Yesterday vs. Today

Yesterday we were, and today we are! This is the will of the goddess among
the sons of the goddess; what is your will, oh sons of the monkeys?

--Thoughts and Medications, Kahlil Gibran

Go explore! (firstcomet)

A man is sitting behind his chair
Wondering and pondering about his future
Recalling past memories of despair
And that which life had made his share
Those tangled days in pestilent snare
And when he thought it wasn’t fair
He took the chance, since he was so dare
He climbed his way up to the the frontier
With chin up, full of honor, like a cavalier
But life was one cruel racketeer
Since he witnessed innocent’s tear
Everywhere he went found no genuine cheer
One day a voice summoned him: you my dear!
As the voice neared he felt a sudden fear
He lost his rhythm and tumbled on the floor
When he pulled himself up asked what’s it all for?
This absurd décor and the suffering galore
The voice lowered her tone and replied: it’s a metaphor
It’s about finding your own tune, writing your own score
Then she pointed at a door and said go explore
It’s the time for you to soar and to forget the yore
May soon you find your amore!

MORAL PSYCHOLOGY AND THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION

http://edge.org/3rd_culture/haidt07/haidt07_index.html

As a religious refugee from Iran who experienced decades of systematic prosecution and oppression under the name of religion, I believe if Haidt had the slightest idea of how the life of minority groups under "beehive" social systems look he would have been more careful in his assessment of such systems:

"The beehive ideal is not a world of maximum freedom, it is a world of order and tradition in which people are united by a shared moral code that is effectively enforced, which enables people to trust each other to play their interdependent roles. It is a world of very high social capital and low anomie."

In such societies it is not the "maximum freedom" that is at stake, rather the most fundamental human rights. What he means by "people are united" is in fact a euphemism used to describe the condition of individuals yielding to the will of the authority and under the yoke of group loyalty. This analysis can go on and on …. The article strokes me as naïve!

"The best test of a civilised society is the way in which it treats its most vulnerable and weakest members."

Mahatma Gandhi

Belgian sheep and the Eskimo dog (firstcomet)

Ticktock, ticktock, ticktock; it’s 11 o’clock
Sitting in my room; in view is the Boston city block .
The music is on; listening to Johann Sebastian Bach
My ad-lib solution to the homework seems rather ad-hoc!
I want to throw a rock at this city of fog
Then I change my mind and start singing a song:
The Belgian sheep and the Eskimo dog chasing round my coffee mug!
I take a moment off and write this quick note on my blog;
Oftentimes writing is the right drug in the absence of kisses and a hug!

Spiritual Solutions to Economic Problems

Concerning your question regarding the Bahá'í principle of "spiritual solutions to economic problems", below is some excerpts/summaries from an article that I found online (of course, there are different levels of description):

1) Inducing a desire for social change and a sense of empowerment:

"Creating a desire for social change and instilling confidence that it can be achieved must ultimately come from an awakening of the human spirit."[1]

2) Creating a sense of unity and common destiny in small communities. Note that, any group/community needs a unifying theme to bring them together (in this case, their common faith):

"Thus, Bahá'í efforts in the field of social and economic development generally take the form of grassroots initiatives carried out by small groups of individuals in the towns and villages in which they reside. As these initiatives evolve, some grow into more substantial programs with permanent administrative structures."[1]

Note that, Bahá'í faith is the 'second most widespread' religion in the world [2]. So, they are in a fairly unique position to undertake such initiatives in a larger scale (maybe not capital-wise but community-wise).

3) Spirituality can bring about Philanthropic doings and philanthropy can enhance spirituality:

"…the application of spiritual values such as justice, trustworthiness, and generosity will enhance material well-being, while material resources and advances will make possible new avenues of spiritual endeavor that will promote cohesion and unity of purpose within and across societies."[1]

I believe in a just and equitable society everybody will be happier; not only the poor but also the rich.

4) Consultations (there is a considerable amount of literature in the Bahá'í teachings regarding the principles of effective consultation):

"Experience has shown that consultation is an indispensable tool that enables communities to sustain and modify development initiatives and thereby contributes to self-sufficiency and a higher quality of life."[1]

These methods are meant to complement and facilitate other social/economical development plans. One of the main principles of the Bahá'í faith is the harmony of science and religion. So, I imagine they should appreciate any input from the scientific community!

Looking back into my own life, it is much easier to be an iconoclast than to
invent and enact new solutions to world's problems!

[1] http://www.huttbahai.org.nz/default.aspx?Page=125

[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/faith/2004/03/bahai_naz_ruz.shtml

the other side of the Milky Way (firstcomet):

Beautiful things, beautiful people and beautiful smiles
Innocence and the promise of a domesticated civilization
The blue sky, the green ocean, and those twinkling eyes
The northern breeze and the sweet fragrance of your hair

Was it me or the world wasn’t quite ever fair?
Because when I found those colorful feathers in the air
I wondered whose diligent hand they did prepare!
But then I saw that ascending desperate bird in the air
Who fluttered too far with those wings which were impaired
Why was she fleeing away; wasn’t it just another sunny day?
Maybe she was running away from a dream that had gone astray!
But then she was too far away and the sky was turning gray
So I whispered: see you on the other side of the Milky Way!

The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences

http://pascal.iseg.utl.pt/~ncrato/Math/Hamming.html

A question that I have been entertaining recently concerns the hypothetical limitations imposed upon us by our Faculty of Reasoning. Is it possible that Science with all of its utility result in a dogmatic viewpoint that blinds us to some alternative forms of knowledge?

Taking the Aristotelian viewpoint of the divinity of principles of logic makes me to believe that logical thinking and chains of reasoning are the closest link to reality. On the other hand, considering the evolutionary argument for the formation of principles of logic makes me to reconsider my seemingly rigid assumptions regarding the nature of the very reality we strive to make sense of via logical reasoning.

Hamming notes the way we perceive of the nature is directly affected by the kind of glasses we wear. So, does a purely logical interpretation and examination of natural events only empower us to have a better conception of reality or may it also limit us to glimpse what could lie beyond!

The downside of diversity - The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/05/the_downside_of_diversity?mode=PF

Didn't mean to hurt your feeling!

What is wrong with this statement?

Either you meant what you said or you are not able to say what you mean.
1) If you meant what you said then why being apologetic?
2) If you meant what you said and then felt guilty then you must admit it. Do it in an honest manner. Nothing hurts others as much as dishonesty. Nothing takes away from your social image more than dishonesty. People are very well equipped to detect dishonesty.
3) The second point applies also if you exactly meant what you said and you are not feeling guilty, but just trying to be a smart ass.
4) If you are unable to say what you mean then start by avoiding the expression "Didn't mean to hurt your feeling"! It's not going to help you. It's only going to affirm the state of a mutual indignation between you two. Thus, making both of you feel uneasy!

What to do? Make up for it by action and never try to resolve the issue on rational grounds. This are all assuming that you are not a fool to begin with!

Why truth did not prevail? The triple-F factor

Factuality: a necessary condition to stay truthful is to keep track of facts and stay faithful to them.

Fallibility: human beings make mistakes. Furthermore, they often find it more convenient to hide their fallibility from others, or rationalize their mistakes, or to blame others for their own wrong doings.

Friendliness: social life requires collaborating with others to achieve common goals or to compromise over incompatible objectives. Friendship by definition requires being biased with respect to certain individuals, thus, manipulating facts to their advantage. (1)

Looking at the state of affairs, evolution is telling us that there are other qualities that take precedence over truthfulness. These qualities equipped our ancestors to cope with the complications of living in groups.

So, why do we emphasize being truthful over being socially compatible? Is it simply a byproduct of the moral codes handed down to us by religion and philosophy? I have an alternative hypothesis: "Knowing that the other person is truthful helps us to lie better."

1) there is a 4th factor that I'm withholding from you. Is that considered not being truthful?

I have a quote on my Blog that goes like this: “If you wonder then ponder and never settle on the obvious the world will be a better place!” What I did not mention is what happens to you! The answer is that you go crazy, or at the very least you’ll find yourself belonging to a very tiny minority that is often being ostracized by the masses.

I really liked the Video and envy you guys for couple of reasons: Having a platform (videos) to express your ideals and aspirations is essential to coping with the contradictions that you encounter as a youth in today’s world. In addition, it seems like being in Vancouver also helps by being exposed to a wider range of people including (hopefully) more open minded .... That’s one of the reasons I’m looking forward to moving to Boston at the end of August; I'm being rotten in ...!

As far as the “harmony of science and religion” and the concept of “independent investigation of truth” are concerned, I have not yet figured them out! The first statement seems like a paradox if not an oxymoron! Religion is based on faith and science is never based on faith. The second statement concerns itself with “truth”, which in the context of religion means the “religious truth”. What if you conduct an “independent investigation of truth” and come at the conclusion that there is no absolute truth and religion is just man’s best attempt (as apposed to a divine intervention) to explain/mitigate the cause of his misery and ignorance? What if you conclude that having no religion is better for the mankind?

Maybe that’s the case, but you can’t go to a religious person and tell her on the face that he or she believes in superstition! That’s what I like about your video: it draws examples from science to educate people about tolerance and “independent investigation of truth”, and it does it in a non-invasive manner!

Best of luck!

A social networking fruit punch!

Like it or not many of us have become "habitual prisoners" of the social networking sites. Here, I use the term "prisoner" to emphasize the fact that we cannot leave them! Not only that but also the often neglected reality that we provide many of these sites with free labor by providing them with cheap content in the form of personal news, videos, etc. On the bright side, these sites provide us with effective tools for staying in touch with our friends, expressing ourselves, sharing, discussing, gossiping, flirting , and getting feedbacks (often that you are an idiot). So, it makes me think if it is possible to benefit from the services provided by these sites without being locked into any particular site. For instance, I wish to see the equivalent of the Gaim (the fruit punch of the instance massaging world) in the realm of social networking [1]. This is more of a challenge that needs to be addressed by the community of open source programmers. And I bet somebody somewhere has already thought about it! Let me know if you know of any such project.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin_%28software%29

Black Box Fantasy lyrics

The Facts of Life

Thou shalt forgive and update!

All empirical evidences point at the inevitability of disappointment even if realistic expectations are placed on individuals. This problem emerges due to an inherent difficulty in obtaining sufficient behavioral samples to construct an accurate model, as well as, our tendency to ignore, misinterpret, and forget empirical evidences as a consequence of emotional involvement with the subject.

So, the solution is not to forgive and forget, but to forgive and update the model!

All about me!

agor balipa mipor tamami sandogh fadime shod. kin habtal farkhond. man tar hamin finslok? fodler haml. sodigh baher lotern bashid. mihal ermin farem! in dar mian for kamal!!!

Science, religion, and the origin of authority:

During a recent GOP presidential debate 3 out of 10 republican candidates expressed skepticism (if not denial) towards Evolution. In particular, one of the candidates elaborated that he wasn’t there when the world was created, so he doesn’t know. Thus, he chosed to believe in the "words of God”!

I wondered if it’s fair to call such an individual ignorant! I asked myself if I believed in evolution after all. At first the answer came to me as a comforting yes! At the same time it stroked me as shallow and lacking rigour! Here is why: for instance, I’ve never seen a DNA. But, I believe in Genes and their rules in encoding proteins that construct the very fabric of my body. How does this leap of faith happen?! In what way my belief in Genes differs from a religious person’s belief in God? Since, in practice, the average person does not know (in concrete terms) any more about the evolution than he/she knows about the existence of God, the real question becomes why he/she chooses to believe in one or the other. Does it all boil down to an arbitrary submission to an arbitrary authority?

As it is evident, by inspection, our submissiveness (conformity) to a particular school of thought is not arbitrary after all. For instance, one’s upbringing, particular culture, or education might explain it. However, as intelligent adults, we should be able reexamine our prejudices and to reselect our authorities. So, the real question becomes why one should believe in a scientist or a science-based establishment rather than a priest or a particular church in the matters of the origin of life and the universe? If that is the case, then it is only through educating the public about the basic premise of the “scientific method” (see [1]) and the “origin of authority in science” that one can hope to resolve the evolution vs. creationism dilemma dividing the American society.

But, how faithful are scientists in adhering to the principles of scientific investigation? To what extend the urge to stay competitive and profitable is overshadowing the process of publication and peer-review (the most important tenets of the scientific method)?

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method

Sonnet 138 - William Shakespeare

When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth,
Unlearnèd in the world's false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue;
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love, loves not to have years told.
Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.

-- William Shakespeare

Good-by a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good-by, proud world, I'm going home,
Thou'rt not my friend, and I'm not thine;
Long through thy weary crowds I roam;
A river-ark on the ocean brine,
Long I've been tossed like the driven foam,
But now, proud world, I'm going home.

Good-by to Flattery's fawning face,
To Grandeur, with his wise grimace,
To upstart Wealth's averted eye,
To supple Office low and high,
To crowded halls, to court, and street,
To frozen hearts, and hasting feet,
To those who go, and those who come,
Good-by, proud world, I'm going home.

I'm going to my own hearth-stone
Bosomed in yon green hills, alone,
A secret nook in a pleasant land,
Whose groves the frolic fairies planned;
Where arches green the livelong day
Echo the blackbird's roundelay,
And vulgar feet have never trod
A spot that is sacred to thought and God.

Oh, when I am safe in my sylvan home,
I tread on the pride of Greece and Rome;
And when I am stretched beneath the pines
Where the evening star so holy shines,
I laugh at the lore and the pride of man,
At the sophist schools, and the learned clan;
For what are they all in their high conceit,
When man in the bush with God may meet.

CateGoRized

After spending two weeks in MIT I believe anybody who decides to come to this place invariably belongs to one of the following three categories:

1) Extremely passionate about science and engineering; such an individual will enjoy everyday of his stay and he/she will be stuck here for a long time.
2) Interested in politics and public policy making; for such a person the kth day of his/her sojourn in MIT is the (N-k)th count-down day, where N is the average time required for graduation. In other words, he/she might experience a thought time but will be one step ahead of many others in finding higher governmental/managerial positions.
3) A complete idiot!