Unreal Blog

One of the few features in physics that have captured the public attention, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle figures way up there with the Big Bang and E=mc2. It is an independent axiom, standing on its own, not reducible to any other more fundamental principles. However, here is an Unreal attempt to derive it.

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No, this post is not a sales pitch for a Sony radio receiver. If anything, it is about a health condition called Congestive Heart Failure. And about the passing of the torch. May be a little bit about my father as well.

[...] Perhaps nothing and nobody really passes on. We all leave behind a little bit of ourselves, tiny echoes of our conquests, gusto and passion, memories in those dear to us, and miniscule additions to the mythos that will live on. Like teardrops in the rain.

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Of nostalgia and travels, remorse and choices — and me getting sappy in one of my sentimental moods.

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Is man one of God’s blunders? Or is God one of man’s blunders? Why would Nietzsche say a thing like that? Here are my thoughts.

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Richard Feynman on physics and sex. My serious and not-so-serious thoughts on the words of the great man, aptly described as ‘No Ordinary Genius.’

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This essay (perhaps not right to call it a review) is inspired by Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. A modern day classic that hardly needs any more endorsement, this book is bound to change the way you look at the world, and live your life.

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If you have to ask what in the world a Malayali is, then this post is not for you! This one came as email flotsam and was too funny to pass up. In other words, if you are a Malayali and find this one a bit offensive, trust me, I didn’t write it! Must have been a North Indian lobby!

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In this blog version of an article published in Omega, I discuss how Eastern and Western views say essentially the same things when it comes to the nature of space and time. And how that view can be interpreted as a basis for understanding Einstein’s theories. [Journal Ref: Omega - Indian Journal of Science and Religion, Vol. VI, (Dec. 2007), pp 138-150.]

Read the rest of "The Philosophy of Special Relativity — A Comparison between Indian and Western Interpretations"

Newspaper column in Today on 2 Aug 2008.

We Singaporeans have a problem. We are graceless, they say. So we train ourselves to say the right magic words at the right times and to smile at random intervals. We still come across as a bit graceless at times.
We have to bite the bullet and face the music; we may be a bit on the rude side — when judged by the western norms of pasticky grace popularized by the media. But we don’t do too badly when judged by our own mixed bag of Asian cultures [...]

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In The Moon and Sixpence, Maugham chronicles the life and adventures of Paul Gauguin — an artistic genius who stepped outside the bounds of morality to fulfill the yearnings of his soul. This review of mine (which contains spoilers) is more of an account of my impressions of the book.

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God does not play dice with the universe — said Einstein. Whatever could he have meant? Here is my interpretation.

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This article, to appear in the Wilmott Magazine, discusses the issues involved in rolling out a pricing model as a deployed platform for trading. Although of more direct interest to the practitioners, this article may appeal to those who find the mysterious field of global markets intriguing.

[...] The financial industry keeps up with the developments in the computer industry for one simple reason. Stronger computers and smarter programs mean more money — a concept we readily grasp. As we use the latest and greatest in computer technology and pour money into it, we fuel further developments in the computing field. In other words, not only did we start the fire, we actively fan it as well. But it is not a bad fire; the positive feedback loop that we helped set up has served both the industries well. [...]

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The last of my French redactions to be blogged, this one wasn’t such a hit with the class. They expected a joke, but what they got was, well, this. It was written the day after I watched an air show on TV where the French were proudly showcasing their fighter technology. This one talks about how logical conclusions can be illogical.

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Another of my French “redactions,” this piece is a translation of a joke, which perhaps didn’t translate too well. I was told that the French version was in poor taste. Now, reading it again, I feel that the English version doesn’t fare much better. You be the judge!

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Another one of my early “redactions” describing a rich girl’s perspective of what poverty is all about. Enjoy!

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My impressions of George Orwell’s 1984.

[...]In 1984, the immediate story is of a completely totalitarian regime. Inwardly, 1984 is about ethics and politics. It doesn’t end there, but goes into nested philosophical inquiries about how everything is eventually connected to metaphysics. It naturally ends up in solipsism, not merely in the material, metaphysical sense, but also in a spiritual, socio-psychological sense where the only hope in life becomes death.[...]

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One of my “redactions” for my French courses. My fellow students and teacher loved it, hope you will too.

Les fermiers aux Etats Unis ont de la chance - ils ont de grandes fermes. Ce n’est pas le cas en Mexique. Mais, le Mexicain de qui je vais vous parler, etait assez content de sa ferme. Une fois, un fermier texan est venu chez notre Mexicain.[...]

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Another one of my “redactions” for my French courses. My fellow students and teacher loved it, hope you will too.

En Inde, on mange ce qui s’appelle des “chapatis”. C’est un peu comme les baguettes en France.[...]

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Economists have too many hands. On the one hand, they may declare something good. On the other hand, they may say, “well, not so much.” Some of them may have even a third or fourth hand. My ex-boss, an economist himself, once remarked that he wished he could chop off some of these hands. [...]

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Pointers in surviving the corporate jungle. Newspaper column in Today on 14 June 2008.

[...] In the unforgiving, dog-eat-dog corporate jungle, you need to be sure of the welcome. More importantly, you need to prove yourself worthy of it. Fear not, I am here to help you through it. And I will gladly accept all credit for your survival, if you care to make it public. But I regret that we (this newspaper, me, our family members, dogs, lawyers and so on) cannot be held responsible for any untoward consequence of applying my suggestions. Come on, you should know better than to base your career on a newspaper column! [...]

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