On Pseudo-Science and Anecdotes

Joel Spolsky has criticized the pseudo-science employed in some of the recent best sellers. I now feel guilty of reading all the books he has mentioned:

• Thomas Friedman's "The World Is Flat"


• Malcom Gladwell's "The Tipping Point


• Naseem Taleb's "The Black Swan"

Deep inside me, I also held the same opinion as Joel. But how would I have come to differentiate "pseudo-science" from "real-science" without reading such books?

Zombies!

First, it was parthenogenesis of Komodo dragons, and then I came to know about the same for sharks. Now, we have zombie cockroaches and spiders.

There is a creepy video on YouTube which is a must see (if you can stand creepy stuff).

Another Instance of Parthenogenesis!

As if the Komodo Dragons' virgin birth was less surprising, this time sharks in captivity have reproduced asexually!!

A more detailed article on the phenomenon can be found here.

Ingredients of a Genius

What's common in Einstein and Edison apart from the starting letter of their names? Einstein was one of the most dull students of his class until he started studying Mathematics after high-school (with support from his father and uncle). Edison was considered a symbol of disgrace by his teacher. But his mother withdrew him from school and taught science to him herself! Both the men were genii and their creations have significantly affected our lives.

Nature has rules and they aren't usually violated. I believe that there are rules that dictate when a genius has to be born! At the least, I have found one thing common in every person who is commonly thought of as a genius: One or both of the gifted child's parents belong to the same field in which he later shows expertise. It's the continuous struggle and interest of the parents which gives the child a good start - a start from where his parents left off!

An individual is based on two things: what he inherits from his parent(s) and how the environment affects him. In terms of being eminent, these correspond to hereditary intelligence and hard work. Also, I believe that if you are interested in some field but couldn't prove to be "eminent" in it, try putting your child into it in very early ages. The results would be very promising.

These ideas of mine are based on the biographies of great people that I read during my student years. However, recently, I was surprised to learn that Francis Galton did an extensive research on similar lines and published his work as Hereditary Genius: An Inquiry into Its Laws and Consequences in 1869. He studied men from various fields of life: men who are born leaders, great warriors, eminent scientists, gifted poets, etc. He, then, checks the family tree of these eminent people to discover parents/ siblings in the same field - in a very thorough manner as compared to what I did.

Quite interestingly, though Darwinish it may sound, Galton states that particularly in order to be a successful person in science, you need to have an able mother and I agree. Ofcourse, there is a margin of error in everything and that's where probability kicks in!

This post was written several years ago; it must be read in conjunction with a review of Outliers.

Why? Because I believe something you do not? No! I stand here without fear because I remember. I remember that I am here not because of the path that lies before me, but because of the path that lies behind me!
(Morpheus: The Matrix Reloaded)

The Center and Its Importance

For every activity there is a center, like the vortex of a whirlpool or the yolk of an egg. Usually there is an orbital (or at least a fixed) path associated with the surrounding particles. The center not only provides the centripetal force which is necessary for orbital motion but sometimes has other very important functions to perform. For example, here's an article which states that the nucleus is really the living cell's mothership, a crucial and very active source of information, support and control.

Though not exactly orbital, blood circulates in the body following a fixed path, going through the heart. The heart is the center and the only instance when blood violates its definite path is when bleeding occurs.

The orbital motion is very prominent in the electrons tied to every atom's nucleus; the moon of every planet; the planets of every sun, etc. Not surprisingly, Muslims perform a circular ritual around Ka'aba during Haj. This center of all the activity has to be practically demonstrated at least once in a lifetime.

If something breaks its designated path, it goes astray. The suns and moons are very obedient creations (some people would like to replace the word obedient with dumb). But man has been given choice, which unfortunately is a very complex topic. The life of a human being can revolve around many centers. Or in other words, the center keeps shifting. To realize/ recognize our true center is the first and foremost duty.

A long time ago, PTV telecasted a very good drama with the title, "2 Suraj ka Siyara" (which translates into A Planet of Two Suns). Are you a planet of more than one sun?


"I am a trafficker of information, I know everything I can. The question is, do you know why you are here?"
(Merovingian: The Matrix Reloaded)

The Quest for Completeness

Much has been said and written about the quest for completeness in human beings and thus the attraction towards the opposite. What we term as attraction is actually "completeness being sought." This completeness can't be attained by merging the opposites but by merging things that complement each other.

Take example of two opposite poles of a magnet. What the north pole possesses isn't available to the south pole and what the north pole lacks can only be fulfilled by the south pole. Thus, they get attracted and combine to manifest unity.

Look into another example of two oppositely charged particles. Both positive and negative particles actually seek "completeness" which makes them come close to each other and thus unite. Positive and negative charged particles are not opposites [They don't cancel each other. "Light" and "dark" are real opposites.] Charged particles complement each other to form unity. Everything in this universe is in search for its missing parts.

What makes Na (sodium) react with Cl (chlorine)? If you remember lessons from your high school chemistry, sodium has 1 electron in its outermost shell while chlorine has 7. Sodium can "complete" its outermost shell by losing one electron (where completeness is defined as having the last shell 2 or 8 electrons) and chlorine can "complete" its outermost shell by gaining an electron. Thus, its the universal quest for completeness that makes them have an attraction towards each other and hence combine to form sodium cholride (table salt).


And based on my experience I would say that people who are almost alike in personalities can never constitute a good friendship; there is usually a teacher-student relationship in these cases or worse: there is professional jealousy in these cases. So even our friendship is a manifestation of a lost part of our-self. And this brings me to a very perplexing question: "Where exactly do I end and where exactly do you, my friend, begin?"

Patterns for Humanity?

The effect of diversity on the quality of a solution is interesting. But I must say that diversity is itself a manifestation of unity! Otherwise, what good these patterns are! One would be justified in saying that application of these patterns to human beings is really complex. Actually, the complexity arises from only one thing: choice! This very word is one of the core issues discussed in the trilogy of Matrix movies.

Agent Smith: Mr. Anderson, you must know it by now! You can't win, it's pointless to keep fighting! Why, Mr. Anderson, why, why do you persist?
Neo: Because I choose to.
(Matrix Revolutions)

The issues are getting out of my grasp but still the comments provide an alternative view point of some intelligent people. On with the show:

Stagnation is Death:

Have you ever wondered why 0K (Zero Kelvin) is the lowest possible temperature? Life is all about being dynamic. Everything in the entire universe is moving - from things smaller than electrons to solar systems and beyond. Matter can't be at rest. If it ceases to move, it ceases to exist! An atom must retain at least one quantum of energy and this keeps it from cooling below Absolute Zero. This means that nothing can ever be at rest.

What we term as death is actually a portal - from this world to the presumably broader one. Another form of death within this world lies in being stagnant or in other words, having the state of in-activity - a scholar who no more thinks of new ideas is dead, an IT professional who can't pace with the emerging technologies is obsolete, etc.

Occurrence of events is must for imparting knowledge. The amount of knowledge gained from the occurrence of an event is directly proportional to its rarity (or inversely proportional to its frequency).

Building on the example of the last pattern, when you are pushing a car even in the wrong direction, at the least, you are doing something. And this doing something is very important. In no time, one of the enlightened persons, amongst those who are pushing the car, will realize the wrong way! He would announce it and make sure that people understand the idea. And making mistakes (and learning from them) is as important as doing it right.

But what if there is a stalemate - a situation where everyone is waiting for everyone else to do things for them? Or when everyone is motionless just to avoid some inescapable situation; to avoid a future that exists only in the minds? In the words of Noon Meem Rashid (if I can recall them correctly):

Un-kahi say dartay ho?
Jo abhi naheen howa hai, us ghari say dartay ho?
Un-kahi to tum bhi ho, un-kahi to hum bhi hain.
Khud say tum naheen dartay?

where khud: self,
ghari: moment,
un-kahi: something that hasn't been said yet.

Patterns Debate Continued...

Some of you might be right that life exists only when "the part lives and dies/ has identity within" the whole. As one can argue on anything, I might say that what exactly is within? And we will never reach anywhere. Instead of putting questions just for the sake of argument, I am trying to demystify things and thus will come back to this question sometime in future (when I have a reasonable answer). But do keep your thoughts pouring in!

Present day science and common sense do not explain everything. Still both are the tools that have enabled mankind to come this far. There is a parallel way of being powerful: the paranormal explanation of things. Having interest in both paranormal experiences and scientific laws as well as their intersection, I am not going to support either. This blog is about life in general and practical social life in particular. So this time I am going to discuss the alignment of elements:

Alignment of Elements: The Power Hence

What is the difference between an iron bar and a magnetic bar? No, I am not interested in being told that one attracts the other and hence has power. What I want to know is the difference in internal structures. You can take a piece of iron bar and magnetize it by rubbing a magnet from end A to end B repeatedly (always in the same direction). This would magnetize the iron and give it power; but what has actually changed? It's the orientation of atoms within the iron bar.

Take another example, think of a group of people that are pushing a car where everyone is disoriented and pushing it in a different direction. Where would it take them? Nowhere! What if they are properly aligned and asked to push the car in one specific direction? If all the elements get aligned the power originates from within!

Re-apply this pattern to anything and you would conclude that dis-orientation is powerless and alignment gives you power! The first example is more enlightening in the sense that it seems a bit esoteric. Taking a step further I would say that merely thinking in the same direction (alignment of thought) is very powerful - perhaps that's the basis of importance of prayer with jama'at (congregation).

Do share your thoughts.

"Because you didn't come here to make the choice, you've already made it. You're here to try to understand why you made it. I thought you'd have figured that out by now."
Matrix Reloaded: Oracle

Design Patterns in Nature

Design Patterns is a fancy word in the field of computer science, frequently abused. I take this opportunity to apply the word with reference to Mother Nature. Just as a design pattern serves as a blueprint for solving one particular kind of problems, there are patterns in the nature itself. And just because I have a limited vocabulary, I have used the word Design Pattern for these patterns. Let me know if you can term the following something else:

. System within Individual: Life and its Definition
. Orbital Motion
. Ingredients of a Genius
. Alignment of Elements: The Power Hence
. Attraction Towards the Opposite: The Quest for Completeness
. Generalizing Khans, Blacks and Sikhs (without any racial discrimination)

System within Individual: Life and its Definition

Let me start by putting a question: What are you - an individual or a system? If you think for some time, you are both. And your answer would /should be: "depends on your level of abstraction."

I would then like to put another question: "So if you are a system, why do you think you have life?" And if you are not a thinker this might be a perplexing question.

Let me approach from another direction. If I say that a room in which you are sitting alone is full of life, would you believe me? Think about the micro-organisms and the activities they are doing every moment. If a cell has life then each cell of your body might think that "it has life and it's actually working inside a dumb system with other cells."

Now consider the organization where you work/ study. Isn't each individual person part of a system - whether it's a company or an institute? Does the company have life? Is your educational institute an 'organism'?

Start examining a bee hive - it's a complete system. See inside the hive, you will find individuals - the bees. Take a bee as an individual and dig deeper, see the digestive, neural, respiratory and other systems. Look further inside, you would see a system of tissues and then cells. Don't stop, explore a cell thinking it's an individual and not a system - you would find another complete system (cell membranes, nucleus, acids, etc.). But does it end here? Isn't an acid a system of atoms of various elements? Is an atom an individual or is it again a system of electrons, protons and neutrons? If you think that an electron is not a system, I sympathize with your knowledge of quantum physics [There are Leptons, Baryons, Mesons and the forces].

Is an electron matter or energy? Are you matter or energy?

Re-start from the bee hive and this time start moving in upward direction of abstraction. You will move up and up and will never finish. There is a system within every system! Our concept of life validates only the systems that work as an individual at our level of abstraction!

They say a little knowledge of science takes you away from religion and a comprehensive knowledge of science brings you back! Think about it and let me know via your comments!