People I would have loved to have a drink with includes Richard Feynman. I never had the good fortune of meeting the man or even sitting in at one of his lectures. But thanks to the magic of the world wide web, at least I can get a good idea of how delightful he must have been in person. So get yourself a large coffee, sit back, and learn from the master as you watch the Sir Douglas Robb Memorial Lectures delivered in 1979 at the University of Auckland. “A set of four priceless archival recordings from the University of Auckland (New Zealand) of the outstanding Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman – arguably the greatest science lecturer ever. Although the recording is of modest technical quality the exceptional personal style and unique delivery shine through.”
Month: February 2007
Gorakh Kalyan
Can it get any better than this? Listening to Rashid Khan sing “sajan bin bawari bha-i ray” in Gorakh Kalyan on a Sunday morning. No, it does not get any better.
A Question of Balance
The following is an excerpt from a comment by one “E.G.” I don’t think it particularly matters in which context the comment was made or where. I just find it worth reading and pondering over.
Begin quote:
The Indian Elephant
The Indian economy must be an elephant. At least that’s what it feels like when you read the stuff that observers are saying about it. Blind people describing what they perceive the elephant to be through their sense of touch comes closest to characterizing the quite varied descriptions of the Indian economy. Here’s Cait Murphy of Fortune advising us “India the Superpower? Think Again” (Feb 9th, 2007) and there’s Stephen Roach of Morgan Stanley telling us that “India [is] on the Move” (Feb 9th, 2007), while Niranjan Rajadhyaksha of Mint holds forth in his new book on “The Rise of India.”
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Extraction Distraction
Sarah Kass of the Jerusalem Post calls the Israli-Palestinian “The Longest-running Reality Show.” Brief excerpt: Continue reading “Extraction Distraction”
The Habit of Reason by Brand Blanshard
Brand Blanshard was only 92 years old when he delivered Boston University’s 111th Commencement in 1984. Titled “The Habit of Reason.” I came across this magnificent piece here. I consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon it and so should you since you are reading this. Appropriately the piece is thoughtful since he urges the students to think.
The piece resonates deeply with my own feelings about the goals of education. He says, “Life is a succession of big and little crises, and one main aim of education is to supply us with the strategies necessary for dealing with them. Furthermore, dealing with them thoughtfully may become a habit. Indeed, my thesis today is that if you have acquired that habit of reasonableness, you will have acquired the best thing that an education can bestow.”
Here are the concluding paragraphs of his address.
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Wide Area Content and Narrow Area Content
The total volume of information available in the world is unbelievably large and is increasing exponentially. Much of this information is becoming available on the world wide web. I refer to this subset as the WAC, or “Wide Area Content.” WAC includes everything from journals on quantum physics to home videos on YouTube, and everything in between. One just has to do a Google search to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the information available at the click of a mouse.
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IRDF on BBC News
Well, what do you know. IRDF, which runs schools in rural Andhra Pradesh, features in a BBC story. Very pleased to see that as I help out with IRDF by pestering my friends for financial support.
Thoughts on Education and OLPC – 1
I am having a conversation with a bunch of people on the net about the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and its relevance to education. I am of course speaking there from an Indian perspective. I would like to share it with you. Of course, you may have already read many of my arguments about the OLPC here already. So pardon me for some possible repetition.
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Delusional People
Two items today from this amazing web. First, a simple rant telling monotheists that they should stop being delusional. Nothing fancy but a lot of fun. Next, a great conversation with Susan Blackmore at the Point of Inquiry. “In this far-ranging discussion with D.J. Grothe, Susan Blackmore talks about her research into the paranormal and near death experiences and why she left that field of study, memetics and religion as a meme, free will and the question of moral responsibility, consciousness and the illusory nature of the self, and Zen Buddhism and meditative practice, among other topics. She also explores why is it more important than ever for scientists to speak out about important issues of concern in the world today.”
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 