Who came before us?

Human civilizations have been built on the foundations of ancestral knowledge, societal wisdom, and cohesive existence. It is no wonder then that a majority of our customs and beliefs are remnants of the ethos of early AD society. At the same time, not just the customs, but the shared genetic material was carried forward as well. We indeed share a lot of hereditary traits, albeit a mishmash of different genealogies, that got filtered through the numerous invasions by delusional rulers that came rushing for India's wealth, ultimately the Mughal rule, and then of course, the British colonization. No wonder then that all talk of 'having a pure genealogy' might be hard to back up if one had the family tree sorted out to the early centuries. But that is none of my concern. Recent trysts with an advanced genetic diseases class I am taking as a part of my coursework, has made more inquisitive about a basic feature that the Indian healthcare system and the society in general seems to lack- Who exactly came before us, and more importantly, what led to their ultimate demise?


The flip side to having a longer life is that we end up overbearing our immune system. As the life expectancy shot up, from periods of endemic flu where a lucky individual would go on to live longer than 50 (don't believe those stories about people living more than 100 years being a norm- not true), to where the average national rate is close to 64.8 years according to the World bank report of 2009, an individual is becoming more and more susceptible to diseases which would have made Sushruta cringe in agony, for there is nothing anyone can do if a part of your genome goes amiss and leaves you vulnerable to the perils of, for example, Alzheimer's disease. The stark reality is that we are slowly moving from the era of 'treatable disease' to an era of 'manageable disease'. Sounds depressing? I hear about it for 3 hours every week. 


Which brings me to a pertinent question-How many of us are aware of our genealogy, or what our ancestors contracted and died off eventually? The question becomes very important, because with advances in genetics and sequencing technology, genetically predisposed individuals can be more easily identified and therefore put on management programs at earlier stages of the advancement of the ailment, thereby prolonging and improving the quality of life. I agree that with only 64 years of our existence as a sovereign state, the management of a national database or formulation of a national policy would take time. But that should be on top of the health ministry's agenda, along with other prevention measures. More importantly, make an effort and try to form a family tree yourself. Ask around from family members if a distant relative's family is a carrier for a disease, for the chances are that even that could perturb your genetic balance one way or the other. You would be surprised to learn that a disease like type 2 diabetes which would not be linked to heredity 50 years ago, has now been shown to be a heritable disease on the brute evidence of advanced sequencing technology and data mining from affected individual's families. 


Knowing what our ancestors did for a living, or whether they were part of a king's court, might be interesting, but knowing what they contracted in their lifetime might actually be life-saving. 


PS: A classic from Ozzy and his troops. Watch the illusion, or the drummer. They are both incredible!

Like a Siberian crane!

For the uninitiated, the Siberian crane is known for its robust migratory pattern during the winter, when mating  necessitates migration to far-off tropical places, in search of a recluse from the sub-zero temperatures. An abstract definition of this phenomenon would be that the search for rosier avenues forces the crane to leave its abode and wander off to uncharted territories, crossing obstacles along the way, and then return home when the time comes. A good enough hint to the direction of this post? I will not be ranting about how we should all become a part of the 'brain gain' phenomenon which has apparently strengthened into a trend during the last decade. To each his/her own! What I will talk about is how desis keep the des alive in their core, even when an eventual reunion with the motherland has been ruled out forever. 

In the good ol' days of IIT, the one time of the year when people would actually look forward to going back home, away from the luxuries of LAN and lukkha, used to be the Diwali week. Of course, 80% of the populace would wait for the last moment, and then adjust themsleves on a train ride to home (all of us have our pleasant memories of traveling in the proverbial cattle class, chatting away merrily while the co-passengers gave us an obnoxious glare at 1 in the night). One reason I always looked forward to it was to rejuvenate myself and come back fresh, with visions of toiling to a bountiful performance during the endsems (suffices to say that it never happened, probably for none of us!). 

This time around, going home was not an option. Not that the travel time was significantly longer, surprisingly. If you are over 15,000 kilometers away from home, it is plausibly better to harden yourself to the cultural alienation that will ensue and imbibe the tectonic shift as a necessity. Alas, words are indeed easier written than put into action. Homesickness struck, followed by a prolonged deliberation over the decision of leaving a secure life back home to pursuing a PhD in a discipline I have scant knowledge about. However, as diwali neared, frustration gave way to jubilation, thanks to some great friends and a social gathering of the Indian community in the city. Now social gathering is an oft misconstrued term back home, as all gatherings in India eventually precipitate into a free-for-all food and dance extravaganza. Surprisingly, the social gathering here turned out to be a well-organized affair, with plenty of food, ordered queues, and non-intrusive dancing. The entire spectrum of Indian music was covered: from the raaga stuti to rabindro sangeet to amplifier! Not to forget the excellent Bharatnatyam, but of course, Bollywood can never be far nehind. Here is a snapshot of tracks kids grooved to: Taal se taal mila, band baaja baarat, and a Karisma Kapoor track I cannot remember at the peril of my life! And their was no sing-along or synchronized applause with any of the performances, only a polite congratulation at the end. 

All happy tracks, picked from movies which were quintessential Indian family dramas. Even the tracks the DJ spun towards the end ranged from the nostalgic Ta rarara to Munni badnaam hui. And people danced (there were probably only 10 out of the 80 odd who were in the 21-28 age group). People asked us about our own migratory pattern, and remembered their own good times in Ghatkopar or Kolkata. While the parents might miss India every once in a while, the kids were clearly way too Americanized, if that term seems appropriate. They even left an American friend of mine guessing at a few tracks which they seemed to know every word of. I would not be stretching it if I predict that most of these kids will visit India once in a while will their parents force them to, and then never come back again from their cushy lives. These cranes have abandoned their migration. 


Oh, and the icing on the 're-connection' cake was last night's screening of Ra.One, the most 'expensive' bollywood movie ever made. Not that I am a fan of Shah Rukh Khan, but the feeling of 'how would I tear into this movie if I never see it' abetted me to give it a shot, even to the extent of parting with $11.50 (that's 2 days worth of lunch money). And it was not in 3D, in case you are wondering. Here again, to my pleasant surprise, the desi community showed up in full gusto to cheer upon the original overseas superstar from India, one who is as well known in Germany and New York as at Maratha mandir. Hollywood movies have no intermission, but Ra.one did. Importantly, the 6-to-60 formula seemed to be working great for the audience. Taking a cue from the trailers that were shown, it won't be a stretch to predict that a certain Dev.D or Udaan never made it to the celluloid here. Ra.One might as well be the deserving contender for the Filmfare best picture award for the desis here. 

Therefore, in a short span of 5 days, I witnessed how the Indian community survives and thrives in corners of the earth, where the only thing truly Indian might the over-priced restaurant serving $2 gulab jamuns. Movies are a solid connect for them, and I do appreciate YRF films multi-fold times now compared to the time when I saw Rab ne bana di jodi. They have taken upon themselves this invisible responsibility of keeping the Indian diaspora across the world connected to the root of our culture- happy endings and familial bonding. Eagerly waiting to see if Sachin's 100th ton evokes the same jubilation as SRK gulping spaghetti with curd using his bare hands. 

If there is one song that will bring tears to an NRI's eyes, this might be it, either due to the lyrics or due to the cheesy cinematography:

Hardly a time to celebrate

Deepawali is almost here. The pompous festival of wealth and prosperity, which forces even the poorest of the poor to give a token service to goddess Lakshmi in lieu of happiness in the future, brings with itself scenes of jubilation and rejoice. Masses throng to banks and jewelers in hordes and a shopping frenzy grips the entire nation. Like every diwali, this too shall pass. The after-effects of 3 days of gluttonous celebrations will be felt by a few, but the country will go back to normal very soon. Except that this might not be the best time to let laissez faire get in our way of pondering over where exactly India stands right now. 

In terms of polity, fractures abound in the ruling and the opposition camp. Team Anna has severely dented the chances of the UPA, with the most recent bypoll rout suggesting that the public has had enough of its tardy response to corruption. The prime minister has firmly retrenched himself to the background, and all promises of being 'more communicative' to the nation in future appear shallow. The two senior-most ministers are engaged in a power struggle of sorts, and it almost appears like the UPA II is just hoping to making it to the finish line at this time, even though that appears to become harder every passing day. Achievements like the world's cheapest tablet 'Aakash', developed specifically to aid India's growing advancement in IT by rearing a new generation of internet-savvy youth, are outnumbered by blunders like the still tied-up defense procurement issues as well the Air India saga. Not to mention that the hyper-active HRD minister is all set to toy with perhaps the last remaining indigenous brands, the IITs. On the opposition side, an octogenarian is visiting parts of the country exposing the ruling coalition's dubious record on corruption, when two of BJP's own chief ministers were recently fired from their jobs on corruption charges. Talk about charity beginning at home! 

The issues which plague our country's economic development are getting severe every passing day. FDI inflows have sunk to unimaginable lows, inflation is showing no signs of easing, and petrol is actually costlier than liquor. The power sector is reeling under the unintentionally comical tug-of-war between the competing ministries. The incendiary T-issue is raging again, with AP bearing the brunt of the central government's dilly-dallying on the issue. Investor confidence is understandably at a low, and why should it not be? Policy paralysis is the graveyard of business expansion. None of these issues are unmanageable, unless the government chooses to overlook the glaring omissions in it's list of priorities. As the aspirational nature of India's youth firmly establishes itself to the forefront, the political class will have to answer sooner or later. One can only imagine that true bliss is around the corner. 

PS: It is not as if we have nothing to look forward to. The inaugural Indian grand prix is only a fortnight away. Here's the interactive track map in the words of Mark Webber himself.

A big mess

Last week, the worst fears of Aditya caterers came true. For long, Messrs Aditya and co. had felt that they will be able to avoid the limelight that inadvertently follows a reputation of the most healthy and tasty food served in a community mess anywhere in India. Keep in mind that this is not just any community, but postgraduate students (and a smattering of undergrads mixed in there, that is when they feel too lazy to pick up the phone and order a Domino's or call Laksmi) of IIT Bombay, people who live and die by good culinary habits. It is no mean feat to serve a staggering 2000 men with burgeoning appetites that correlates with their hunger for class notes. And because of that, I bow to thee Aditya!

However Murphy was not a man of discrimination, and in their attempt to refine the tastes of these hungry men, Aditya and co. fell into his trap. A dinner of chinese food went horribly wrong, and next day, 500 (that is only 25% statistically speaking!) landed up at the doorsteps of another landmark at my alma mater, the IITB hospital. Of course, the hyperactive Indian media couldn't resist itself from shoring up some attention through another story linked to IITians (remember when a fake IITian story was hyped by TOI for days?), and food poisoning became the new buzzword for parents inquiring from their wards staying at the campus. Yes, a story about food poisoning at IITB grabbed more print space than the newly implemented biometric attendance system. If one was to probe the economics of running a mess at any educational institute, especially places like IITs where students feel entitled to better things (not that there is anything wrong with being aspirational), it is not difficult to realize that these messes are being fueled by a magic lamp than anything else. The mess advance is Rs. 10,000 per semester, and the amount actually charged for food is something around Rs. 1500 per month at hostel 13 (figures not adjusted for inflation). In this rather paltry amount, which many students would outspend on movies and weekend jaunts, the caterer is expected to serve a 4-course meal replete with essential nutrients. You get my point!

Of course, my friends and myself went wild on FB poking fun at survivors we left behind at H-13. Who doesn't like having some enjoyment at the expense of a re-hydrated friend? The big question was lost in the lurch. At a time when the honorable HRD minister is going all out to prove his bravado to a bunch of pandering journalists, whether it be proposing a 6-fold hike in the fee or scrapping the benchmark exam we love to remember as JEE, it might be prudish to solve the bigger infrastructural problems plaguing IITB. Among them, ghost-house-sque hostels, crumbling furniture in classrooms, and not the least, incandescent bulbs. A rationalization in the price of mess food, while being unpopular in the short term, will go a long way in making sure that a repeat of food poisoning grabbing headlines doesn't happen. Otherwise, the residents of these hostels are only abetting their caterer to serve them cheap food fast, and not better. Cooking (for myself) is actually a big chore, so my sympathy has shifted from friends back home to the cooks who do the labor. You don't get it till you actually do it! 

PS: The chinese-style dinner was never popular in any case, but I remember long queues in front of the 'extras' line serving butter chicken for dinner. Perhaps a swap would work! Yeah, that was wishful thinking.

Came across this group recently and must I say, they are pretty good!

A game of thrones, or picking bare bones

Every time I check one of my trusted sources of information about my mother land, scandalous updates flash out like one of those dumb characters in 'Jersey shore'. Sadly, and believe me, I say this with great regret, it feels that somehow Indian political space has been morphed into a shady version of the Mahabharata since I shifted base. This is not to shunt out any objections that Indian politics was never sane in the first place - there is a reason why young men and women don't want to enter politics despite the steady flow of popularity and property it offers. It has undergone more than a cosmetic change in the last 3 months, ever since Anna and his activist troupe managed to make the hapless UPA II government eat crow and accede control of parliamentary traditions. The murmurs have turned into scowls, the game of one-upmanship has become so crafty that some of the contenders we have might want to try and turn it into a legitimate sport. In other words, we are entering an era of 10 Caesars and 100 Brutus'. 

Politics has long been an art of pretense, where you are expected to belie expectations, and abetted by such shameless pandering of your minions, have to show that you exemplify the core of all human ethos. The agenda is therefore narrow, and more often than not, opaque to popular aspirations of the electoral college. Our leaders seem to be holding strong to the adage. In circumstances where the economy is stagnating, the rupee is sinking to a fresh low everyday (much to the joy of desis desiring to make a killing when they exchange dollars back home), and reform is stuck at the gate, all eyes have turned to a general election which is still 3 years away. I watch the madness unfold everyday in America, where politicians out-compete each other to who can be more mundane, and spout rhetoric like a vending machine at Starbucks. To be fair to them, the presidential election is an year away and show(wo)manship helps. But 3 years!

Chdamabram and Mukherjee have been so detrimental to each other's cause that one of them might as well join the opposition benches in the parliament. While there skirmishes over appointments to secretary posts and the handling of home affairs has been well documented in the past, fresh muck has been unearthed. Turns out that Pranabda wants to give Dr. Subramaniam Swamy a shot in the arm by suggesting that Shri Chidambaram should've seen the 2G scam coming when he was the finance minister in the erstwhile UPA I government. Not to start a debate here, but apparently even Mrs. Gandhi didn't see it coming, and we all know that if anybody knows anything in our country, she does. With Rahul baba failing to work his magic in the recently concluded assembly elections, and his series of gaffes which have turned him in to a fodder for the 24x7 media (remember the parliamentary speech on the Jan Lokpal bill?), the congress might score a self-goal if he were to contest for the post of PM in 2014. So journeymen like Mr. Mukherjee and a certain Mr. Digvijay Singh can sniff their chance. On the other side of the fence, Advaniji is set to unleash another of his dreaded Rath yatras upon us. Considering how the NDA suffered an embarrassing defeat in 2009 when he was the prime ministerial candidate, he should've taken his cue and retired to the background. But old habits die hard, more so if they involve traveling across the country in a motorized vehicle and comparing it to a chariot marshaled by Lord Krishna himself. It's time for Gen-next to take over, not Gen-ex to still parade shamelessly. 

But why should I care? 3 years is a long time, and I have full faith in our media that by then, the character assassinations would be as complete as India's whitewash at the hands of the English.

PS: I posted a REM video last week, and today they announced the end of their glorious 31 years together as a band. I hope the same fate doesn't bequeath this group.

The learning of science or the science of learning?

How would you define learning? I know, probably not the best idea to ask a question right off the bat, but I want you to think along, because the question is open-ended. If the orthodox definition is to be considered, development of new memory fits the paradigm of learning. So when people use words like 'learning from your mistakes', it basically means that you have developed an imprint of that fallacious happening in your mind. However, if you gravitate towards science, the idea of learning cannot be limited just to development of new memory. Sure, one of the objectives behind teaching and learning of science is development of memory, based on the give-and-take between the teacher and the student. But memory is not related to intuition or thinking. That would be like saying that I watch a Nat Geo video of Mt. Everest expedition, learn every single step and hike, and then set out on my own to conquer it. Learning therefore goes beyond the simple idea of memory development.

So how can you define learning in a more pragmatic sense? A reasonable assertion can be that uncoupling learning from fact-checking ought to be able to satisfy the question behind creativity. And surely we can agree that creativity is a benchmark for learning, as a well-learnt concept leads to a more creative output. Also, in terms of science education, sufficient challenge to redundant concepts and hypotheses, which are taken for granted more often than not, is a must in order to develop independent thinking, or as the jargon goes, a critical bend. Therefore, as you proceed on the educational ladder, questions should get tougher and hypothesis should become bullet-proof. 

Personally, the initiation into grad school has been a pretty exciting experience so far, because as grad students, we are supposed to challenge any idea, no matter how big or small, prominent or subtle, irrespective of its publishing pedigree. So scientific education has suddenly being molded from taking copious notes and reading material a day before the exam, which I was doing as late as 5 months ago (I officially stopped studying for endsems like most of us did, except for THAT one course!). Now, we go in well prepared to discuss publications, formulate ideas, and gain concepts from linking disparate ideas in class. And this I believe is learning in true sense, because intuition and creativity are both integral parts of this process. If we were able to merge this system into our school and undergraduate level coursework, students would be more primed for taking up higher studies, or at least they won't have the fear of the unknown. This modicum of reform can truly lead to a shake-up, or at least do some good in satisfying the innate creative urge, so essential to our existence as humans.

PS: If you are a Max Payne fan (the video game, not the movie, which I still believe does not exist), brace yourself for Max Payne 3. If not, it is never too late to start, for this game is more than just fancy guns in 3rd person style. It is about a man and his search of vengeance!

And the obligatory music video. How about some REM?

Think like a scientist, feel like a diplomat

'Publish or Perish' seems to be the general code of law as far as the scientific community goes. The idea, while being a relatively trite manifestation of knowledge for all, has come to be known as the single most dreaded facet of building a career in research. As you go up, the impact factor of the journals you publish in is expected to show a concordant rise. The instrument of knowledge is bypassed by the instrument of conformity. Is the evil of globalization to blame, or the competitive edge that has overtaken research the main reason? A bit of both in my opinion.


Scientific literature has seen a reversal of fortunes with advancements in information technology, and it suffices to say that it has been one of the cornerstones of the knowledge economy in the last 20 years. The digitization has resuscitated the field where journals would otherwise be forever lost in a library shelf of a university. The very fact that articles are now accessible in any corner of the earth at any time (of course, internet connectivity is mandatory, but e-journals can make up for the lack of it). The positives are there for all to see. A scientist working in a remote lab in Africa now has access to research coming out of the hallowed portals of MIT. It has provided scope for constant feedback on research, and erratum are more poignantly highlighted than a letter to the editor would have done in recent times. But somehow, some journals, either by sheer luck or careful selectivity, have risen to prominence as having more venerable research compared to another. 


This has led to an era of competition, where scientists are vying for limited print space in journals. Therefore, some research is considered more publishable than the other. And it is considered fashionable to print only in the big 4 because they seem to matter more. Sadly, a lot of researchers face a dilemma of prolonging their work or conducting more experiments in order to accentuate their chances of conquering the holy grail, or publish it instantly when the results are novel and exciting. The element of curiosity is being pushed to the back-burner, as post-college career is highly dependent on the publications on one's resume rather than the importance of the work. Now, this does not imply that the exclusivity of some journals is necessarily a bad thing. They are considered the cornerstone of cutting-edge research, a sort of a benchmark. Not just in science, but also in disciplines of engineering. It is more important to change the perception, to be able to differentiate between the quality of research and the impact of the journal. Especially in countries where publication record takes a backseat to everything else- the candidate's proficiency as a team player, extra-curricular pursuits, and basic qualities like presentation skills. 


Admit it, people go to graduate school because they love science. That's how it should remain throughout their career. More and more scientists are coming out and collaborating in order to better than chances of enhancing their quality of work. More such ideas are certainly worth probing. 


A must watch show coming this fall:



And if you haven't heard of Arcade Fire, here you go: