Monday 23 July 2012

Birthdays

Birthdays! A day when a person celebrates the fact that they are a year older. They celebrate the day they were born. This, I don't understand. Why do people see a need to celebrate growing older? Why do they want to celebrate being a year closer to their doom? In that point of view, birthdays should be a day of fear rather than happiness! Haha! Or is it that they are celebrating surviving another year in this cruel, ugly world? I am kidding!


A person's birthday is a day when they are the centre of attraction. But what did they do to deserve that attention and gifts? When I was born, I just gave a deafening cry and looked adorable. Apart from that I did absolutely nothing. Just for doing that, year after year, on my birthday I receive unnecessary attention.


According to me, a birthday of a person should not be a celebration of them because they did nothing to deserve it. Rather, it should be the celebration of their mothers! After all, they are the ones who carried out the "miracle of birth". They spent nine months of uneasiness just to bring them into the world. So all the attention and gifts should be directed towards the mothers because they did a mammoth task; A task whose difficulty only a mother can understand.


I believe that on a person's birthday, the least that person can do is,  take the time to thank his/her mother. After all, without their mothers they would be nothing. Here is to you mum! Thank you!

Saturday 21 July 2012

My pet, Bubbly!

This post is regarding the sweetest dog on earth...well, at least according to me she is the sweetest! After all she is my dog, Bubbly! Bubbly was born Nov 2005. She came to my house on new year's eve  when she was just 45 days old! I still remember how she fell asleep on my lap that night.


Now, Bubbly is 6 years old! 


But she still has the same innocent little face!


I do believe that a dog is a man's best friend. They are the most loyal companions. Unlike humans, the only thing dogs want from their owners is their company! They just want to sit by their owner's side. Of course they do want to be fed and taken for walk. Also they love it when their bellies are scratched! 

The best thing about dogs is the fact no matter what time you reach home, they are thrilled to see you. They don't question you about why you were late or why you didn't call. That is what a welcoming should be like.

I love spending time with Bubbly! I have never been able to stay angry at her for more than a minute. I enjoy playing her crazy 'Tag' game; but in her version of Tag I'm always 'It"! To sum up Bubbly is just awesome!

Friday 20 July 2012

Rock 'n' Roll!

I am a fan of rock and roll or to say it in the words of my friends, I am a "rock chick". I enjoy Hard rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock. The sixties-seventies was the era of rock and roll. The 60s saw the the rise of spectacular english rock bands.

The band that tops my list is Led Zeppelin. A combination of one of the greatest guitarists Jimmy Page and the best drummer of all time John Bonham! Songs like 'Achilles last stand', 'dazed and confused', 'Immigrant song' and 'When the levee breaks' are what rock is all about. I even enjoy listening to 'Moby Dick' where we can see Bonham for the genius he was. Not a day goes by with me not wishing that Bonham lived on. The entire face of music would have been different all because of the brilliance of Page and Bonham. Long live the memory of Bonham, the greatest drummer who ever lived! I know I've got one thing to do... "Ramble on!"

Rock and Roll is nothing without The Beatles! They defined what Rock and Roll is! I especially love the songs written by McCartney like 'Yesterday', 'Hey Jude', 'Blackbird', 'Here there everywhere'. Again, The Beatles was another band that had to break up after such a short music career. And the scene got even more gloom after Lennon's death. Even though the band had troubles, like the bitterness between McCartney and Lennon, they managed to produce some of the most memorable songs of all time. 

Wicked Crazy!...that is only thing that I can think of to describe Black Sabbath's music. 'Paranoid', 'War pigs', 'electric funeral' and not to forget 'Iron man' are truly sensational songs. It was the Tony Iommi's brilliance with the guitar that led the band to glory! Their dark lyrics and radical compositions was one of the things that led to the birth of heavy metal.

A band that made a huge contribution to rock and roll was The Rolling Stones; A band that had one of the best performer of all time Mick Jagger and a great guitarist, Keith Richards. 'Sympathy for the devil', 'No Satisfaction', 'Paint it black' and 'Wild Horses' are my favorites. The Rolling Stones left an ever-lasting image of Richards rocking his guitar and Jagger...basically just rocking it, especially with his crazy attires!

If you compare music to science, then Pink Floyd can be considered as a group of rocket scientists! They actually played around with music and some how what they did was exquisite! Songs like 'Brain damage', 'Welcome to the machine' are just astonishing! Songs like 'Echoes' just get you into the zone! I especially love the tributes made to Syd Barrett that is, 'Wish you were here' and 'Shine on you crazy diamond'. 'Shine on you crazy diamond' which has a whopping 9 parts, just shows how much of thought they put in to their songs!

Cream! A band that had members who were already superstars! A brilliant composer and singer, Jack Bruce! An ingenius guitarist and probably best, Eric Clapton! And, an iconic drummer, Ginger Baker! They are known for psychedelic songs like 'Strange brew' and lets not forget 'Toad' that has a magnificent drum solo by Baker.

When it comes to psychedelic rock, one has to mention The Who! Two of their most most popular songs were 'We won't get fooled again' and 'Baba O'Riley". That's pretty obvious since the two were used as themes songs for CSI Miami and CSI NY series. I would do anything to go back in time and attend a Who concert. They gave the most energy packed performances especially with the guitar smashing in the end(which I never really understood, but boy! its exhilarating!).

Eccentric, Hard core, Loud...words aren't enough to describe Deep Purple's music. I don't think there is any rock fan out there who hasn't played his/her air guitar along with 'Smoke on the water'. They might not be among the greatest rock bands of all time, but there is something about their songs like 'Child in time' and 'Soldier of fortune' that is truly mesmerizing.

Rock music is nothing without the glorious guitar. And, no band celebrates the guitar as much as Yardbirds! A band that had three of the most greatest guitarists ever known...Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck!!! Their songs; 'For your love', 'Shape of things', 'Over under sideways down' are truly amazing and are songs to be forever remembered!

Hysteria! No one can forget that album when it comes to rock music! Def Leppard were truly rocking it. Great songs like "Pour some suger on me", "Armageddon it" were out of this world! The most amazing part of Hysteria album is the fact Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen performed with only one hand! He made up for his lost hand with his footwork! But for me, my favorite song will always be "Rock of ages".

The next band is going be my last because, honestly, I have ran out of adjectives to describe these amazing bands!

When speaking of performances, I can't leave out Freddie Mercury and Queen! Frankly speaking its impossible not to get a crowd riled up with songs like 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'We are champions' and 'We will rock'. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is by far the one of the most amusing and probably my favorite of all rock songs. The song just energizes you once the Brian May's guitar solo starts!
Every single time I listen to that song, I forget about everything around me as if "Nothing really matters to me"(No one could have sung it better than Freddie Mercury).

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Change...The Inevitable!

I have always been a fan of the series "House". I loved watching Hugh Laurie limping around the screen of my telly. Just recently Hugh Laurie started his music career by launching his Blues album. A man who is in his fifties starting afresh!! This just got me wondering about change.

Our lives go through so many changes, some small and some big. Some changes have a huge impact on our lives while others go unnoticed. These changes can be caused by us or by another being. Every second we spend, our lives are changing. Even at this very moment change is taking place.  I have to admit that this thought scares me a bit.

Scientists once upon a time believed that babies knew not of the existence of things that are not in their line of sight. In other words, babies thought that whatever they could see, at that point of time, was the only thing that existed. Even what was right behind them didn't exist. None the less that theory has been proved wrong. But, in some obscure way we all perceive the world in the manner as per the previous theory. We are usually never concerned about the happenings that are occurring beyond our immediate surroundings. I do not mean to suggest selfishness. I only mean to say that the human mind works like a radar system. The limit of the radar is given by not distance, but by the interests and likes of that person. Any thing not detectable by the radar, the mind doesn't bother about it. So any change that takes place outside that radar's limit goes unnoticed.

Changes don't happen only to our surroundings. Each and every one of us undergo change. My life has undergone numerous changes. I've grown from a baby to a college student. I have undergone transformations both physically and mentally. From not knowing how to utter words, I've grown in to a person who has an immaculate vocabulary(an exaggeration, of course!). Thinking about what I have accomplished over the past 19 years, though how ever little it is, it gives me a sense of pride. It shows that change is a good thing.

Change takes place so continuously and rapidly that one does not  get a chance to stop and just absorb what is happening to oneself, let alone what is happening in the surroundings. Billions of changes taking place simultaneously. While someone is laughing, another person somewhere else would be crying. And, I am a cent percent sure this is not some sort balancing act by nature.

Even at this moment animals are being born while some others are dying. Babies born and at the same time other unfortunate children are dying. Men are being killed at war; A kid is being mugged; Some misguided teenagers are getting high on drugs; A man is driving out of control because he just drank too much; Another man is grieving at the grave of a loved one. So many things are happening simultaneously, it makes me want to yell "STOP! Please STOP!"

Just to make you understand the gravity of this, just think; while you are just reading this, a person somewhere might be thinking of ending his life. So many occurrences, be it good or bad, that we are unaware of. Just makes me realise that "Ignorance is a bliss".

But certain occurrences should not be ignored. Certain things should be acknowledged for its beauty because doing so brings peace and happiness to oneself, even if it lasts for just a second. A kid playing a harmless prank; Or another kid trying to defend a friend from a bully; A teen saying 'No' to drugs; A person trying to quit smoking; Children playing in a puddle of muddy rain water; A soldier reunited with his family; A bus boy toiling away to meet his needs; Things like the above mentioned makes me feel like the world is not such a bad place after all.

As I write this post, my feelings underwent change. What started out as a cheery giggle about Hugh Laurie transformed into pride and then into an overwhelming fright. And, now its taken an optimistic turn. Now, I'm surprised at the way things right in front of us change without our notice. Its something nice to think about.

I guess change is inevitable. We can't run away or hide from it. We just have to stand up and face the music. And, who knows, we might actually actually ask for an an encore!

Sunday 15 July 2012

University Life



I just completed my first year in an engineering college. The following is a thought I concluded after my first semester in a university.

As weird as it may sound, college life turns out to be harder than school life. The feeling of someone looking over your actions no longer exists which is good and bad. Good, since the student is given the freedom to do as he choses. Bad, since if the student goes wrong, there is no one to correct him. One might enjoy the adventure, but he might also crave for guidance. Its like an unknown street where the street lights is dim.

The newfound freedom is not only from school authorities but also from parents. The extended curfew time and decreased involvement of parents in student’s life are a few instances of this freedom. It completely depends on the student as to how he accepts this freedom. An obedient student will find this freedom exciting, but simultaneously the student knows that awareness and discipline is required. Whereas a student unlike the previously described, will be overwhelmed by this freedom and the necessary limits will not be taken. This could cause trouble to the student.

There is a difference even when it comes to friends between school and university. Friends are required in any situation. They are like the support a creeper crawls around. But they are not easy to come by. There has to be an effort made from the student’s side in order to make good friends. In a school the amount and the diversity of the students is lesser. This makes it easier to make new friends. Usually a students end up being a part of a group where he feels comfortable, like in case of niche. But in universities there is a large amount of students with highly diverse backgrounds. The student has to be cautious while speaking, so that he does not offend anyone. He should not be judgmental. Else he will end up losing people who could have ended up being his great friends.

The transition from school to university life is not easy. But, if the student takes it one step at a time without getting carried away by the changes or being a victim of peer pressure, he will fit in just fine.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Parallel Universe...something new!

A parallel universe – they are the epiphany of science fiction. Just think, there could exist another you in another universe reading this passage! But you wouldn’t be reading it in the same manner as you are now. You could be reading words that are upside down! We have seen the concept of Parallel universes being used in films like Star Trek, Back to the future, Matrix. A popularly used example of parallel universe would be time travel. Time travel is a way of travelling from one universe to a parallel universe set back or forth in time.

Physicists such as Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku and Hugh Everett have speculated upon the existence of parallel universe. Even the great Einstein believed in the possibility of parallel universe. Ironically the laws of physics followed by our planet need not be applicable in other universes. For instance, the speed of light could be exceeded!

It is believed that for every activity, there exists an alternate universe corresponding to each outcome of the activity. So there could be infinite number of alternate universes. Infinite number of you! What seems unreal could be real!

PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Universes that exist simultaneously are called Parallel Universes or Multiverses. The concept of Parallel Universes gives rise to the idea of the existence of another you. But the characteristics of the second individual would be different from that of the first individual due to the fact that the two universes differ based on certain features.

The concept of Alternate Universes might sound unrealistic. But it has been speculated upon by certain scientists. For instance, Many-Worlds Interpretation by Hugh Everett III and the concept of antimatter supports the idea of Parallel Universes.

HUGH EVERETT III
MANY-WORLDS INTERPRETATION
For every activity that takes place there are different Universes, each pertaining to a different outcome of the activity.
For instance: Throwing Dice –
The number of outcomes is equal to six. If in our universe we get 1 as the outcome there could exist another universe where the outcome was 2 and another universe where the outcome was 4. This results in six universes existing simultaneously. 

Hence if an event has ‘n’ number of outcomes there exist ‘n’ different universes. 

Based on the above we can define Parallel Universes as Universes that differ from each other based on a single quantum event.

This concept also explains the idea of measuring an object in different states. That is, if an individual in our universe measured an object as a particle then there could be another universe where he measured the object as a wave.

APPLICATION OF EINSTEIN’S EQUATION
Symmetry is observable in nature in all forms. For instance, we have hot and cold, positive charges and negative charges. Thus it is only reasonable to have an opposite for matter too. This opposite is called antimatter.

Einstein speculated upon existence of Parallel Universes due to the concept of antimatter. This can be seen in his equation:
E^= p^2c^2+m^2c^4
E = ±√( p^2c^2+m^2c^4)
E = ±mc2

E = +mc^2
Corresponds to Positive energy is the energy that we all deal with every day

E = -mc^2
Corresponds to Negative energy which represents anti-matter

Our universe consists only of matter. To balance out a universe consisting of matter it is justifiable to have one consisting only of antimatter. The other universe is a Parallel Universe.

HOW PARALLEL UNIVERSES COULD HAVE
BEEN CREATED?
Fundamental point of String theory
All objects are made of:
• Vibrating filaments of Energy– Strings
• Membranes of Energy– Branes

Ekpyrotic Universe Theory
According to the Ekpyrotic Universe theory our Universe is the result of collision between two Branes.

Branes could collide at more than one point
Consider a brane to be a sheet. When the sheet is flapped against another sheet there are multiple points of collision rather than just one.

When branes collide at multiple points, each point of collision gives rise to a universe. Thus Parallel Universes would be created. The characteristic of each universe depends on the conditions of the collision.

IF PARALLEL UNIVERSES DO EXIST, WHY
CAN’T WE SEE THEM?
Consider that Parallel Universes do exist. But they are not visible to us. Two reasons as to why they are not visible:
• We can only see objects when illuminated by light. So, our vision is limited by the distance travelled by light. In other words, our vision is limited by the speed of light.
Light has been travelling ever since the Big Bang, which was 14 billion years ago. Light has traveled a distance of 14 billion light years. Anything that lies beyond this distance cannot be viewed by us.
Thus if a parallel universe does exist beyond this distance, it is invisible since light cannot reach it.

• Ever since the Big Bang regions in space have been expanding. This implies that our universe, alternate universes and the space between universes are expanding. So the distance between universes is becoming larger, thus making alternate universes unreachable.

THE UNREAL...REAL?
The usual laws of physics are not applicable to alternate universes. This is because of the fact that the conditions through which parallel Universes are created differ from one to another.

Time Travel
Consider two Universes, one in the 21st century and other in 18th century. If an individual is able to travel from one universe to another, he is Time Traveling.

Time Travel is the travel from one universe to a Parallel Universe which is set apart in time from the former.

Hyperspace
Consider two points in our Universe that are millions of light years apart. To travel from one point to the other, it would take a lot of time. But if we were able to have a tunnel through which we could travel faster than the speed of light, then we could reach our destination much faster. Since the normal laws of physics do not apply to Parallel Universes, a speed greater than the speed of light could be achieved. So, we can consider a Parallel Universe as our tunnel to travel to our destination.

A parallel Universe that is used as a medium to travel from one point in our Universe
to another point in our Universe is Hyperspace.

Parallel Universes can make what is at present impossible, possible.