Monday 25 August, 2008

Scratch Pad - Science and Society

At the beginning of earth formation, we know all the continents were joined together, they separated. Then the continents got divided into nations, nations into states and states are fighting with each other and within themselves we have more states, practically.

Almost all the nations are troubled with internal conflicts within the state, some states demanding separations from the nations. Within those states there are communities/tribes demanding separate states. Take an example in India, Pakistan, Russia, Afghanistan etc.
The human generation got divided into races, races into religions, religions into caste and caste into sub-caste.

Let us go back to our solar system. The distances between every two heavenly bodies are increasing, i.e. the universe is expanding. Why is it expanding rather than shrinking owing to the gravitational forces of the other heavenly bodies? Is it because of diffusion, i.e. the heavenly bodies are very much concentrated in the Milky Way and they are diffusing outside where the density (if I can use the term here) of heavenly bodies is less.

How do we see all these things put together?
I recall a Law that I studied in my engineering course, Law of entropy, which states that every mass of body/molecule behave in such a manner to increase the entropy of the system. Entropy means the degree of randomness in the system.Does it apply here? Can we say that the law of entropy holds here?

Let us say that it may hold in the solar system but what about human civilization, the continents, countries, states, culture, religion, does it apply here as well. Can I take it further and say that if it follows these laws, the it may follow equilibrium lar as well. How we can fit the equilibrium into this? What will be the equilibrium state of division of human civilization into religion, cast and sub-caste.

Say, the religion continue division into caste, caste into sub-caste etc. At one point, people will realize that they are very few left, so they will again dilute the last criteria of division. So there is a threshold size of a group (political or social) that seems to be sufficient for self sustainence. Any less than that people are afraid of sidelined by the other groups, so either they will merge their group with other group or they will break other bigger group and import some group member into their group. This is what happens in the society, small religious groups regroup with others and bigger groups split into smaller one. Some groups are dissolved completely and at the same time new groups are evolved.

Can someone fit a equation on this phenomenon and find the equilibrium state, with groups as molecules and individuals as atoms, so at equilibrium atoms are changing their association with molecules but at a larger level the composition remains same. It will be a nice world then!

Saturday 9 August, 2008

All for a brand IIT, Contd....

http://infotech.indiatimes.com/Careers/Second_list_IITs_break_tradition/articleshow/3342429.cms
This is what I was afraid of, and have written in the previous post.
This is just the begining, now after 3-4 years there will be demand to reduce the academic rigour and that will be the last nail in the coffin.

Advantages of Democracy...........

Friday 1 August, 2008

All this for a Brand IIT

All for a Brand IIT

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IIT_physics_cut-off_down_to_zero_as_seats_increase/articleshow/3316557.cms

I had no plan to write blog today, but the article made me write.

It hurts! You increase the seats, You pull the OBC up, You pull the poorer people up, You do anything that you want to do but not at the cost of the quality.

The brand IIT is only because of the quality and quality is what people value. It has taken at least 40 years to build the brand IIT, if not more. One wrong decision can undo all this. I feel very sad if all this happens for votes and politics.

I am not against increasing the seat, giving ‘allowances’ to some, but do the politicians care about people not making it in the IITs. They can push people in, but believe me it’s not easy to get out. I have seen people spoiling their 4-7 years and not making it out. Those who are getting the all sympathy for increasing the seat will be responsible for spoiling the lives of the same people who they think they care. Media only covers when politician (decision makers !) announce ‘increase in seats’ for the benefit for ‘Aam Aadmi’, media fails to cover how these students are performing in IIT, I think they should start presenting that picture to the public. It’s only us, the insider who know the truth.

This will only increase the pressure on the ‘not so elite’ students once they are in the IITs and competing among the other ‘competitive’ ones.

Just by pushing them in does not mean the job is done. This will increase the drop out rates in IITs, another intelligent politician will then order IITs to relax on the academic rigour to help people get out of IIT!

They will sight reasons for increased pressure amongst students, increase in number of suicides (believe me I won’t be surprised), and I am sure they will succeed in lighten the academic rigour.
There are very few things that world values for India, preserve it, I want to preserve it and am sure every alumni do as well.