Before the fall out

Reading historical science books has its own charm. Issac Asimov and Arthur Clarke, though they are scientists themselves, are master story tellers. Their books are highly enjoyable to read by lay men. Some years ago I read Jacob Bronowski's Ascent of man. I consider it as a master piece. In fact he has conducted a guided tour from the earliest invention of wheels to modern scientific discoveries. He has described in detail how Charles Darwin and Arthur Wallace have independently developed an evolution theory that unravel the mystery of birth of mankind in different stages and how Charles Darwin forged ahead at the winning post leaving Arthur Wallace stranded way behind. Our hearts went with unfornute Arthur Wallace. The trial of Gailieo by vatican church is also described in detail by him.

Diana Preston starts with the discovery of radium by Marie Curie. The bomb that exploded in Hiroshima started its journey from Paris. A native of Warsw came to Paris to pursue highier studies in physics and went to win two noble prizes. Newly discovered Bacqurel rays interested her and she decided to do further research on the rays. She was allowed to do her research in School of phycis Lab in Paris. She made her discovery in that lab.The author describes in detail the early struggle by Marie Curie. Then came the revolutionary discovery-structure of atom made by Ruther Ford and Frederic Soddy at Cavendish Labratory. Ruther Ford has shown that atoms can be smashed by radio active paricles.Next important discovery is discovery of the existance of neutron by Chadwick. An american scientist Earnest Lawrence has constructed the first Cyclotron at Berkly in U.S.A.

Diana Preston described the development of atomic physics in various labs- Cavendish lab at England, Heisenburg in Kaiser wilhelm institutes in Germany and Neihl Bohr in Copenhegn till the on set of first world war. When Hitler came to rule Germany he started persecuting the jews. Diana Perston then proceeed to describe the perscution and purge adopted by Nazis in Germany and occupied countries. The pathetic flight of Lisa Meitner, Neil Bohr, Leo slizard a hungerian jew, Enrico Fermi of Italy is depicted in the most gripping manner by the author.

As the war advanced to a crucial stage both Germany and Brition could not further their Atomic research owing to relentless bombing among them. Great Briton pressed America to develop the atomic research and lent their scientsts for the project. Once America was convinced of the feasability of atomic research into weapons, the project was accelerated. The project was named as manhatan project. Colonel Leslie Groves was made as head of the project. Brilliant American scientist Robert Oppenheir, again a jew, was apponted as its Director. Then the author describes in detail how the emigrant scientists, mostly jews, built the SUPER BOMB.

The moral aspects of the Atomic bomb and its effects were also affected the scientists. Leo slizard, Neil Bohr, Robert Oppenheimr have felt great dilema in helping to build the atomic bomb. In fact Leo slizard have devoted his energy and time in convincing the world leaders for limiting the weapons among the nations after the war. The author has devoted an entire chapter at the end asking 'if' what would have happened had the scientists involved in the Atomic bomb prematurely dead before the bomb and similiar other questions. This is one book you should not miss of you are interested in history of Atomic bomb.

" History, even the history of science, is inherently about people how they thought, what they did with their thoughts and how they interactd with the individuals immediately around them, and then with society and then with greater world order."

A New Earth

I came upon an interesting book "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. After Colin Wilson's The Outsider, this book amazed me. It is thought provoking. The author has introduced the readers to the evolution of ego.

Ego is congolomeration of recurring thought forms and mental emotional patterns that are invested with a sense of I, a sense of self. It is an accumalation of conditioned thoughts.

"I think therefore I am". Said Rene'Descartes 17th centuary philospher. Hence he must be the first that discovered ego. But the philospher did not know then.It is Jean Paul Sarte who looked in to Descarte's statement 'I think" very deeply and realized the true meaning. The consciousness that says "I am" is not the consciousness that thinks. It is a different dimensions of consciousness. It is the awareness that says "I am". If there was nothing but thoughts in you, you would not even know you are thinking.

The author discusses the many forms of the ego. The various roles that ego play- Proud superior being with enormous ego or that of self piting people with inferiority complex and so on. The collective ego of a race, nation, and religion and egos of the conquered people and that of defeated people cause havoc on a nation. These collective egos are responsible for genocide and massacre like world witnessed in Germany as holocaust and Mylai massacre( committed by defeated u.s. army) and as recently in Gujrat.

He tells us how ego manipulates one self. Ego always need to feel superior. You are about to tell someone the news of what happened, "Guess what? you don't know yet? Let me tell you?" If you are alert enough, present enough you may be able to detect a momentry satisfaction with in your self just before imparting the news, even if it is the bad news. It is due to the fact that for a brief moment ther is, in the eyes of the ego, an imbalance in your favour between you and the other person. For a brief moment you knoe more than the other. The satisfaction that you feel is of the ego and it is derived from feeling a strong sense self relative to other person. Even if he or she is the president or the pope, you feel superior that moment because you more.

The author speaks about how old pains and grievences help ego to act as pain body.Our body has its own intelligence. That intelligence reacts to our mind and its thoughts. Emotion is the body's reaction to your thoughts. Various cores of action like conversion of oxyzen and food into energy, the heart beat, circulation of blood and thousands of similiar function are coordinated perfectly by body's intelligence. The intelligence also react to certain conditions like anger, fear,pleasure and so on. The author calls this as instinctive responses also known as emotions.These emotion also arise as a response to thoughts. Sometimes the mind can thought of an event which may be sad or anger or unpleasent. Our body reacts to that emotion which may not be actual. He calls this pain body.

The author also tells us how to free from one self from ego and pain body. We need to awaken. Awakening is awareness. Awareness is being in the present. Presence is the key to all our happiness. This book is worth not only for reading but also for practising. It is a transformational book.

Beauty

Beauty, Beauty where are you?
I asked when I was five,
Bubbly, Bubbly! Beauty is you
Said my mother on her drive.

Beauty, Beauty where are you?
I asked when I was ten,
Beauty, Beauty Games for you
When you play you see heaven.

Beauty, Beauty where are you?
I asked when I was sixteen,
Beauty, Beauty Flowers for you
Flowers and music make your teen.

Beauty, Beauty where are you?
I asked when I was twenty,
Beauty, Beauty lies in Luv
Go for it before you are forty.

Beauty, Beauty where are you?
I asked when I was forty,
Beauty, Beauty Family grew
All your children make life hearty.

Beauty, Beauty where are you?
I asked when I was sixty,
God and Nature p’heps wait to
End your life’s long treaty.

A Poem

To day morning suddenly I came upon an idea about a poem. Here it is.

Beauty lies in the heart
Not easily to be bought
Make a journey in to the heart
No pain no thought
Smiles only it brought
That’s the way it may last.

Narmada Bachao Andolan

Narmada Bachao Andolan [Save Narmada Movement] is a people’s movement that mobilized, adivasis farmers tribal farmers against the Sardor Sarover Dam being built across the Narmada River. The Dam when built would cause immense ecological damage through the inundations of forests, including prime habitats of rare species. The proponents of the Dam claim that this plan would provide larger amounts of water and electricity, which are desperately required for development. The opponents of the Dam question the basic assumptions of the Narmada valley Dev. Plan and believe the planning is unjust and iniquitous and the cost benefits analysis is grossly inflated in favor of building the Dams. It is well established that the plans rest on untrue and unsound assumptions of hydrology and seism city of the area and the construction is causing large scale abuse of human rights and the displacements of many poor and underprivileged communities. There is not remotest prospect that the displaced people the ‘out sees’ will be adequately settled not that the ecological damage compensated for. There are also real doubts borne out by the experience of larger Dams else where in India that the Dams yield main projected benefits of Hydro power Irrigation and drinking water.

NBA started as people’s movement against this development in the mid 1980’s; it has greatly succeeded in generating a heated debate across the sub. Continent between the pro’s and against the Dam construction. Medha Patkar has associated herself with the NBA along with Baba Amte another activist. Medha Patkar is a graduate in Social science. She moved to live among the tribes of the Narmada valley in the 1980’s and alerted them to the fate, which awaited them when the Dam got constructed. NBA vigorously campaigned for the rehabilitation and resettlement for the Dam ‘oustees’

Two newspapers ‘Hindu’ and ‘New Indian Express’ have taken two different views on the Narmada issue. While Hindu sided with NBA, Express took the side of Dam promoters. Eco disaster did not prevent these people to drop the height of the Dam. Even if we accept the development of the four states is the only criterion we must at least accept that the Dam oustees rehabilitation and resettlement should have taken care of. What Meda patkar now insist that the families of the oustees should have been compensated fully before the construction of the Dam. Is not fair that Narendre Modi and his cohorts should try to understand the justice behind the oustees demand. Is it because they are tribals and Adivasis?

Amir khan the super star who, produced such a thought provoking film Rang De Basanti have lent his weight to NBA. He has understood the problems of Adivasis and Tribals. But BJP and Congress parties in Gujarat have agitated against Amir khan and indulged in vandalism in Theatres in which Amir’s films were screened. These two parties are at each other’s throat in political battle for share in spoils of pie. But they joined hands to oppose Amir’s support for NBA. Perhaps vote bank politics prevented them to side with the poor and have-nots. Amir has rightly said in his interview with ND T.V.
“The political parties in Gujrat are trying to protest me. I want the nation to watch this footage very carefully. This is the way they speak.”

He has further said

“I have seen water problem that the people of Kutch faced and I am extremely sympathetic to the cause. I want water to reach all these four states and the people who need this water.”

He only wants the people who are displaced should be compensated for. What a bold line he has taken? There is a difference between the super stars of North and the super stars of South. Super stars of South are greedy and power hungry and they act in front as well as behind the camera. The super stars of North are socially aware and they act only in front of the camera not behind. Be it Sunil dutt Dilip kumar or Shobna Azmi or Vivek Oberoi.

Instead of appreciating of Medha Patkar and Amir Khan some people are critising their stand and protest. What Arundhati Roy has said is correct. Here is what she said :

“… The poor of the country are already deciding why they are taking of arms all over Chattisgarh, Orissia,Jharkahand.”

ON SCIENCE FICTION

I came across an article to day (06.04.06) in the Hindu Metro Plus on Asimov by one Mala Kumar. Reading science fiction is an intellectual exercise. Before drawn to SF I was reading Arthur Hailey and Irving Wallace and of course the classics. During early 80’s I had two personal tragedies. Within spate of one year I lost my father and my best friend. During that period I was depressed and terribly upset unable to cope with my miseries. At that time one of my friend Saravanan introduced me to Easwari Lending Library enticing me to drown my tragedies amidst books. I had access to enumerable books on every author I chose. I owe a lot to my friend
My appetite for books was some what satiated by Easwari Lending Library. Around the same time another friend Nagabushanam introduced me to Isaac Asimov and J.K’s Lectures. These two friends have shaped my Self to what I am to day. My political views, social views, Cosmic and spiritual knowledge expanded through Easwari Lending Library.

Coming to Issac Asimov, I was thrilled by his books-Foundation series, Short stories etc. I was fascinated by his description of alien landscape, Gadgets, Space travel, Time Travel what he calls Time Warping and what not? When I read his Robot series- that is ultimate. The story I Robot is one of the best SF story I ever I read. It is both philosophical and scary. It also tells us about the horror of take over by Machines. I have read I Robot many a times. The fact of being a chemistry graduate helped me to understand SF better, with out getting over awed by the scientific knowledge these books put forth. From science fiction I have graduated to non- fiction. Even Issac Asimov books on non-fiction are simply superb. He has written about many discoveries and inventions in his own style that attracts the attention of every reader. My knowledge about cosmos, Big bang Theory, Black Hole, Red star, Neutron star, Tyco Brahe Herschel- every thing about Astronomy is because of him. He used to give inspiring titles to his articles. One such title is: Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, a line from William Blake’s line.

From Asimov I switched over to Arthur Clarke and other SF writers. Arthur Clarke is another who engrossed my attention. His 2001 Space Odyssy, Rendezvous with Rama, Child Hood’s End, The Sential are masterpieces. Sir Fred Hoyle , the physicist and astronomer is another writer who stirred my attention. His novel The Black Cloud is one of the best.


Issac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics:

A Robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

A Robot must obey the orders given to it by human being except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

A Robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

The Great Divide

Globalaisation has not made the lives of the have nots any thing better.The difference between the rich and the poor got still wider.An interesting article has appeared in the The new Indian Express supplement SCHOOL MAGAZINE to day(april 5 th). The author Subha Venkatesen said in her article that the people who have not enough to eat or having any place to live consist of 21 percent of the world population. This is fairly a large number. According to her the poor face challanges like living in places that are hard to reach(geography),bad climate,natural hazards,lack of education and poor health. In contrast societies with good harbours, favourable climate, adequate energy and good contacts with the rest of the world have always escaped extreme poverty.

There are other reasons that to add to the plight of the poor like explotiation ,social and cultural discriminisation. The world to day came to gather to help the society by setting goals called millennium development goals. Based on research, they decided to

give aid for enough food

give access to clean water and basic sanitation.

boost agriculture with fertilizers, improved seeeds and irrigation

give health care to everyone

invest in education

provide power to the backward regions.

How can we do this? How much is the cost of all this? The total requirement works out to $160 billions. Is it possible? It only involves 0.5 percent of the combined GNB (gross national product) of the affulent donar nations. This is a mere drop in the ocean.

According to her the world at last realised that unless there is prosperty there can not be peace .