Steady Degradation of the Brain's Capacity

 A few years back, I was of the opinion that I had great mathematical and verbal skills. It was probably the memorized meanings of a hundred odd words that made me feel so. Exacerbating, as I would say now, to this was the response of my peers who always thought I had done a job well beyond their capability. I can't be very sure of their nature of exaggeration, but I know that greater trouble fell upon me by believing them. It was this unripe satisfaction that prevented me from pushing my boundaries ahead. Nevertheless, I did enjoy that time.


The New Players
                             The entrance to a college marks the line where professionalism begins. The entrants here are kids, just liberated from school who have an unmatched verve to explore the possibilities that exist around. On the exit side are the passed out students, who are much consented to avail a job that doesn't pay terribly low.
 There is really just one course in the entire curriculum, and academics is only a portion of it. However, the highly subjective nature of this curriculum, prevents me from even trying to add a name or a tag to it. In my case though, I would say it was relentless and shallow attempts of earning. All those attempts have not been materialistically fruitful to me. Not only this, they have also taken the peace of mind away from me since I feel difficult to concentrate on anything long enough. Personally, this is one of the most serious diseases I might ever be able to catch.
 Today's incident of the mock-test evicted me of the mental treasures I assumed I possessed. Speed-solving is now out of cache, and verbal ability more than just sympathy and resolutions. Of the 16 questions I attempted in Verbal Ability I went wrong on 9, which is 56.25% of the attempts. That is terrible- it means that on the battlefield, there are more chances that I would shoot my own camp and only leave the opponents happy with their unused weaponry. More importantly, this is not enough to clear the cut-off and I am presently not even remotely good enough to defend all the leverage I seek to possess.

  For those who seek to attain it, hope has always been the best friend to alleviate personal dissatisfaction and I aim to be no exception this time.

Early Science and its Origin. Magic and Science.

 Curiosity has always been a characteristic of man. Right from the time of living with wild animals to this time of highly technical and digital world, man has always asked questions about everything that has come his way.
First forms of written and propagated knowledge (whose proofs exist today) include Philosophy. People tried to use logic and reasoning to solve questions that bothered them. Classical examples include the knowledge of the relative movement of the earth and the skies, the dependence of vegetation and agriculture on environmental factors.

 However, the reasoning followed by early practitioners was not ‘scientific’ in the present day sense, as testing the theories was not a requirement for their unanimous acceptance. A textbook example would be of the sun, and all other planets making revolutions in their respective orbits about the earth. This eventually led to an unrest among the people as many of them felt their ‘rights’ had been compromised to fulfill a partially conceived theory / deity.

 People began to write about what they felt was true on account of personal experience and observed data. Very noticeable in this regard is Gallileo’s Heliocentric theory which caused him his life at the hands of the Catholic authorities. People had begun to realize that a lot of what was accepted by the churches of that time need not be true. A young explorer in this regard was Ferdinand Magellan who became the first person to circumscribe the earth in 1519 although he lost his own life in the voyage.

 The father of modern Science is generally accepted to be Sir Issac Newton. He, alone, on a farm, calculated precisely the earth’s pull on objects and claimed boldly that an apple falling to the earth and the movement of the moon about the earth was due to one and the same force, which he called the force of Gravitation.

 It must be pointed out that even before modern science, Engineering had its roots in the human civilizations. There were huge monuments, beautiful places of worship which were constructed by people, who were not really ‘scientific’. There were arrangements to draw water from wells, irrigation systems, transportation systems that operated on much the same lines as they occur today. The stark difference, however, is in the understanding that lies beneath. It is one thing to build a strong nest, and another thing to understand why it is strong.

 The birth of Renaissance illuminated the path for the development of modern science. A lot of factors contributed significantly in this which includes ideas of freedom, the evolution of print media and press, the idea of equality, and a fearless attitude of questioning.

  Magic in the pre-scientific days was not generally a matter of entertainment and leisure, as people see it today. It had implications to the community and occasionally even to the state levels. Magicians claimed to do those things that ordinary people could not do. They usually exploited people’s weakness along with some carefully coordinated tricks to draw good sums. Many a times, blackmailing people in the name of heavenly deities to extract favors or money were observed.
 The practice gradually declined with the rise in the scientific quotient of the average human being. People these days, usually do not go after conclusions they don’t really see coming. However, there do exist places where superstitions prevail, and where people are not much interested in trying out the statements for themselves.

 The average person today shows a lesser dependence on spiritual and godly functions as compared to an average person in the past. And as new discoveries are being made continuously, this trend is expected to go only forward.

Prehistoric Legacies and Implementation

  Prehistory is the time before recorded documents and writings appeared in vogue, which, in plain words means prehistory precedes history. During this period, many exuberant cultures and civilizations emerged and occupied their share in the timeline. 
There have been evidences of such prehistory in parts of Africa, South Asia, East Asia, South west Asia, Europe, Pre-Columbian Americas, and many other parts of the world.
To make the classification easier and somewhat rigid, these have been divided into ages – for example stone age, copper age, bronze age, coin age, etc.

 India, for example, is the proud owner of the Harrappan Civilization which emerged primarily around the banks of river Indus. It is estimated to have sheltered about 5 million people during the peak. This civilization is especially noted for its planned cities, proper drainage systems, standardized bricks, and for non-residential building. People developed handicrafts and arts in the culture which sustained their livelihood, and gave them scope for creativity in parallel.

 Africa has the longest span in the human history. It is accepted that Homo Sapiens spread throughout the world from their origins in African continent.  The Africans are well known for their nomadic cultures and the cave arts, for their system of counting using pictures, and the pyramids.

 In Europe, the Stone age started as early as 1800 BC. Some scholars have however, argued in favor of an earlier date. This was preceded by Chalcolithic or the Copper Age. Iron Age started in Europe at about 1100 BC and paved the way for the Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age Evolution of the Urnfield Culture.

 In the Americas, there were cultures and arts. The Mayan Civilization maintained a calendar to aid themselves in recording the events. The region also had settlements, monuments, buildings and civilizations. Much of the Americas was changed significantly after European conquers. Many evidences and facts have been uncovered quite recently, however.

There is, thus, a plethora of prehistory in practically all parts of the world. These people and cultures have left a rich legacy behind which we are fortunate enough to have.

Many of the ideas and techniques developed during prehistory of the worlds can help us, and in fact is employed by current institutions and organizations. Ideas and Concepts in the prehistoric days were predominantly aimed at survival and propagation. Even today, man faces competition and challenges at every level and has always take some inspiration and lessons from the rich legacies left behind.

 For example, the problem of health and sanitation facilities for a rapidly growing population can be tackled only through systemized arrangement and planning, much of which was present in the previously mentioned Harrappan Civilization. The use of paper currency instead of precious metals was predominant in China and some neighbouring parts. Evidences of Right to Franchisee have been found in the times contemporary with Julius Caesar.

  Art is another rich legacy of the prehistoric men. The cave paintings and the very first musical instruments have inspired generations of people and continue to do so. The idea of expressing one’s feelings through written, painted, or other forms has been implemented enormously by almost all civilizations at all times.

 Finally, a vital element of the human life- the family structure- can also be seen as a legacy of the prehistoric settlements. The nomadic people and tribes still had families that travelled miles together. Later when agriculture and production became common, the families settled down. They thus alienated us from the many animals that we were surrounded with that do not seem to observe any family structure. Thus, the structure of the family gained shape during the prehistoric times.

Business Strategies

 It is now about time that I elaborate myself on Business Strategies. The thing that is most illusive about them is their simplicity, which in the absence of beseeching perspective can camouflage itself into an 'elderly talk'.
Recently, on a course in EdX, Dr. John Kellogg mentioned three P's for a successful business in the Music Industry, which were:
-Powerful Product
-Proper Pespective
-Professional Attitude.
I am much inclined to think that these might hold true for just any business. For example, I want to associate myself with finance industry, where solving a linear equation will give more than just marks allotted for the question. Any finance industry, say a bank, for that matter needs to have a business strategy that can supplement it's chances of survival in the market. Generation of profits should probably concern the banks at a much later stage than the question of survival.
  In a country like India, there are some big players that are indispensable - for example SBI. Moreover, the average Indian has practically no knowledge of finance.

One obvious proof is the number of stockholders India has. Most of the people refrain from participating in the share market. They have also attached a sense of impurity and gambling with the share market. Banks can provide a 7% interest rates on deposits - and this is more than enough to make 90% of the people stay on the back-foot.
Good Management and Technical Development are indicators of a rising economy.
A good business strategy must be accountable for not only profits, but also ethical uplifting of the community. 

Slipping Pillars - Universes within a Man

     I see myself as an example of a floating personality. I am quite sure that since an error is always involved with any estimation that I make, there must be some error with this as well.

     Unlike true artists, I have never had an utmost innate desire to accomplish something. For me an easy going life coupled with moments of awesomeness were more than satisfactory. I was much happy finishing the work quite artistically. Since, childhood and school days offer a lot of time, I could find enough of it to do all that I wanted to it. 

    Things, however are not the same here in college. College is different. If you are trying to do something just to be noticed by people, as is mostly done by school kids, you are going to end up being called a 'hollow stuff'. The contrary 'solid stuff' is either someone who has been obedient enough and capable enough of scoring in the exams, and also help his/her friends. 

   And of course, the invited trouble is that you can hardly live without, or may be that you want to hardly live without, those things that gave you happiness or comfort in the earlier days. It might sound awkward that a person is trying to leave his own idea of happiness, but the real problem is really quantity based. A person can sustain one, or by the most two of the artistic talents that he developed in school days. More than that is hectic, and should be avoided.

    Also, in college days, your hobbies are not just hobbies. They are something which you can develop along with professionals. But the one who runs across places will surely feel no place worth standing. On such slippery grounds, no solid foundation can ever be made. 

    But, there is this craziness associated with my mind, and I know that it is difficult to do away with it. Occasionally, I feel that I am trying, but certainly the effort needs to be more continuous.

Rejected for Internship

           Today was the first day I ever sat for an internship selection. My CV wasn't short-listed for Schlumberger. I spent more than an hour hearing the presentations made its employees. I got to know that in the area of technology, it really is an old company, and like any other company, a serious one.
          Honestly, I didn't want my CV to be shortlisted. Somehow I am happy. I mean, I realize that our frequencies don't match. I would not like to be an employee of Schlum. The strange thing that happened with me today is that in the morning as I just went through my CV and saw that I had mentioned some software and programming languages that I didn't really have the knowledge of. I really wished my CV does not get shortlisted and since then I had the fear that I might be selected! Strange, isn't it? the human mind likes to be in fear always.
           They mentioned impressive placement packages. I mean, in some years they would be ready to give about a crore rupees to its recruits from my college. Everybody was amazed. To a certain extent, it caught my eye as well. I thought that buying the home in Chandigarh would be a reality instead of my fantastic dreams and utopian business policies. But the entire show really put me off. I would never really want to be at Schlum.
        Another thing that came to me was how good it was to be a girl in an engineering college. First you get so much of attention. Next you get lifts, helps and all stuff. Next you have an exceeding probable chance to get selected for the inter-college sports meet. And even the job givers are soft on girls. I do think so. I know it is good for the overall balance in the work-sphere. Well, let it be that way. It doesn't matter if people are governed by different standards. Everyone likes beauty around. It is not just a philosophical thing. It affects real business and marketing.
  

Men who make movies

          For the most part of our life, we think about entertaining ourselves and movies are always are a ready option. The idea of a moving picture, feelings expressed in many ways- sight and voice at the same time. The idea that what I am watching relates to me and not to just an art - it is unstoppable. Especially for the youth, movies are a hot topic of discussion.
        The movie making business is a serious one. Simply put, there are tastes and genres that directors and producers have, which are much shaped by their own personal experiences. The only real choice then the viewer has is choosing his type of director. It is true that directors do experiment with taste, and some of them don't even have a taste of their own, but usually most of the directors would stick to a particular taste.
        What must be understood that movies are not just for entertainment. It is not something that people would take and forget. It has impacts. It shapes decisions. Movies are like the biggest teachers. It truly uses high technology that touches people. It is the best to make an impression on the minds of the people and in the way that people will find easiest to grasp. Moreover no one has to bother about 'learning' a movie. That is partly a reason that people find it so cool and close.
      Today, I attended a lecture of a movie director- Rakeysh OmPrakash Mehra. This was a completely new experience. The problem with man is that he has preconceptions of a man before he actually meets them or gets any 'authentic' data. This time I did not think much about him. I attended he lecture, and realized that he his an artist. He treats movies as an extension of his mental quest. And he has been able to provide hits on the box office, although that personally has nothing to do with why the movie was created from an artistic point of view in the first place.
       Probably we all do think about our problems. But we do not really see it as a problem. We see it as an inconvenience. I mean, if the 'problem' is solved somehow, then we don't even bother about it. That is where thinkers separate from impure materialists. The thinker is bothered about the problem for the sake of the problem, not for the fact that it troubles him. That is really the true meaning of any art. Ars Gratia Artis.