Migrated to https://dilawars.me

This blog is no longer active. I blog at https://dilawars.me now.

An optical illusion

Today while working, I notice something weird in my terminal.  Here is a screenshot of it. Focus near 0.064 in this stream. Do these lines feel tilted? To me, they do!  

The state of science reporting in our media

The quality of science reporting in newspapers, if it exists at all, is abysmal. Some might even add the quality of any section in most newspapers is abysmal. Probably this has more to do with the quality of training of journalists than the ability or willingness of papers to find spaces in science section. Since …

Admission interviews at NCBS Bangalore

Every year, last week of May, NCBS conducts interviews for admission to our Ph.D. and Integrated Ph.D. program. If you are invited to the interview, this post is for you. This is not an official post, I am writing it as a student who went through it. You should report at the campus by 7:45 …

Rule and Person

In the extent to which societies are governed by rule or person, in traditional societies based on agriculture, personal factors counts for almost everything. People are able to take finer personal distinctions in their businesses and other day-to-day work. In these societies, personal links can be used (or misused) for practically any purpose; and a …

A trip to Nellyampathy

Last week we went to Kerala for a wedding. The place of wedding was near to Palakkad. Palkkad can be a good base for further trekking. It has many lodges and costly hotels (whichever you prefer). From here, one can take a bus to Nelliampathi village. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to reach the village. …

I have no gun but I can spit

Some twelve inches below my lips The Human of my Person lives. It melts for strangers with meaningless smile. And indifferent to most other kind. Beware, O Stranger! Rudely crossing it. I have no gun, but I can spit. (Inspired by a poem "I have not gun but I can spit" by W H Auden).

Poverty of philosophy

The mind of a man is far from the nature of a clear and equal glass, wherein the beam of things should reflect according to their true incidence: nay, it is rather like a enchanted glass, full of superstition and imposture. -- Francis Beacon Prof. Andre Beteille -- whom I owe a great deal of …

Attack on secularism

There is a growing tendency these days among intellectuals to attack secularism. In the past such attacks were indirect and covert somewhat similar to the attack on equality; they hesitated to attack it openly. They maintained since we can not define secularism in a strict sense, like equality, it will be good if we stop …

In praise of : Ashis Nandy

To one of his admirers, no less than a Ramachandra Guha, Ashis Nandy is 'an unclassifiable social scientist'. He mixes psychology and philosophy with sociology to a magical effect, some would say to a corrupting effect. I can not imagine anyone who would read him without being deeply influenced. His masterpiece 'The intimate enemy'  have …