Just came across this awesome video – “Einstein’s Big Idea” which tracks down key events in the history of physics leading to the discovery of arguably the most important equation in the history of science – E=MC^2.
http://youtu.be/RRWa8plr8Ck&h=350&w=500
Best thing about the video is that things are presented in a wonderfully easy to understand language without complicating with jargons. Discussions which Einstein is having with his wife Keep Reading…
Board Room Babies is a pseudo-research study which proves that there is a lot of commonality between the behavior of babies and corporate head honchos. Continue reading
Quirky and unusual (which does not necessarily mean good), is how I would describe this story.
It is a story of a man’s relationship with his girlfriend in a futuristic world where man and zombies coexist (mostly) peacefully. Continue reading
http://youtu.be/gXN9xvcHmUM&w=450&h=300
“Caring for sick children is the Olympics of parenting” – Excerpt from Gold by Chris Cleave
I had heard a lot about Chris’s earlier novels Little Bee and Incendiary. When I saw this novel available for pre-order, I was not able to stop my self and booked it immediately.
Gold is the story of cyclists – Zoe and Kate, two dramatically distinct personalities who have been competing against each other over the last 13 years. Zoe is obsessed about winning and can go to any extent for victory. She is so consumed by her hunger for winning that there is little else left in her life. Kate, on the other hand is Keep Reading…
What made me buy this one was the name of the story and the cover page. The name does not make sense at all and it compelled me find out more about the story. I had a couple of hours to spare and this 29 pager short story proved to be a perfect choice. Continue reading
Gandhi and crowd
In the book Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that cannot stop talking, Mahatma Gandhi is described as an introvert. But, was Gandhi really an introvert? Just because he was a great thinker, was deeply spiritual, and used to spend lot of time meditating and praying, should he be labeled as an introvert? Do we have sufficient data to arrive at this conclusion?
This is how Susan Cain has described introverts and extroverts on her website:
Just finished reading Dune. What an amazing book! Now I understand why it is called as “one of the greatest sc-fi novels of all times” and an “Unparalleled Achievement of Imagination“. It was a start to end read, consuming the whole of my weekend.
The book got me interested in the movie adaptation. Upon searching, I came across David Lynch’s 1984 movie Dune. Opinions are divided about this movie. It is definitely not Lynch’s best work, with most loyal Dune fans having a negative opinion about it. Even Lynch has sort of disowned the movie, and does not talk about it in interviews etc. It did not perform well commercially either.
I have seen portions of it on youtube and I must say that I was not impressed. Some very powerful portions of the novel are presented in quite unimpressive manner. For example, see this scene where Paul rides the sand worm for the first time. Such a waste of a wonderful cinematic opportunity.
Also, probably the technology required to present the grand canvas of the movie was not available at that time.
In short, this one is not a worthy cinematic cousin of this great Keep Reading…
Is honesty genetic? Can ones genetic makeup determine ones tendency to be honest/dishonest?
Some cultures/countries/societies/tribes are more honest than others – it is due to their genes? Or is it just the shared environment? Or a combination?
And if it is all genetic – can people be made more honest clinically (may be by gene therapy – activating the truth gene by some chemical agent)?
Can (or Should?) genetic screening help select/reject right people for key positions (politics/judges/police etc.)?
The kind of world we are living in, there are economic/social benefits of dishonesty. Given this, and the concept of natural selection, will the truth gene(s), gradually become extinct?
Anyone has any insights, research, data, etc. to help answer these questions?
After killing Moriarty and faking his own death in “The Adventure of the Final Problem” Sherlock Holmes goes missing for a few years. On his re-appearance in “The Adventure of the Empty House“, the readers become aware that Holmes has spent this time travelling to various places including India and Tibet. Jamyang Norbu’s novel “The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes” is about Holmes’ adventures in India and Tibet during this period. Accompanied by an Indian spy, Huree Chunder Mookerjee, (who plays a role very similar to Watson) Holmes travels to India, where he dodges a few attempts on his life from Colonel Moran. Then he travels to Tibet and saves Dalai Lama’s life.
A great premise – a book on Holmes’ missing years, that too in India. The idea itself got we salivating. This should have been a great book. And it does start well. We see the glimpse of typical Holmes in the way Keep Reading…
“Watching television and surfing the Internet are really excellent practice for being dead” – excerpt from Damned by Chuck Palahniuk
Madison is thirteen year old, overweight, ignored by her movie star parents and is attracted to her adopted brother. And yes, she is dead. The novel is all about her life (?) in hell, the souls she meet there and her conversations with Satan.
After starting and not completing some of the previous books by Chuck (some were boring, some were unreadable and some were downright offensive), I had my reservations about this book. The premise of the book sounded Keep Reading…
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