Friday, February 22, 2013
I am sure everyone has read
the life history of Archimedes
and his famous Eureka moment. If you have forgotten what you read in your
school you can refresh your memory here.
One of my mentors used to
tell me that a thought that occurs in a individual appears for 7 other
individuals living at the same time. So be careful if you get an idea for an
wonderful app get it done immediately or else others would have already added
it to the appstore.
I am not here to justify or disagree with this
statement but would like to describe a incident on same lines.
We know Archimedes used water
to identify the difference in density of a pure gold crown and a crown mixed
with silver.
Now let's come to India.
Indians are very deeply rooted with tradition and heritage. There is a practice
in the Hindu temples. If your child is not well you can pray to god that if
your kid gets will you will offer fruits to the temple equivalent to the child's
weight. Offerings range from fruits, rice etc., This practice is called as
Thulabaram[means Balance]
This practice is still being
followed in all the temples in India. Modern day politicians are given currencies equivalent to their weight by their party members[out of compulsion :-)]
There was this Tamil king who went by the name Sadayavarman
Sundara Pandyan. He was an austere devotee of
Srirangam Sreenranganathar. He wanted to do make a very big offering to the
temple.
He wanted to donated Gold,
precious stones and pearls equivalent to the combined weight of his chief elephant
with him seated on the elephant. The first problem that came up was there was
no way to build such a big balance to weigh the elephant.
After some brainstorming they
came up with an idea. They built two big boats capable of carrying a elephant identical
in size and weight. The king got on to his elephant and the elephant got into
the Boat which was in river.
The boat lowered in to the
water due to the weight of the elephant and remained floating. The other boat
was filled with gold and diamonds until it also lowered in to the water to the
same level as that of the other boat with the elephant.
Technically they have
calculated the weight of the unknown mass in an efficient manner.
The undelying concept is the
same Archimedes used it to find the amount of silver mixed in the Golden crown
but the King used it to calculate the equivalent weight of his elephant in
precious stones.
So what my mentor told is indeed true. But I am not sure about the time period during which these two great people lived[got confused about the BC and CE timelines in wikipedia].
Friday, February 22, 2013 0
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
At least a few among us have a very special project or task in mind which we think of doing it in the future. But since it is so dear to us we always aim for getting it done in a perfect way.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013 0
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The other day I was speaking with a colleague and happened to mention that I have a Kindle e-reader(Kindle Keyboard) at home. He had never heard about this device before. Then I explained him what it is. He googled for it and learnt what the device is for and got the price of the device.
He was surprised to see that I have purchased a dedicated ebook reader at 179$[Kindle paper white 3G 179$] when I can get a full blown tablet [Kindle fire HD $199] for about the same price.
So I explained him how a Kindle e-reader beats tablets. Thought like sharing it with others so it might help someone decide should he buy a e-reader or a tablet.
Where does an e-reader score over a tablet?
First thing you should understand is E-readers and Tablets are not same, they serve entirely different purposes. A tablet can do "n" number of things but a E-reader does only one thing and it does that "100" times better than a tablet.What does it do and how does it do it better than a tablet?
You can read a book on an E-Reader. Yes for that price it does only this[you have cheaper versions starting from 69$ also].But it does that one thing perfectly
- It exactly replicates the feel of a physical book. You never feel like you are holding a gadget.
- You can read for hours together without getting your eyes strained or your batteries running out. E-ink technology is so light on your eyes. It runs for so long on a single charge I usually forget what was the last time I charged my kindle.
- Its inbuilt dictionary is a perfect companion for an avid book reader. No need to carry a bulky dictionary along especially while reading classics available at Project Gutenberg
These are the killer reasons which made me switch from physical books to a E-reader and not selecting a Tablet. There are other benefits but they are not the actual selling points for a E-reader. They are like nice to have but not mandatory.
Who is it for?
- It is for the avid book reader who reads a lot [minimum one book a month].
- It is a very good tool to introduce children (8+ years) to the habit of reading. It does not distract you like a tablet. Disconnect the WiFi and you are on your way to distraction free wonderland.
Who is it not for?
It is not for the person who wants to browse the web on a portable device. They fit the category of Tablets.
Cons of an E-reader?
- You should be reading content formatted specifically for your device[there are tons of content available for Kindle] or you will end up with frustration. Novels and Newspapers fit best for this category. Magazines don't fit or look nice on an E-reader. There are tools to convert your media to fit your device.
Recommended E-reader?
Though I have used the generic term E-reader I am an Amazon fan boy. So my recommendation is for KIndlefor Adults Kindle paperwhite 119$ - I am not a great fan of 3G
for Children Kindle - without touch
Hope I helped you in making a informed decision this gifting season.
Saturday, December 15, 2012 0
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Here are 14 action-inducing lessons from him:
- Less Talk, More Action
- Don’t Procrastinate
- Be Prepared
- Don't Fight Change
- Get Moving
- Avoid Busywork
- Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes
- Act Quickly on Opportunities
- Continue to Grow
- Keep Going
- Know Yourself
- Don’t Self-Sabotage
- Don’t Give Up
- Wise Up
the credit goes to this post
Sunday, May 6, 2012 0
Sunday, April 22, 2012
"What's the solution?" he would ask.
A student would say, "Two" but Keedy would pass him by. Another would say, "Six". Several people would shout the final possibility, "Eight" and the professor would shake his head.
Finally Keedy would point out their collective error, "All of you failed to ask the key question" What is the problem? Ladies and Gentlemen, unless you know what the problem is, you cannot possibly, find the answer."
This is deadly serious. In everyday life, too much time is spent trying to think about and solve the wrong problem - like polishing brass on a sinking ship.
A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved. - Dorothea Brande
As long as you think the problem is out there, that very thought is the problem. - Stephen Covey
Image courtesy freedigitalphotos.net
Sunday, April 22, 2012 0
Saturday, April 21, 2012
When Alexander the Great was coming to India he went to
meet a fakir named Diogenes. Diogenes used to live naked and did not even keep
a begging bowl; he had one but threw away one day when he saw a dog drinking
water from the river saying, “I must be mad! Why I am carrying this bowl with
me? This dog is more sensible than me. If he can do without bowl then why can’t
I.” He used to live in ecstasy.
Diogenes was lying down on the sand of river taking a
sunbath. He stayed lying down and did not even get up and sit. When he saw
Alexander said,
"I
am on my way to conquer the whole world, after that I am going to relax, just
like you."
Diogenes laughed and he said, "If after conquering the whole world you are just going to relax like me, why not relax right now? Is conquering the whole world a precondition for relaxation? I have not conquered the whole world."
Alexander felt embarrassed because what he was saying was right. Then Diogenes said, "Why are you wasting your life in conquering the world -- only to relax, finally, just like me. This bank of the river is big enough, you can come, and your friends can come and rest here right now. It is miles long and the forest is beautiful. And I don't possess anything. If you like the place where I am lying down, I can change!"
Diogenes laughed and he said, "If after conquering the whole world you are just going to relax like me, why not relax right now? Is conquering the whole world a precondition for relaxation? I have not conquered the whole world."
Alexander felt embarrassed because what he was saying was right. Then Diogenes said, "Why are you wasting your life in conquering the world -- only to relax, finally, just like me. This bank of the river is big enough, you can come, and your friends can come and rest here right now. It is miles long and the forest is beautiful. And I don't possess anything. If you like the place where I am lying down, I can change!"
Alexander was definitely very much impressed by this. For
a moment he felt embarrassed, that what Diogenes was saying was correct: if he
is to take rest in the end, then why is he planning for it this way? Diogenes
was certainly resting and was happier than Alexander. His face was like a fully
blossomed lotus.
Alexander told Diogenes, “You make me feel jealous of you.
If ever I’m to born again I will ask God not to make me Alexander but to make
me Diogenes.”
Diogenes said, “You are again deceiving yourself. Why are
you bringing God in this? If you want to become Diogenes, then what is the
difficulty in your being Diogenes right now? It is difficult for me to be an
Alexander because I may or may not be able to conquer the world. I may or may
not be able to collect such a big army. But there is no difficulty in your
being Diogenes: just throw away your clothes and rest!”
Saturday, April 21, 2012 0
Friday, April 20, 2012
Failure is only a fact when you give up. Everyone gets knocked down, the question is: Will you get back up and how quickly? - Anonymous
In 1938, KarolyTakacs of the Hungarian Army, was the top 25 meter rapid fire pistol shooter in the world. He was expected to win the gold in the 1940 Olympic games scheduled for Tokyo. Those expectations vanished one terrible day just months before the Olympics. While training with his army squad, a faulty hand grenade exploded in Takacs’ right hand, and the shooting hand was badly injured.
Takacs spent a month in the hospital depressed at both the
loss of his hand, and the end to his
Olympic dream. However, Takacs did the unthinkable; he picked himself up,
dusted himself off, and decided to learn
how to shoot with his left hand! His reasoning was simple. He simply asked himself, “Why not?”
Instead of focusing on what he didn’t have – a world class right shooting hand,
he decided to focus on what he did have – incredible mental toughness, and a healthy left hand that with time, could
be developed to shoot like a champion.
For months Takacs practiced by himself. No one knew what
he was doing. Maybe he didn’t want to
subject himself to people who most certainly
would have discouraged him from his rekindled dream. In the spring of
1939 he showed up at the Hungarian National Pistol Shooting Championship. Other shooters
approached Takacs to give him their
condolences and to congratulate him on having the strength to come watch them
shoot. They were surprised when he said, “I didn’t come to watch, I came to compete.” They were even more
surprised when Takacs won!
The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled because of World
War II. It looked like Takacs’ Olympic
Dream would never have a chance to realize
itself. But Takacs kept training and in 1948 he qualified for the London
Olympics.
At the age of 38, Takacs won the Gold Medal by beating the
then reigning world champion and setting a new world record. Four years later,
Takacs won the Gold Medal again at the
1952 Helsinki Olympics.
Source: Cannot be dis closed :-)
Friday, April 20, 2012 0
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