The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God
-- Carl Sagan
This is a compilation of lecture series given by Carl Sagan as Gifford Lectures (They were established to "promote and diffuse the study of Natural Theology in the widest sense of the term — in other words, the knowledge of God." The term natural theology as used by Gifford means theology supported by science and not dependent on the miracles. The lectures are given at the Scottish universities: University of St Andrews, University of Glasgow, University of Aberdeen and University of Edinburgh. - Wikipedia)
The lecture series is organized into 3 parts. First part deals with the origin of universe and how evolution of science has lead to the diminishing role of god, which also gave some death blows to human vanity. Switch from Geocentric to Heliocentric theory, made earth 'an earth' from 'the earth' and world we live in 'a world' among many probable worlds. The discussion around the origin and evolution of life (that took billions of years after the formation of earth) also answers some of the arguments put forth by the people, who believe that such complexity can't be arrived without an all powerful god. There was a nice back of the envelope calculation to understand the time that we took to reach this level - If our ancestors (father, father's father, his father... ) walk one behind another at ordinary human pace into a room, it takes one full week to see a creature that walks on all four legs. Now, it is rude, and we make only fools of ourselves, if we simply attribute such beautiful and complex evolution to some super-nature, with out appreciating the evidence of evolution.
The second part discusses the origin of life and presence and importance of organic matter. Author has extensively worked on projects related to extraterrestrial intelligence and an active member of SETI Institute (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) that claims, "We believe we are conducting the most profound search in human history — to know our beginnings and our place among the stars". While calculating the probability of extra terrestrial life, he proposes a formula with multiple variables, among which one variable stands out. Average life of a technical civilization. How long a civilization, with 10 times more nuclear weapons than what is needed to destroy the entire civilization, survives ? Now, we don't have an estimate here. It could be anything. If all countries are sane enough, we may live really long. But, that variable has a lot to do with the chances of meeting or not meeting our friends on other planets (if there are any, and if they are advanced enough to contact us, won't they be stupid enough to destroy themselves ?)
The final part discusses the greatest delusion that humanity suffers from (the God), what a religion talks about our responsibility to get life on earth going, man's relentless struggle to find someone to worship, relation between religious experience and molecular influence on human mind and body, the statistical significances that we generally take for granted (the general rule in the universe is: extinction is the rule, survival is an exception) etc., He concludes with some stress on the importance of the current times that we live, where we see unprecedented changes and technological advancements, and why should we question everything and try to know the truth, with a courageous intent to figure out the reality without emotional predispositions.
And, finally, with utmost humility, he declares, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence and that's true with God as well. But, very important thing here that shouldn't be missed is, it is neither evidence of presence. The onus to provide evidence still lies with the believers.
Needless to say, one of the best books that I ever read.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Come April 5th, Anna Hazare goes on fast to fight against corruption. Do you care to join ?
From a Volunteer of 'India Against Corruption':
A mahatma announces fast unto death
A mahatma announces fast unto death
Anna Hazare has given an ultimatum to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to enact stringent anti-corruption law – the peoples “Jan Lokpal Bill”! Jail to the corrupt must become a reality! We have been betrayed by those that are leading us!
When & Where?
From 5th April at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and hundreds of cities in India and Abroad http://
Who is Anna Hazare?
A soldier, lone survivor in his unit in 1965 Indo-Pak war, Anna dedicated his life to the well-being of society. A bachelor, an ascetic, he has no possessions, no bank balance and lives in a temple. He is a living Mahatma Gandhi!
In Maharashtra, Anna has single handedly transformed barren and dry regions into green and food surplus areas. He has fasted unto death on several earlier occasions. He forced the Maharashtra government to dismiss the corrupt - 6 ministers and 400 officers. Due to his fast, the govt enacted the Maharashtra RTI Act. In 2006, when government of India tried to amend the Central RTI Act, he again went on an indefinite fast and forced the Indian government not to amend RTI Act.
Leaders, organizations and the common man from across India will be with him. This is a do or die moment – let us make it happen!
Across India, join Swami Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Swami Agnivesh, Arch Bishop Vincent Concessao, Mahmood A Madani, Kiran Bedi, J M Lyngdoh, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Mufti Shamoom Qasmi, Mallika Sarabhai, Arun Bhatia, Sunita Godara, All India Bank Employees Federation, PAN IIT Alumni Association, Common Cause and many other prominent organizations and leaders, as India comes out on the streets! 100+ CITIES WILL RALLY BEHIND ANNA!
This is a defining moment for India that can give our children a better future! Let us unite and stand by him! Thousands will be there to support him. Will you be there?
Confirm your participation here: http://www.facebook.com/
Anna’s appeal to the people:
When I sit on fast from 5 April, I urge my fellow countrymen to
- Join me in fasting for one, two, three or whatever number of days you can comfortably fast.
- Along with fast, please pray to God (whoever you believe in) for better and corruption free India. Collective prayers from all the people of India would definitely have a huge impact.
- Write an impassioned plea to our Prime Minister that we look upon him to pass “Jan Lokpal Bill”, else we will be compelled not to vote for his party in next elections.
- Remain calm and peaceful and develop the courage to go to jail, if required, in this next freedom movement.
If possible, come and stay with Anna at Jantar Mantar for a few days from April 5th.
Would you like to stay updated about this movement? Let us know your contact details atindiaagainstcorruption.2010@
Salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill
Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal, this Bill has been refined on the basis of feedback received from public on website and after series of public consultations. It has also been vetted by and is supported by Shanti Bhushan, J M Lyngdoh, Kiran Bedi, Anna Hazare etc. It was sent to the PM and all CMs on 1st December. However, there is no response.
1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up
2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.
3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.
4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.
5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.
6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month’s time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.
7. But won’t the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won’t be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.
8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.
9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.
JAN LOKPAL BILL will act as deterrent and instill fear against corruption
(This movement is neither affiliated nor aligned to any political party)
India Against Corruption: A-119, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, UP | 09718500606
www.indiaagainstcorruption.org
Please circulate this mail as widely as possible, consider it a personal request.
Warm REgards
Nitin Jagtap
Nitin Jagtap
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Book Review: More Malicious Gossip
-- Khushwant Singh
After living a life touching the highest echelons of journalism and diplomacy, Khushwant Singh, obviously, has a lot of interesting tales to share. More Malicious Gossip brings out his interactions and experiences with top notch politicians, diplomats, bureaucrats, artistes etc., in the first half of the book. The second half is devoted to his travelogues (India and abroad) and his musings (philosophical and otherwise).
Being in the close circles of the people he wrote about, author routinely touches their private lives as well, which many readers may not appreciate or may not find any value in knowing. Nevertheless, many of them make interesting reads, as those power barons responsible for today's India hardly make any distinction between their private persona and office. As the author was a globe trotter as part of several diplomatic missions, his account of some of the places he visited (Syria, Germany and many Indian cities) also makes a good read.
Finally the musings section concludes with a few powerful articles on God, religion, superstitions, racism, marriage, death etc., One of my favorites is as follows: Every thinking man must make up his own religion. No rational person can subscribe to theories of the origin of life or conjectures of life hereafter put out by different religious systems. he should content himself by making his own code of conduct for his years in this world...
Another good thing about this book is, it can be read even after an another-not-so-good-day-at-work. Such a light read, it is.
After living a life touching the highest echelons of journalism and diplomacy, Khushwant Singh, obviously, has a lot of interesting tales to share. More Malicious Gossip brings out his interactions and experiences with top notch politicians, diplomats, bureaucrats, artistes etc., in the first half of the book. The second half is devoted to his travelogues (India and abroad) and his musings (philosophical and otherwise).
Being in the close circles of the people he wrote about, author routinely touches their private lives as well, which many readers may not appreciate or may not find any value in knowing. Nevertheless, many of them make interesting reads, as those power barons responsible for today's India hardly make any distinction between their private persona and office. As the author was a globe trotter as part of several diplomatic missions, his account of some of the places he visited (Syria, Germany and many Indian cities) also makes a good read.
Finally the musings section concludes with a few powerful articles on God, religion, superstitions, racism, marriage, death etc., One of my favorites is as follows: Every thinking man must make up his own religion. No rational person can subscribe to theories of the origin of life or conjectures of life hereafter put out by different religious systems. he should content himself by making his own code of conduct for his years in this world...
Another good thing about this book is, it can be read even after an another-not-so-good-day-at-work. Such a light read, it is.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Book Review: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
-- Douglas Adams
This review may be very redundant, considering that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Douglas Adams are almost a cult, well before I learnt alphabets. But then, there are late starters. And, I believe, starting late is never a sin.
While reading The God Delusion, I came across this witty and intriguing quote by Douglas Adams "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too ?" And, I naturally picked this book during my next visit to the Landmark.
The story is set at an astronomical scale, where earth is just an experimental planet that came out of a factory that manufactures customized planets to order. Earth is made by some supercomputer to find/verify answer to the great question on "The Life, Universe and Everything". When the experiment is just about to get over, earth gets demolished to make way for a hyper-spatial express route through our star system. One human escapes from the Earth, just before its destruction, by hitchhiking a spaceship along with an alien who lives on earth for sometime. The human, along with the alien, travels through the space and gets thrown out of the spaceship, as the captain doesn't like hitchhikers. Another spaceship rescues them while the ship is in improbability drive. They, along with the residents of this new spaceship, go on exploring another planet that manufactures customized planets to order. This new ship escapes an attack, again through improbability drive.
The story sounds like, it meets an abrupt end here. Probably, because, it is part-1 of 5 books. I am not a lover of science fiction. But, it sure did arouse enough interest in me to check out the remaining stuff too.
This review may be very redundant, considering that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Douglas Adams are almost a cult, well before I learnt alphabets. But then, there are late starters. And, I believe, starting late is never a sin.
While reading The God Delusion, I came across this witty and intriguing quote by Douglas Adams "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too ?" And, I naturally picked this book during my next visit to the Landmark.
The story is set at an astronomical scale, where earth is just an experimental planet that came out of a factory that manufactures customized planets to order. Earth is made by some supercomputer to find/verify answer to the great question on "The Life, Universe and Everything". When the experiment is just about to get over, earth gets demolished to make way for a hyper-spatial express route through our star system. One human escapes from the Earth, just before its destruction, by hitchhiking a spaceship along with an alien who lives on earth for sometime. The human, along with the alien, travels through the space and gets thrown out of the spaceship, as the captain doesn't like hitchhikers. Another spaceship rescues them while the ship is in improbability drive. They, along with the residents of this new spaceship, go on exploring another planet that manufactures customized planets to order. This new ship escapes an attack, again through improbability drive.
The story sounds like, it meets an abrupt end here. Probably, because, it is part-1 of 5 books. I am not a lover of science fiction. But, it sure did arouse enough interest in me to check out the remaining stuff too.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Changing Times - Indian Police
For those who are waiting for sophistication among Indian Police, it seems, they are almost there. Well..., may be, not all (Considering this digital divide experience, not very long ago). But, surely, there is some change. And, that is on a positive side.
Proof 1:
A year back, my passport application has come to our local police station for address verification. I received a call from the police station, as expected. The call goes as follows:
A lady constable: Hello Sir ! Am I speaking to Mr. Srinivas ? (In crisp English, In "Hello Sir ! This is so-and-so from ICICI bank" style)
Me: Yes. (I considered to cut that call for a moment, thinking that was yet another tele-marketing call. But continued, as I was jobless at my the then new workplace)
Constable: Sir ! We are calling from HSR layout police station. You passport has come for verification. When can you come to the station, Sir ?
Me: ?!??!! (A call from police station, in crisp English, calling me Sir !!)
But, once I reached the police station, I had to shell out a few 100s as 'verification charges' (the phrase used by the one who verified my address, sitting right at that station, and looking at the same documents that I submitted to passport office, which have been forwarded to him, with out asking me any more questions :) )
Proof 2:
Today, I took a U-turn on my bike, where it was not allowed, while frantically searching for an address along with a pillion-rider. A traffic police constable jumped in front of the bike and asked me to stop. The conversation goes as follows:
Me: What ? (very confidently, as I have not seen 'No U-turn' board)
Constable: No U-turn board (points me to that)
Me: Oh ! Ok
Constable: Pay 100 Rs to Inspector (points me to an inspector fiddling with his blackberry)
Inspector: Your Driving License Sir.
Me: I hand over my DL
Inspector: Your vehicle number Sir.
Me: I give up !
Inspector types my name, vehicle number and offense on his blackberry, points it to a portable printer (works over blue-tooth, I guess) and gives me the receipt and my license and says "Thank You Sir !"
Proof 1:
A year back, my passport application has come to our local police station for address verification. I received a call from the police station, as expected. The call goes as follows:
A lady constable: Hello Sir ! Am I speaking to Mr. Srinivas ? (In crisp English, In "Hello Sir ! This is so-and-so from ICICI bank" style)
Me: Yes. (I considered to cut that call for a moment, thinking that was yet another tele-marketing call. But continued, as I was jobless at my the then new workplace)
Constable: Sir ! We are calling from HSR layout police station. You passport has come for verification. When can you come to the station, Sir ?
Me: ?!??!! (A call from police station, in crisp English, calling me Sir !!)
But, once I reached the police station, I had to shell out a few 100s as 'verification charges' (the phrase used by the one who verified my address, sitting right at that station, and looking at the same documents that I submitted to passport office, which have been forwarded to him, with out asking me any more questions :) )
Proof 2:
Today, I took a U-turn on my bike, where it was not allowed, while frantically searching for an address along with a pillion-rider. A traffic police constable jumped in front of the bike and asked me to stop. The conversation goes as follows:
Me: What ? (very confidently, as I have not seen 'No U-turn' board)
Constable: No U-turn board (points me to that)
Me: Oh ! Ok
Constable: Pay 100 Rs to Inspector (points me to an inspector fiddling with his blackberry)
Inspector: Your Driving License Sir.
Me: I hand over my DL
Inspector: Your vehicle number Sir.
Me: I give up !
Inspector types my name, vehicle number and offense on his blackberry, points it to a portable printer (works over blue-tooth, I guess) and gives me the receipt and my license and says "Thank You Sir !"
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Ride, Run, Music...
The last two weekends have been quite hectic with loads and loads of fun. A long ride to Pondicherry for Auroville Marathon occupied a weekend and whole night musical extravaganza - Fireflies Music Festival, the next weekend.
We (I along with Anand) started on Friday afternoon on 2 Royal Enfield classic bikes (I on a 350 CC and Anand on a 500) to Pondicherry. The road was great, Sun was not very harsh, traffic was not too bad either. We reached Cafe-Coffee-Day, Shoolagiri by around 3:30 PM and took our first break for our late lunch and of course a Kaapi-Nirvana. Soon, we committed our first and only mistake by getting into Thiruvannamalai route (the shortest route to reach Pondicherry), instead of taking the Bangalore-Chennai express highway. Distance wise, that's the shortest, but is in a pathetic condition. We could reach Pondi only by midnight, maneuvering the beasts through the potholes (and waterfalls at some places. Yes, right, dry waterfalls across the road).
Saturday, we enjoyed the hard earned rest, by slowly and lazily riding our bikes across the small bylanes of that french town with street names that sound like 'Rue *** ***', stopping at anything that looks interesting (yes, an all female group of students from Mumbai, who are on their architecture study tour, is one of them) and keeping our tummy full. We reached Auroville village in the evening and I joined the Marathon crowd. The crowd was huge, as Auroville Marathon is becoming more and more popular every year, due to its scenic off-road course through Auroville forest.
Sunday, I finished my joyful 21 KM run by 8:30 AM and we were on our way back by 11. From the lesson learnt during our onward journey, we chose a different route (that is 100+ KM longer). The roads were smooth and the ride was pleasant, though we started feeling the heat building bottom-up, by the time we reached the Cafe-Coffee-Day. We reached Bangalore by around 9 PM. That made it an 800 KM ride + 21 KM run weekend.
The next weekend needed a different kind of endurance. Fireflies Music Festival: A big banyan tree, half moon shaped stair case around that (with uneven and stony stairs, as wide as 2 to 4 feet), a few thousand people spend a whole night in open air, on those stairs, while 12-15 bands perform different kinds of music from 6 PM on Saturday to 6 AM on Sunday, under the banyan tree. As we are regulars (didn't miss last 3 years), we were well equipped with food, drinks, mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags etc., and made ourselves comfortable well before the bands tuned their equipment. Rock bands dominated the festival this year. I especially enjoyed one band from Chennai that experimented with Sanskrit Slokas, Flutist in Thermal and a Quarter, Violin by Dr Mysore Manjunath. Being awake whole Saturday night took Sunday completely off my calender, and that made yet another weekend.
We (I along with Anand) started on Friday afternoon on 2 Royal Enfield classic bikes (I on a 350 CC and Anand on a 500) to Pondicherry. The road was great, Sun was not very harsh, traffic was not too bad either. We reached Cafe-Coffee-Day, Shoolagiri by around 3:30 PM and took our first break for our late lunch and of course a Kaapi-Nirvana. Soon, we committed our first and only mistake by getting into Thiruvannamalai route (the shortest route to reach Pondicherry), instead of taking the Bangalore-Chennai express highway. Distance wise, that's the shortest, but is in a pathetic condition. We could reach Pondi only by midnight, maneuvering the beasts through the potholes (and waterfalls at some places. Yes, right, dry waterfalls across the road).
Saturday, we enjoyed the hard earned rest, by slowly and lazily riding our bikes across the small bylanes of that french town with street names that sound like 'Rue *** ***', stopping at anything that looks interesting (yes, an all female group of students from Mumbai, who are on their architecture study tour, is one of them) and keeping our tummy full. We reached Auroville village in the evening and I joined the Marathon crowd. The crowd was huge, as Auroville Marathon is becoming more and more popular every year, due to its scenic off-road course through Auroville forest.
Sunday, I finished my joyful 21 KM run by 8:30 AM and we were on our way back by 11. From the lesson learnt during our onward journey, we chose a different route (that is 100+ KM longer). The roads were smooth and the ride was pleasant, though we started feeling the heat building bottom-up, by the time we reached the Cafe-Coffee-Day. We reached Bangalore by around 9 PM. That made it an 800 KM ride + 21 KM run weekend.
The next weekend needed a different kind of endurance. Fireflies Music Festival: A big banyan tree, half moon shaped stair case around that (with uneven and stony stairs, as wide as 2 to 4 feet), a few thousand people spend a whole night in open air, on those stairs, while 12-15 bands perform different kinds of music from 6 PM on Saturday to 6 AM on Sunday, under the banyan tree. As we are regulars (didn't miss last 3 years), we were well equipped with food, drinks, mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags etc., and made ourselves comfortable well before the bands tuned their equipment. Rock bands dominated the festival this year. I especially enjoyed one band from Chennai that experimented with Sanskrit Slokas, Flutist in Thermal and a Quarter, Violin by Dr Mysore Manjunath. Being awake whole Saturday night took Sunday completely off my calender, and that made yet another weekend.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Book Review: The God Delusion
-- Richard Dawkins
Though I have been agnostic (more of an atheist) ever since I started reading and having discussions with friends, who have strong opinions (one way or the other) about god, religion, traditions etc.., I never read any authentic work that presents comprehensive research done on such topics. I heard about Richard Dawkins and his The God Delusion in one such discussion at my work (which is very open to such discussions on a dedicated mailing list for people to express their views on anything under the Sun). And, Dawkins instantly made to my all time favorite author list.
Just after turning a few pages, I realized that my romance with this book is going to be a long lasting one. Interestingly, neither there was any bashing on the believer philosophy nor the usage of strong or insulting words, while presenting the work, which is organized almost as an academic book. The book starts with a chapter that calls God a hypothesis, as several experiments were done world over to verify the innumerable claims from times immemorial and how *all* of them failed. It goes on to discuss why there almost certainly is no god by discussing several things from religious scriptures, people's experience, quotes from popular scientists etc.,
After doing a great job in setting a proper foundation, and giving readers a million things to ponder, the author moves on to more interesting and a bit complicated issues like the birth of religion, and what would have made every single human habitat to come up with or believe in and follow one or the other religion, can people be moral with out religion, will the world become chaotic with out any religion etc.,
It concludes with a peek on how subversive can a religion be towards science, how dangerous can absolutism get and discusses some interesting and generally overlooked logical fallacies, again with excellent real life examples.
A highly recommended book. There is enough content to make everyone silently ponder, whether one is a pro-theist, agnostic or atheist.
Though I have been agnostic (more of an atheist) ever since I started reading and having discussions with friends, who have strong opinions (one way or the other) about god, religion, traditions etc.., I never read any authentic work that presents comprehensive research done on such topics. I heard about Richard Dawkins and his The God Delusion in one such discussion at my work (which is very open to such discussions on a dedicated mailing list for people to express their views on anything under the Sun). And, Dawkins instantly made to my all time favorite author list.
Just after turning a few pages, I realized that my romance with this book is going to be a long lasting one. Interestingly, neither there was any bashing on the believer philosophy nor the usage of strong or insulting words, while presenting the work, which is organized almost as an academic book. The book starts with a chapter that calls God a hypothesis, as several experiments were done world over to verify the innumerable claims from times immemorial and how *all* of them failed. It goes on to discuss why there almost certainly is no god by discussing several things from religious scriptures, people's experience, quotes from popular scientists etc.,
After doing a great job in setting a proper foundation, and giving readers a million things to ponder, the author moves on to more interesting and a bit complicated issues like the birth of religion, and what would have made every single human habitat to come up with or believe in and follow one or the other religion, can people be moral with out religion, will the world become chaotic with out any religion etc.,
It concludes with a peek on how subversive can a religion be towards science, how dangerous can absolutism get and discusses some interesting and generally overlooked logical fallacies, again with excellent real life examples.
A highly recommended book. There is enough content to make everyone silently ponder, whether one is a pro-theist, agnostic or atheist.
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