Life, Dreams and Reality -- Sohel's Blog

I used to be familiar with that part of Gulf of Mexico years ago. Blue, serene ocean, sometimes tumultuous with stormy waves and flashing froth, and sometimes so somber and calm, that only the slightest wave movements could be visible. It used to take about two hours, more or less, in a helicopter ride from New Orleans to the seismic exploration vessel I was working in, exploring oil and gas in the middle of seemingly no where, with kilometer after kilometer long cables, four and sometimes six of them in parallel, sprawling on the ocean water supported by buoy and electrical "birds" to keep all the geophones and other signal sensory equipments in balance. To me it was amazing how the science and human ingenuity worked like magic, using sound reflection and refraction technology to map the sub surface layers of rocks under ocean, measuring the differences in densities and seismic velocities, called acoustic impedance, and plenty of mathematics and computer algorithms to deci...

Kathleen Parker's article in The Washington Post notes some "startling conclusions" from Barbara Bradley Hagerty's book "Fingerprints of God", where the author "couldn't accept mainstream science's answer that we are "a collection of molecules with no greater purpose than to eke out a few decades." Instead, she sought out spiritual virtuosos (people who practice prayer, religiously), as well as neurologists, geneticists, physicists and medical researchers who are using the newest tools of science to discern the circumstantial evidence of God". " circumstantial evidence " - what does it mean really? Per the legal definition it is the indirect evidence. No direct evidence exists, hence the indirect way to proving a fact or facts. For many, especially the scientists, it may sound a bit far fetched, perhaps too much assumptions in it. Barbara Bradley Hagerty's research "led to some startling conclusions t...

In its infancy though it is, this news on molecular computation is simply outstanding. Here is the quote: "An experimental demonstration of a quantum calculation has shown that a single molecule can perform operations thousands of times faster than any conventional computer. In a paper published in the May 3 issue of Physical Review Letters , researchers in Japan describe a proof-of-principle calculation they performed with an iodine molecule. The calculation involved that computation of a discrete Fourier transform, a common algorithm that's particularly handy for analyzing certain types of signals. Although the calculation was extraordinary swift, the methods for handling and manipulating the iodine molecule are complex and challenging. In addition, it's not entirely clear how such computational components would have to be connected to make something resembling a conventional PC. Nevertheless, in a Viewpoint in the current edition of APS Physics, Ian ...

My father Masud Karim was a lyricist, whose many thousands of written lyrics in Bangla songs were played in movies, radio and television programs in Bangladesh. He was a man of poetry and music. A man with humbleness and impeccable character and polite manners, his life was shortened suddenly from cancer, too early in life, when he died in Montreal in 1996.  The Song's lyric in the video above was written by my father, and sung by a famous Bangladeshi singer MA Shoeb. English translation of this song that I have just completed along with my father's Bangla lyrics is given below. The translation does not come close to the poetic beauty and melancholy that the original lyric depicts, but the essence perhaps be glimpsed and cherished that has the universal appeal. Mone ki pore akdin amio chilam tomader shobar majhe Dukkho shukher golpo kothaey koto din rat prohor gache ajo jay emni kore Can you remember one day I was also there among all of you In stories and chatters of ...

A new study says that human brain is setup to do maximum number of 2 tasks at a time, but no more than that. Here is an extract from Livescience.com "That's because, when faced with two tasks, a part of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex (MFC) divides so that half of the region focuses on one task and the other half on the other task. This division of labor allows a person to keep track of two tasks pretty readily, but if you throw in a third, things get a bit muddled." "What really the results show is that we can readily divide tasking. We can cook, and at the same time talk on the phone, and switch back and forth between these two activities," said study researcher Etienne Koechlin of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France. "However, we cannot multitask with more than two tasks."  Link to the full article: http://www.livescience.com/health/brain-multitasking-limit-100415.html

Funny but seems true comparing with today's help desk support. Norwegian Version with English Sub title: Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ Also, this article written by Jennifer Schuessler published in The New York Times where the above video link is obtained from is a good read that provides a glimpse in history of a man, Robert Carlton Brown who said, "“Writing has been bottled up in books since the start,” Brown wrote. “It is time to pull out the stopper” and begin “a bloody revolution of the word.” Maybe Kindle, IPad and myriads of other e-book readers are already in the process of revolutionizing the way we read, but the "idea" is not a recent phenomenon.

Great song by a Canadian artist. Lyrics are the following with guitar chords and video: I'm getting old but I'm not old yet                  B                  E I'm already worried that I might forget                       A How to laugh, how to love                       E How to live, how to learn                        B             A       E I want to die with a smile when it comes my turn I don't want t...

When on the other side of the needle, thoughts get changed, and the perceptions about life and death get altered. This real life story of Dr. Desiree Pardi serves as constant reminder of this life's fickle existence and very unpredictable demise. Human beings boast in displaying of dazzling weaponry, sci-fi like gadgets and instruments, but our collective effort conquering the basics of human fragility is still at its infancy at best. in reference to: "Helping Patients Face Death, She Fought to Live" - Months to Live - Palliative Care Doctor Fought for Life - NYTimes.com ( view on Google Sidewiki )

Like the writer David M. Cummings I also found it unbelievable that there is absolutely no defects in Toyota's embedded complex software system. "It is extremely difficult to make such a determination through laboratory tests......Whatever the final outcome of the Toyota saga, this should serve as a wake-up call to all industries that increasingly rely on software for safety. It is probably only a matter of time before a software error results in injury or death, if it has not happened already (there are some who say it has). We need to minimize that possibility by enforcing extremely stringent standards on the development and testing of software in all safety-critical systems, including, but not limited to, automobiles." in reference to: "Whatever the final outcome of the Toyota saga, this should serve as a wake-up call to all industries that increasingly rely on software for safety. It is probably only a matter of time before a software error results in injury or d...

Is this for real? In this millennium of victorious consumerism and comfort feelings arising from accumulating of wealth and power, who in the "right mind" can relinquish all those pounds for pounds of heaps of money to charity? If this story holds true, Australian millionaire Karl Rabeder may prove to be residing in the extreme spectrum of our lost humanity. Here are a few of his memorable quotes: "My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing,.....Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come.....For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness,......I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years,.....More and more I heard the words: 'Stop what you are doing now – all this luxury and consumerism – and start your real life..........I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need.........

The earthquake news from Haiti is very distressing. I was watching the evening news and it was heartbreaking. My native country Bangladesh is also in a severe earthquake prone zone along with its yearly flood and devastating hurricanes, and many buildings there are not made to withstand large earthquake like this. In front of unpredictable nature, we human beings still remain so much vulnerable. When the terrible news like this resurfaces the memories, so insignificant the life of mine feels, wish I could help more the distressed many around the world. The information on donations that can be sent to Haiti found from the following locations: http://www.google.com/relief/haitiearthquake/#utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=haiti%20relief  http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/haiti-disaster-relief-how-to-contribute/ A tearful statement from Governor General of Canada Michaelle Jean on Hati's earthquake is a must see in the follo...

Olive Kitteridge is a great book! The writer Elizabeth Strout's mastery on the language, plots and the sheer artistry displayed through 13 stories linked by a few unforgettable characters, especially Olive and Henry, is highly recommended to devour. Read it slow, each word and each sentence, rewards seem other worldly.

Are the impacts of Climate Change irreversible? Have we crossed the threshold point from which no point of return is possible anymore? For millions and millions of people of our world, Climate Change is not an arbitrary abstract concept that only can be heard occasionally from global pulpit of endless summits or from march of protesters' suppressed slogans around the globe. This is the painful reality for countless many. Where would the displaced millions go? The world should not just wait for the inevitable to happen in just mere years or months away. If we are really the most intelligent species with humanity as the core of our moral norm, a sustainable migration plan and action need to be in place for displaced human being like Mahe Noor and her family. in reference to: Environmental Refugees Unable to Return Home - NYTimes.com ( view on Google Sidewiki )

"...can an old brain learn, and then remember what it learns? Put another way, is this a brain that should be in school? As it happens, yes." Here is the trick: "The trick is finding ways to keep brain connections in good condition and to grow more of them..............for adults, one way to nudge neurons in the right direction is to challenge the very assumptions they have worked so hard to accumulate while young. With a brain already full of well-connected pathways, adult learners should “jiggle their synapses a bit” by confronting thoughts that are contrary to their own," in reference to: "for adults, one way to nudge neurons in the right direction is to challenge the very assumptions they have worked so hard to accumulate while young. With a brain already full of well-connected pathways, adult learners should “jiggle their synapses a bit” by confronting thoughts that are contrary to their own," - Adult Learning - Neuroscience - How to Train the Aging B...

Blue Moon By Mahbubul Karim (Sohel) 2010-01-01 Once in a blue moon Wind howls through chilling freeze Stopping growling hyenas on tracks Of murderous sneeze Once in a blue moon Eagles soar above fogs and clouds And treacherous fox hides Behind displayed shrouds By gone year and memories Real and embedded Sparkle flashes of neurons Synaptic threaded Sweeping away the chill and frill of night The renewed sunlight bristles snowy trees and awn Obliterating the shimmering blue moon With shining rays of fulsome dawn

We born. We die. That's the nature of this mortal existence. Some deaths stir emotions as did Kim Peek's death. The 'Rain Man' movie was loosely based on this extraordinary man's life. "When Kim was 9 months old, a doctor said that he was so severely retarded that he would never walk or talk and that he should be institutionalized. When Kim was 6, another doctor recommended a lobotomy. By then, however, Kim had read and memorized the first eight volumes of a set of family encyclopedias, his father said. He received part-time tutoring from the age of 7 and completed a high school curriculum by 14. He spent great swaths of time absorbing volumes in the Salt Lake City Public Library." When asked "Kim, are you happy?", Kim Peek answered, "I'm happy just to look at you." The 'Rain Man' dies. The 'Rain Man' dies. But the memory and the inspiration live on. in reference to: Kim Peek, Inspiration for ‘Rain Man,’ Di...

What to eat then? Killing animal is murder. And the plants have sophisticated system in place, like talking through chemical signals, "Their roots ride the underground “rhizosphere” and engage in cross-cultural and microbial trade." Here is an interesting extract from Natalie Angier's article in The New York Times, "Just because we humans can’t hear them doesn’t mean plants don’t howl. Some of the compounds that plants generate in response to insect mastication — their feedback, you might say — are volatile chemicals that serve as cries for help. Such airborne alarm calls have been shown to attract both large predatory insects like dragon flies, which delight in caterpillar meat, and tiny parasitic insects, which can infect a caterpillar and destroy it from within." Plant the trickster, the survivor, "Plants are the ethical autotrophs here, the ones that wrest their meals from the sun. Don’t expect them to boast: they’re too busy fighting to survive....

Naive? – A Poem By Mahbubul Karim (Sohel) November 9, 2009 Hear me out Oh beauty and truth! May I stand as cool Or utterly uncouth Hear me out Oh deceived! Oh dishevelled brute! Your bullets and bombs Blast bones, cut veins And arteries Open like flowing river Of blood Splattered on the wall Of concrete or straws Where trail of hands Smear the last thread Of yearn Hear me out Oh fantastic! Oh clever prick! Staged killings Even shed real blood Snuff out life of real Someone’s brother, husband Son and daughter Rest in the coffin, in open graves Or strapped in hospital bed In the name of piety Or is it flagging false Of dying dread? God, Allah, Adonai, Bhagwan, Jesus Christ and eternal Buddha Hear me out! Oh the all mighty! Lord of the universe The creator of animals and serpents In abundance, in treachery Bring down your wrath Bring down Monster pollute Stop staging The very real death Hear me out Oh naive idiot! Begging you Don’t shoot!...

For a relatively novice player like me, the following chess moves looked really wonderful. Look at the board setting above. 1.....d5 The above moves by black piece was done so that black bishop in f8 has clear access to a3 in later move that shows an example of thinking a few moves ahead. The above seemingly careless move by black entices white to take the un-protected pawn in d5 by its bishop in c4. 2. Bc4xd5 Now look at the next move by black. 2......Qf6xc3 3. bxc3 3.  ......Ba3 and check mate! In the above, white King does not have any move because it cannot move in c2, b1 or b2 as these were all covered by black bishops, and nor there any other white pieces that can protect the king. I find these few steps shows an excellent example of planning a few move ahead in chess. The above technique was first applied by Samuel Standidge Boden in 1853 in a game against Schulder, though there was a variation of it played in Horwitzh-Popert game in 1844. Wiki h...

Another song by Buffy Sainte-Marie.