Ripples In A Teacup

 Kwanzaa starts tomorrow, December 26 th and goes on until January 1 st , culminating in a communal feast called Karamu. Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture that was invented and promoted by Maulana Karenga, a Black American leader. Karenga was active in the Black Power movement of the 1960s. He was a part of the Congress of Racial Equality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In 1965, Karenga and Hakim Jamal co-founded the black nationalist group US Organization, which became involved in violent clashes with the Black Panther Party by 1969. In 1971, he was convicted of felony assault, torture, and false imprisonment of women. Karenga denied involvement and claimed the prosecution was political in nature. Karenga was imprisoned in California Men's Colony until he received parole in 1975. Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 to be a non-Christian, specifically African-American, holiday, that would be an alternative for black people to Christmas. Ka...

Australians have voted against proposals to change their constitution to recognise a formal body for Indigenous people which would give advice on laws. The referendum (called Australia's Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum and also as The Voice referendum) which took place last Saturday asked voters whether they wanted to recognise their Indigenous people in their constitution, and whether they wanted to introduce an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. The proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament was meant to be a formal body for Indigenous Australians that would give advice to the Australian government on issues affecting Indigenous Australian communities. Those who campaigned in favour of the proposals argued the vote was important for many Indigenous Australians who aren't currently recognised in Australia's 122-year-old constitution. The campaign against these proposals claimed that if implemented, the Aborigi...

Global warming has many side-effects, one of which is the exacerbation of coral bleaching. Another side-effect is  the proliferation of crown-of-thorns starfish, which are resistant to marine heatwaves and devour coral reefs . The crown-of-thorns starfish (frequently abbreviated to COTS), Acanthaster planci, is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia). The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns. It is one of the largest starfish in the world. New information about the crown-of-thorns starfish has come from research led by Professor Maria Byrne from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney and published in the journal Global Change Biology.  Byrne and colleagues found that juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish had a higher heat tolerance than not only coral, but also adults of the same species. It has been fou...

My thoughts are in a whirl as I absorb the news that is still pouring in from Israel and the Gaza strip. I should state upfront that I am no expert on the Israel-Palestine dispute. It is very clear that Israel has been taken totally unawares by the Hamas offensive – definitely a colossal intelligence failure for a country which has a very good reputation in this department. The much vaunted Iron Dome was overwhelmed by over 2,200 rockets fired over a space of just twenty minutes. There is no doubt that Sunni Hamas has been funded and supported by external parties. Shia Iran is most likely the main backer and it is possible that the small-but-ambitious Qatar has also opened its wallet for Hamas’s benefit. Israel and Saudi Arabia were on the verge of entering into a historic peace deal and now KSA has come out in support of Hamas . Saudi Arabia possibly had no option but to voice support for Hamas, given public opinion in the Kingdom. There has been so much suffering endured by the pe...

Today a new session started in the Indian Parliament and a bill that provides for reservations for women in various legislatures was introduced. In the in Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) and all state legislative assemblies, one-third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct elections shall be reserved for women. Further, one-third of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes shall also be reserved for women. Interestingly, today’s session was the first sesion in the new Parliament building which has cost the Indian tax payer a pretty penny. The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to amend the Indian constitution by introducing the following new provisions in the Constitution. These are: New clause in 239AA: This provides for reservations for women in the Delhi Legislative Assembly. New Article – 330A: This provides for reservations for women in the Lok Sabha Assembly. New Article – 332A: This provides for reservations for women in every state l...

Over the past week, catastrophic wildfires destroyed many Hawaiian towns killing more than 100 people and displacing thousands of people. The fires, which are believed to be the deadliest in the US in the last century, erupted on three of Hawaii’s islands forcing visitors to flee and residents to seek emergency shelter. It is possible that power lines likely caused Maui's first reported fire. Since the beginning of August, most of Maui has been under an “abnormally dry” level of drought, according to the US Drought Monitor . But beginning on Tuesday, 8 August, a portion of Maui escalated to a “severe drought” level making the area more susceptible to wildfires. Though the islands are no stranger to some wildfires, the number of fires has increased exponentially over the past century due to human activity and an increase in invasive, flammable grasses, according to the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO). “Nonnative grasslands and shrublands now cover nearly one-quarter...

Several years ago, while I was immersed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, my mother suggested that I watch the Dark Knight trilogy. At the time, I didn’t expect much from it. I was caught surprised there though, in fact I was virtually blown away by the way the story was told. I watched those movies multiple times and each time I was struck by another angle, another insight, another twist and I became an official Christopher Nolan fan. Oppenheimer was pure cinematic brilliance, an intellectually and visually stunning piece of work from which I could not disengage even for a second. As a student of science, it was just fascinating to watch the academics bring to fruition what they set out to achieve For the first time, I felt rather appreciative of my textbook knowledge of scientists names and accomplishments, Einstein, Neils Bohr, Fermi and Heisenberg are all scattered in the tumultuous political landscape of their times . It was amazing to see on screen all their personal and moral di...

 Folks, "College Days" a short story I wrote at the height of Covid (those dark times) has now been published on Spillwords . Here's the link .  I hope such a dystopian vision never becomes a reality! 

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, I had harboured a faint hope that patriotic Russian army officers would raise up against Putin and call off the Ukraine War. Unfortunately, yesterday’s insurrection was started by the Wagner Chieftain, a man much more evil than Putin, and after some mutual posturing, both parties have pulled back. Thanks to a deal brokered by Putin’sally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko , Putin is now free to continue his fight against Ukraine. However, he no longer has Wagner at his beck and call and the Ukrainians are now on the offensive, which is apparently going slowly . What next? As long as Putin is able to sell his oil at any price , he can continue his war. However, if Ukraine gives him a face-saving exit, he may give up. I’m sure Putin wants to rest and regain his strength. However, I am assuming Putin is in his normal senses and will think and act like a normal human being, which he isn’t. Yesterday, I thought I saw an end in sight for the Uk...

  Wildfires and summer go hand in hand in certain parts of the world. However, the wildfires in Canada have got me especially worried. Climate change has affected Canada just like other parts of the world, but it looks like Canada is warming up faster than the rest of the world . Thousand of people across Canada are being evacuated and we are being warned that these blazes could last "all summer." Nearly 17,800 square miles have burned since the beginning of 2023. These f orest fires have sent a smoky haze billowing over a large swath of the United States. What’s to be done??? What scares me the most is that there are still apparently sane folks out there asking for proof that these wildfires are fueled by climate change !

Lucky me, May 8 is a holiday in France to mark Victory Day, the day on which the Allies formally accepted Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945, consequently ending World War II in Europe. Accent Francais , where I am doing an intensive French course, took us students to Nîmes by coach and I had a lovely time. Nîmes, pronounced in French as “Neem” with a very short à at the end, is around 60 kilometers north-east of Montpellier, where I am based. Nîmes used to be an important European city during the time of the Roman Empire and has a number of buildings that look Roman. Nîmes is even referred to as the "French Rome". As usual, I took a few snaps and treated myself to an ice cream!

Last Saturday, I once again rented a bicycle for the day and cycled to La Grande Motte, approximately around 22 kilometres from Montpellier.  The cycling track from Montpellier to La Grande-Motte has two tracks, one asphalt/tar and the other mud, except in certain sections where it is only mud.  I largely stuck with the asphalt path. La Grande-Motte is a smallish town by the sea. It’s a port as well and I read somewhere on the internet that it was built in the 1960s and 1970s.  La Grande-Motte is known for its architecture with a number of prominent buildings shaped like pyramids.  However, I didn’t spend much time admiring the architecture, instead, I relaxed on the beach. Here are a few more snaps from  La Grande-Motte.

There’s so much talk of green and clean energy, one gets the feeling that there is no harm in harnessing the sun and wind and tidal waves to generate electricity and run more cars and planes and ships and spaceships. No! People, we need to consume less as a whole. Even if we have solar-powered electric saws, we should not cut down trees unnecessarily. Sitting in Montpellier, which seems uninhabited by Indian standards, it is easy to not panic or worry about over-consumption. There is a lot less pollution than in India and roads are generally deserted (by Indian standards). However, we DO KNOW that climate change is for real. Sea levels are rising and seasons and climatic patterns have gone for a toss. We need to panic! Reduction of consumption has to be both per capita as well as gross. Gross reduction can be achieved only if we reduce the world’s population. India has already overtaken China as the world’s most populous country. Many countries are worried about the reduction in th...

  I’m in Montpellier, Southern France, for a month, to attend an intensive French language immersion course at the Accent Francais . I have classes five days a week, 3:15 hours a day on Mondays and Fridays and 4:45 hours on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I stay with a landlady who speaks only French. Weekends are mine and yesterday, I rented a bicycle for the day (paying € 15 for the pleasure) and cycled in and around Montpellier for around five hours. I found it very easy to cycle in Montpellier. Though I am used to cycling on the left and out here I have to cycle on the right, I found the going very smooth. There are cycling lanes everywhere and even if there isn’t a cycling path, bicycles are treated like any other vehicle on the road. I followed the traffic signals like every other driver on the road and felt very safe.  I had lunch at an open air restaurant, with my bicycle propped up against a nearby railing. I returned my cycle at 6:30 pm and walked back to my fla...

  As I continue my ‘ enseignement francais’ , one of the things that has piqued my interest (and immense frustration) is the ‘faux amis’. ‘ Faux amis’  literally means "fake friends", but here we are talking of ‘ mot français’ or French words and there’s nothing to watch your back out for.  Just like the real things, they pounce on you when you least suspect it.  Let me explain. Since French and English are closely related languages within the Indo-European language family, both having derived from Latin, there are many words in French which more less have the same meaning in English. For example, words like Constellation, Danser, Accompagner, Quart, Ancien, Long, Large, Voyager, Musicien, Docteur, Ingénieur, Entrer and Chercher mean more or less what they mean in English. So, one tends to think that when faced with a word which seems to have an equivalent in English, the meaning will be the same. That’s where the ‘ faux amis ’ warning has relevance. Wh...

I’m now in Kerala for a week with my grandparents who live in a village called Mundakayam. Mundakayam is a ninety minute drive from Kottayam town and is at the eastern periphery of Kottayam district. The road from Kottayam to Mundakayam is called KK Road , the KK for “Kottayam – Kumaly” and old milestones marking the distance are still in vogue. Places enroute KK Road are carry the names of the  milestones. So, Mundakayam is the 33 rd Mile (from Kottayam) and where we live is actually the 31 st Mile. Ask someone where they live and pat comes the reply: “Muppathi-Onne” or “Thirty One”. Go past Mundakayam (the 33 rd Mile) for a kilometre or so, cross the bridge across the Manimala River and you’ll be in Idukki District and rubber plantations give way to tea. The bridge across the Manimala River Every time I am in Kerala, I am reminded of how beautiful it is . Possibly the most beautiful tropical place I have ever visited, even counting Goa. Where we live, we are surrounded by ...

As a budding/wannabe software engineer, I am fascinated by AI, though it is very likely that hundreds of thousands of software engineers may become redundant on account of AI. An open letter —signed by Elon Musk and over 1,000 others with knowledge, power, and influence in the tech space—calls for the halt to all “giant AI experiments” for six months. According Musk et. al: AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity; Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks and could flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth, make it possible to   automate away all jobs, including the fulfilling ones;  Nonhuman minds might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace humans; Powerful AI systems should be developed only once humans are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable; AI labs and independent experts should use the 6-...

  In India, one can’t help notice the strays that prowl our streets. One finds them everywhere. Not just dogs, but also cats. I am partial to cats (I have two at home), but love dogs too. I feed stray cats a lot. I sometimes carry food with me to feed stray cats. I have never gone out of my way to feed a stray dog, but perfectly understand why some would do so. However, let’s admit, India has a stray dog problem on its hands. On February 19, 2023, a four year old child was mauled to death in Hyderabad by stray dogs. In Delhi, a few weeks ago, two small children were mauled to death by stray dogs . What’s the solution? I would hate to see any stray dog being killed. However, we can’t allow feral strays to kill small children. In Mumbai where I live, stray dogs are not a big problem, at least in my experience. The Mumbai municipal corporation has innovative plans for sterilizing stray dogs . Kerala, where I have my roots, has a big problem with stray dogs .  This CNN report hi...

  My board exams got over a few days back and life is slowly returning to normal. No more late nights or early mornings (for studies), no more cramming, no more anxiety, no more last minute panic attacks and trepidation. Once again, I start cycling in the mornings (for which I don’t mind waking up early), watching movies (for which I don’t mind staying up late), reading books and blogging. Hold on, I’m headed towards my 11 th and 12 th standards and there are more exams looming in the distant horizon. However, for the next couple of months, I am going to have fun.

This is going to be a short post since I have my board exams coming up, but I can’t not say anything about what I just read - Roald Dahl’s being re-written , with so-called politically incorrect portions modified. I googled a bit and found that there has been talk of re-writing Dr. Seuss and Enid Blyton too. I grew up reading Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss and Enid Blyton, among others. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Lorax, Famous Five, Malory Towers, I’ve read them, all and many times and I could still read them, though I haven’t read these in a while. Let me say this. Kids aren’t stupid. They are not going to turn racist or be offended by reading stories written by great writers from a different era, having values very different from what we have now. I don’t think it is possible to re-write these great stories without ruining them. It is not a perfect world. Please do let these books be. I don’t think there should be any re-writing at all. That’s my point of vi...

  I have always wondered if extraterrestrial life exists. I mean, why should we earthlings be the only living beings in this universe? Given the vastness of the universe and the billions of stars and planets within in, I think it is probable that life exists elsewhere in the universe. If life exists outside the earth, is it likely to be more advanced than us or primitive? If it is more advanced, wouldn’t those aliens have tried to contact us? The late physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking had a complex and nuanced view on the possibility of contacting aliens .On the one hand, Hawking believed that the existence of extraterrestrial life was very likely given the vast size of the universe and the number of habitable planets that could exist. However, he also warned that we should be cautious about actively trying to contact any potential alien civilizations. Hawking expressed concern that any aliens we might encounter could be hostile, given the tendency for life on Earth to co...