TERRA FIRMA

As we grew up, we were told that there are nine planets in our solar system. During our childhood days memorizing these nine planets in an order was a narcissistic pride: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Later the ninth planet, Pluto, was demoted to a dwarf planet. All these planets were named after Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses, except for one, which is EARTH. The name Earth that is at least 100 decades old was derived from archaic English words ‘eor(th)e’ and ‘ertha’. In German it’s erde: meaning soil or ground.

Around 8.74 million species and the only celestial body to accommodate life, Earth can easily be referred as the ‘GOD PLANET’. Our solar system which consists of the Sun and 8 planets bound to its gravity, moons bound to planets, asteroids, the dwarf planets, meteoroids and comets are subjected to a single Universe. What if there are multiple Universes and in each Universe there is a planet which can accommodate life as same as Earth? What if every action in our Universe has consequences on a different Universe? The very concept of parallel-universes demands inexhaustible and thorough study of scientific theories and practical experiments conducted by innumerable scientists over centuries. And by doing all these we would’ve just started to understand the concept of parallel-universe.

According to Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle, it is highly unlikely to know the exact momentum and position of a quantum particle simultaneously. If one quantity is thoroughly known, then the determination of the other quantity would be beyond the bounds of possibility i.e. when we study the characteristics of a particle, we alter its behavior in one or the other way. Thus, we can never come to a conclusion about a particle’s attributes.

Heisenberg’s interpretation wasn’t completely accepted by a scientist named Hugh Everett III. He came up with a slightly different theory. When we observe/measure the characteristic of a quantum particle, we do not force it to change to a particular state. Instead, it causes an actual split in the universe creating multiple worlds. For example, if an object’s wave function is both a particle and a wave, it might have two possible outcomes. So when we study the object, it might either be considered as a wave or a particle.

If Everett’s theory is justified, whenever we undertake an action we cause a split in the universe in turn creating multiple worlds. Intriguing! Isn’t it?

I am not going to dig in more into the details and theories that have been proposed by many scientists. I am not a big enthusiast of physics as well. Alternatively, I would like to discuss about the world we are living in.

The concept of parallel universe is insanely mind boggling and needs immense knowledge in science to understand. As much as we go in search of a planet where we can accommodate life, we should equally take care of our own EARTH. Why don’t we invent technologies which not only benefit humans, but also the Mother Nature?

If I had the power to change my world, I would want one version of it to be like this: A world where I can travel to a place instantly with no transportation medium but teleported to the destination just by imagining or looking at a picture which would completely eradicate vehicle pollution. Communication should be free of any machines/devices. Our brains should have the ability to communicate with a person just by thinking about him/her. Human relationships being eternal, money defunct, knowledge only thrived and much more. My needs of a perfect world are incessant. GOD PLANET Earth is the best thing that ever happened to us. Without it the very meaning of life would be unavailing.

Life on Earth is almost perfect. But due to our never ending needs, we have exploited it to an extent which has caused jeopardy to its existence itself. The biggest challenges that our planet is facing are: increasing population, the sudden climatic changes, loss of biodiversity due to our greediness and pollution which dissolute water and atmosphere. If we do not act upon these challenges, we will almost face an environmental fiasco in the coming millennium.

Instead of scratching our heads in understanding the concept of parallel universe, it is about time that we changed our human breeding patterns to create a better surrounding which is both healthy and adaptable to changes. So here I am, expressing my gratitude to this heaven EARTH for giving me chance to live in a phenomenal world and making me a human in the first place. I will make sure that I will try my best not to abuse this heavenly place hereafter.

Now, given the power to change your world, how would you want yours to be?

Engineering Chores!

Hello everyone. I Am Niranjan Balasubramani, a computer science engineering student at RNS Institute of Technology, Bangalore. In my first article, I would like to write about the engineering education in India. Why engineering is the preferred degree? And why aren’t we able to provide quality engineers?

Engineering is a prestigious degree. A social obligation and it’s a guarantee of an average career. Like a coin which has two sides, it has its advantages and disadvantages. We can mutter and blame engineering for the things it doesn’t provide. But how many of us realize that the system has been there for decades and it’s not going to change anytime soon? How many of us accept engineering for what it is and embrace it? How many of us work on our own flaws?

We, Indians, are trend followers. Not trend setters. The Indian education system teaches us to be logical and as a result we become good at mathematics and analytical thinking. But the westerners learn things in a whole lot different way. Their education system is skill-oriented, whereas Indian system is knowledge-oriented. Westerners are good at applying their knowledge practically and are more pragmatic when it comes to educating themselves. They believe in learning through immersion. We learn things from books and by practice.

To know the main reason behind why engineering has become so popular in India, we need to look at it in a historical context:
India got its independence in 1947 after being ruled by the British for more than two centuries. Post-independence we had huge sterlings and didn’t have an infrastructure of our own. When the first-generation computers were being invented in the US, we were trying to adapt to our own system after the British rule. The leaders of India thought the best way to move forward was to develop the infrastructural and industrial abilities of the country. Our first goal was to be self-reliant. And this led to engineering. The first IIT was set up in Kharagpur in 1951 which had 10 branches. Then many institutions were set up all over the country and people’s interest in engineering grew immensely. Engineers were respected because they brought out a societal change which benefited human needs at large.

As years passed by, more and more people got interested in engineering and India was brimming with prosperity in the education sector. The fact that most Indians choose to do masters outside India also has a story to it. In the 1990s, India was on the verge of bankruptcy. As a result, many people from India went to abroad for higher studies and to work for them because they gave Indians a very good pay. The westerners got intelligent candidates in return. That’s how engineering got its name in our educational system and doing masters outside India got its prominence. This has made engineering more valuable than other streams of education.

According to statistics, nearly three thousand engineering colleges have been set up in India with a capacity of 1.4 million seats across 36 courses approved by the All India Council of Technical Education as of 2012. 65% of the colleges are from South India and rest from the North. If we consider the number of engineers graduating every year, it is not an easy task to get a job. As we dig more into the statistics, it gets daunting.
(The statistics mentioned are approximate figures.)

Right from our childhood, we are brought up in a way either to become a doctor or an engineer. It’s become the common goal of every student. In the process of creating an excellent education system, we have started numerous institutions everywhere to provide engineering education to almost everyone. By doing so, we have forgotten to concentrate on the quality of education provided. A single institution cannot be blamed; a single stream cannot be the culprit. The flaws of our education system are immense. It’s at the core of the system itself. To correct it and set it right will take another educational revolution.

Instead of blaming the system for everything, aren’t we responsible for its flaws?
We are the ones who caused it. Why can’t we find a solution to solve it?

The complaints of any engineering student are that it’s frustrating, futile, senseless and an outdated syllabus which is uninteresting in every aspect. And being an engineering student, even I feel the same as well. As I think about how to make engineering life better and productive, I realize that even we are to be blamed. Every stream has its core strength. And it’s in our discretion to choose what’s best for us. If a chosen subject isn’t suiting us, we always have the opportunity to change our stream once we get over it. Life doesn’t end after engineering. This is how we have made it and this is how it’s bound to be. It’s high time that we comprehend the education system and try to fit in instead of whining about it. Because, when we accept the world for what it is, the going gets a lot easier. Just like an old saying, “When you are going through hell, keep going”.

I’ve tried my best to fit into engineering and the field that I’ve chosen. Sometimes it’s frustrating and sometimes it’s interesting. Never is it stable. But that’s life. The vicissitudes that we go through which brings a spice to human race. I would like to share something from an article which I found whilst researching about the education system. They quoted, “Don’t waste your brain power – become an engineer”. That, to me, is sarcasm at its best for the way engineering is been taught. I hope all the engineers out there will get what I mean.

I’ll leave you all with one thought. Most of us say we don’t love what we are doing. Well, do we know what we love? If you do, then that’s a start!