fact, my return flight was with Anonymous Airlines with a different less-than-polite crew). Also, one should use Humor with a lot of care, in less than desirable situations. I do not take any responsibility for any backfiring due to misaligned humor.I shall not pay for redecorating the house, reconstructive cosmetic surgery,psychiatrist fees, etc.

--Sandeep Ranade

Confusion times ten (Or, go ten-three-fifty yourself, I dont give a ten-three-twenty-one)

I was riding the Microsoft Shuttle recently when I heard the dispatcher crackle on the radio “Matt, what’s your ten-twenty? I have a ten-sixteen for you at building #33”!

I had heard stuff like this on Cop shows, but this was my first live encounter of the tenth kind! I questioned the driver about common codes and their meanings and this got me thinking.

How would two dispatchers, who meet at a convention, talk to each other?

Here is a possible dialogue between Andrew (A) and Barbara(B):

A: Barbara … uh … Ten-forty four (I have a message for you …)

B: Can you Ten-five (relay message) that Andrew?

A: I .. uh … kinda … sorta …. you know, uh .. like .. you ……

B: I’m sorry … that was a ten-one (receiving poorly). Could you Ten-nine (repeat) that?

A: I, um, kinda like you Barbara …

B: Wow! That’s a ten-four (Message received). Ten-twenty-three (stand by) …Let me get this straight ... So…, you are saying, that you like me?

A: That’s a ten-four! In fact, I would like to ten-sixteen (make a pickup) at your place at, say, 8 ‘o clock tomorrow night?

B (smiling): I would like that …

A: What’s your ten-twenty (location) ?

B: Ten-eighty five (my address) is 1073 Bumpy Road, Quaint City.

A: What if I need to ten-twenty one (call by telephone) you?

B: My ten-eighty four (telephone number) is 555-7575

A: Oh, keep this ten-thirty five (confidential) especially from that gossip, Carol!

B: I will ensure a ten-sixty-seven (all units comply)

A (relieved): Whew! Thanks!

B: Its late, I’m going ten-seven (out of service, leaving air) You’ll ten-twenty one (give me a call) ?

A: Of course! See you tomorrow …

B leaves.

A (to himself) that was a ten-ninety nine (mission completed, all units secure)! I’m so excited, I must ten-one hundred (go the bathroom!)

A leaves too.

Actually, ten-twenty six all of that (cancel/ignore last message)!

Pull Pune out of the Pits!

Traffic conditions in Pune are worse than being in a war-zone. The projectiles, the pollution, the smoke, the foul smells, vehicles tearing in seemingly random directions, the curses flying around, the land mines, and trenches and all the thick animosity in the air make a battle seem like my grandparents' fiftieth wedding anniversary party.

Driving a vehicle in Pune while still remaining alive requires special martial arts training, guerilla warfare tactics, lightning reflexes, stunt-car driving skills and immunity to poisonous materials. Roads in Pune are more treacherous than an military obstacle course. With more potholes than roads, driving becomes a stress-test for the shock absorbing capability of the vertebral column, and the pain threshold of the Gluteus Maximus. With drainages spewing hazardous waste, heavy and jagged junk being thrown at you, masked ninjas (bandit queens or putlibai) waving at you and exploding inner-tubes, it becomes a test of reflexes. Stationary vehicles in a fast lane and fast vehicles on the sidewalk make an excellent navigability test. Deciphering random traffic signals and battle language with finger movements makes a challenging cognitive linguistics test. Roadside attractions invoke superhuman concentration skills. Navigating in space (in the shortest time possible) requires extreme guerilla tactics like smoke screens, disorienting hand signals and disarming puddle-splash attacks. Immunity to claustrophobia, ability to sustain vital signs in low oxygen circumstances and high immunity to gaseous neurotoxins are also abilities critical for survival.

There exists an elite clan of traffic-commandos to ever hit this war-zone, the most feared creatures on the road, the epitome of evolution in Pune -- Rickshawallahs. Rickshawallahs are trained in the art of war right from childhood. They are killing machines, tuned to seek and destroy. The best survival technique in Pune is to avoid them like the plague. An encounter with one such trained soldier is more painful than jumping off a 30 storey building and landing on a bicycle with no seat. You have been warned!

A simple act like crossing a road means war. Driving on the road is the equivalent of a full blown battle. With all this belligerent war-like tendencies being refined in Puneites by the act of driving, it should come as no surprise if they percolate into other areas of our life. Simple chores like buying vegetables, filling up gas or catching a bus involve kung-fu moves, verbal assault, death threats and bio-degradable projectiles. In this Darwinian struggle, only the fittest, fastest and rudest survive.

The problem with constant war is that it creates a lot of stress, which takes away years, even decades from your life. Rage, rashness, rudeness lead to aneurysms, ulcers, even cancer. And of course, there are a lot of casualties of war and infrastructure damage to buildings and vehicles.
How can we make Pune a safe place to drive? Is there a way to declare ceasefire?

It is clear that if one man drives conscientiously, he will be killed. If he acts polite and lets others go ahead, he will remain in that spot forever, or worse, get killed. The solution is to have critical mass in this movement to pull Pune out of the pits. When there are enough people following rules, being considerate and, dare I say it, civilized, others will automatically synchronize and fall into rhythm. The science of biological resonators will back up this claim.

The question now is, how do we create a critical mass of polite Punekars? This, by far, sounds harder than "Having peace on earth, and love among all humans beings". The good news is that there might actually be a way to make it work. I now propose the "Pull Pune out of the Pits" program. This program is intended to target the root cause of the traffic problems: lack of discipline, politeness and consideration for fellow humans. I am not saying that Punekars individually are thus. The problem is that there is critical mass of undisciplined and rude drivers due to collective behavior, and this forces the best of us to follow, or we will never survive. Generating critical mass to force the rest into good habits would take faith, support of a few conscientitious individuals, and a lot of patience.

The program starts with the introduction of a subject called "Practical Traffic and Politeness" in high schools (starting from say the 8^th grade through 11^th grade). The course will involve both theory and practical training. The theory will cover basic traffic etiquette, manners, right of way, road signs, etc. The practical will cover actual on-site observation where students shall have the opportunity to observe the behavior of people and comment on it. They will be encouraged to make creative slogans motivating people to follow rules, be polite, etc, and demonstrate silently on selected roads in Pune. The will also be encouraged to involve their family members in the "Pull Pune out of the Pits" drive. All this activity will be part of a one-hour-per-week theory/practical session.

Schools can send volunteering teachers to special educational centers where a group of PhD students (specializing in Teacher Education for Special Programs) will instruct them in the art of instruction. This program and its implementation will not only make a smashing PhD thesis topic, it will also change the face of Pune for the better (hint, Mom).

If a majority of schools participate in this program, in about two-three months, I predict a measurable change for the better will take place in traffic patterns and drivers' attitude. Stress levels all over the city will reduce, accident statistics will drop and traffic jams and grid locks will dissolve. Pollution levels will decrease as more people become aware. More people will lobby for regular maintenance of roads, and see it through. Pune will truly become the best place to live in, like it was just fifty years ago!

--Sandeep Ranade

Emergent Misbehavior

Murphy'’s Law has been revered for decades as the only law to hold across diverse domains. The law states : "anything that can go wrong, will”. This article tries to find a scientific basis for this widespread existence of Murphy'’s Law and ponders on the implications of its findings.

Let us begin our analytical journey with Theory of Complex Systems. Complex systems are those in which global properties and behavior cannot be fully explained by an understanding of its component parts.Typically, the behavior of such systems is non-linear, arising from the interactions of a large number of simple processes. Due to their non-linearity, superposition doesn't apply, and thus they are literally more than the sum of their parts.

An important feature of these systems is that they are decentralized. There is no central controlling agency. The global properties that develop in them, do so, seemingly out of the blue. The resulting behavior if interesting, is also unpredictable. In a sense, these systems seem to defy the second law of thermodynamics – entropy, which states that the amount of disorder in the universe must increase.

Often, complexity arises in systems that are composed of interacting simpler systems. The simplest example of such a compositional system is a Cellular Automaton. A Cellular Automaton is a regular, n-dimensional grid composed of simple, identical, spatially interacting cells. Each of these cells is a finite state automaton, whose future state depends solely on its current state and that of its neighboring cells. Conway's Game of Life is a popular application of Cellular automata.

It is often awe-inspiring to see different configurations of these cellular automata evolve in time. With exceedingly simple rules for state transition (the Game of Life operates on just four rules), one can see beautiful and complex patterns develop. It almost seems like the grid has come to life (pun intended). The problem is, that given this behavior, it is extremely difficult to guess what the state-transition rules originally were.

The behavior of cellular automata have been classified into 4 classes by Stephen Wolfram -- Steady state, Oscillatory, Chaotic and Emergent Structure. In the Steady state, the system converges to a fixed state in a short time. Oscillatory systems develop periodic cycles, which then repeat forever. These are both system types where the behavior is '‘simple'’, or even uninteresting. The outcomes of both these systems can be predicted easily. Chaotic Systems in contrast seem to be delinquents of the automata world. Chaotic behavior is characterized by random, aperiodic and unpredictable patterns.

The 'Emergent-structure' class of systems develops unstable, but computationally rich patterns. Fractals like the Sierpinski triangle, gasket, and carpet are commonly observed. Patterns that are often seen in nature are also observed. Wolfram suspects that complexity in nature may be due to similar mechanisms. These, by far, have been regarded by everyone as the most interesting kinds of cellular automata. It is spine-tingling to see such simple rules create such complex behavior. This phenomenon is called Emergent Behavior.

Many complex systems show emergent structure. Ant and termite colonies, flocking behavior in birds, collaborative efforts like Linux and Wikkipedia, bit-torrent swarms, etc. Life itself can be thought of as an emergent property of the thermal, chemical, physical, electrical and mechanical properties of the new-born earth. Some believe that intelligence and consciousness too is emergent behavior.

It is a fine line that separates the dead (steady, oscillatory) from the unstable (chaotic). Emergent behavior appears at this boundary, termed as the edge of chaos. This line, though seemingly fine, may not be that fine after all. Emergent behavior appears all around us, all the time. Having a high affinity towards the edge of chaos, these systems are robust and self-organizing. Self-organization seems to be an emergent property of systems that contain positive and negative feedback, multiple interactions and a balance between exploration and exploitation. How exactly such self-organizing systems function is not yet known to science.

In this universe, there are emergent phenomena that are inherently destructive. One such destructive phenomenon in the limelight these days is Hurricane Wilma. Hurricanes are emergent properties of small disturbances in climatic conditions. Similarly, cancer is a destructive emergent property, of small mutations in cells that accumulate over time, interact in strange ways, resulting in a robust tumor that just won't quit growing. Epidemics, sepsis, forest fires, stock market crashes, national power failure and computer viruses have a similar modus-operandi. Small initial deployments avalanche into a rapid spreading, debilitating catastrophe. The butterfly effect and even the feared "Burrito effect" are all examples of such emergent misbehavior.

These emergent misbehaviors cause other systems they interact with, to fall into Chaos, causing all hell to break loose. This is the domain where Murphy rules all-powerful. Misbehaving emergent systems cause an increase in the entropy in the universe. In a sense, Murphy'’s Law ensures that there cannot be too much of a good thing. Entropy is conserved.

Misbehavior is inherently unpredictable in time, place, manner and intensity. Identifying the cause, given the chaotic symptoms is often horribly difficult, making their prediction and prevention virtually impossible. The burning question remains "What are the rules that cause the observed complexity?". There are many researchers currently engaged in trying to find an answer.

Since entropy is conserved, there will always be a balance between good and evil, order and disorder, behavior and misbehavior. Ever wonder why we constantly encounter Murphy? Why he has us covered whichever way we turn? The answer is simple: life itself is emergent-good-behavior, and the number of just the prokaryotes on Earth is a gargantuan 5 x 10³⁰! The ratio of the number of humans (a measly 6 x 10⁹⁾ to the total number of life forms on Earth is thus negligible.

Given the humongous amount of good-behavior, the amount of misbehavior will be equally humongous. Ergo, the probability, that us humans, will encounter Murphy, is astonishingly high. Murphy's Law can now be safely reworded to say "Everything (in the asymptotic limit) that can misbehave, will". Bottom line: there is nothing one can do about it, so don't sweat the yocto (10^-24) or the yotta (10²⁴) stuff.

--Sandeep Ranade

Believing, is Seeing

Is there such a thing as Absolute Reality? Or do we just concoct our own version?
Two people who experience a single event perceive it in different ways. If reality is always relative and based on individual perceptions of our environment, events and relationships, it would imply that our perceptions create our reality. Thus reality is just a function of our perceptions.

What creates perceptions?
Perceptions are filters that our brain creates to interpret different sensory inputs. The defining parameters of these filters are affected by a lot of factors. Lifestyle, genetic makeup, environment, upbringing, education, success and failure, subconscious state, etc shape the filters. These filters are nothing but our belief system. We see things tainted with our beliefs and that becomes our reality. Which is why, the same glass is seen as half filled or half empty or too much glass, by people with different belief systems. Thus, believing, is seeing!

Can we consciously change our beliefs?
Beliefs are simply learnt subroutines in the brain. They are simply interpretive functions that make sense of our senses. Beliefs are the paths our neural impulses take when faced with sensory inputs. Synaptic weights control the direction and strength of the traveling neural signal, thus controlling the type and intensity of the reaction. Both synaptic weights and neural pathways can be changed over time. This proves that the brains hardware comes with a reprogrammable interface.

How do we actually change these neural pathways and synaptic weights?
Synaptic weights, like most other body functions follow the "use 'em, or lose 'em" rule. Synaptic weights change when we force impulses along alternative paths. The strength of the synapse is directly proportional to the frequency of impulses traveling along that path, modulo a damping factor. This is done simply be consciously altering the flow of one's thoughts.

Imagine that X is in the habit of criticizing people for trivial things. Every time someone makes a mistake, X has to criticize them and show them the way he would avoid it. In the beginning, he may criticize someone, realize his mistake, and force himself to apologize. In the brain architecture, this translates into the creation of an alternative neural pathway. The more often he does this, the stronger the synaptic weights for this new path get. By the same token, the original path weakens. Eventually (this process often takes time, of the order of a month or two), a complete replacement occurs, substituting the old (critical) path with the new (non-critical) path.

Can any belief be changed? Are earlier beliefs completely destroyed by this change?
Every belief is the synaptic trigger that creates a thought. Every thought is an electro-chemical impulse thundering down neural pathways. All neural pathways can atrophy and regenerate. All synaptic triggers (weights) too are prone to change. Thus, we can change every belief we hold.

Where the destruction of the earlier belief is concerned, the answer is both yes and no. It is yes, in that impulses travel along newer pathways, defining new beliefs. It is no, in that the earlier path is not destroyed, just side-tracked. A neglected trail in the woods gets overgrown with brush, it can still be salvaged with just a few trail-goers walking down that path for a short time. Since only the synaptic weights have changed, and the neural path is weak, but still available, it can be rejuvenated quite quickly with just a few impulses traveling along it. This explains why it is so easy to fall back into old habits and beliefs.

For the path (and hence old beliefs) to be wiped off the face of the brain completely, time seems to be the only way. This is in accordance with the Law of cause and delayed effect. In time, the brain will recruit those unused neurons into other needed areas (most likely to form new beliefs, hence new neural structures) thus completely destroying the old paths. This process takes about a month or so in most people.

What happens once our beliefs change?
We have already established that our beliefs define our perceptions, and that changing our belief system is possible. Once we start looking at things with a custom-designed set of beliefs, we essentially custom-design the things we look at. Once we alter those beliefs that hold us back, we can mould our lives into whatever we want them to be. Who would have believed, that beliefs are so powerful? That, my friends, is a limiting belief!

What are limiting beliefs, and what are the most common?
Limiting beliefs are basically negative thoughts that hold us back. Most powerful limiting beliefs are simmering deep within our subconscious mind. We often do and feel things without knowing why. Most intuition can be traced back to some subconscious belief. Similarly, gut-feeling is subconscious in origin, not gastronomic.

Our entire constitution is defined by our beliefs. You are what you think. Everyone grows up having limiting beliefs. These are limiting because they limit our senses to perceive a broader, better reality. Losing weight, quitting smoking, achieving popularity and success, making a million dollars, having a loving relationship, becoming healthy are among the few effects of changing our beliefs. Somewhere, deep within our subconscious mind, we have chains that bind us, hold us back, limit us. All we need to do is identify that chain, replace the chain with a rocket booster, and fly towards our goal.

Common limiting beliefs are ...

• I can't do that
• I don't deserve to be happy
• I can never become popular/famous/rich/loved
• I can't seem to lose weight
• I am not attractive enough
  
• I can never win this contest
• Money is the root of all evil
• If I feel good, then I am doing something wrong
• etc...
  

The most common limiting belief is:

• Murphy's Law (If anything can go wrong, it will) seems to apply every time. This belief is so rampant and destructive, that it goes on destroying everything that you think will go wrong. In a way, its a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The question is, can we come up with a good self-fulfilling prophecy?

Can we create our own reality?
We can control our reality by controlling our beliefs. The first step is to identify all our limiting beliefs. This is not easy, because the subconscious mind is a difficult creature to probe. Since most of our decisions are subconscious, we never realize how much of our life, these beliefs control. If we question every decision, intuition, feeling and emotion we feel, then we can trace them back to the belief that gave them birth. Soon, all limiting beliefs will be identified and we will become sharper at recognizing them.

The next step is to deliberately change these beliefs. Every time we have a negative thought, we should consciously re-word it in a positive manner, and truly believe in it. The important thing to realize is that we are dealing with the subconscious mind, which is a very powerful beast. Taming it requires time and patience. But the change shall happen. In time, we will change our brain circuits and we will start seeing the change in our lives.

Once we shatter the shackles of our limiting beliefs, we can live life to the fullest, savor each moment, be truly happy and at peace.

--Sandeep Ranade

The law of cause and delayed effect

Barring some quirky quantum mechanical effects, everything in the universe adheres to the law of cause and effect. For mechanical systems like planets and galaxies, terra-formations, cue sticks and nine-balls, cars and road kill, the effect follows the cause almost instantaneously.

We see mechanical systems around us instantly reacting to actions, and in proportionate quantities as dictated by Newton's third law and expect everything else to adhere to this guiding principle too. We are sadly mistaken. Newton's law only specifies the proportionality between the action and the reaction; no temporal components figure in the equations. Strangely enough, most interesting effects that we expect to be instantaneous are actually delayed, sometimes significantly.

Causality in the sphere of subconscious driven life-forms is quite tricky. In fact it's so subtle at times, that one mistakes the effect to be associated with another cause making for entertaining movie plots, exciting real life scenarios, sometimes even propagation of misinformation and frustration.

A significant hysteresis is observed in the creation and destruction cycle. The associated delay between most causes and their non-trivial effects is most notably observed with all those actions that cause creation, or generation as their effects. In contrast, actions that cause destruction happen much faster. A classic example is pulling down a house as opposed to building a new one. Razing a construction takes the better part of one day. Building it from scratch can take years. Miscarriages happen in a few minutes, while making a human baby takes nine long months.

A common example of this delayed effect is the phenomenon of weight loss. We expect that we will lose weight immediately after we reduce our calorie intake. The scale doesn't meet our expectations, and in a few days of self-induced starvation, we get depressed because our efforts don't seem to be bearing fruit (even on a fruit-only-diet). In our depression, we binge on heavy "sympathy" food, and end up cheating on our diet. However, this binge, being a destructive action, will show relatively quick results. This quickly leads to more depression and this snowballs into more weight gain, burying us in a ton of icy blues!

If we consider the delayed effect, we would gather up more patience, and starve a bit longer. Mind you, the delay varies per person and the type of action. But, given enough time, we ride the delay, and start seeing effects. Once we lose some weight, this becomes the motivation for continuing the diet. We feel better, look better and this snowballs into a healthy, fit lifestyle. Everyone who diets, sooner or later realizes this delay in the system, but not all successfully wait it out, and get disheartened too early in the game. A related delay is also caused by the stomach sending the "full" signal to the brain. The hormone Ghrelin takes about 20 minutes to get the message to the brain after the stomach is full. Thus we can potentially eat for another 20 minutes before the brain realizes, that we are over-full. If only we eat slowly, then we can tune our wait to eat just the right quantity.

Drugs have a variable delayed effect, making pharmacology a difficult science. An Advil may show effect in 20 minutes, but some medicines can take anywhere from weeks to years, making drug-cure correlation hard. Physiotherapy and psychotherapy too take a relatively longish time to take effect. Similarly, a positive attitude change takes some time to sink in and take root, not just within us, but in our environment. The same effect applies with exercising and working out, studies, new year resolutions, learning a new skill, relationships, love -- in short, anything that can be classified as self-improvement and needs will-power (or sometimes wont-power). Will-power helps us to remain patient in the face of seeming failure, and at the right time, the clouds part, and we are rewarded for our efforts.

A mathematical / feedback-system explanation of the phenomenon follows. Construction seems to be a flat function for some time and then a linear (or sub-linear) function in time, while destruction is often observed to be an exponential decay. There is a significant amount of energy needed to push the steady state into the creative cycle, also called as Activation Energy, in Thermodynamics text books. There is a lot of investment of various resources during the process of creation or growth, as opposed to that of destruction, or decay. Because of the delayed feedback cycle, the energy potential of the system can rise above the safe threshold significantly before corrective action is taken.

Often, the corrective action might overshoot, due to the miscalculation of the magnitude of the differential increase, causing oscillations in the system. The yo-yo diet, the date-rebound, the love-hate relationships, the high-highs and the low-lows are all oscillations due to the delayed feedback. Sometimes, depending to the error in the corrective action and the delay in the system, the entire system can become chaotic, turbulent or unstable, and sometimes even self-destruct. Once the delay is incorporated in the feedback and regulatory equations using damping factors, the system goes back to stable equilibrium.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to patience. In this era of instant gratification -- one-click online purchases, channel surfing, speed-dating, instant messaging and ready-made microwave dinners, we are forgetting patience as a virtue. We no longer enjoy the wait, because someone cuts the wait short for a small fee, and a string attached (in a small font). The thing we forget to see is, that most instant things are also fickle and die much faster. They flicker into our lives and disappear just as fast. The lasting things are the ones we wait for -- the good stuff in life.

--Sandeep Ranade

The multi-threaded brain

Research now shows that the brain is like a multiprocessor computer. In a multiprocessor machine, there are multiple processing unit with shared memory for communication. Each processing unit typically handles a 'thread' of control. The human brain is quite similar in architecture. Imagine the brain to be organized into multiple processing or functional units, each handling a separate function. Language processing, writing, auditory processing, image processing, emotional balance, aggression and fear are some of the functions. It also has a huge amount of short, medium and long term memory that is shared by all these areas in the brain.

It turns out that the brain can handle parallel tasks if these tasks are processed by different areas. For example, walking and chewing gum, listening to music and physical work, etc can be easily handled parallely. However, if we are talking on the phone and taking a note, we can't really concentrate on either, as both are handled by the language processing area in the brain.

So, the brain is a parallel processing engine where individual processing elements are inherently serial. Context switching between tasks, like reading and mathematics, is quite expensive for the brain, as both these tasks are handled by the same area, or processing element. It has been experimentally shown, that multitasking of similar tasks actually reduces efficiency by a considerable amount. Strangely enough, if the tasks are dissimilar, parallelizing them actually increases efficiency. Many students claim that listening to music helps them concentrate on their work (much to the annoyance of their parents). This is now shown to hold water and is due to the fact that the background task actually serves to block out other distractions! In short it keeps the idle processing elements occupied which would otherwise jump to process every interruption.

Given these basic structural and functional properties of the brain, we can talk about the evolution that has taken place in the multitasking hardware. People from a generation or two back had a lot fewer interrupts to process. In contrast, this generation has an explosive number of interrupts coming in per unit time. Hundreds of channels on cable, instant messaging, the internet in all it's glory, cell phones, IPods, super-complex video games and other human (and inhuman) distractions are available to us at the drop of a hat.

More research in this area of multitasking has shown that the current generation can actually multi-task with higher efficiency. My parents (and other members of that generation) can't even begin to imagine me simultaneously chatting with 4 friends, replying to email, talking on the phone (or listening to music), writing a design document and churning up some code. They completely lose their train of thought if they are interrupted. I (and other members of this generation) can multitask all these tasks quite efficiency.

This implies that the brain has evolved from a serial, heavyweight process architecture to a time shared lightweight process (threading) architecture in a short time. Just as in computers, context switching for thought processes is very heavy, causing the brain to reel under the sudden load, in turn causing the train of thought to depart without you onboard! In contrast, threads of thought have very small switching time, allowing a plethora of similar tasks to be handled simultaneously by the brain. The interesting question here is -- What has changed in the brain in these last 2-3 decades?

Some years ago, brain experts thought that the brain can change only upto a certain age, after which it freezes and there is no further change. We now know that the brain is surprisingly plastic and can change at any age. However, changes are quick to take place in childhood, till early adulthood, after which it takes increasing effort to change the internal circuits of the brain. This explains why people today are more efficient at multitasking, and why the generation to come will be even more so.

This generation was exposed to a whole arsenal of distractions in their childhood, and the brain seems to have adapted its circuits to make task-switching lighter and more efficient. The coming generation will have even more distractions to handle, and will have better hardware support for even faster context-switching.

An open question today is how the brain actually handles the hyper-threading. The computer science answer to hyperthreading is the use of shared memory. This neat technique makes it possible for threads to reside in the same address space while having independent execution existences. Does the brain employ a similar strategy? Does it have a fast shared memory cache in each processing area specially to save state quickly when switching between thoughts? How does it use synchronization and locking on this memory to avoid hairy hazards and dangerous deadlocks? Do the neural pathways actually form parallel circuits? Or is it that the brain has a more sophisticated interrupt-controller-dispatcher circuitry? These are all unanswered questions, as of today.

Multitasking has become an essential part of our lives. Driving to work involves processing numerous interrupts. Watching the road, looking at road signs (and other attractions), flipping through the radio stations or CD tracks, talking on the cell-phone, using finger sign language, etc. Watching TV is a classic example of time-slicing. I can usually watch 3-5 shows simultaneously (at least till they didn't have synchronized commercial breaks!) and mentally switch between each story line quickly. My aunt on the other hand gets hopelessly confused and hates it when I switch back and forth! Of course, working on the computer with instant messengers popping up small windows, programs asking "Are you sure you want to format your hard drive?", email notifiers, Skype "ringing" and other applications adding their own "bells and whistles" to this digital cacophony is quite a concerto of distractions.

While multitasking is definitely improving our ability to make simultaneous progress with several tasks, we are also losing the art of sitting down and thinking through a single concept. Concentration on one task is now considered boring. We are going wide with a larger number of tasks but our ability of going deep is sinking deeper into oblivion. With this ability to multithread thoughts, we can cover a lot of ground but lose efficiency in each individual task. As a result, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) cases are growing each year.

I would really like to finish this blog entry with a witty ending, but I have my Project Manager on the phone, 4 friends in the middle of a chat, 200 new emails in my inbox fighting for attention, a PowerPoint(TM) presentation under construction, the Season Finale of Friends and the series premiere of Whose Line is it Anyway?, my nose itching and my mom lecturing me on the virtues of concentration. That's one too many. My brain is now officially thrashing!

--Sandeep Ranade

Glossary

multi-threading: A form of parallelism where multiple threads run concurrently and communicate via shared memory.
multiprocessor: A parallel computer in which the processors share an address space.
context switch: A context switch is the computing process of storing and restoring the state of a CPU (the context) such that multiple processes can share a single CPU resource.
process: A program that is running. Usually much more expensive than a thread
thread: A thread is a processor activity in a process. The same process can have multiple threads. Those threads share the process address space and can therefore share data.
hazard: In computer architecture, a hazard is a potential problem that can happen in a pipelined processor.
deadlock: The condition in multithreaded systems in which two or more processes are blocked, each waiting for a lock held by the other.
interrupt: a signal from a device which typically results in a context switch: that is, the processor sets aside what it's doing and does something else.
thrashing: An excessive amount of disk activity in a virtual memory system, to the point where the system is spending all its time swapping pages in and out of memory, and no time executing the application. Thrashing can be caused the swap file is too small, when there is insufficient memory or when too many applications are hogging system memory.

The Burrito effect

A monarch butterfly flapping it's wings in the Amazonian rain-forest, causes a tiny air current, makes a grain of pollen fly into a native's nose who sneezes, frightens a herd of elephants which then proceeds to stampede. The stampede raises so much dust that it alters air currents, causing it to rain, changing the local weather system. This small change interacts with neighboring systems, and eventually causes a tornado in Texas.

This is known as the Butterfly Effect which explains sensitivity of systems quite effectively. Highly sensitive systems respond dramatically to the smallest of variations in it's initial conditions. Complex, dynamic systems have inherently non-linear feedback loops, causing a small change to be amplified exponentially in time to manifest itself chaotically.

Sensitivity in the world is increasing, and I don't just mean emotional, political, or dermatological. The most notable changes have been seen in weather and society. Over the past few decades, the weather has been acting up. Hurricanes, melting ice-caps, crazy local weather, heavy rains when least expected, have become more frequent. Society has always acted in bizarre ways now and again, but the increasing frequency of crazy acts and degree of looniness may prove to be a trend rather than just an incidental occurrence.

These changes are so radical that we can't explain them using the Butterfly Effect. The Butterfly phenomenon falls short by several orders of magnitude. Drawing inspiration from the Butterfly effect, I would like to propose a conjecture to try and explain the changes in the world. This conjecture offers explanation to phenomena like political upheaval, economic fluctuations, terrorist activities, gasoline prices, traffic grid locks, computer virus attacks, and other catastrophes. I call this the Burrito Effect.

Imagine a person who orders a Chipotle's grilled chicken Burrito with black beans, refried beans, green chilly and sweet corn, lettuce, jalapeno peppers, onions, salsa, sour cream, cheese and guacamole, with a cold-chicken salad, chips and salsa on the side and a Mountain Dew. As he is walking down the street after his lunch , he feels an imminent burp. Giving in to his instinctive diaphragmatic reflex, he releases some air audibly, causing the lady walking in front to say "How Rude! Hrrumph!". He scowls at her and goes back to his office. He then displaces considerable anger towards his colleagues. They, in turn, scowl at others and the day ends in a fist fight, divorce, suicide and a heart attack. These events form a chain reaction and cause some client in the Middle East to become angry who swears revenge, and causes a couple of bomb-blasts on the subway. The divorcee writes an internet worm that spreads rapidly to millions of machines, and starts spamming like there is no tomorrow. All this spam causes people to mistakenly delete important e-mail, causing further irreparable damage.

The original burp also causes a fly to choke and die, aggravating Animal Rights Activists who demonstrate in front of the White House and cause a gridlock on I-95, and a flood of expletives. The rising hot exhaust of so many cars in one location causes changes in the air currents, that cause an airplane to land hard, and this upsets the mood of 150 hungry, tired and cramped passengers. About half of them stop at a nearby Mexican joint and order burritos.

The 70 passengers, armed with 95 burritoes and 36 salads, cause 3500 gastrointestinal detonations and set off 286,000,000 chain reactions of varying magnitudes. Some of these chains end up as hurricanes like Katrina and Ophelia, as tsunami's and earthquakes, others as the market depressions, massive layoffs and inflation. Gasoline prices don't seem to be so bad now, do they?

The Burrito effect is a very powerful turbulent force of today. A malodorous burp in Time Square has orders of magnitude more potential to wreak havoc, than one tiny butterfly flapping it's wings in the middle of the rain-forest. No doubt, the Burrito is now the most powerful weapon of mass destruction. The really scary thing is, a burrito is cheap, easily available, trivially transportable, deliciously edible, acts in mysterious ways, and there is no way to stop catastrophic side effects.

So, what did you have for lunch today??

--Sandeep Ranade

Occam's RAZR

Occam's Razor states "Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity". According to the Razor, if there are two theories explaining a phenomenon, the simplest is often correct. I should mention at the outset that this law is a heuristic, and there are counter-examples. However, its been used prolifically in almost all fields including Computer Science, Biology, Medicine, Philosophy, Statistics and even Religion.

An attempt to apply Occam's Razor to itself yields the statement, "The simplest explanation is the best". This is a good heuristic that can be widely (and wildly) applied. Leonardo da Vinci extended this to the statement "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". He associated simplicity with sophistication and elegance. One can use this simple principle almost everywhere in life.

We use gadgets like computers, cell phones, music players, GPS navigation systems, etc. More often than not, these devices have very complex interfaces that only 13 year old kids can operate easily and with expertise. Almost everyone who was not 13 when the device surfaced in the market has trouble with intricate and often counter-intuitive interfaces.

There was a generation that defied Occam's razor and associated complexity and esotericity with sophistication and usability. Elegance was defined as a 3 mega-pixel camera that cost a thousand dollars, which only the owner's pre-teen nephew could operate. Computer programs would almost always boast hugely complex menus, large scary sounding dialog boxes, millions of features no one ever used, hundreds of buttons on the screen, etc. In fact, if it didn't have these attributes, it often became a marketing nightmare to convince the users that it was useful. Website designs, advertisements, musical scores, government forms, corporate processes, logos, etc were invariably full of intricate detail. Those years should be called the "Era of Complexity".

In the later half of this decade, people have been giving more thought to the fact that simplicity may actually enhance usability. This line of thinking is quickly ushering in the Era of Simplicity. Thinkers, Designers, Artists, Programmers, user interface developers for applications and devices, media people have started pushing the idea that the simplest interface is in fact, the best. This is a restatement of the Razor for the technology era.

Taking simplicity seriously, and the world by storm are Google (the minimalistic search interface created a fanatic fan following), Apple with it's IPod Nano and Motorola with the simple, yet elegant cell phone RAZR, both of which have become fashion statements. The Das Keyboard takes Occam's principle to the limit -- an all-black keyboard with completely blank keys!

The nerd acronym for Occam's Razor is KISS (Keep It Short and Simple). This is a good heuristic for most things. We can apply the KISS philosophy to language, lifestyle, design, law, etc. The simplest way to say a sentence is often the cleanest way. The Constitution was written in the Era of Complexity and this excludes many from understanding the law clearly. Complex language also can create multiple interpretations thus making law a very lucrative career. Disaster often happens when people misinterpret complex instructions which were worded that way for sake of lucid comprehension. Adding complexity for disambiguating semantics often muddles it.

A simple formula gives us the amount of information packed in a given chunk of data, and redundancy reduces it's quality. This is a direct derivation of Occam's Razor. This means that the amount of information doesnt depend on the number of bits the data chunk contains, but rather on the lack of redundancy (also called entropy). Thus, a stream of a million A's has very little information content, as it can be simplified to the form {A, million}. In contrast, a stream of purely random numbers contains a large amount of information as further encoding may actually increase the size of the stream. This is a well known result in Information Theory, and the take-away message is -- "the simpler the encoding, the better the result".

Logos, scores, websites, Ads, posters, interfaces, clothes, furniture and even recepies are getting simpler. Some are almost minimalistic. This in my opinion is a good trend. If it's redundant, remove it. More of us should apply this law to make our lives simpler. In fact, the whole world needs a user interface review, to attempt to remove all unnecessary complexity and boil it all down to the simplest possible useful interface.

I am not saying that we should eliminate complexity. Its all relative. There will always be complexity in the universe. There will also be a threshold beyond which, adding any more intricacies will be useless, and even hamper efficiency. Every bit of complexity added increases the likelihood of error. Given a model, we should strive to find the simplest possible explanation; given a problem, to find the simplest possible correct solution.

The motto of the "Era of Simplicity" should simply be Simplest is Best.

--Sandeep Ranade

Are we the weirdos on Planet Earth?

I visited the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington DC a week ago. It was very impressive -- a large campus splattered with a variety of trees, but it got me thinking. As I made the rounds of the zoo, a sudden realization shattered my homo-centric thinking patterns.

Humans think, that humans, by definition, are normal. We believe that we are the golden standard to which all living beings should be compared with. As I was touring the zoo observing various co-habitants of Earth, I realized that we may not be the golden standard after all. Do technological advances really mean that we are an advanced species?

We keep animals in cages and often charge people to gawk at them. The zoo officials get to play god to these defenseless animals while the management gets to sell Giant Panda "teddy bears". If humans are put in cages and made into an entertainment/educational show, everyone will agree, that is cruelty. But we do much worse to the animals and call it conserving wildlife! Zoos around the world are involved in conservation efforts, but I am not convinced that this particular method for preserving nature is the right one.

I observed the Zebra caged in an enclosure near the Spotted cheetah. That's like putting me in a cage adjoining one that houses my school Gym teacher. In both cases, normal digestive functions are suspended as the bowel retracts in fear. That, in my opinion, was beyond cruel.

As I was reading the names of exotic species outside their displays, I was appalled at the insensitivity we show towards our co-species. "Red-bellied Tortoise", "Three-toed amphiuma", "Rat-tailed Rat snake", "Black Tailed Prairie Dog" were the kind of names that we have given to spectacular animal species. Is this not politically incorrect? If I call someone "Lilly-Livered, Yellow-bellied chicken-hearted scardy-cat", I'm sure I will be subpoenaed. This insult is not only insulting to flowers, poultry and cats, its also colorist. Names like "Emperor Newt" and "Common musk turtle" are undoubtedly racist. If we make an effort to be sensitive and politically correct when humans are concerned, why cant we do the same towards other life forms?

The Giant Panda and it's new-born baby was the big new exhibit at the zoo. The Panda mother was sleeping in a creeper-lined cave that opened towards us. It was a hot afternoon, and the poor panda was catching up on forty winks. The people around noisily photographed her with blinding flashes. It is painful to imagine even one afternoon when I am trying to nap, and people are staring, talking loudly and photographing me with bright flashes. I felt sorry for the captive panda mother who has to face this torture from 6am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

The invertebrate exhibit fascinated me. The most spectacular, goose-bumpy denizen of the deep was the giant octopus. Floating in a glass cage barely 4 times it's volume, it was orange in color, it looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger when it filled it's "mouth" with water and expelled it, propelling it's body in the water. With it's eight graceful sucker-enhanced tentacles, it looked surreal as it hovered in the water. It's eyes made it seem angry towards the world, and its pulsating body gave the impression that it was cursing silently at it's predicament. The octopus almost looked alien (by standards established by most science fiction writers), which itself is an insult to it's species, as it has been in existence for more time than humans have.

Invertebrates like spiders, crabs, sea urchins, coral, anemones, ants, cockroaches, lobsters, centipedes etc inspired a thought -- if we think that they are weird and creepy, we must be even weirder and creepier. These creatures have inhabited earth for billions of years more than us humans, and deserve respect. We are the creepy ones with obsessions and perversions. We have been playing God with these innocent beings, and we must find better ways of giving them space and privacy, and the answer is not Zoos!

We talk about being inhuman, but is that the correct term? Are we humane by definition? Do we care, respect and love our co-habitants? Do we alleviate their suffering? Is 'Humanity' a human characteristic? I tend to disagree. Being cruel, uncaring, self-centered and dominating is the defining human characteristic. There are very few humans in the world that feel and do otherwise. They are the exceptions to the rule.

Thus the word humane in my dictionary would look like:
Humane (Adjective)
Lacking kindness, pity or compassion; cruel, deficient in emotional warmth, monstrous.

I have coined a new word to express this new insight.
Animane (Adjective)
characterized by kindness, mercy or compassion,as is the nature of animals (except humans)

--Sandeep Ranade

The Law of Conservation of Karma

Karma. The law of cause and effect. Karma literally means action. Everything one does amounts to karma. As the theory goes, positive karma is generated when one does a good deed, and negative, when one commits a bad deed.

The ancient Hindu philosophy (among others) states that karma is always conserved, and the cumulative sum of karma decides one's destiny. Translated to English, it means "Good Karma will return to you as a good turn, Bad Karma will come back and bite you!". This policy is a good rule of thumb for guilt free living.

Many people discard this as oriental hocus-pocus. But on deeper reflection, one can see reason, and a logical explanation. If one does a good thing for someone, the overall goodwill generated (on an average) will be positive and proportional to the goodness of the deed. Inversely, the bad-will generated will be negative and proportional to the badness of the deed.

Good-will or Bad-will is like a gas, in that, it dissipates in the surrounding area fairly quickly. Moods are infectious to some extent and result in creation of a larger area of dissipation of good/bad will. Assuming seven degrees of separation and some threshold chaos, there is formation of non-linear pathways from one point on the globe to another. Dissipation of mood is thus very fast and can be called rapid random mixing.

Thus the overall mood generated by one person quickly dissipates, comes full circle, and affects him indirectly. On analyzing randomized algorithms involving rapid mixing, topological connectivity and social networking, one may, within reasonable limits, show a law of conservation in the long run. This is an interesting (though extremely challenging) exercise in Combinatorial and Markovian analysis, which is left to the reader (It's too hard for me!).

If now, the law holds within reason, to some degree of approximation, we can think of the current state of the universe, and maybe even predict the future, based on the current levels of positive and negative karma, the trends, and the dissipation constant.

The world has been generating increasing amounts of negative karma in this century, than in the last century. There is no quantifying proof for this, but is a reasonable observation based on news, Slashdot and interaction with fellow humans. Given the advent of higher connectivity opportunities like email, Instant Messaging, Cell phones, International travel, the Internet etc, we are decreasing the degrees of separation between two individuals on the globe. This is going to make the effects of the law faster acting and more intense, as the dissipation entropy will be smaller.

Anything man made is clearly karma. But can the law of karma also apply to natural disasters? Is there a logical way to explain this last bout of the manifestation of Nature's fury? Aids, Ebola, Cancer, Tsunamis, Floods, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Hurricanes etc have been explained by some people as "Negative Karma coming and biting you". Their argument seems to justify certain people's losses by saying that they deserved it. Is that fair?

I think, to some extent, we may be generating indirect "negative" karma by pollution causing the hole in the Ozone layer, global warming which causes hurricanes to gather more power. Diseases are attributed to pesticides, chemicals, immoral physical relationships, and bad lifestyle. Mining activity, nuclear explosives testing, large scale building etc. are apparently causes for earthquakes (and thus tsunamis and volcanoes).

Is accumulating Positive karma the solution to all misery? Is it as simple as building a solid Credit History? I do not have answers to these questions, but just a conjuncture. If everyone starts a "Karma Bank Account", and deposits small amounts of positive karma to it daily (those with a Negative karma balance will have to work harder), at the end of say, an year or so, there will be a large population, rich in positive karma.

Since this karma dissipates fast, an year's time will be enough to observe a marked change in the world. Lets all start the Karma-Account and start making deposits today. If enough people perform this experiment, the world will be a better place very soon.

Happy Kumulative Karma Kollection.

--Sandeep Ranade

The Open-Source Universe

As a Computer Scientist and a nerd, I believe that the Universe is like a gigantic programming construct unfolding in all it's glory. All large programs are hard to reverse engineer, specially at the assembly level! It becomes specially hard when even after centuries of scientific progress, we have only unraveled a small portion of the universal assembly instruction code.

The Universe manifests itself by doing something analogous to invoking a function or subroutine. The same functional block of code is used to do repetitive activities. We, as observers, cannot see the code behind the actions. As we continue debugging the universe, we find increasing amounts of detail, boundary conditions, variables and constants, structures, overloaded functions and even recursive code! However, since we don't have access to higher level routines, we can only postulate their design and structure by extrapolating that of the lower level subroutines.

If the universe is Open-Source, we will have the opportunity to read it and understand it, and thus gain insight into the design and implementation of the Universe. We will then be able to design extensions or plugins that allow us to exploit the power of the universal code base to our own advantage. Time Travel, Tapping into the energy of a black hole, warp drive, Anti-Gravity etc could all be plugins! Evolving into a Type 3 Civilization could be achieved in a time many orders of magnitude shorter, with access to this source code.

Universal routines for climate, combustion, natural disasters, chemical composition etc could be tweaked. Energy generation, transmission and efficiency could be tuned to global maxima. The very fabric of space-time might be programmable. We might be able to device search engines for particular code patterns, code analyzers and a cross-reference for the universal code. Instant messaging could now take place across galaxies. Science fiction concepts like warp drive, ram-drives, Ringworld, teletransportation, etc. will be science, but no longer fiction! Space-Time Utilizing Programmable Intelligent Devices (STUPID) shaped like long thin rods that can alter space time dynamically, could be a reality. Harry Potter and Dumbeldore will no longer be special as Muggles will carry STUPID wands!

We need a more powerful programming construct to express large systems like the Universe. I postulate, that the construct will exist in higher dimensions, allowing a larger and a more complex structure to be expressed concisely. This might require a more powerful form of grammar along with a new complexity theory and mathematical constructs.

Computationally, we might be able to use the universal processing power to speed up computation by many orders of magnitudes. Parallel Universal Multidimensional Processing (PUMP) will become the buzzword of the future. NP (non-polynomial) problems will become P (polynomial), and suddenly, a new realm of problems that was previously forbidden, will open up for us to solve. Scientists will be able to pump data into the universal processor to solve very complex problems.

Nerds from intelligent civilizations in the Universe will be able to submit patches to the Open-Source-Universe project and repair faulty routines or improve the code quality. Bugs like disease, exploding volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, radiation, meteorite showers, etc could be repaired by a patch.

Genetic Biologists have been partially successful in digging into the quaternary level code of the body, whose assembler instructions are in the form of gene sequences forming the DNA. Each combination of 3 base pairs of nucleotides forms a codon, which is the unit operational code (opcode) of the body's assembly code. However, we are still in the dark as the routines and modules coded in some higher level language which then get compiled to the DNA code!

If we could understand the higher level subroutines in the universe, life would be so much easier! Imagine that we discover a subroutine called do_age(int increment), we could reprogram it either with an increment of zero, or call a different subroutine in its place. Similarly, we could substitute functions like execute_cancer(type_t cancer_type, location_t location, double intensity), cause_hairline_to_recede(double length), gain_weight(double weight),
by more pleasing substitutes. AIDS, Ebola, diabetes, and other viral fevers could simply be eradicated by reconfiguring the body's firewall. Conceptually, we could reprogram the main loop do_live(void) to include the function be_healthy(void).

However, what if human (or alien) hackers now start writing viruses and worms for the Universe instead of just computer systems? That would be orders of magnitude more scary! Today the worse a hacker can do is shut off the Internet for a day or two, or delete all my data. But imagine if someone writes a worm for the Universe that, when installed, causes random explosions in the Universe, causes planets to go off orbit and spiral into the Sun, or creates intelligent, virulent new diseases in the galaxy. Bio-security and Anti-Virus companies will spring up everywhere providing patches to the human genome to repair some security flaw that got exploited. Companies like Googlalaxy, Intergalactic BioSecurity Machines (IBM), NanoSoft, Neutron-Sun etc. will control galactic computing resources.

The negative side of understanding the universal code is inevitable given that humans are often evil and selfish. The only consolation is that if the Universe is open source, understanding of the flaws and security hazards will be tremendously easy.

The only question in my mind is, that even if by some miracle, we hit upon the developer's repository of the Universal Source Code, which big corporation will try to patent it first?!

--Sandeep Ranade

Life is nicer with a background score

I am a musician. An Indian Classical singer. I have been singing for a tad less than two decades now. Many think, that singing, by definition must be audible. That is a misconception. I can sing in my head, and in fact that is exactly what I do for most of the day.


All my music is spontaneous and reflects my state of mind. The music in my head changes with my mood, and the situation. The tempo increases when I am excited, slows down when I am down. The raga [1] (melody, composition) too follows my mood, as does the ornamentation. Alaapi[2] reflects calmness, laziness, relaxation; Sargam[3] reflects excitement, happiness, anxiety and even restlessness; Taans[4] express a high, extra-creative surges, passion and sometimes anger!

I have noticed, that in the mornings, I sing (in my head) morning ragas. Lalit when I am serious, Ahir Bhairav when I am feeling good, Bairagi when I want to get away from it all, Gujri Todi when I am excited or in a hurry, Bilaskhani-todi when I feel serene or devotional and Charukeshi when I feel romantic or enthusiastic.

In the afternoon, my mind renders noon and early evening ragas. Bhimpalas when I can feel the heat, but also feel a cool breeze on my face, Suddha Sarang when I am feeling slightly anxious, Vrindawani Sarang when I feel warm and cheerful, Madhuwanti when I feel the loneliness of dusk, Multani when I feel saddened, or irritated, Yaman when I feel happy, or philosophical, or even sad.

At night, I seem to be capable of a wider spectrum of moods, and my mind spontaneously dives into the raga that expresses it effectively. Baageshri typifies romance, but for me it also expresses everything from sadness to loneliness, amorousness to devotion and happiness to serenity. Malkauns also sweeps through an equally wide spectrum. Kalawati makes me feel at home, Bhinna Shadaj makes me ponder on the deeper nature of things, Marwa is when I long for my loved ones, or am depressed, Puriya Dhanashri , "Puriya Kalyan are quite versatile, expressing a wide range of bitter-sweet blues. Hansadhwani is when I feel helpful, cheerful, selfless and enthusiastic. This list can go on quite a bit, but I am sure you get the picture.

There are some ragas that are seasonal. Malhar and all it's varieties signify the rain, describing everything from nature's glory to the associated fear, romance to thrills and the electric excitement caused by the monsoons. Megh, Ramdasi, Miyaan, Gaud are variations on the basic theme of rain. Basant is sung in Basant ritu, or the season that makes it's appearance around Holi (April), after the Hemant season. This is the season that ushers the blooming of flowers, the singing of birds like Kokila (cuckoo), the humming of the bees, ripening of fruit and harvest etc. From the description of Basant in the ancient poetic compositions, Spring would be it's Western counterpart.

Don't think, that it's a one-to-one relationship; a particular mood doesn't dictate a particular raga, nor the other way around. Every raga is capable of expressing a wide gamut of expressions, and one's mood and many other factors go into the choice of the raga-mood correspondence.

I love to sing out aloud when I am walking, and out of earshot of the other pedestrians, and while driving. In fact, when I rode my motorbike, back in India, the tempo of my singing often matched the speed with which I drove! Sometimes, I sang some really memorable stuff, and at times I would get so engrossed in a particular taan, I often forgot to turn and would crash into a wall, or a fence! Luckily, I wore a helmet. I still remember the taan though!

In conclusion, my life has a musical score that changes with the type, intensity and the mood of the scene being enacted. I think life becomes much more palatable with the background music than without! I think that the music director must be given an award, don't you?

--Sandeep Ranade

Definitions

[1] Raga: A traditional compositional framework for improvisation in Hindustani Classical music, consisting of a theme that expresses an aspect of emotions, devotion, feelings etc. and sets forth a tonal system on which variations are improvised within a framework of progressions, melodic formulas and rhythmic patterns. Ragas are often based on a temporal classification.

[2] Alaapi (Alap) : The introductory section of any Hindustani music performance. Improvisation based on the rules of the raga being rendered, its length may vary from a few minutes to many hours depending upon the creative ability of the artist.

[3] Sargam: The Hindustani or North Indian equivalent to the western solfege. Explicit intonation (or pronunciation) of the names of the notes (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) in patterns of varying tempo.

[4] Taan: An improvised phrase, often performed at a fast tempo, based on the raga being performed. Often the most challenging part of the concert. Lengths, tempos and intricacy of patterns are based on the artist's skill.

Olfactory Factory

Do you know what the biggest difference between India and the United States of America is? It's not the economy, standard of living, language, pollution, cleanliness, discipline, etiquette or even the food!

I hit upon this insight yesterday! It’s the smells!

After living in the United States for almost an year, I discovered this subtle olfactory fact! All smells are muted here. It's almost as if all smells were diluted.

As I started thinking about smells, I realized that I have strong memories associated with smell. In fact, I don't remember reminiscing about a memory that was triggered by a scent or being moved by an aroma even once after coming to the US. In fact my initial home sickness may have been associated more with this diminished potency of aromas, than the 3 ‘F’s’ -- Family, Friends and Food!

The wafting spicy scent of “Pav bhaji”, or the rich aroma which emanates from restaurants always triggers memories of great parties with friends and family! Chatting through the night, enjoying great food, and having a great time. On the other hand, restaurants in the US are so clean, that there is only the smell of Lysol -- even that is very mild. No memories there!

The smell of the “mogra-gajras” (a garland worn in the hair by ladies, generally on festive occasions) always takes me back to those amazing Diwali, Ganpati and Holi gatherings. Music, dances, festive lighting, and of course great food! Here, in the US, festive occasions are once in a blue moon, and even then, the predominant fragrance is the resultant of mixing Chanel, Elizabeth Arden and Christian Dior. Talk about subtle!

The smell of fresh rain on the soil always evokes powerful rainy-day memories. Watching the rains swirl around you, the high-bass rumble of thunder, the crazy zig-zagging of lightning, like some drunk driver in the sky, sipping hot ginger tea while enjoying the trees dance to the rhythm of the winds, are all memories that flood the mind. Even this scent is muted in the US. It's very disconcerting not to be able to inhale the invigorating air just after a fresh shower!

Weddings have their own aromatic charm. Gulab-Jal (rose-water), Chandan (Sandalwood), Steaming Pulav, bouquets, ladies wearing copious amounts of perfume, the fried “puris”, all add up to create an atmosphere. Ceremonies in the US are mild (in the olfactory domain) to the extent of being bland!

As winter closes in, and Diwali approaches, there is a distinct change in the overall air. The air carries a smell which invokes excitement and festivity. In fact, the cold air makes the smells in the air more potent, and cause them to linger longer. Here, in the US, winter air is especially odorless! Maybe all that snow absorbs all odors from the air!

Even the flowers in India smell better than those here. Fruits and Vegetables have a better flavor. Tea tastes better. Cheese is tastier, even the water is sweeter!

Maybe its me ... my nose has been extra sharp for as long as i know. But in my opinion, the US may have one of the most leading economies, but it still lacks richness in it’s smells! India on the other hand may still be a developing country, but as far as my nose goes, it's far more advanced in the area of Flavors, than most advanced countries!

--Sandeep Ranade

Controlling the speed of thought

This just in! Scientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have demonstrated successfully that they can not only slow down the speed of light, but also increase it beyond the universal constant 'c'. This is tremendous news, not only for the telecommunication and microprocessor industry, but also because it motivates similar lines of thinking in other areas.

Imagine for a moment if we could control the speed of thoughts. An electro-enzymatic gadget embedded in our inner cortex, controlled using a specific thought controlled neural circuit. This would be the next big thing after nano-tubules and aerogel! This device could usher the age of docility and good relationships!

If we could speed up our thoughts, we could see more people solve complex problems quickly. Slow learners could catch up with the rest of the crowd. People could think "on their feet", and think their way out of tight spots. Scientists could find patterns in the world that they previously lacked the "processing power" to do before. Basically, humans would now be able to perform activities, as if fitted with a faster processor!

Now, if we could slow down our thoughts, then we could have more time to react to an insult. Impulse driven, adrenaline induced, emotionally charged actions will instead give way to thoughtful speech and actions. Surges of rage will now be less as intense affecting directly the quality of relationships. Virtues like compassion, respect, selflessness, empathy will become more pronounced in society. Just like missile tracking technology, we would have time to analyze the path of a thought and prevent any destruction that may lie in it's path.

Slowing down our thoughts would also allow other thoughts to get "scheduled" in the brain for processing, allowing us to analyze our thoughts clearly. Creation of new thoughts will happen more frequently as obsessive thoughts have been slowed down enough. In essence we could have highly effective thought monitors in the brain that monitor, profile and prevent thoughts from crashing, and preventing a debilitating brain-freeze! (forgive the analogy between multi-threading, process scheduling and kernel crashes, but thats an occupational hazard!)

This technology would also allow us to control the speed of individual thoughts. Thats like having a media-player-like interface to thoughts. Controls like "pause", "half speed", "fast forward", "next track" etc will now be available per thought. We will be able to select which thoughts we want to progress, and retard the development of certain other thoughts.

A very scary thought is if the government creates and enforces a "thought control" policy, where certain thoughts are censored, and others are encouraged, there is a speed limit for thoughts, and zones, where certain thoughts are not allowed. Of course, the government will certainly censor this scary thought the first! Lets hope that the government doesn't enforce mandatory thought control on its population. Well, maybe just the delinquents and law-breakers!

What if now, we could now control individual thoughts by programming such policies into the device. We could then have a XML configuration script that looks like the following sample script :

<thoughts>
<encourage>
    happy thoughts, erotic thoughts, lazy thoughts,
    creative thoughts
</encourage>
<discourage>
    studious thoughts, helpful thoughts, selfless thoughts,
    depressive thoughts
</discourage>
</thoughts>

I think this device will need parental control! Talk about meta-control!

Lets now attempt a thought exercise (forgive the pun). Thought "Tai Chi", and Thought “weight training”. Energizing the thoughts by slowly and consciously allowing thoughts to flow, and guiding them along certain paths. By Weight-training, we can strengthen thoughts by strenuous activity. Of course one could achieve the same effect by meditation and calculus! Using the device for thought "workouts" will be like using machines instead of free-weights!

Let us reduce the speed of thoughts even further. Standstill thoughts. Or rather, no active thoughts coursing through your brain. This state of mind is rather rare, and very powerful. If one was able to shut of thoughts as wanted, peace of mind would not remain a pipe dream anymore. Deep, dreamless sleep would be just a button-click away. Anxiety, restlessness, worry, tension, anger and other Pandora's box's psycho-disruptive residents will be boxed -- once more. Psychosomatic diseases will essentially disappear. Everyone except Pandora will be happy!

For centuries, ancient Indian sages have used a technique to control the speed of thoughts, that DARPA will not fund as a research proposal any time soon! Meditation and yoga. Meditation has been maligned by misinformed practitioners. In this age of Razars, IPods and Tivos, meditation has become a status symbol. Many believe that meditation and yoga is just oriental occultism, others believe its Hollywood hocus-pocus. In reality, its a powerful technique to control one's thoughts. If practiced correctly and passionately, this century might be the one in which humans progress the most – not towards Jupiter and space colonies – towards peace of mind and happiness.

In the final stages of mediation, the expert practitioner can slow down not only individual thoughts, but also the rate of their creation. It's the ultimate mind-body control through thought. Hunger, thirst, pain, emotions, disease etc are just the physical manifestation of thought. Meditation also allows one to peer deep into one's subconscious without being distracted by flocks of fleeting thoughts. Thoughts are like ripples on the surface of the mind, without which one can peer deep into the depths of a calm mind.

So, as part of the exercise routine, we could strengthen thoughts and even stop them altogether. Not that this is easy ... its one of the most difficult things one could attempt. But the attempt itself, even if unsuccessful, will teach a lot. It will gives insight not only into the attributes of individual thoughts, but the chain of thoughts that lead to it. The metamorphosis of one thought into another, and the evolution of distinct thoughts is clearly visible. So, even if we are unable to stop all thought, we will still be able to predict the direction of evolution, and guide it. This ability is quite a powerful tool to posses!

So, let us all give some thought to this “control", and some “control” to these thoughts.

--Sandeep Ranade, 20 August, 2005