God particle

The scientific community, including Stephen Hawkings, has defended the experiment, citing the benefits that will accrue like breakthroughs in the energy area and forming of theories of how the universe was formed and why the world is what it is today. They also defend the expenditure saying the costs involved is much less compared to

what is being spent on the International Space Station. The project director said that clash of protons was already taking place in the upper atmosphere and no black hole had formed there.

Despite all this they cannot be 100 per cent sure of what will happen in case a black hole is formed and the complex machine and experiments go out of control.

They are trying to zoom in on what is called the God particle that matters most and about which scientists admit they know little.

My answer is we should be happy with the way the world is and focus on research that will solve pressing problems such as pollution and global warming. With the likely danger of an atomic mishap -- mind you they are trying to create conditions that existed after the Big Bang -- is it really necessary? Further, all atomic research carries

the great risk of technology passing into the wrong hands for wrong uses like the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japanese cities.

And unlike space exploration we are doing this test right under our feet. And what if God decides that the world shall end the same way it was formed!

Of water in moon

Did it take such long
For earthlings to
discover water in me!
Mother always
Knows springs of
Affection that wells up
In me quite often
And my love for her
Can never dry up
As much as my tears
Of joy and sadness

(Written three days after it was announced -- in September 2009 --
that Chandrayaan-1, the aborted moon mission,
discovered water on moon.)

For a sane society

The media, chiefly electronic media, went to town again with the tragic death
of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) in a helicopter
crash in the jungles near Kurnool.

If newspaper reports are to be believed, as many as 140 people died unable to bear
the loss of his death. How much of this is true is a moot point. But at least some deaths
could be attributed to the shock and grief graphically conveyed by the media.
Mass hysteria, among the supporters, spurred by the almost non-stop
coverage of his death and its impact was a factor.

The hype that surrounded YSR's death was such that one wondered whether he was a
national leader of such standing who deserved so much coverage. Even a small stone
is a big brick for the TV channels to throw at the public. The one news channel that
tried to maintain some balance was Headlines Today.

After all the dust has settled, the question that remains in focus is the mindless
and sensational coverage of the electronic media on senstive issues. Clearly, some
guidlines are needed and some self-regulation will go a long way in ensuring a sane and
healthy society.

When Moon visited India

It comes once in a bluemoon
When the daughter
In the sky
Visits celestial mother

Comes calling
Soon after the search
For her beautiful face

Casting her might
Her silken saree
Caressing mother
For longer time
Before vanishing

Back in her spot
She starts smiling
Till mother sees
The bloom
Then hides again

(Written after the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2009)

Which is not adulterated?

Which is not adulterated?

In this kaliyuga, which is not adulterated -- the food
one eats, the air one breathes,
the petrol one fills in, etc.

The worse of it is inthe form of
even human relationships.

Everything seems to be interdependent: one does
something in return for something. though it is
not explicitly stated. Even this could be understood.

What cannot be is the improper ways in which these
things are done --- dishonesty, bias, cheating, and
suppression and oppression resulting from
caste/communal/racist feelings and attitudes
and jealousy.

The list goes on depending on the social and
political situation.

So, what does one expect at the end of the day!
If one gives a thought to these and acts appropriately,
responsibly and without all the negative emotions
that not only spoils one's personality and standing
but also ruins many bright lives in society, one will have sealed
a key place in society. One whose life inspires others.

Which is not fixed?

After watching the T20 final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on June 21, 2009, one would think
what went wrong with the Sri Lankan team that didn't pack a punch in the final. The Sri Lankan cricket tigers are not the ones to submit meekly. But their lacklustre performance in the match, except that of captain Sangakkara, did raise many questions in the minds of fans and watchers.

One was even led to think whether the match was fixed. What are the factors that lie beneath the unexplainable performances of teams, only a few might know. An Australia- England or South Africa final would not have looked like this, one is sure.

While we all know cricket is not beyond match-fixing, what else is not?

One wonders whether everything except birth and death -- may be you can throw in marriage inbetween! -- is fixed!

A related post titled "Barcoding" (Nov. 18, 2007) can be seen in the archive.
(Here is the link: http://nidhikripa.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=12)

Sex edn on cell

In an earlier blog on "Dangers to personal life" I had lamented the use of cell
phones for commercialising the fine concept of love and the dangers it poses
to gullible youth.

The latest to emerge from the West is that the instrument is being used to
educate youth on sex in the positive sense of the term. Well, the positive after
all the negative things that go with it! At least they are thinking in those terms of
raising awareness.

It may come here after long long years but much damage would have been done
to the youth and children.