God’s Blunder
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.
Topical
Includes posts on physics, philosophy, sciences, quantitative finance, economics, environment etc.
Sex and Physics — According to Feynman
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.’
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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.
Philosophy, Physics, Articles and Essays
The Philosophy of Special Relativity — A Comparison between Indian and Western Interpretations
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.]
Quotes, Philosophy, Physics
Einstein on God and Dice
God does not play dice with the universe — said Einstein. Whatever could he have meant? Here is my interpretation.
The Wilmott Magazine, Quantitative Finance, Columns
Software Nightmares
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. […]
Philosophy, Creative, French, Environment
La logique
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.
Creative, Books, Philosophy
1984
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.[…]
Columns, The Wilmott Magazine, Quantitative Finance
Risks and Rewards
Published in the Wilmott Magazine in May 2008 under the title “Stress Test,” this piece looks at the incredible levels of endurance and resilience demanded of quantitative and trading professionals. It is anthology of my columns on work-life issues that appeared in the Today paper, adapted to the risky and rewarding lives of quants and other front office professionals.
Perception, Physics and the Role of Light in Philosophy
Published in The journal of the Philosophical Society of England. The Philosopher, Vol. LXXXXVI No. 1 (Spring 2008), pp 3-7
This article examines the role of light in perception, physics and philosophy. Based on the similarities between metaphysical and spiritual or philosophical views on space and time, the article sheds new light on modern physics — the special theory of relativity, in particular.
The Wilmott Magazine, Quantitative Finance, Columns
Quant Talent Management
How to retain quant talent? Published in the Wilmott Magazine, March 2008.
The trouble with quants is that it is hard to keep them anchored to their moorings. Their talent is in high demand for a variety of reasons. The primary reason is the increasing sophistication of the banking clients, who demand increasingly more structured products with specific hedging and speculative motives. Servicing their demand calls for a small army of quants supporting the trading desks and systems. […]
Benford and Your Taxes
This article that appeared in the Jan 2008 issue of the Wilmott Magazine explores the fascinating numerical phenomenal of the first digits in real-life numbers.
[…] The calculated creativity in tax returns seldom pays off. Your calculations of expected pain and suffering are never consistent with the frequency with which IRS audits you. The probability of an audit is, in fact, much higher if you try to inflate your tax deductions. You can blame Benford for this skew in probability stacked against your favor. […]