Ambition vs. Greed
Was corporate greed to blame for the financial debacle we are in? Perhaps. Here is an excerpt from my next column to appear in the Wilmott Magazine.
The Wilmott Magazine, Work and Life, Quantitative Finance
Books, Life and Death
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I did not realize that Catch-22 was caricature, the first time I read it. I thought caricatures are visual. I was wrong, of course. Here is an unreal review of this masterpiece that needs to be more widely read.
Humor, Corporate Life, Email Flotsam
Geeks
I have been doing a bit of geeky stuff lately — writing Wordpress plugins. That made me think… We all started off as geeks, didn’t we? What’s the use denying it? Remember how the teachers loved us, and the sexy cheerleaders, well, didn’t? During our moments of panic, we go back to our geeky roots. At least, I do.
Creative, Books
The Unreal Universe – Reviewed
This post is a collection of reviews of my first book The Unreal Universe. As I’m beginning to work on my second book (Principles of Quantitative Development, commissioned by Wiley-Finance), I felt that these thoughts on my first book might be of interest to some of you.
Life and Death
Terror and Tragedy in Mumbai
As we bury our loved ones and mourn the fallen heroes, we have to ask ourselves, what is the right response to terrorism? My ideas, as usual, are a bit off the beaten track. And on this emotional topic, I may get a bit of flak for them. But if we are to wipe out the scourge of terrorism, we have to defend ourselves, not only with fast guns and superior fire power, but also with knowledge. Why would anybody want to kill us so badly that they are willing to die trying?
Debates, SFN - Science Forums, Philosophy, Physics
The Big Bang Theory – Part II
This post is a continuation of my earlier musings on the Big Bang theory. This one looks at the foundational assumptions of quantum gravity. In management speak, it is a high level overview, which sounds like I understand it. In a physicist’s lingo, it is merely a layman description or a hand-waving argument. In other words, the management types out there may like it better than the smart ones. You be the judge!
Columns, The Wilmott Magazine, Physics, Quantitative Finance
Chaos and Uncertainty
This article appeared in the Wilmott Magazine in Jan 2009, and talks not quite about the chaos and uncertainty of the last few months in finance industry can be summarized in two words. It is more about the physics concepts bearing the same names, and how they can be applied to the turmoil in the financial and economic world.
Philosophy, Physics, Science
Why the Speed of Light?
Another post in the latest blitz of physics/philosophy articles, this one presents an idea that the significance of the speed of light a la Special Relativity is a consequence of our perception rather than an assumption.
Debates, Philosophy, Physics
What is Space?
This post examines the realness of our space perception. (Why did you think this blog was called Unreal?)
Articles and Essays, Unpublished, Philosophy, Physics, Science
Light Travel Time Effects and Cosmological Features
This unpublished article is a sequel to my earlier paper (also posted as Are Radio Sources and Gamma Ray Bursts Luminal Booms?). This blog version contains the abstract, introduction and conclusions. The full version of the article is available as a PDF file.
Environment, Quantitative Finance
An Economics Question
One simple question. For some of us to be wealthy, is it necessary to keep some others poor?
Are Radio Sources and Gamma Ray Bursts Luminal Booms?
This post is the blog version of my article published in the International Journal of Modern Physics D (IJMP-D) in 2007, soon to become the Top Accessed Article of the journal by Jan 2008. Although it might seem like a hard core physics article, it is in fact an application of the philosophical insight permeating this blog and my book.