Can sensory organs exchange their roles?

Can blind ever truly see? There is evidence in medical history, as depicted in Sam Kean’s book ‘The tale of the Duelling Surgeons’: One Behm could see through his tongue or James Holman through his ears. He adds, “It seems that our brains can swap one sense for another no matter how it gets piped in. From a purely scientific angle, all sensory input looks pretty much the same after it leaves the sense organ and enters the nervous system. It is really our neuron circuits in the brain that decipher the signals conjure up perceptions and not the sensory equipment”. One has to ‘train the organ’ for the ‘other function’!

Is it mystical? Could it be possible in the realm of science? Can you train your ear to see for example? Don’t wave off your hand to deny such a possibility.

Even renowned scientists are prone to make grossly erroneous predictions! The great Einstein himself is no exception. Neils Bohr could not convince Einstein of Quantum nature of the particles! Einstein had his own conviction of ‘God does not play dice’ to counter the role of statistics in ‘nature’! All time great Einstein’s relativity theory might have rewritten Newton’s, but Quantum mechanics is here to stay unravelling many a mysteries, no matter what may be the considered opinion of Einstein!

So, It appears, one day we can order from Amazon, gadgets to see, hear, smell and sense without the respective sensory organs!

Mumbai to Pune in half an hour by Train?

With time becoming more and more a valuable commodity, the transportation industry is ready with a new way of thinking.

A company in USA, Virgin Hyperloop One, is testing a system for mass transportation at an astronomical speeds reaching upto 1000 Kmph. This would dwarf the present day rail travel with speeds not exceeding even half of this.

This is one of several companies in the United States, Canada and other countries developing hyperloop technology. The concept was promoted by Elan Musk, of electric-car Tesla and a private-rocket SpaceX tycoon and offered by one of his companies as open-source technology available to all. It works by propelling pods using magnetic levitation through a low-pressure, near-vacuum tube.

The low pressure minimizes friction and air resistance, greatly reducing the power needed. And because the pods travel in a tube, they’re not subject to shutdowns because of harsh weather like snow and polar vortexes.

To avoid making anyone sick, the system would take three minutes to accelerate to the maximum speed, and the train would need to travel 6 miles to turn 90 degrees.

Because of its slow takeoff rate, “you’ll feel only 30 to 40 percent of the acceleration compared to an airplane,” said the spokesman of Virgin, which has raised $295 million. This company is in the developing this concept with projects in India and Ohio.

Last month, Maharashtra declared the company’s proposed hyperloop system between Pune and Mumbai as an official infrastructure project. Passenger operations could begin by the middle of the next decade, cutting travel time between the cities to 30 minutes, from the present few hours. “The trip will be so smooth”, the company spokesman added, that “coffee won’t slide even at 600 mph”. Construction on a 7-mile test track in Nevada desert could start this year.

But one of my friends curtly remarked, “Let the first Bullet train run in India, then we can think of obsolescence etc; கூழுக்கே வழி இல்லை கொப்பளிக்க பன்னீருக்கு ஏம்பா போற” The famous adage in Tamil that is crudely translated into “should one who can’t even have even porridge, dream wine for goggling?”. But I am an optimist to wish belittling Modi’s Bullet! Too fairy a tale…?

Credits:

economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/travelling-at-600mph-indias-hyperloop-dreams-take-shape-in-the-nevada-desert/articleshow/68057638.cms

Elan Musk – A living Tesla

Would the electric car Tesla make a history in transporting people? Musk said that Tesla drivers would be able to fall asleep and wake up at their destinations using full self-drive by the end of 2020. Tesla reports that every car produced since October 2016 has all the hardware needed to drive itself.

Until then, drivers will have to continue to monitor the technology and be ready to take control of the wheel if something goes wrong, the report said.

While many will be pondering over the safety of car driving while on road, Musk is prepared to risk the lives of those in space vehicles as well. He has demonstrated reuse of launch vehicles of space rockets thereby reducing the cost of space missions.

An interesting debate presently is on between the safety obsessed NASA and space maverick’s SPACEX. Whether ‘load and go’ technology, that is load the supercooled propellant just before takeoff to pack more fuel in the rocket, is safe enough for human travel. The NASA scientists, with two explosions and loosing 14 lives, are obviously averse to the Elan Musk’s idea of pushing the borders of Space Technology. There was a recent explosion of Falcon, the work horse of SpaceX, but fortunately the loss was limited only to a million dollar payload.

Always there is a compromise in safety when commercial interests supersede. This had been the case in Bhopal as well as in some deadly nuclear reactor accidents when one is ambitious in pushing the technology to its limits.

Musk is setting new limits in engineering innovation. Is the great innovator, Nikola Tesla reborn?

Tsunami of change waiting to engulf you

A recent uproar from the ‘’netizens’ is that google tracks your position even when the location option is ‘off’! But hold your breath: Days are not far off when an ‘external algorithm’ will know you better than You know yourself; they would make better selections ‘than’ you ‘for’ you! The pace with which the artificial intelligence technology is taking over our life, the run-of- the-mill jobs would soon be handed over to AI robots that would interact and provide solutions better than a human interface. The murmurs of loss of privacy with ‘Big Brother’ overseeing, would fade away sooner than later.

The present millennium would inevitably see a host of innovative products and services such as those offering designer genes for off springs, targeted nanobot cyborg therapy, electro-cranial helmets to beat depression and enjoy life with all leading to an age of 80 being the present 50. What else one would need? After all life is about pleasure, health and longevity!

The fear of God would become a myth of the past as the fruits of life would be provided by technology! All the present Religions that promise salvation for good deeds and hell otherwise, would be replaced by a new Religion: humanism with liberal individual free will ‘to do what I feel like’ taking a back seat.

What is taught to the present generation in schools would not be relevant at all to them in the course of even a decade: the linear model of first eduction then earn for ever would soon be replaced by a model of repeated cycles of ‘education – earn’ else one would have to perish.

So don’t cry foul on the Tsunami of change engulfing you…… Be Prepared to face the challenge!!

Talking on eclipse

Do the following have any scientific explanation or simply superstitious?

1. Should not take food during eclipse (rather there should not be any undigested food in the stomach during that time)

2. Should take head bath after eclipse – to ward of the evil?

3. Exposure of pregnant ladies to eclipse would lead to the birth of handicapped children

Many others are off shoots of these basic beliefs. Similar beliefs may be there in other religions as well……they are all from the fear the ancient civilisations had when strange things appear in nature from simple regular features like lightning to rarer phenomenon like earthquake then to still very rare appearances of comets etc., they believed these as fury of God and His anger has to be calmed….

There can be a bit of explanation for solar eclipse as there would be an increase in the UV radiation but that too its overdoing is unexplainable; but the lunar eclipse is a celestial phenomenon worth gazing; isn’t it?

We simply obeyed our elders; the next generation won’t. Escaping the riddle by pronouncing that ‘our hindu custom is centuries old and the present understanding of science is limited, etc., ‘ is putting the debate under the rug;

If anyone has any tangible scientific explanation on eclipse based superstitions, they may kindly share to enable escaping from the dichotomy of non-belief and blind performer of rituals- a paradox of the present generation- neither there nor here?

Artificial Intelligence – an Armageddon in waiting?

Since the beginning of industrial revolution there were fears that mechanisation and automation would lead to job losses. But, not only it created new jobs but the average standard of living improved dramatically. Lost jobs were replaced by newer capabilities. Would this sustain in the new era of Technological disruption caused by artificial intelligence? Solution is indeed unfathomable. For example, the self driving cars with interconnected algorithm, can dramatically reduce the mortality caused by accidents involving over speeding, alcohol abuse and distracted driving. But for the bugs that might be in the algorithms which would eventually be resolved, the automated navigation would reduce drastically the accidents and hence the mortality! It is a welcome sign but What would the redundant drivers do?

In an another plane, an astute banker may become redundant to assess the credibility of a potential borrower. Even complex negotiations may not be the forte of experienced and skilled executives – a system with right sensors to interpret the facial expressions, hand movements and even body odours would make fewer mistakes, can guide far more accurately and reliably. The highly remunerative white collar jobs would be mutely surrendered to technology!

The physical capabilities of humans were replaced by machines in the last century- and now the cognitive functions are at the risk of being replaced by sensors and algorithms. Where are these evolutions leading the next generation to? Would this disruption lead to better and comfortable life -yes… would it lead to job losses or create jobs with newer skills? – may be….

With Brexit and Trump’s protectionist policies to preserve the jobs for the natives, it appears the politicians predict less of job creation. Are they doomsayers….May be … only the coming decade would unfold the mystery!

So don’t cry foul on the Tsunami of change engulfing you…… Be Prepared to face the challenge!!

Ethical dilemma

:Would science and technology prevail over religion?

History has shown that, Evolution favours religion; religious communities cooperate better than nonreligious communities and therefore flourish more readily. But that does not prove their imaginary gods are real!

Isn’t it true that a religion that ignores scientific facts and refuses to change its beliefs is like a fish stranded in a slowly drying pond and refusing to flip to deeper water?

Still, the larger question remains unanswered: Would you live in a world without medicine, electricity, transportation and antibiotics or the one without zealots waging war over fictional tales and imaginary spirits? What larger interests these traditional religions provide for the humanity?

Why should science be considered antagonistic to religious concepts? if religious beliefs are deemed required for societal development then why can’t it take its place ? What essential qualities science lacks for itself being put up on religious pedestal?

My elderly friend Sukumaran Thampi in a comment to one of my FB posts on religion had made a thought provoking statement:

Quote

Thr blind faith in God especially among less educated gives them courage and confidence to face the challenges and tragedies in life. If temples and the religious beliefs are destroyed, may one need large number of psychiatric treatment facilities due to mental ill health that insecurity in life would create.

Every little change in past rituals and practices need to be understood with relation to life and must then be given up, retained or replaced.

Unquote

Well said. It is true that if you have a person in the family or in the society, whose advice you follow without any wavering of mind, gives mental peace whatever may be the outcome. Blind faith in God may be palliative but yet beneficial! Unfortunately agnostics would be missing that option!

Is Aluminium more precious than Gold?

History is stranger than fiction……

Can you believe that untill most part of 19th century, aluminum was the highly precious metal! It is More precious than even Gold and Platinum! Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France who reigned France between 1804 and 1814, reserved his few sets of aluminium dinner plates and eating utensils for his most honored guests while less privileged were served with golden cutleries! Fascinating – isn’t it?

Aluminium and not gold was selected as the material for the cap to sit atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C the construction of which was completed in 1888.

The Hall–Héroult process, invented in 1886 made this once ‘precious’ element so cheap that it is presently very popularly used as ‘inexpensive’ aluminum foils for food!

Looking back – doesn’t it look ludicrous? Next time – in case you are planning to invest in gold, be aware of the history to face surprises.

science and technology always fascinate…

Biodiesel in India

This is not Ramar petrol (of Tamil Nadu fame) formula……

Presently there is commotion to reduce the petrol and diesel price on one hand and the increasing foreign exchange outgo on the other as well as arguably restrain from the government to the lowering of excise duties.

It is heartening that Chhattisgarh is taking initiatives to produce biofuel from the plant ‘Jatropha’ by transforming the farming culture in the state. Under its initiative, Seeds from the fields are sent to a biofuel plant in Raipur, run by Chhattisgarh Bio-Diesel Authority (CBDA), where oil is extracted and sent to Dehradun-based Indian Institute of Petroleum, which developed the biofuel. IIP had been working on biofuel for a while but the challenge was a sustainable supply of jatropha.

Now more than 500 farmers, mainly in Pendra-Marwahi blocks of Bilaspur, signed up for producing Jatropha’ the bio-petroleum oil seed. Over 600 tonnes of seeds have been collected in the past 18 months. Only seeds with 32% oil content, 12% moisture and 98% physical purity are used. The crude oil produced at the CBDA plant in Raipur is transported to IIP, Dehradun. While yield of biodiesel from Four kilos of seed ía a kilo of fuel, The remaining 3kg cake is crushed and used as organic manure.

Jatropha incentives in India is a part of India’s goal to achieve energy independence by the year 2018. Jatropha oil is produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas, a plant that can grow in wastelands across India, and the oil is considered to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. India is keen on reducing its dependence on coal and petroleum to meet its increasing energy demand and encouraging Jatropha cultivation is a crucial component of its energy policy. However, in recent times the bio-fuel policy has come under critical review, on the way it has been promoted.

Though On August 27, a Spicejet flight flew from Dehradun to Delhi with this biofuel, there is still A long way to go…….!!!!!!!

Race between Civilisation and Biological Evolution

The modern day diseases like diabetes, hypertension etc., are primarily due to mismatch between evolution and socio-cultural behaviour. Darwin’s theory of Evolution explains the adaptation of human evolution over thousands’ of years – the evolution closely adapting to the progress of civilisation; his emergency response systems, for a situation like a tiger or enemy approaching him, triggering adrenaline and cortisol to enable him to fight, flight and fright reaction. In today’s protected society such dangers appear in the form of everyday stress, may be in conflicts in the family, or work or in the society, but the expending of these harmones do not happen, resulting in the triggering of immune system mismatch leading to such lifestyle diseases. The civilisation has far overtaken his biological evolution.

While fighting the symptoms of these diseases by medications would be inappropriate as they would only result in suppression of the immune system, moderating the dietary habits along with expecting less from the society, only can be the panacea.

This requires a cultural change that shall start from home and alma mater. Giving less weightage to Competitive compared to team spirit, compulsory meditation and yoga to make it as a daily ritual like brushing the teeth, explaining the evils of rat-race in the society, teaching virtues of modest living, are a few that should form part of the curriculum.

Alas…Our generation is a lost one… somehow we want to win over the other.. as an individual or as a cultural entity…at least let the future generation enjoy the life and lead a peaceful life …