2022 11 03
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221103-how-language-warps-the-way-you-perceive-time-and-space
The weird way language affects our sense of time and space
2022 10 26
https://www.dangermouse.net/esoteric/piet.html
Piet is a programming language. Each programme looks like a piece of abstract art.
2022 10 18
https://aeon.co/essays/will-brains-or-algorithms-rule-the-kingdom-of-science
Understanding is not well understood.
2022 10 14
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/against-algebra/671643/
Why complain about algebra? Perhaps the problem is the way algebra is taught and is expected to be understood and learnt.
2022 09 30
The Second Elizabeth a Life Appreciated
2022 09 13
Was Richard Feynman a great teacher?
2022 07 13
The capacity of the seven lakes that supply water to Mumbai is 14.47 lakh million litres. That is 1.447E+12 litres = 1.447E+9 cu.m = 1.447 cu.km.
2022 07 04
Rosetta Stone is like Duolingo - helps you learn languages.
https://www.rosettastone.com/
Duolingo
Learnico is a software package created by MKCL - teaching tools creation.
2022 06 07
https://www.vox.com/23130613/fewer-friends-how-many
Fewer the better - quality stumps quantity.
How animals sense and communicate.
https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/obsessions-dogs-are-people-too
Dogs are people, too!
2022 06 04
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/maria-sibylla-merian-artist-insects-flowers.amp
What a scientist - in the 17th century.
2022 05 11
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/10/health/dog-sleep-dreams-wellness/index.html
The sleeping pattern of dogs (and other pets).
2022 05 03
Feynman's 1955 address at a meeting of the NAS is available in text and video form.
https://calteches.library.caltech.edu/1575/1/Science.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbh_6tQ6nm8
https://thejeshgn.com/wiki/great-speeches/the-value-of-science-richard-feynman/
https://faa.unm.edu/P302.041.SU17/Resources/Reflections/feynman.pdf
2022 04 30
https://kk.org/thetechnium/103-bits-of-advice-i-wish-i-had-known/
Excellent list. One can spend hours studying it.
Dog breeds are not that different.
https://www.popsci.com/technology/f-22-agcas-save-alaska/
Properly working hardware and software does save lives.
2022 04 29
A very blunt letter related to energy, environment, and consumption.
2022 04 15
One needs optics, ray-tracing, computer science, etc. etc. to appreciate the genius of Leonardo da Vinci.
2022 04 03
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44266/mending-wall
Good fences make good neighbours.
2022 03 30
This is nonsense. When a reputed organisation states that some study is necessary for engineering, it is almost certainly right. When it states that some study is unnecessary, it is definitely wrong. [After: Clarke's First Law]
2022 03 27
https://aeon.co/videos/a-rare-glimpse-inside-a-samurai-sword-workshop-where-ritual-meets-mastery
Classical engineering. Metalworking - forging - heat treatment - surface treatment.
2022 03 26
There are/were actresses and there was Nutan.
2022 03 22
https://www.vice.com/en/article/4awqz3/why-are-letters-shaped-the-way-they-are
On the shape of letters.
2022 03 18
https://www.math.columbia.edu/~thaddeus/ranking/investigation.html
Long article, but well-researched. Read through at least the first part, if you are interested in the ranking process of edu institutes. Numbers-chasing.
2022 03 14
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/09/health/therapy-dogs-hospitals-wellness/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/12/1085971965/power-of-the-dog-ukraine-war-pets-russia
Re: Dogs!
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/wolves-yellowstone/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc52l5ZcAJ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTPt70vA39k
How wolves changed Yellowstone
2021 12 31
Dog news. Intelligence of canines.
2021 12 29
https://www.newslaundry.com/2017/01/19/the-importance-of-taking-initiative
This article which linked me to A Message to Garcia. Hubbard, 1899.
I think it is standard fare in the army, etc.. At least in the Royal Navy, it is.
I think it should be recommended for IIT Profs as well. There are a majority who will need the dose. Even in IITB, the trend over the years is from the directive style to the detailed style. One just has to browse through the meetings of the Senate of IITB.
I remember the good old days where the contents of a course were prescribe in no more than 150 words. Often, within 100 words.
Compare this with the prescription of a course in a typical Indian university (or autonomous college). At least 400 words. Split into units, weeks, lectures. I used to think that only robots can do justice to these.
In IITB, among colleagues and administrators, I was either popular or unpopular. Now I realise that the reason was my directive style. ("Do it the way you think best. I will back you up and sign a reasonable number of papers. But I do not want any complaints from Stores, Accounts, and Audit.")
I dug further. It seems many things re: Rowan (the hero of the essay by Hunnard) are fiction or folklore. Please see, e.g.,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Summers_Rowan
2021 09 26
Vivien Leigh was born in Darjeeling, India. On November 5, 1913.
2021 04 14
Dr B. R. Ambedkar was born on today's date, 130 years ago. His original surname was Ambavadekar. It was related to the place named Ambavade or Ambadave in Maharashtra (then Bombay Province). A school teacher renamed him as Ambedkar. [Sunil Khilnani, Incarnations]
2021 03 30
2021 02 27
Many touristy places and things really look beautiful when empty. Thank the virus!
2021 02 11 Thu
The entire coronavirus would fit in a can of cola.
We should provide such examples to our schoolkids.
2021 01 31 Sun
There is a museum in Seattle (WA-USA) which has working computers from my student days!
