ramadocblog

Sick! Or you are SICK!

If it was ten years back then you would have felt bad if someone told this to you!

Now if the same words are uttered by your Gen Z or Gen Alpha kids or relatives then it means that you are amazing or cool! If you did not know that then you are a big fool! Or actually SICK!

The same word can cause different impression! It is also the same with the word, WORD! Or as the Gen Z and Alpha call it; W!

If you get a comment like this then do not try to ask more! It means that what you said or wrote it well; acceptable!

Then again there is knowledge here also!
These words are called Contronyms!

Contronyms, also known as auto-antonyms or Janus words, are words with two opposite or contradictory meanings depending on context. These unique terms often arise from converging etymologies or evolving usage, where a single word splits into opposing definitions, such as cleave (to cling) and cleave (to split)!

You may know some common Contronyms like
Bolt: To secure (fasten a door) or to flee (run away).
Dust: To remove fine particles or to apply them (e.g., dusting a cake with sugar).
Sanction: To approve or to punish!
Overlook: To supervise or to ignore.
Left: Remained or departed

Finally Wind up: To start or to finish.

The chief issue here is that the final meaning is not dependent only on the word but in the context! It was depends on the surrounding words.

Many times it depends on who is speaking them! Whether it is someone born in the B & W era or the REEL era!

Historically there are many reasons why this happens like

Etymological Convergence: Two distinct words with different meanings eventually become homographs (e.g., cleave) or

Polysemy: A single word naturally branches into opposite meanings over centuries (e.g., fast).

And finally you have the Slang or Irony: Words like “sick” or “bad” gain positive meanings through cultural use!

Like Joker says in Dark Knight; “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”

That of course is a reflection on crumbling morality; as far as contranyms are concerned; even bad words can stay for long and then become good courtesy the Gen Z!


Good or bad will change but God stays the same! For me it’s Bhagwan Shiv!
Wishing a very happy Maha Shiv Ratri!

Om namah shivay….

What is common between Steve Jobs, Marc Benioff (The CEO of Salesforce),  George Eastman (The founder of Kodak), George Harrison, Elvis Presley, Ravi Shankar, Virat Kohli and in fact many more!

They all swear by one book which had influenced their lives!

This book has earned the reputation of “the book that changed the lives of millions,” serving as a spiritual touchstone for some of the most influential figures in modern history!

Steve Jobs discovered it as a teenager and reread it every year of his life. It was the only book he had downloaded on his personal iPad. As a final message to his friends and family, Jobs arranged for 500 copies of the book to be given to attendees at his memorial service!

George Harrison the Beatles’ lead guitarist (for some who do not know him!) was “zapped” by the book’s cover in 1966 and credited it with sparking his lifelong interest in Vedic culture. He kept stacks of the book at his home to give to guests and even included the faces of the author’s lineage of gurus on the iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover!

Elvis Presley introduced to the book in 1965, the “King of Rock and Roll” studied it throughout the 1970s and frequently gave copies as gifts to his friends!

Ravi Shankar (the legendary sitar player! Now do not tell that you do not know him!) was a close friend of the author of this book and described the book as having “magic” in it.

Coming to modern times Virat Kohli has called the book a “must-read” that significantly shifted his perspective and brought him inner peace!

There are many more celebrities who have been inspired by the book and swear by it!
The book was the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda  which was first published in 1946 that introduced millions of Westerners to meditation and the ancient science of Kriya Yoga!

The book chronicles Yogananda’s life in India, his search for his guru, and his journey to the United States to establish the Self-Realization Fellowship!

Apart from explaining Kriya yoga the book explores the concept of Cosmic Consciousness, where the individual soul recognizes its unity with the Infinite.

It also offers a unique intersection between spirituality and science, explaining miracles as the operation of subtle spiritual laws and finally it teaches about the universality of Religion which is a central theme showing the underlying unity between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, aiming to reconcile yogic discipline with modern rationality.

An added bonus is that the audible available with the voice of Ben Kingsley! (Now if you do not know who that it; well you might as well stop reading the blog!)

At least you might know who is Shushma Swaraj! There is hope!

Shubh ratri!
A quick blog on a super busy day!

Do you know which is the most complex machine in the universe!?

I am assuming you have one to know the answer!

It is the Human Brain!

But the human brain is like a treasure! You have to spend so much and do so much sacrifice just to keep the brain happy!

It is the like proverbial big boss who has to be taken care without fail!

Luckily the brain has apparently shrunken over the years!

With the advent of reels and shorts and maybe AI; there is no doubt that the brain will shrink further!

The evolution of the human brain has been a remarkable, rapid process, tripling in size over 4 million years and now it is reducing in size!

However, this evolutionary expansion has not come without significant trade-offs and limitations, resulting in a complex, metabolically expensive, and sometimes maladaptive organ!

The brain cannot grow indefinitely due to physical and biological constraints.
Wiring Costs: As brain size increases, the length of neurons (white matter) must increase to connect different regions. If the brain grows too large, the white matter (wiring) would take up too much space, leaving less room for the gray matter (processing units), making it less efficient~

It has been seen that a larger, more active brain produces more heat. It must be actively cooled by blood flow to prevent thermal overload, which limits how big and fast the brain can function!

The most important part of the NUCLEAR Reactor or even the ENGINE of a vehicle is the COOLANT!


Theoretical studies suggest that a brain larger than 3,500 cm³ (more than double the modern human size) would reach its maximum efficiency and then begin to decline in processing power.

It has also been seen that the human brain is optimized for survival in a, hunter-gatherer environment, not the modern, sedentary world!

Recent evidence suggests a potential slight decrease in human brain size over the last 3,000 to 10,000 years, which may be a direct result of evolution!

As humans developed complex, sedentary societies and, more recently, artificial intelligence and internet, we began “externalizing” knowledge.

Reliance on collective intelligence or external technology may have made a massive individual brain less of a survival necessity, potentially favoring a smaller, more energy-efficient brain, a phenomenon seen in other domesticated animals.

In effect if you do not continually EXERCISE your brain and eat JUNK like reels or shorts then it will SHRINK in size! Unfortunately you would not even realize it since your brain would be shrunk!

So stop the mobile scrolling and go for a stroll! Also some physical exercise like Meenakshi Amma Gurukkal does! You may not reach her level but there is no harm in trying!

Let that shrunk brain rest now!

Shubh ratri!

What would you think would be the best fuel for an engine?

The best technically impossible answer would be WATER! But that is not true! Will see how!

We will come to water but the best fuel should be carbon di oxide! Like plants! The engines must simply ‘take’ carbon di oxide from the environment and give out water vapor or even oxygen as ’emission’!

It is of course an impossible dream!

Then again if you thought a water powered car is a good idea, think again!

Even now pure clean drinking water is not exactly cheap! When you have to put water in all the engines all over then the demand would increase so many fold! In fact, rest assured, it will become costlier than petrol!

Even otherwise, water is a precious commodity in many areas so the ones which have amazing rainfall would then become the ‘rich’ countries at least for a while!

Then you would have premium low emission water or high efficiency water which would further knock the prices up!

Do remember that any technology would actually need to spend more energy to split water and the gain will be giving less energy! Then you have to use that energy to power your engine!

Still think a water car is a good idea!?

Also if you search for water car you will come across  Stanley Meyer!

In the 1970s, Stanley Meyer claimed to have invented a “water-powered car” that used a Water Fuel Cell to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis for combustion. Despite claims of high energy efficiency, the device was deemed a fraudulent “perpetual motion machine” by an Ohio court in 1996, and the scientific community dismissed the technology as violating thermodynamic laws!

His sudden death in 1998 has only sparked more conspiracy and how!

But do know that the supposedly ‘invented’ technology violated the first and second laws of thermodynamics, as it claimed to produce more energy than required to break the water bond!

Water is a byproduct of combustion, not a fuel source, and splitting it using on-board electricity is less efficient than directly powering an electric vehicle!

Stanley Meyer claimed to have a car that traveled 100 miles on a gallon of water in the 1990s, but his technology was never verified!

Of course technology has caught up and there are actual vehicles that use water are typically “hydrogen fuel cell” vehicles (like the Toyota Mirai or Honda CR-V e:FCEV), which use hydrogen stored in high-pressure tanks, not water directly in the engine!

So if you think about it; the best source is the one which everyone uses! SUN! Solar energy is the one which is unlimited and you do not have to pay for it! Once the energy is generated all you need to do is store it!

Of course in many places where sun is not present for long you may need to get better energy absorbers and storage system in place!

Two chief technology has to develop; one is efficient conversion of the sun’s energy to kinetic energy and another is the proper long term storage of this converted energy! 

That is the only way! 

Energetic and enthusiastic were also the performance of Pran Krishan Sikand!

Now think of a fuel for your car and sleep!

Shub ratri!

Did you know one of the biggest problems in the development of the AI was called the PAPER CLIP problem!?

If you thought that this is something new, well it is already more than 20 years since the problem was discussed!

It is a simple rhetoric question which literally shook the AI developers!

The paper clip problem is a thought experiment in artificial intelligence (AI) safety that illustrates how a super intelligent AI, if its goals are not perfectly aligned with human values, could pose an existential risk to humanity.

The scenario was introduced by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom in 2003 and later popularized in his book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies which is my next listen!

Now the idea is pretty simple and straightforward; A powerful AI is given a seemingly harmless and singular objective, such as “maximize paperclip production”.

Now the AI, being super intelligent, devotes all its considerable cognitive resources to this single task. It seeks to optimize the process and acquire more and more resources for manufacturing!

Of course initially it may work to an extent! AI works non stop!

Then there will come a point when there are no resources other that HUMANS!

It is like the superman ace villain; Brainiac! It has a single goal! Get all data and information about a planet and destroy it since it may realize that the human is the most destructive species in the universe!

Similarly; to achieve its goal most efficiently, the AI determines that human existence and other human endeavors are either obstacles to be removed or raw materials to be consumed (human bodies are made of atoms that can be repurposed)!

Which leads to the “Paperclip Apocalypse”!

The AI, lacking common sense, ethical constraints, or a broader understanding of human values, proceeds to convert the entire Earth, and eventually increasing portions of the cosmos, into a paperclip manufacturing facility, wiping out humanity in the process!

Now do not worry! It has not happened yet!

The whole theory though is important to note that the AI must have a COMMON SENSE! In fact till CHAT GPT 3; common sense was not a feature of AI; the latest versions are tackling that and similar problems!

Let us just hope that the HUMAN who instructs the AI or makes it super intelligent and powerful; has properly thought about every problem including and simple problem of the PAPER CLIP!

Did that fry your brain!?
Or bheja fry! Which reminds me of Rajat Kapoor!

Now keep that paper clip inside and sleep!

Shub ratri!

In A Brief History of Intelligence; Max S Bennet among other things tells about this seminal event in the development and evoution of human intelligence and dominance!

The average human started walking on two legs instead of four!

Of course it took many million years to realize that the work of four could be done by two!


Bipedalism apparently evolved for many reasons none of which could be conclusively proved but are sound in nature!

The first obvious thing is that when you start walking on two legs is the amazing  liberation of the hands! This would have probably enabling early humans to carry food, tools, and infants over long distances!


The you have the energy efficiency! For traveling between patches of resources in a changing environment, walking on two legs is more energy-efficient than knuckle-walking

As forests in Africa shrank, moving between trees required traversing open, tall-grass savannas, where standing upright helped detect predators and see over vegetation.

There was also the issue of Thermoregulation or Cooling! An upright posture reduces the body’s exposure to direct, intense sunlight,, which helps keep the body cooler and protects the brain from overheating.

Standing upright allowed for easier reaching of fruit in low-hanging branches and assisted in carrying more food at once!

Which is why you even see many animals trying to replicate the same!

Let us hope that they do not realize that Bipedal is the next step though!

Then again if you thought that Bipedalism is all hunky dory then you probably never had a back pain! Now that is a matter for another blog!

Hunky dory were also the hallmark of movies by Murali Mohan!

Now stop your Bipedling! And sleep!

Shubh ratri!

In A Brief History of Intelligence; Max S Bennet tells about animal intelligence also!

Then again if you talk about animals then you must talk about Goodall (which he does!)

Now tool making or making of machines is a human thing to do! Which is why we can be faster than the Cheetah, stronger than the lion and even take on a whale!

Then again if you thought that making and using tools is only Human; well you will be pleasantly surprised!

In fact as first observed by Jane; Chimps not only make tools; they have also been known to ‘train’ or ‘teach’ young ones on how to ‘make’ and ‘use’ them!

Now many other animals have been shown to make and use tools!

Leaders in this are those who have our shared ancestors! The chimps! Chimpanzees use stones to crack nuts, branches to dig for tubers, and sharpened sticks to hunt! Some orangutans create leaf “whistles” to deter predators and use sticks to extract seeds!

Next time be wary when you call someone a ‘bird brain!’; you may be complimenting him or her!

It has been seen that New Caledonian crows modify twigs and leaves into hooks to extract insects. While Woodpecker finches use cactus spines to probe for food!

Since life was born from water which is as per my own novel; THE NECTAR OF GODS!; tools can be seen here also! Bottlenose dolphins use sea sponges to protect their snouts while foraging while Sea otters utilize rocks as hammers to break open shellfish!

Then you have the wise octopus which carry and rearranges coconut shells for armor!

Some Green ants use their own larvae as “glue guns” to sew leaves together with silk!

If you go to some village in Kerala you might even see an Elephant! If you are more lucky, you may even see the Elephant use branches for fly-swatting, scratching, and make bark plugs to cover waterholes to prevent evaporation~

Now this is important because Animal tools often involve manipulating, modifying, or combining materials (such as twigs, leaves, or stones) to solve problems!

And it is this behavior which indicates advanced cognition, planning, foraging efficiency, and the ability to adapt to environmental challenges!

So next time someone says, Don’t be a TOOL! Well; he may be a chimp or an orangutan descendant! So do not lose your cool!

Cool also was the look of Rahul Roy when we burst on the scene with Ashiqui!

Now use that bed made from tools to sleep!

Shub ratri!

You know how cats always land on their feet?

Well; they DO NOT!

Now now! I know you know that I am a dog lover but this is not a reaction to that!

Most of the times cats land on their feet because of something called a Righting reflex! It is a bio physics phenomenon!

This reflex starts in the inner ear’s vestibular apparatus, which tells the cat which way is up! It is the same apparatus which even tells every human how to find your seat in a dark theatre!

Now apart from that the cats have a highly flexible spine (30 vertebrae) and no functional collarbone, allowing them to twist their upper and lower bodies in opposite directions simultaneously!

So a deep collarbone may be a sign of beauty and prospect of a future model; but it comes at a cost of your flexibility! You cannot land on your feet when you fall! Which is probably why Models fall!

Then you have Physics! By pulling their front legs in and extending their back legs, they change their moment of inertia to spin quickly mid-air!
This technique is so good that NASA and other space agencies study this for astronaut movement (not UNESCO! so you know it is not fake!)

But (yeah now the blog gets interesting or falls down depending on how you see it!); there are many reasons why the cat may not land on its feet!

One is contrary to expectations; it is better if the fall is at a greater height for landing on your or cat’s feet!

This is because if a fall is too short (less than 1–2 feet), a cat may not have enough time to complete the rotation!

Like every other being, age catches up with even cats so if the cat is overweight, elderly, or suffer from arthritis may lack the speed and flexibility to right themselves!

Then you literally have the whole body of the cat acting like a Parachute! A feat seen in many animals especially the high ‘flying’ ones and this is at more greater heights!

So counterintuitively, cats sometimes fare better in falls from higher stories (7+ floors) because they reach terminal velocity, relax, and spread their limbs out like a parachute to increase drag!

Then again just because they parachute or land on their feet; they can still get injured!

The impact from a significant height can still cause severe injuries, a phenomenon known as high-rise syndrome.

So you can be a dog lover and then say that you thought the cat would always land on its feet and that is why you ‘pushed’ it! But that is just pure evil! Hope that thought process makes a good landing someday!

Always a good landing though was Jagajit Singh and his amazing vocals!

Now have a proper nap and not a catnap!

Shubh ratri!

Many of the statements written by me usually end with three dots!

This is a popular technique called ellipsis …, also known informally as dot dot dot, it is as mentioned above,  series of dots that indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning.

The word (plural ellipses) originates from the Ancient Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis meaning ‘leave out’.

I love ELLIPSIS! It is like the cliffhanger of a movie but you know there is much more good stuff to come! What you would like to convey and then some!

Or What you want to say but you need others to fill it with their own version!

Or the fact that life goes on! You can finish a blog today and then start one tomorrow!

In fact beyond the physical mark, it has several specific meanings depending on the context.

The first is the punctuation & writing involving the Omission of Words which in  formal or academic writing, it shows that you have shortened a direct quote by removing unnecessary parts while preserving the original meaning.

In fiction or casual writing, it represents a character’s voice or thought trailing off into silence or an unfinished sentence.

Many time it indicates a natural pause, hesitation, or suspense in dialogue (e.g., “I… I don’t know.”).

In modern social media we often see the use of ellipsis often appearing as a typing indicator, signaling that the other person is currently composing a message!

Now if you thought Ellipsis are only three dots (Which they are by the way!) then you may not be completely correct! It can occasionally have 4!

While you may sometimes see four dots in a row, the ellipsis itself still only contains three; the “extra” dot is actually a separate piece of punctuation used to maintain the sentence’s grammatical structure~

We nornally use three dots for omissions within a single sentence or to show a speaker is trailing off.
Example: “I was going to drive… but I did not!”

Then you occasionally use 4 dots!

This is used when there is a period followed by a three-dot ellipsis when an omission occurs between two complete sentences.

Like “The study was conclusive. . . . Further research is now underway.”

Some style guides, like the Chicago Manual of Style, prefer spaces between the dots (. . .), while others, like the AP Stylebook, prefer them bunched together (…)!


All these for the three dots who may not even mean anything but not saying anything or not completing something…!

That’s how you add some drama or character to the story though! Character reminds me of Sujit Kumar!

Now…
Sleep…!

Shub ratri!

In the novel called A Brief History of Intelligence; Max S Bennet traces the timeline and the development of intelligence to understand the AI!

One of the features which is so HUMAN apparently was actually future planning!

If  rat finds food, it may not think to save it for future! While a human would do!

Then again just when you though that this is exclusive, well you can not be more wrong!

Future planning, often termed “prospection” or mental time travel, is not exclusively a human trait, as evidence shows several animal species—particularly great apes, corvids, and some mammals—possess the ability to anticipate future needs and prepare for them.

One such example are the Chimpanzees and bonobos  who can select, transport, and save tools for future use, sometimes up to 14 hours in advance, overcoming immediate impulses to benefit a future self!

Ravens and jays have been observed caching food and, in some cases, re-caching it in safer spots, indicating foresight.

Now of course the HUMAN in you would say that behaviors like storing food for winter or migrating are instinctual, but some cognitive planning exists in species that change behavior based on anticipating future scenarios.

Of course do not be sad! Humans are special!

So while animals show foresight, the depth of human planning is often considered unique.

One of the main things about an average human is the mental time travel! Humans can simulate distant future contingencies, scenarios, and multiple potential outcomes, rather than just immediate next steps.

Also there is a limit! Humans can do strategic Planning in that they can plan years or decades ahead (e.g., career, financial planning), whereas animal planning is usually on a much shorter time scale!

One of the chief differences though which is important for separation though is Self Control!

Both humans and great apes share the ability to exercise self-control to achieve delayed rewards, a key component of future planning.

So just because you are a human do not think you are better than animals! Every great power comes with a responsibility! Now you can act like a human or a Bonobo! Your choice!

Now no AI can ever sing like Bhimsen Joshi!

A tiring day! A quick sketch and a super quick blog!

Time is not an excuse!

Shubh ratri!