Ideas We Believe

Jerry Seinfeld phrased it out most concisely when he said, " The talk all around the comedy bars was who was going to take over 'The Tonight Show' after Johnny Carson. Never did anyone expect he would pack the show and take it with him". Jerry has a massive sitcom to boast about, but he never could be a 'Tonight Show host. So let's look into what happened to Tonight's show. Johnny Carson was the best comic of his age and only natural that he would take over the Tonight show, America's biggest talk show. With his calibre, he put the show to its prime. David Letterman, a young, engaging host, was given a new 'Late Show' to train under Carson's guidance. However, one ambitious comic, Jay Leno, had eyes on that coveted seat. So in 1991, Leno's manager planted a story in the media on how NBC was planning to replace Carson with Leno. This came as a shock and humiliation to Carson, who quit the show hastily. Meanwhile, NBC wanted to avoid part...

The world today is 281 trillion in debt to itself. There is no science more mysterious than that of money. What drives my enthusiasm for finance is its underlying devotion to mathematics, just like most of the pure sciences. This pride in being extremely logical and putting rationality before empirical bias is what makes it worthy of a Nobel (though not the original one). But its influence on daily life is enormous, a genuinely distinct feat in pure sciences. So let's delve into the unapparent philosophical side of the currency. 281 trillion is a significant amount. If everyone called on their cards, we would have a lost game of poker. In fact, we have such a bluff on the table that we can't risk calling it. It is horrifying that this accounting deficit makes no difference to the world. Has there ever been a scam this benign? Or do we need a piece of the puzzle? The latter seems rational. The reason for this debt is simple, sovereigns have printed more and more money over the y...

In a powerful piece which challenges the earlier established trust within the virology researchers, Dr Nicholas Wade has put in a few arguments that we cannot afford to overlook. He points out the practise of developing virulent in-vitro strains for a gain of function, to have counter-action ready in case nature puts us in trouble. However, we probably ran into trouble in this double agent game, and what is to blame is still unclear. Is it the human error, the risk-taking nature of the scientific community or the plethora of lies that were spun to misguide the world? The consequences of the latter are more lasting than the former. Science experiments gone wrong is the narrative that has fuelled dystopian sci-fi thought for years. We could have, in a sense, brought virology under the same scanner as that of nuclear proliferation, given the deaths that are today attributed to the covid. This is more concerning because science is an easy target and hasn't been a particular political l...

The Bengal elections have ratified that despite massive inputs and involvements, raising a regional party against an incumbent govt. It is not one of the most straightforward tasks. This highlights the dynamics of regional and national politics in India, especially regarding geographic specifications and whether the BJP expansionist strategy needs a sanity check. The earliest signs of this defiance were spotted when the state of Odishavoted simultaneously fore MLA and MP candidates. It was the first time people were choosing candidates from two different ( and conflicting ) parties, clearly portraying a choice concerning the role, not allegiance.  To start with, BJP had its prominence in the Hindi heartland of UP, MP and Rajasthan before it became a national alternative. The first few stints, which came from the NDA, saw active partners like Shiv Sena, JDU, BJD, AIDMK and, ironically, TMC. In this stage, the opportunity for a right-aligning Hindu-biased vote bank developed, which t...

As condolences gather for prince consort, the British royalty has made it again into the international columns. The gossip around racist allegations on the royal family and of a prince who relinquished his right. But amidst, of this chaos, there is a hugely undermined player in royal politics. And this unlikely character is that of British media. Although media stories and rumours are often dismissed as trivial indulgences, the case here is different and disheartening. To start with, only a few people have a kinder impression of the majesty's sibling, Princess Margaret. And perhaps, hers plays a minor role to play in this perception. As a younger child of the household, she was indeed free-hearted and spoiled by love. But those aren't sins to condemn at. But, when suddenly her father was crowned the king of England, the media flushed into their lives. Scrutinising Margaret for her failings and rewarding Elizabeth for her triumphs. It was a great story, portraying the future que...

There are obvious downsides to democracy. When we look at the distribution of opinion on a particular issue, it generally follows a normal distribution. This implies that to achieve the majority, it's theoretically advised to stick to the centre. And this love for mediocrity makes democracy allergic to politically solid decisions.  Along with it, democracies tend to be the rooster for sweet talkers. And that is an outcome rather than a voluntary trait. Primarily because most voters need to be equipped to deal with the complexities of the field. For example, it could be more practical for an electrical engineer to comprehend medical patterns and the pandemic's effect on production. Thus, democratic institutions need people managers who have two keywords to watch out for - sweet talking and status quo. However, democracies have been hugely popular. And people have reported being happier. Whether this is induced, indoctrinated or influenced is another question. But history has cho...

The preamble of Indian Constitution does a good job of describing how people of India welcomed this land in the mid 20th century. Except it's a mouthful for s-worded adjectives, something every writer despises. But in its defence, it was only sometimes the case. As the early snaps would agree, there were days when the only adjective was 'sovereign'. The other, secular and socialist, were added using several amendments culminating in 1975. And needless to say, these terms have guided the political compass throughout the later part of the century.  Now that we are as old to the amendments as they were to the constitution, a question on its impact remains. The Idea of secularity, which commands a independence of the state and the religion, seems a streched affair in India. We are a country where even the minority hold pious beliefs close to their heart. So, in India the, unbiasedness is maintained by an equal involvement of the state in all religions. And, thus has there been ...

While speaking about the ideal path for the saffron party, Dr S. Swamy casually mentioned the unspoken truth. The 2019 elections could be won just on the lines of communal conservatism, striking an image of glorified India and the role of Hindus in it. But, putting his political acumen into context, he added that 2024 candidates, however, will have to account for the promised economy, governance and development. And so did the cards unfold; the BJP manifesto, which fueled the long-standing demands of and unified Hindu Rastra, seemed to land the party in a landslide majority. But, as incumbency keeps knocking on the door, leaders must find new successes to celebrate. And here we come to another famous slogan "Jai jawan, Jai Kisan". Military mavericks and agriculture agendas have the potential to persuade public opinion in favour of the party when put rightly. Therefore reforms must be more appealing than revolutionising. That brings into the picture primarily non-liberalised a...

  “Death is a certainty for all of us, both you and me.” Does this offend you??? how about this “you b***** mo***, I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU DEAD.” This does hurt. So, Is right to offend an indispensable part of the freedom of expression and speech ? I would gladly say NO. Let’s start with the major stakeholders, the offender and the offended. It’s not natural for us to step out of our comfort zone and hurt someone else. Then why do we do so? The answer is psychological … Its the repressed emotions of anger, jealousy and pride that seek expression inform of hate-speech, misinformation and condescending remarks . Thus every example of offence is a sign of spreading emotional malice in the society. If you have ever been on the side of the offended,(given the rates of cyber-bullying, you are under threat), our body initiates a defence mechanism every time we are offended. That could be resistance or denial. Resistance is when we reciprocate offence with another offence and needless to ...

One way to put a banner on the course of human civilization is to call it an escape from uncertainty ( most of which would have led us to death). Why do we live in societies? To save ourselves from the uncertainty of getting attacked... Why do we build houses? To mitigate the uncertainty of getting our food washed away in the rain... Why do we rear children? So that we don't fast ourselves to death in old age. So in all these cases, the sheer uncertainty in the future has made us make expensive investments in the present. And those who didn't give in to these fears took a risk.  The pay-off of that risk is, however, independent of the past. In some cases, the risk turned out to be a golden gamble. Just like a flood washing away houses of people...the ones who hadn't built their houses were a little less sad. Risk can give an unexpected reward, but the higher the risk, the greater the return.  But at times, the risk is otherwise. Instead of choice for the individual, it beco...

Ideas and beliefs are abstract terms. In fact, the triumph of humans in the race of the intellectual has been attributed to our understanding of the abstract. No other animal in this world builds a society because it understands society as a concept. They merely do so to enhance their food and livelihood security. But for humans, some reasons arise out of understanding the abstract. If our knowledge is to be stripped down to bones, we might find that we are slaves to our abstraction. We revere value in paper notes, honour in metal medals and fear in stone statues. Ideas are what have made this imaginative creature the ruler of the planet. Our success as a species rests on the coherence and usefulness of the ideas we bear. So, the concepts passed upon to us or occur to us in episodes of creative hallucination can change the face of this earth. So, it is the most remarkable creation of humans and, thus, the origin of property. This blog aims to capture some of such thoughts. Believe, or ...

Diminishing Sexual Dimorphism and the Non-parental Nature of Human Future The tribe of Hominini dates back to the time when humans were beginning to diverge from apes in the path of evolution. Disocereved in the lands of Hadar (present-day Ethiopia) is a 40 per cent paleontological remains from a young female, affectionately called Lucy .  Unlike other hominids, her relatives were bipeds (walked on two feet). Thus it is the first time the other two of her limbs could have functioned as hands. Although a fully adult (with grown wisdom teeth) she was in no comparison to her male counterparts, who were taller and broad at shoulders. This legacy of lucy is important, as it brings up important discussions to the evolution table. Sexual dimorphism is a noticeable trait in the natural world, the mating call of and the glamourous plumage of the peacock are all elaborate rituals for the male to attract the female. But in humans, we are living in an age where dimorphism is eroding away....

As tough times await us, it's frivolous to talk about theatres. But doesn't it look like theatres would go out of fashion before the pandemic ends( But would it ?? ) With the footfall on OTT platforms rising daily. Looking at a screen stuck to the chair, with no ability to pause or even play subtitles, sounds so technologically inferior. The blockbuster release has increasingly been  generously funded , mega-multi-starrer films, which keep running sequels until they go unprofitable . In fact, content is sometimes the second priority; the fan base and the festive season come first. Over the years, movie houses have mastered this art. Roping in top actors into characters that have gone synonymous with their name. The OTT platforms, however, are earmarked for the content. Their promise to give a shot to the aspiring director who doesn't have funds to compete against the mult-million movie releases. Thus i n its cast and crew shines the raw, untamed art which any critic would b...

Since the news of Sushant Singh Rajput surfaced, the media houses have begun a trial. As with all media, trials are concerned; there are more conspiracies than concrete evidence. Although untold, Rhea Chakraborty is currently guilty until proven guilty.  Is the media legally correct about such conduct? Since India does not have a jury system, the sub-judice provision doesn't apply. So everyone is free to voice an opinion. But is it moral? India boasts of an inquisitorial jurisdiction, where a bench of justice seeks out the truth of the events. Which makes it only more pragmatic to wait for the inquiry outcome.  Sushant's growth in the industry was symbolic of an ordinary man's dream in Bollywood. Thus his death in itself is a setback to the millions he inspired. Naturally, a nepotism flavour would be added to this curry, in a country whose political decisions are based on shehzaada Vs chaiwala. Coming to politics, given the sour breakup of the Shiv Sena and BJP, it is an ex...

There are two possible reasons for stopping by this post; you happened to be among those hard-working study-serious college-goer who lament not being perceived as fun by his/her peers. Or you have a soft spot for these people, striving to pay off the debt from when he single-handedly completed your group project. There could be a hundred other reasons, so let's jump into the matter. Let's construct a scenario with simplified assumptions. Suppose there are 5 students in your project team. Each of you has decided whether you want to work or not. If you decide to work, you must put in an effort of value "e". The project will be possible if at least 3 of the students participate. A successful project rewards everyone in the team "r", which is greater in value than "e". So what do you think will happen. Let's assume that each of you is rational (which secretly implies you will maximise your personal gain whenever possible). Will all five contribute ...

Superhero movies have been the talk of Hollywood town over the last decade. The resurgence of Marvel Movies is testimony to what extent the millennials have popularised the superhero concept. The franchise, struggling to keep up with its bread-winners like Spiderman and Hulk, has become a cult. Big theatre release, a massive ensemble of characters and whooping budgets that promise to win back the investment. It would be untrue to claim that superheroes have disappeared from the movie scene, but the extent to which they have captured the Hollywood market makes it a compelling case. So why not look deep into the invincible suits... There is a theory to makes a hero. The first part is the discovery, where you introduce your star as an average person struggling with mundane jobs, mostly away from attention. The journey unfolds his realisation of power and subsequent claim to fame. For a lot of the superhero movies, directors had kept their these lives distinct. In many films, the heroes ha...

I found myself in a rare situation this April. Had things stuck to their schedule, I would have completed my graduation curriculum and would have been ticking off any college goer's dream check-list, which did include a few travel and adventure. But, the situation as of 2020 has a different story to tell. With no end to this quarantine insight, the check-list became an impossibility.  So I took the Coursera COVID offer for colleges and started my odyssey to various areas of studies, my mechanical engineering syllabi had prevented me from. So without much ado, here are the "Gems" on the courses platform, each one must give a shot at.  Model Thinking This course gives an unusual approach to what we have accepted as complex socio-political phenomena. With simple logical and mathematical principle, Prof. Scott E. Page recreates results which have puzzled global leaders. He argues that this approach to reality is a must for all in this 21st century, and I could not agree mo...

What if a large part of your life was determined when it started. I am not talking of something random as fate. This is a socially enforced stigma that comes with your gender. Doesn't your blood boil at such a designed mal-conduct? You can not wake up one fine morning and say it's over. Let's all be equal over the land these sunrays reach, and so shall it be. We must dig deep into the circumstances that have brought us here and decide how to proceed. History : Like all arguments stretched, let's find some history with our ancestors. Although many hunters made the probability of a fulfilling dinner higher, at one point in time, our ancestors decided to specialise. One part of the head was to be a "hunter" and the other "gatherer". This is where biology played an important role. Mainly because one of the sexes was far too necessary for continuing the human race, later months of pregnancy and natal care forced half of the population to have a sedentary ...

The worst thing that can happen to you in an exam hall is the sudden realisation that you have forgotten to get your watch. And it is more than dreadful because you must force your already occupied little brain with another vital decision. You should get up from the seat and fetch that watch from your dorm. As you run through the daunting logistics of the process, you slowly give in to the laziness borrowed from the intense session of fast study and the sleepless previous night. That may be your biggest mistake. Even though you easily convince yourself that there are always other instruments that will keep a check on the time you have in hand, nothing indeed does so. You can only ask the invigilator once, owing to the public nuisance you could become. Although if you are "the extroverted" who does not care much about the issue, you realise that there is only a certain number of times you can ask someone time. If the odds are in your favour, the sweet person sitting beside you...

The service sector has embraced its long waiting armour, "work from home". As tech-powered solutions to avoid social gatherings continue to rise, I was concerned about the long-lasting ripples it might leave behind in the modern work culture. In fact, there could be other changes that this phenomena of working from home might trigger. The push for using technology to create a virtual presence rather than a physical one was booming over the past few years thanks to better communication architecture. The coronavirus pandemic, only served to coerce it. But there is hardly any way of getting back from this. Infact, its better in two aspects one that if something could be done more comfortably from home there is apparently no point in forcing a culture. In fact, large corporates like google were actively working to make employees feel home at their offices. Now they have to feel official at their homes. Which can be done by simply having a soundproof conferencing room (or may...

Crisis and Conflicts are moments of truth for any society. Not only because it deconstructs the secondary paraphrasings like the economy, but because also puts to test the social machinery. Modern emergencies have explored a new non-natural side to calamities, like nuclear meltdown and bio-hazards amongst others. For a common man, the question often strips down to survival, and decisions become too personal. However, for the larger social institutions, namely the government, the question is more pressing and answers quite unclear. A crisis is the points where wealth proves to be blubber of protection. The rich are inevitably the fortunate. They have access to services and getaways, a poor can never fathom of. Adding to the misery is that as the focus shits to the exigency, the common welfare services too take a hit. However, for the rich, most of the affairs are generally from their pocket. Because the untrained human response to panic is mostly the same, the rich tend to even go ou...

The unusual thing about peace is that its true worth is realised only in times of war. As the horrors of the wars begin to fade away from the memoirs, people begin to actively devalue the efforts for peace. this is the true challenge to peace to convince people that war is the worst option. A look at the list of non-fiction booker prize for the last two decades shows a shift from topics of history to that of health and ecology. this brings up an important question. the generation which was apart of the greatest wars ( the military world wars and the strategic cold war) have begun to recede away from the limelight. the modern writers chose to adorn the more sophisticated needs of survivals. A shift from human emotions of anger, revenge and hatred to that of care, concern and altruism. The results of wars, namely democracy and globalism, have begun to wear away as the great wars move deeper in history textbooks. "democracy survives on the virtues of the defeated". As long ...

The one series that must be crowned the best-seller of best-sellers is the "Harry Potter series". What Rowling brought to the world nearly two decades ago, should probably be crowned the pop culture of the 00's and everyone who grew in this era knows the impact this masterpiece has had in the lives of little boys to young girls. The three major characters which build up over the storyline are necessarily Harry (Potter), Severus(Snape) and Albus(Dumbledore). Harry, does symbolise the classic hero, born in difficult circumstances, blessed with a legacy that made him the special one. In fact, the whole book idolises Harry, his values find plenty of words and his exploits come up as the title of the book. It is without a doubt that Harry was the hero build for new teens who were on the maiden voyage to the literature and novel reading. And in this Rowling did prove her skills, with the language, approach and unfolding of the story.  Severus, however, is a hidden part...

Arvind Kejriwal does not perhaps have a charming prince image outside this Delhi crownship. He does not need to have one. Since he does an excellent job in defending his throne. A similar line would be scripted for Modi's win in 2019. The elections after the first term are essential in determining the due course of politics.As people are faced with the difficult choice of reordering the same dish. A timeless test for the caterer. The dismal performance of BJP, in Delhi's election, demands an introspective analysis. I believe a strong point here is the local leadership problem. On the one hand, a diminutive regional power has helped the Modi-Shah duo, to orchestrate one of India's most populist government. A fight against the age-old INC, so convincingly won that Congress stands on the verge of extinction. Although some credits are due to INC's own incompetent leadership, Anna'soutcry for corruption and 60-year-old perception. On the other hand, winning state ele...

Yes, I am proudly a Hindu and also a Nationalist. But its a risk today, the risk being targeted as an Islamophobic and an intolerant. And to a large extent, the fear is genuine, just misdirected. Well, I may have sounded judgemental in the past few lines, so, I would love to present my case. Hinduism is, arguably, one of the most complicated religions, because of the lack of a single discourse, multiple narratives and the argumentative nature of the texts. This, however, has made things simple for the people of the subcontinent, allowing for customisations to rituals and traditions. An excellent example of this is the cultural influence on the religious practises, or even better the inclusion of Jains and Buddhists to the mass umbrella of Hindu dwellers. However, the story has an ugly face over the last decades, namely the partition of India. This has exposed so many fault lines over the years and needless to mention the crooked politics that exploits these frontiers. The appease...

To ward off political correctness as an unnecessity would be a blunder in the part of a rational being. Power at hand must be used to protect the one who is the utmost need of it, be that any form of identity. However, here is a thing about power, people don't give it up that easy. I usually dive into feminism when I speak of this issue. The need for equal opportunities for women was morally a very strong argument, and by no means could have been defeated. Only that power was never given to females to put forth their demand. it was only when people saw it as a political obligation and of course some rebellion, the change began to happen. What was expected next was that the movement would spread itself empowering women all over, but sadly that was not achieved. The struggle for equality remained the same, and the additional attention, power and control was hijacked by certain pockets of the movement (the feminazi) thereby derailing the process. This has been true to most cases wh...