Showing posts with label Science and Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science and Technology. Show all posts
Saturday 29 August 2020
Wednesday 22 April 2009
Errors and precision
Life is full of disorders, malfunctions and errors. And, then also, somehow, most of the things are working correctly in daily life and lives on planet are continuing. Murphy’s law says that if anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Our body is made up of so many different organs, and in total, adult human body consists of around 10 trillion cells. Except few sicknesses once in a while, our body seems to work normally throughout life span, which is typical of around 65 years. Society, as a general, has a multiple parts and even though some parts may create chaos sometimes, life goes on normally for each of us and we are moving ahead for better future. It seems that even though Murphy’s law is undoubtedly right in general sense, error doesn’t happen that often in our lives and somehow we manage to survive in this chaotic world.
Error has different meanings depending upon the context where it has been used. Error can happen due to lack of knowledge. But nature sometimes introduces these errors in its code to make species different from each other and to form coherent society, and this error generally referred to as mutation. Each of us has DNA that consists of millions of base pairs, and with the help of this DNA, our body is forms our body parts. Now, with only few exceptions, out of billions of people around the world, errors because of genetic mutation are rare. And it is amazing to know that copying of pairs in DNA happens in few seconds and still most of these pairs are free from errors. Is nature very kind to us or there is more order in life than we think? Even human made components, like computer processors, are an example of precision in life and when we see that each processor contains millions of transistors and each transistor holds a few electrons, protons and neutrons, point of failure is not in single or double digits but its in millions, and still, these processors work around the clock. It is in our nature to make mistakes but due to technological advances the rate of failure has been decreased recently in all major fields and work of nature provides us an example to become more accurate in every aspect of our lives.
Error has different meanings depending upon the context where it has been used. Error can happen due to lack of knowledge. But nature sometimes introduces these errors in its code to make species different from each other and to form coherent society, and this error generally referred to as mutation. Each of us has DNA that consists of millions of base pairs, and with the help of this DNA, our body is forms our body parts. Now, with only few exceptions, out of billions of people around the world, errors because of genetic mutation are rare. And it is amazing to know that copying of pairs in DNA happens in few seconds and still most of these pairs are free from errors. Is nature very kind to us or there is more order in life than we think? Even human made components, like computer processors, are an example of precision in life and when we see that each processor contains millions of transistors and each transistor holds a few electrons, protons and neutrons, point of failure is not in single or double digits but its in millions, and still, these processors work around the clock. It is in our nature to make mistakes but due to technological advances the rate of failure has been decreased recently in all major fields and work of nature provides us an example to become more accurate in every aspect of our lives.
Monday 30 March 2009
Fact on theories
As an electronic engineering student, I studied most of my undergraduate education studying around electron’s properties and its behaviour. I did so even without actually seeing electron by my eyes and putting faith on university lecturers and scientists who have discovered and studied it before me. The question is, how can we spend whole life on something which we haven’t seen or touched and just putting faith on people and unquestioning whatever they have substantiated a long time ago, is correct? What if someone will discover that the electron that we used to know is not what it is? Will lives of all electronics and computer engineers jeopardise if such thing happens? Or, nothing much will happen as computers and electronics device will work same as they were working before the new discovery.
Most of our educational studies and professional work are based upon some sort of theories. These theories are either established by some facts or verified by other theories on which current theory is based upon. Now, if predictions of any theory are verified by a few different sources, then we can confirm that theory is full proof. But if theory is based upon assumptions that we can’t verify directly but only depends upon indirect evidence, how much can we trust that theory? Most theories in Physical science are based upon such assumptions and those assumptions are, at least most of the times, depends upon indirect evidence. The question arises at this point is that then how can we trust such theories?
For example, all information we have about our Sun is a result of indirect evidence or calculations made on earth by scientists. As it is not possible to actually go to the Sun and collect evidences, is it worth to put blind faith in whatever scientists tell us? Most tests carried out by scientific circles show that Sun will be still there for another 5 billions years. But what if scientists have made some mistakes in their calculations and what if those mistakes were so catastrophic that we misjudged the whole process of chemical reactions in the Sun’s core? As we don’t know the whole secret of physical world yet, what if we haven’t noticed one significant process happening in the Sun that can alter our whole perception about it? What if we found that instead of 5 billion years, Sun’s remaining life is only 50 years? The chance of that happening is very odd, but, still, there is a chance!
In order to expand our knowledge, we always use old scientific notions and expand them further. We generally believe in our predecessors and their work. But, as it has happened before, they might have omitted minor facts that weren’t important to them in the discovery of something but those facts were also not that much negligible as well not consider for the bigger and better result. This may lead us all to the false results and to the future that is different than what we have predicted. There is no point going back to the beginning of scientific and mathematical origin and start verifying everything. But, there always will be a dilemma whether to trust on someone’s work that we can’t verify personally. Hence, I think it is always worth considering the fact that unless theories are based upon pure facts, they are still theories and we shouldn’t put our blind faith on them.
Most of our educational studies and professional work are based upon some sort of theories. These theories are either established by some facts or verified by other theories on which current theory is based upon. Now, if predictions of any theory are verified by a few different sources, then we can confirm that theory is full proof. But if theory is based upon assumptions that we can’t verify directly but only depends upon indirect evidence, how much can we trust that theory? Most theories in Physical science are based upon such assumptions and those assumptions are, at least most of the times, depends upon indirect evidence. The question arises at this point is that then how can we trust such theories?
For example, all information we have about our Sun is a result of indirect evidence or calculations made on earth by scientists. As it is not possible to actually go to the Sun and collect evidences, is it worth to put blind faith in whatever scientists tell us? Most tests carried out by scientific circles show that Sun will be still there for another 5 billions years. But what if scientists have made some mistakes in their calculations and what if those mistakes were so catastrophic that we misjudged the whole process of chemical reactions in the Sun’s core? As we don’t know the whole secret of physical world yet, what if we haven’t noticed one significant process happening in the Sun that can alter our whole perception about it? What if we found that instead of 5 billion years, Sun’s remaining life is only 50 years? The chance of that happening is very odd, but, still, there is a chance!
In order to expand our knowledge, we always use old scientific notions and expand them further. We generally believe in our predecessors and their work. But, as it has happened before, they might have omitted minor facts that weren’t important to them in the discovery of something but those facts were also not that much negligible as well not consider for the bigger and better result. This may lead us all to the false results and to the future that is different than what we have predicted. There is no point going back to the beginning of scientific and mathematical origin and start verifying everything. But, there always will be a dilemma whether to trust on someone’s work that we can’t verify personally. Hence, I think it is always worth considering the fact that unless theories are based upon pure facts, they are still theories and we shouldn’t put our blind faith on them.
Friday 20 February 2009
Extraterrestrial life
According to Darwinian theory, life on earth has evolved from the same common ancestors through the process Darwin called natural selection. We haven’t found sufficient proof regarding ‘same ancestors’ from whom we have all evolved. Some says that life has started here on earth as a result of chemical process on primordial elements while other suggests that life on earth has originally came from other planet from other solar system. We are still not sure whether there is any form of life available on other planet in the Universe.
Frank Drake, a famous astrophysicist who founded SETI programme, devised now famous and controversial Drake equation in 1960. Using this equation, one can find our chances to find any extraterrestrial life or to check whether there such life exists or not in the universe. Within scientific community, considerable disagreement on the values of most of the parameters for the equation exists, and hence, we have no clear value for our chances to communicate with civilised communities within our galaxy.
It is fascinating to think that what if the life on our planet is the only unique creation of the universe and no other form of life exists anywhere in the universe. If this is true than we are special, each and every other species on this planet are special because it took nature millions of years to form life as we see it now. It will be our responsibility to preserve life on earth because we as a human are the most intelligent species and hence we are more responsible to take care of our planet.
Thinking about other possibility, what if there is an intelligent life exists somewhere, may be in our galaxy or in other galaxy? Can we be able to communicate with them in our lifetime? By looking at recent technological advancements in radio telescope and astronomy in general, I don’t think that right now we have that much capability to probe in the distant galaxies or to understand signals from aliens if we are able to capture any.
Frank Drake, a famous astrophysicist who founded SETI programme, devised now famous and controversial Drake equation in 1960. Using this equation, one can find our chances to find any extraterrestrial life or to check whether there such life exists or not in the universe. Within scientific community, considerable disagreement on the values of most of the parameters for the equation exists, and hence, we have no clear value for our chances to communicate with civilised communities within our galaxy.
It is fascinating to think that what if the life on our planet is the only unique creation of the universe and no other form of life exists anywhere in the universe. If this is true than we are special, each and every other species on this planet are special because it took nature millions of years to form life as we see it now. It will be our responsibility to preserve life on earth because we as a human are the most intelligent species and hence we are more responsible to take care of our planet.
Thinking about other possibility, what if there is an intelligent life exists somewhere, may be in our galaxy or in other galaxy? Can we be able to communicate with them in our lifetime? By looking at recent technological advancements in radio telescope and astronomy in general, I don’t think that right now we have that much capability to probe in the distant galaxies or to understand signals from aliens if we are able to capture any.
To probe further:
http://frombob.to/drake.html
http://www.seti.org
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Data security and privacy
Internet has made our lives easy. Most of our professional and personal work depends upon network and computers. But how can we be sure that various service providers have provided enough security to our data? Our personal details are store into Banks, councils, credit card providers, utility companies, etc systems and previous data thefts incidents in many of these industry suggest that our data is not secure with them. Even governments in various countries have failed to protect public information going in malicious users’ hands.
Most of new electronics devices come with embedded software; even our Digital TV viewer or refrigerators are now coming with various software inside to make our life easy. These devices store lots of our personal details. Now, how can we be sure that information stored inside these devices are secure and even companies those who have made these appliances can not access it without our permission? People buy their mobile phones from Internet and local phone shops. How can they be sure that those phone are not cracked with malicious software? It only takes a few minutes to load malicious code inside any mobile phone and cracker can use all or any particular information without user noticing anything suspicious.
It is now possible to track a person using his mobile phone. This can be done either by network location algorithm or using GPS, which now comes with new phones anyway. With the help of new software services like Google Latitude and Loopt, people can see where their friends are at any particular time. This may be a nice feature for parents to keep track of their children, this may be a nightmare for others and raises a serious questions about privacy.
Quantum computing is on the horizon, which can crack most of security algorithms almost instantly, and lack of trust for most of current cryptography algorithms that are being used in internet, it is worrying to know that our personal information is not safe and our privacy is not guaranteed anymore. Recent demonstration of basic flow in Internet itself shows that even researchers and scientists don’t trust technology for any sensitive data transfer and unless we will not able to solve these basic issues, current situation may go worst.
Most of new electronics devices come with embedded software; even our Digital TV viewer or refrigerators are now coming with various software inside to make our life easy. These devices store lots of our personal details. Now, how can we be sure that information stored inside these devices are secure and even companies those who have made these appliances can not access it without our permission? People buy their mobile phones from Internet and local phone shops. How can they be sure that those phone are not cracked with malicious software? It only takes a few minutes to load malicious code inside any mobile phone and cracker can use all or any particular information without user noticing anything suspicious.
It is now possible to track a person using his mobile phone. This can be done either by network location algorithm or using GPS, which now comes with new phones anyway. With the help of new software services like Google Latitude and Loopt, people can see where their friends are at any particular time. This may be a nice feature for parents to keep track of their children, this may be a nightmare for others and raises a serious questions about privacy.
Quantum computing is on the horizon, which can crack most of security algorithms almost instantly, and lack of trust for most of current cryptography algorithms that are being used in internet, it is worrying to know that our personal information is not safe and our privacy is not guaranteed anymore. Recent demonstration of basic flow in Internet itself shows that even researchers and scientists don’t trust technology for any sensitive data transfer and unless we will not able to solve these basic issues, current situation may go worst.
To probe further:
http://www.loopt.com/
http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/oct08/6818/
Thursday 5 February 2009
Environmental protection
In recent few years, the subject of environment protection has been discussed more than any other topic and it is the one of the most written topics in magazines and newspapers. Nowadays, each company, either small or big, is now taking environmental issues seriously and trying their best to reduce any material wastage and trying to recycle things as much as possible. As a public, each one of us is trying our own bits to protect our environment and that will ultimately secure future for next generations. But big environment agencies are failing to show true commitments to the issue. Recently, UN has suspended world’s biggest auditors of clean energy project after finding ‘non-conformities’ during their inspection at its headquarter, in Norway. This raises a serious question about how much can we trust these big auditors and agencies that are doing wrong business and hence wasting taxpayers’ money.
Since the discovery of CFC’s (Chloro Fluoro Carbons), compound that was a main source of refrigerants between 1960s-1980s, affect on earth’s atmosphere, especially on ozone layer, public became aware of their role as a polluter. When in late 1990s scientists found that due to carbon imbalance in atmosphere, earth’s temperature is raising and causing greenhouse affect, we understood how an excess CO2 is dangerous to the environment. Since then, numerous projects have been started to tackle greenhouse affect and public is also supporting governments effort to reduce carbon emissions.
But current winter in Western Europe, which is one of the worst winters in decades, and very hot summer in Australia shows that we are very far away from any temperature stability in the world. Although developing nations are emitting more carbon in air than they should, carbon emission reduction from people is huge in proportionate and there are big industry leaders which are also cutting their emissions. But it is governmental and international environment protection agencies’ wrongdoing not solving this issue. These big agencies are abusing their power and making under table arrangements for carbon trading. Carbon trading is a huge business now and in terms of total revenue it comes after stock market and oil trading. Hence, the principle of carbon reduction has been gone and all these environmental protection agencies are making money out of carbon trading.
If earth’s current temperature will increase for another decade or so, we will see some more hazardous weather conditions and unless and until UN and governments in each country doesn’t do their part to cut emission of carbon dioxide, I do not see any chance of greenhouse effect going within next two decades. We will need to start using more renewable energy sources in everyday life like solar energy, hydrogen power, tidal forces, wind energy etc to put less burden on power generation from oil and gas and we also need to make sure that environmental agencies are performing their jobs properly.
To probe further:
http://kn.theiet.org/magazine/issues/0901/carbon-swindle-0901.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_emission_trading
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/dec/12/thegreatcarbontradingscam
Since the discovery of CFC’s (Chloro Fluoro Carbons), compound that was a main source of refrigerants between 1960s-1980s, affect on earth’s atmosphere, especially on ozone layer, public became aware of their role as a polluter. When in late 1990s scientists found that due to carbon imbalance in atmosphere, earth’s temperature is raising and causing greenhouse affect, we understood how an excess CO2 is dangerous to the environment. Since then, numerous projects have been started to tackle greenhouse affect and public is also supporting governments effort to reduce carbon emissions.
But current winter in Western Europe, which is one of the worst winters in decades, and very hot summer in Australia shows that we are very far away from any temperature stability in the world. Although developing nations are emitting more carbon in air than they should, carbon emission reduction from people is huge in proportionate and there are big industry leaders which are also cutting their emissions. But it is governmental and international environment protection agencies’ wrongdoing not solving this issue. These big agencies are abusing their power and making under table arrangements for carbon trading. Carbon trading is a huge business now and in terms of total revenue it comes after stock market and oil trading. Hence, the principle of carbon reduction has been gone and all these environmental protection agencies are making money out of carbon trading.
If earth’s current temperature will increase for another decade or so, we will see some more hazardous weather conditions and unless and until UN and governments in each country doesn’t do their part to cut emission of carbon dioxide, I do not see any chance of greenhouse effect going within next two decades. We will need to start using more renewable energy sources in everyday life like solar energy, hydrogen power, tidal forces, wind energy etc to put less burden on power generation from oil and gas and we also need to make sure that environmental agencies are performing their jobs properly.
To probe further:
http://kn.theiet.org/magazine/issues/0901/carbon-swindle-0901.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_emission_trading
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/dec/12/thegreatcarbontradingscam
Saturday 31 January 2009
A revolutionary idea in science
I was reading an interesting article in recent New Scientist magazine about evolution and suddenly one thought popped-in my mind, is it possible to come with a revolution idea in this internet age? Yes, I know that there are many mysteries in physics, chemistry and biology that are still need to be solved. But, is there anything left for me to find now that is so much intuitive that no one has ever thought about it before me? Is it possible for me to come with an idea like relativity by just thought experiments and not depending upon any pre-existed theories?
In Physics, we have yet to find answers for black holes and inflationary universe, Chemistry is asking for explanation on alpha affect and chemical origins of life and Biology is still seeking a total theory of evolution. Some of these problems are with us for a quite a long time and we are trying to solve those by finding small pieces of answers everyday. But, is there an idea still left to be discovered in the world that is so much revolutionary that no one has ever imagined it before and is about to emerge from the mind of a student who is sitting under an apple tree? The idea must be so much world-shattering that it should not only change the face of science but it should impact everyone’s life on the planet. Do you think we have any chance to come up with it? Or, everything astonishing has already been found by great people in the last few centuries?
It only can be possible for someone, considering there is still something left to be found, if that person does not have any bondage with our limited world and that he is not afraid of asking questions to himself or to others which no one has raised before. Most of us have made some presumptions about the things we see around us and our minds are confined within-in these walls of conjectures. Often, we do not have that much courage to push those walls further apart from us and hence our minds can not come with ground-breaking thoughts like gravity and relativity.
I am pretty sure that god (or nature) hasn’t revealed all its secrets to humankind, yet. And hence, in order to understand the nature of our universe, we will need minds which can go beyond the limits of current understanding and stand out from the crowd.
In Physics, we have yet to find answers for black holes and inflationary universe, Chemistry is asking for explanation on alpha affect and chemical origins of life and Biology is still seeking a total theory of evolution. Some of these problems are with us for a quite a long time and we are trying to solve those by finding small pieces of answers everyday. But, is there an idea still left to be discovered in the world that is so much revolutionary that no one has ever imagined it before and is about to emerge from the mind of a student who is sitting under an apple tree? The idea must be so much world-shattering that it should not only change the face of science but it should impact everyone’s life on the planet. Do you think we have any chance to come up with it? Or, everything astonishing has already been found by great people in the last few centuries?
It only can be possible for someone, considering there is still something left to be found, if that person does not have any bondage with our limited world and that he is not afraid of asking questions to himself or to others which no one has raised before. Most of us have made some presumptions about the things we see around us and our minds are confined within-in these walls of conjectures. Often, we do not have that much courage to push those walls further apart from us and hence our minds can not come with ground-breaking thoughts like gravity and relativity.
I am pretty sure that god (or nature) hasn’t revealed all its secrets to humankind, yet. And hence, in order to understand the nature of our universe, we will need minds which can go beyond the limits of current understanding and stand out from the crowd.
Friday 30 January 2009
Economy and technology
Some scholars and economists are now suggesting that current global downturn is happening because there is no new technology around which can survive economy. Since the industrial revolution, mankind has depended upon machines and electronics and indirect way those inventions have helped global economy on move. But since the mobile and internet technologies, we haven’t seen any major invention and lack of new technology, there is no driving force for money to flow around.
In early 1900s, telephone and car industry made a huge impact and they were the first of few technologies that were involved and counted a big part in economy. After that, we have seen electronic chips, television, computers, etc becoming part of our daily life. It’s the new technological development that brings new projects from government, construction for new buildings and sites, skilled worker employments and prosperity in our lives. Currently, we are just seeing upgraded versions of computers, laptops, mobile phones, websites, mp3 players, etc and there is no great product on horizon that can start global economy moving again.
Important projects like robotics, nano-technology, fuel-cell powered vehicles, biotechnology, etc are still in development phase and scientists are not sure when these technology will be available to mass audiences. Until we will not able to see any of these technologies in production line, there are very less chances that global economy will recover.
In early 1900s, telephone and car industry made a huge impact and they were the first of few technologies that were involved and counted a big part in economy. After that, we have seen electronic chips, television, computers, etc becoming part of our daily life. It’s the new technological development that brings new projects from government, construction for new buildings and sites, skilled worker employments and prosperity in our lives. Currently, we are just seeing upgraded versions of computers, laptops, mobile phones, websites, mp3 players, etc and there is no great product on horizon that can start global economy moving again.
Important projects like robotics, nano-technology, fuel-cell powered vehicles, biotechnology, etc are still in development phase and scientists are not sure when these technology will be available to mass audiences. Until we will not able to see any of these technologies in production line, there are very less chances that global economy will recover.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
The ultimate goal of biological science
One of the topics that is in discussion in general public is Stem Cell research. Recently, Glasgow, Scotland, based Institute has announced that they have received permission from Government to pursue their research into Stem Cell use them for stroke and blindness. This has caused some frustration among those who opposes this idea.
This is not a new research topic. Scientists are trying to find answers about complex human body structure and their ultimate aim is to create Cloned Human body which will have no genetics disorder. Are they trying to replace nature by technology?
Personally, I am a supporter of both the ideas when they are used separately. But, when we will combine those two to create a perfect body, which will have no diabetes, no cancer, no genetical irregularities, no complex physical problems, etc, we are going against the nature. With the help of Stem Cell research we will be able to help disabled people by giving them normal life. With the help of human cloning, we might be able to "generate" people in laboratories who can go to other planets in long space missions where normal human body may be subject to more difficulties than cloned body.
But, as this has happened before with other technologies, once we will achieve success in human cloning, we will lose control over who and when should use this technology. In my opinion, let general public decide whether they support these kinds of research and upto what level government should be involved over control of the technology.
This is not a new research topic. Scientists are trying to find answers about complex human body structure and their ultimate aim is to create Cloned Human body which will have no genetics disorder. Are they trying to replace nature by technology?
Personally, I am a supporter of both the ideas when they are used separately. But, when we will combine those two to create a perfect body, which will have no diabetes, no cancer, no genetical irregularities, no complex physical problems, etc, we are going against the nature. With the help of Stem Cell research we will be able to help disabled people by giving them normal life. With the help of human cloning, we might be able to "generate" people in laboratories who can go to other planets in long space missions where normal human body may be subject to more difficulties than cloned body.
But, as this has happened before with other technologies, once we will achieve success in human cloning, we will lose control over who and when should use this technology. In my opinion, let general public decide whether they support these kinds of research and upto what level government should be involved over control of the technology.
Wednesday 16 July 2008
Privacy
In today's Internet World, people wants to share their information. Fast growth in social networking sites is proof of this. These sites provides individuals to find old school friends, professional information, stay connected with family in this outsourced world, etc. But user of these sites put his/her personal details, like date of birth, city where they live, photographs of family members & all other contains which can be used for fraudulent purpose.
Not only we put our information on net, but we allow people to access these without owner's concerns.
Not only we put our information on net, but we allow people to access these without owner's concerns.
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