12/20/2009

बन्द् कीर्तिपुर



हिजो बेलुका सम्म् तिन दिने बन्द् फिर्ता हुन्छ् कि भनेर आशा गर्नेहरुलाई बन्द फिर्ता नहुने भए पछि हिस्स पार्यो। बिहानैको चिसोमा कीर्तिपुर को पाङा दोबाटोमा तिर टहल्दा पसलहरु सबै बन्द थिय। माओबादीको बन्द त्यो पनि कीर्तिपुरमा!पछिल्लो निर्बाचन देखि कीर्तिपुर् माओबादीमय बनेको छ क्यारे।

औसधि पसल बाहेक सबै बन्द। पत्रिका बाटोमा बेचिदै थिय। मान्छेहरु चोकमा घाम ताप्दै, पत्रिका पड्दै, गफ् गर्दै थिए। चिया त खानै पर्यो-बिहान, त्यो पनि चिसो समय अनि बन्दमा।

हिजो अस्ति कसैले भन्दै थिए-यो बन्द त फिर्ता गर्छ् कि। पुरै फिर्ता नगरे पनि पछिल्लो २ दिनको त पक्क फिर्ता हुन्छ। आज बन्द भए पनि भोलि पर्सी को फिर्ता गर्छन् कि भनेर आशा गर्ने हरु पनि तमम छन्। अनि कसैले भन्दै थिए-कार्यकर्ताले के मान्लान र फिर्ता लिन। मानै कि बन्द कार्यकर्तालाई सक्रिय राख्नलाई हो। जागिर भएका, बन्दले आम्दानी कम नहुने हरुले भन्दै थिए-फिर्ता भयो भने त बोर हुन्छ यार्। कस्तो प्लान छ तिन दिनको बन्दमा!! एक जना सर ले भन्दै थिय-धेरै भयो बिदा नभाको मजाले घाम तापेर बिताइन्छ बन्दमा।

11/11/2009

क्रेजी काउले जुत्तामा रोटी दियो: अचम्म छ बा !


साइड बाट हेरेको यस्तो देखियो।
ज्युरिचमा यौटा रेस्टुरेन्टको नामै क्रेजी काउ रैछ। अब यसलाई नेपालीमा के भनेर बोलाउने? उत्तेजित गाई भन्ने की उन्मादी गाई अथवा सनकी भन्नेकी पागल गाई रेस्टुरेन्ट? डिनर खान भनेर बसेको, वेटर ले यता उता पारेको यो बस्तुमा आखां पर्यो। यकछिनमा त मेरै टेबुलमा पो ल्याएर राख्दिन्छे तेल्ले त। मेरो मनले थाम्न सकेन, माथि कोठामा गए क्यामेरा ल्यायर फोटो खिचे। हेरौ त के रैछ?

11/04/2009

Fall Color in Corvallis, Oregon



It is already late to capture fall color in Corvallis. Fall in Corvallis is very beautiful. I was thinking to share some of the pictures since fall started and trees started to showing their colors.  I want to share some of the pictures taken today afternoon. Good news is that we have sunny days. 

11/03/2009

PhD and Research Fellowships from NAST, Nepal

Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) has announced applications for fellowships in different categories. Last date to submit application is Mangsir 15. There are following catagory of grants.
1. PhD fellowship:
  • 4 year fellowship (includes monthly stipends)
  • has to work on NAST labs 
  • register PhD student in Universities collaborating with NAST
  • must have a Masters degree first division
  • priority subjects: natural product chemistry, bio-technology, and Environment and biodiversity.    

10/28/2009

World Map Master: 2 yrs cute girl

Lily is now ~4 years old. You can't imagine her memory power and how she can learn things. This video from youtube shows you about Lily's map mastering. The video was recorded when she was 2. She can't even say the name of the countries properly. Her parents ask her to point the name of a country on world map hang on the wall of their room. And Lily points on the right point on the map. And she claps. She knows more countries than me. So interesting and full fun. You enjoy the video.

10/16/2009

अमेरिकाको सबैभन्दा गहिरो लेकको यात्रा र मेरो ढाका टोपी

"सुत्ने घर ठडाइयो, खानेकुराको जोहो गरियो। हरियो मकै उसुनेर र पोलेर, आलु र जुकुनि अनि टमाटर उसुनेर, नुन पनि हालेको थियो है। उसुनेको कुखुराको फुल पनि। अधेंरी रात, जुन हेर्दै, तरा गन्दै, आगो ताप्दै, गफ गर्दै। आधा रात ढल्केपछि सुत्ने झोला भित्र पसियो।"

 क्रेटर लेक मेरिकाको सबै भन्दा गहिरो लेक। आउनुस आज तपाईहरुलाइ यसको भ्रमण गराउछु। यो लेकका केहि आफ्नै बिषेशता छन। त्यहा पुग्दा के अचम्म लाग्छ भने यसको पानी अतिनै निलो छ। अनि नै सफा। यति सफाकी माछा पनि बाच्न नसक्ने। माछाले खाने केहि पनि छैन रे। यसपाली मैले माछा मार्ने प्रयास गरिन तर बर्ष पहिले गर्दा रित्तै हात फर्किनु परेको थियो। [पहिलो पटकको क्रेटर लेक यात्राबारे पढ्न यहा थिच्नुस।] 

 क्रेटर लेकमा माछा मार्दै (2007) 

10/05/2009

ओरेगनमा दशैं र घुमघाम

ओरेगनका नेपालीले ढिलै भए पनि दशैं मनाए। अरु तिर दशैं सकिसक्यो होला। कोजाग्रत पुर्णिमाको दिन मनाईेको दशैं पनि रमाईलो हुदो रैछ। हुनत परदेशमा जहिले फुर्सद हुन्छ त्यहिले चाड् पर्ब मनाउने गर्छन् नेपालीले।

आफु बस्ने गाउ तिर, अनि दशैं पार्टी पोर्ट्लेन्डमा। पोर्टलेन्ड हाम्रो लागी सहर हो। युनिभर्सिटि टाउनमा बस्नेका लागी। जाने नै भैसके पछि के पार्टीको लागी मात्रै जाने भनेर अरु ठाउ पनि घुम्ने योजना बन्यो। ओरेगनका प्रसिद्द् पर्यटकीय ठाउहरु भिस्टा घर, मल्टीनोमा फल्स घुमियो। मल्टीनोमा फल्स त पहिले पनि कैयौ पटक गैसकेको थिय। भिस्टा घर भने पहिलो पटक थियो। भिस्टा घर पुग्दा पानि पर्यो। यो त कुनै अनौठो भयन। ओरेगनमा बस्नेलाई। त्यो पनि विन्टरमा। तर यसले गर्दा जति आनन्द लिन सकिन्थ्यो त्यो लिन सकिएन। तल कोलम्बिया नदिको वारपारको सुन्दर द्रिश्य टाढा टाढा सम्म हेर्न मिलेन। करिब १० माईल पर रहेको मल्टीनोमा फल्स पुग्दा भने घाम लागिसकेको थियो। यहि त छ ओरेगनमा बस्नुमा। म सङै गएका साथिहरुले कति मनोरन्जन लिय कुन्नि सोद् न पाको छैन। उनिहरुको पहिलो पटक थियो यता तिरको घुमाई। बिदुर त पहिले पनि फल्स पुगेको थियो। गुन्जन, स्तुति, नर्बदा अनि उनिहरुको पाउनाहरु पनि सङै थियौ।
Vista House

9/26/2009

Yes, I 'm Encircled with Dubious Masculinity (part-2)

MP Kharel, Kathmandu


(Mr. Kharel is author of Pustanter, novel in Nepali.)


 For part-1 of this entry please click here.


"Thanks...sorry I didn't become succeed to invite. I am hopeful you'll not mind" She recently replied. "Its okay Srijana. I don't mind on such menial matter. But REMEMBER! My humanity never dares to dismantle your dream by publicizing our passé relation. Your nominalization me of 'Masculintiless' has also taught me new ideas, new spirit and new vision on my life." I boldly typed this message and made deliver. On this occasion, I felt infinite enterprising and dauntless. Actually, my immeasurable and incalculable venturesome...I realized: "I am as courageous as Hitler, who had aimed and commenced the campaign to be an emperor of this world." 

Someday later, I was in busy to make networking in internet. I was adding many friends through facebook. So long gap months, I had an encounter with a master level classmate. We were going to be indulged in facebook-chat.

"Where do you stay now?" He asked.
"Kirtipur" I replied.
"Still living Kirtipur!" He expressed so amazing.
"Why do you so surprise?" I questioned.
"Gender hasn't been distinguished! Are you androgyny...To be a masculine or feminine, you should leave Kirtipur." Amazingly burst out.

9/25/2009

दशै शुभ् कामना थरि थरिका

यस पालीको दशै पनि आइसक्यो। दशै नमनाएको लगातर ४ बर्ष पुगेछ।

गत साल लेखेको  टासो दशैको सम्झना हेर्न यहा थिच्नु होला

दशैको शुभ्-कामना आइरहेका छन। इमेल् बाट होस अथवा फेसबुक मार्फत। निकै चाखलाग्दा छन। म पनि सबै मित्रहरुमा दशैको शुभ्-कामना ब्यक्त गर्न चाहन्छु। यो पल्ट तिनै साथिहरुले पठाएका शब्दहरु सन्कलन गरेर राख्दै छु। खासमा कसले लेखेको हो, रचनाकार को हो, स्रिजनाकार को हो। अत्तो पत्तो छैन। यउटा बाट अर्कोमा, अनि अर्को बाट झन् अर्कोमा सर्दै सर्दै आएका रचना हुनाले यिनलाई लोक शुभ्-कामना भन्दा ठिक होलकि भन्ने लाग्दछ।

------------------------------------------------
१.
प्रचण्ड झैँ गफाडी नहुनु, गिरिजा झैँ घमण्डी नहुनु।
माधव नेपाल जस्तै उदारणीय हुनु, शेर बहादुर झैँ अनाडी नहुनु।
सुर्य बहादुर झैँ सैतान नहुनु, ज्ञानेन्द्र झैँ लाचारि नहुनु।
फोरम झैँ बिखण्डनकारी नहुनु, यहि छ मेरो भावना।
गणतान्त्रिक नेपालको विजया दशमीको हार्दिक मङ्गलमय शुभकामना।


बाकी पढन् भित्र आउनुस्।
--------------------------------------------

9/19/2009

Yes, I 'm Encircled with Dubious Masculinity (part-1)

MP Kharel, Kathmandu



(Mr. Kharel is author of Pustanter, novel in Nepali. Some of his blog articles are here.)


I always wish to be a perfect nature; where I loiter, sojourn, reside; where I inhale or exhale; where I stroll, amble or wander. Being an expected, I was looking for perfect ambiance. A day of the week was in secrecy and bewilderment: Breezy morning for the reason that of last night's heavy raining, twittering birds, jumping calf, scared horses, buzzing flies and fluttering insects and so on. The rainstorms inside my mind in amalgamated and perturbed feeling. 


When I read our English guru Dr. Sanjeev Uprety's article, Definition of Masculinity (Purushwatwa ko Paribhasha), in Kantipur daily I obligated to chew the cud on this subject matter. The reason behind to be a coercive thinker on this topic was: Individually and recurrently, I am censured by effeminacy. Those personae, who point the figure at me, are turned to a blind eye onwards "every individual possesses diversified hobby and curiosity". So I put bona fide approbation on Uprety sir's this reasoning: "However femininity deserves heterogeneous explanation, masculinity also merits sundry and multifarious elucidations (Kantipur: Sept 5, 2009)".

9/16/2009

राष्ट्रपतिको जहाजमा सरर

नक्कल गरम न त 
त्यो त मैले सपनामा पनि सोचेको छैन। विश्वको शक्तिसाली देशको राष्ट्रपति सयर गर्ने जहाजमा मेरो उपस्थिति? असम्भब। तर पनि मान्छेको दिमाग न हो। सोचि हाल्छ। कस्तो जहाजमा चड्दा हुन। भित्र कस्तो हुदो हो। हामी सामान्य मान्छे चड्ने जहाज जस्तै वा बिषेश केहि। अहिलेका ओबामाले कस्तो चड्छन, त्यो देख्न केहि दशक कुर्नु पर्ला। तर चड्न नपाए पनि देख्न चाई पाइयो अमेरिकाका भुतपुर्ब राष्ट्रपतिहरुले चडेको जहाज। बाहिर बाट हेर्दा र अनुमान गर्दा जे सोचे पनि भित्र त अति नै सामान्य।

मैले देखेको र यहा फोटोमा देखाएको जहाजमा आईजन्होवर, केनेडी, जोन्सन र निक्सन जस्ता राष्ट्रपतिलाई बोकेको रैछ। सन १९५८ मा बनेको यो Boeing VC-137B-707-120 ले १९७० सम्म राष्ट्रपति अनि तेस्पछि उपराष्ट्रपति र अरु VIP हरुलाई १९९६ सम्म बोकेर अहिले museum of flight, Seattle बसेको छ। यसलाई SAM (special air mission) 970 पनि भनिदो रैछ। चाहे यो होस वा अरु जस्ले राष्ट्रपतिलाई बोक्छन्, तिन्लाई Air Force One भन्ने चलन पनि रैछ। अनि उड्ने ओभल अफिस।

राष्ट्रपतीले सौच र आची गर्ने टोइलेट/रेस्टरुम् 
पछाडीको ढोका बाट छिरेको शुरुमै टोइलेट देख्न पुगियो। अनि हेरौ न त राष्ट्रपतिले सु र गु गर्ने टोइलेट त्यसमा पनि उडेको बेलामा भनेर तेतै लागियो। खासै फरक लागेन। अलि पहिले बनेको जहाज भएर हो कि कुन्नि? अहिले ओबामा चड्नेमा त अलि फेन्सी होला कि मलमुत्र त्याग गर्ने ठाउं।

यो राष्ट्रपतिको मिटिङ कोठा। यो ठुलो कुर्चिमा राष्ट्रपति बस्ने होलान अनि उतापट्टि उनका सहयोगी। टेबलमा यौटा टेलिफोन सेट देखिन्छ अनि अलि पर माथीको टेलिभिजन सेट। यी सबै ढाकेर राखिएको छ भने। कुर्चीमा लेखिएको छ-क्रिपया यहा नबस्नुस। सबैले भनेको मान्ने क्या। कति ग्यानि मान्छे हुन। त्यसै सन्सारकै शक्तिशाली बन्या होलान र।

जहाज भित्रको कार्यालय 
यसमा अरुले प्रबेश नपाउने। गोप्य। राष्ट्रपतीले मात्रै कसै सङ कुरा गर्नु पर्यो भने। अब उडिरा बेलामा आदेश दिनु पर्यो भने चट्ट फोन समात्यो अनि आदेश दियो। तर यो कुर्चीको पछाडी हेर्यो भने केहि मान्छे बस्न मिल्ने ठाउ छ। त्यसमा पक्कै पनि बिषेश मान्छे मात्रै, मेरो बिचारमा सहयोगी, बस्ने होलान। मलाई खास्सा लागेको कुरा सन्चारको हो। जति माथि र जहा उडे पनि सन्सार सङ connected  हुनै पर्यो। नत्र कसरी चल्ला र। तिन्का फोने स्याटालाईट सङ जोडिएका, टिभी पनि तेस्तै होला। आफुलाई थाहा नभाको कुरामा कति गफ हान्नु र।
जहाज भित्रको गोप्य कोठा 
राष्ट्रपतिले प्रयोग गर्ने टोइलेट, मीटिङ कोठा, गोप्य कोठामा गएर बस्ने मन नलागेको कहा होर। मान्छेको मनै न हो। तर त्यो पुरा हुन पाएन। सिसले बारेर बन्द गरेको रैछ। हेर्न मात्रै मिल्ने। फोटो खोच्न मिल्ने। सुरक्षित राख्नु पर्यो नि। नत्र पछिल्लो पुस्ताले के हेर्ने त? नेपाल होर? राजाले राजदरवार छोडेको दिन नेपाली देखी बिदेशीहरु हारालुछ गर्दै राजाको कुर्सिमा बसेर गति परेका। त्यसमा पनि पत्रकारहरुले त बेइजेतै गरेका थिय नि।

र अन्त्यमा, राष्ट्रपती कतै भ्रमण जादा बिमानबाट ओर्लिदा यसरी हात हल्लाउछन भनेर देखाको नि। तर छेउमा प्रथम महिला भने थिनन् है। तल ओर्लदा रातो कार्पेट नदेख्दा बल्ल थाहा भयो कि म त होइन रहेछु राष्ट्रपती त। रहरै त हो। पुरा गर्दा के बिग्रियो र।
फोटो खिच्देकोमा बिदुरलाई धन्यबाद।

9/14/2009

Quandary on Learning English

MP Kharel, Kathmandu

(Mr. Kharel is author of Pustanter, novel in Nepali. Here, he shares his feelings on learning English and becoming writer.)
Sometimes I contemplate for a moment on the current fad of learning English. In his article, The Lure of English, our English guru Abhi Subedi writes the cause of this vogue:" It looks as though English is the only language that can put ideas across the political spectrum of the region and the world(Katmandu Post: Aug, 2oo9)." "The much hyped hobnobbing of Nepali politicians, army elite and diplomats, he further sounds, has become possible only through English." Besides, my many friends, who are studying abroad, suggest making me better English writing and speaking, otherwise my passion of postgraduate and doctorate mission may be an unprofitable and futile in the forthcoming days.

8/30/2009

चटकेको दैनिकी-सियाटलको चटके

केहि दिन पहिले सियाटल तिर घुम्दा देखिएका यि चटकेको चटक एकछिन हेरेको थिएत्यहाको चर्चीत पाईक मार्केट घुमेपछि नजिकै रहेको सानो पार्कमा भेटीएका केही चटके मध्य मैले यहा प्रस्तुत गरेका चटके अलि बिषेश लाग्यो मलाई। एउटा चटके सडक-सडक, चोकहरु, वा जहा मान्छे जम्मा हुन्छन तेहि आउछ। चाहे त्यो रत्नपार्क होस चाहे पाइक मार्केट। चटक देखाउछ, मान्छेलाई मनोरन्जन दिन्छ। आफ्नो कला, सिप देखायो, केहि पैसा जम्मा गर्यो अनि फर्क्यो।

यी चाईनीज चटके राम्ररी अङ्रेजी बोल्न नजान्ने। कम, थ्यान्क्यु जस्ता केहि शब्द भन्ने। यिनको दैनिकि, सुटकेशमा चटके सामान बोकेर आयो, चटक देखायो, पैसा राम्रै कमायकि जस्तो लाग्या थ्यो मलाई। उनले देखाएका धेरै चटक मध्य उटा थियो-ब्यालेन्सिङ। तलको तस्बिरमा हेर्नुस त। मुखले उटा सानो लठ्ठी च्यप्यो, अनि त्यसमा आर्को अड्यायो, त्यसमाथि सानो काठको टुक्रा। त्यसमाथि उभिएको सिसाको बोतल।



आर्को चटक चाही गार्है थियो। फलामको रिङ भित्र उनी छिर्नु पर्ने। त्यो पनि हात, खुट्टा अनि टाउको एकैपटक। लौ है शुरु भयो। खुट्टा र हात छिराएर।



हरे कसरी होला। बल गर भाइ बल गर।


लौ खेल खत्तम। कस्तो लाग्यो त?

8/26/2009

LG CU920: My experiences

I have been using LG's CU920 touchscreen mobile set for last 9 months. I liked it and still loving it. It is simple, small (easy to carry) and user friendly too. The main point for choosing this set was its touchscreen. It is giving me the feeling of using i-phone with less cost. It has many features like camera, email, internet, TV etc. Most important thing, it came free with new plan.

All of sudden, its touchscreen didn't work. I don't remember anything bad happened to it (was not dropped, no liquid spilled etc.). Only incoming calls could be received and other functions were totally not available for use. I couldn't make calls, look up phone numbers. I tried to fix it by removing smart chip and putting it back. I did same for battery but none of these worked.

I went to local at&t store to get help. They tried same thing as I mentioned above. Last option was to change set. I had one year warranty and because of that I got my phone replaced with new one. This is good for me :). But bad thing was I lost all data from the old one. I couldn't get it and transfer to the new one. All the phone numbers were lost. If I am not calling you, my friend I don't have your number. I am just waiting for your call to get your number. There are two reasons for not being able to get the numbers and data from the old set. First one is all the numbers were saved in music mode. The another was I did not save phone numbers and other data to the smartchip, instead they were directly saved into the set.

Anyway now I have new set functioning well and again enjoying it. If you have similar experiences, please share.

8/20/2009

पानी भित्रको सन्सार

ब्लगीङ बाट हराएको पनि महिनौ बितेछ। अब भने नया साज सज्जाका उपस्थित हुदै छु। ब्लग टेम्प्लेट २ कोलम बाट ३ कोलमा परिवर्तन गरेको छु। फोकटमा पाईने टेम्प्लेट झारेर उपलोड गरेको राम्रै देख्खेको छ। अब यसैमा खेल्दै आफ्नो मन अनुसारको बनाउने बिचारमा छु। मैले चलाउने अर्को ब्लग नेपाकेम लाई पनि २ बाट ३ कोलम बनाको छु। अनि अब अङ्रेजीमा भन्दा नेपालीमै लेख्नेहोकि भन्ने सोचाई बनेको छ। ब्लगको टाइटल पनि फेरेर नेपालीनै राख्ने सोच्दै छु। अझै पनि निर्णय गरिसकेको छैन। यो त भयो आफ्नै बारे।

अब लागौ मुल कुरो तिर। केहि समय पहिले यसो घुम्न जाने मौका पाइ एको थियो। हेर्न त धेरै चिज हेरियो अनि घुम घाम पनि तेत्तिकै गरियो। ति मध्य पानी भित्रका जिबहरुको फोटो आज राख्दै छु। पानी भित्र पाइने जिबहरु देखेको त माछा, भ्यगुत र कहिले काही पानी सर्प मात्र हो नेपाल हुदा। तर पानी भित्रको सन्सार त ब्यापक रहेछ। एकैछिन हेरौ पानीभित्रको रङीन सन्सार।




(Camera: NIKON D60, photos by Basant and Bidur)

3/22/2009

The importance of stupidity in scientific research

Ramesh Dhakal
Graduate Student of Chemistry
Clemson University

Lets go through this article. I find it really really interesting. We must have to thanks to Dr. Martin A. Scwartz, Professor of University of Virginia for providing his long time experience via Journal of cell science. I can not hide this article to myself, so I disclose here.
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I recently saw an old friend for the first time in many years. We had been Ph.D. students at the same time, both studying science, although in different areas. She later dropped out of graduate school, went to Harvard Law School and is now a senior lawyer for a major environmental organization. At some point, the conversation turned to why she had left graduate school. To my utter astonishment, she said it was because it made her feel stupid. After a couple of years of feeling stupid every day, she was ready to do something else. I had thought of her as one of the brightest people I knew and her subsequent career supports that view. What she said bothered
me. I kept thinking about it; sometime the next day, it hit me. Science makes me feel stupid too. It’s just that I’ve gotten used to it. So used to it, in fact, that I actively seek out new opportunities to feel stupid. I wouldn’t know what to do without that feeling. I even think it’s supposed to be this way. Let me explain. For almost all of us, one of the reasons that we liked science in high school and college is that we were good at it. That can’t be the only reason – fascination with understanding the physical world and an emotional need to discover new things has to enter into it too. But high-school and college science means taking courses, and doing well in courses means getting the right answers on tests. If you know those answers, you do well and get to feel smart. A Ph.D., in which you have to do a research project, is a whole different thing. For me, it was a daunting task. How could I possibly frame the questions that would lead to significant discoveries; design and interpret an experiment so that the conclusions were absolutely convincing; foresee difficulties and see ways around them, or, failing that, solve them when they occurred? My Ph.D. project was somewhat interdisciplinary and, for a while, whenever I ran into a problem, I pestered the faculty in my department who were experts in the various disciplines that I needed. I remember the day when Henry Taube (who won the Nobel Prize two years later) told me he didn’t know how to solve the problem I was having in his area. I was a third-year graduate student and I figured that Taube knew about 1000 times more than I did (conservative estimate). If he didn’t have the answer, nobody did. That’s when it hit me: nobody did. That’s why it was a research problem. And being my research problem, it was up to me to solve. Once I faced that fact, I solved the problem in a couple of days. (It wasn’t really very hard; I just had to try a few things.) The crucial lesson was that the scope of things I didn’t know wasn’t merely vast; it was, for all practical purposes, infinite. That realization, instead of being discouraging, was liberating. If our ignorance is infinite, the only possible course of action is to muddle through as best we can.

I’d like to suggest that our Ph.D. programs often do students a disservice in two ways. First, I don’t think students are made to understand how hard it is to do research. And how very, very hard it is to do important research. It’s a lot harder than taking even very demanding courses. What makes it difficult is that research is immersion in the unknown. We just don’t know what we’re doing. We can’t be sure whether we’re asking the right question or doing the right experiment until we get the answer or the result.

Admittedly, science is made harder by competition for grants and space in top journals. But apart from all of that, doing significant research is intrinsically hard and changing departmental, institutional or national policies will not succeed in lessening its intrinsic difficulty. Second, we don’t do a good enough job of teaching our students how to be productively stupid – that is, if we don’t feel stupid it means we’re not really trying. I’m not talking about ‘relative stupidity’, in which the other students in the class actually read the material, think about it and ace the exam, whereas you don’t. I’m also not talking about bright people who might be working in areas that don’t match their talents. Science involves confronting our ‘absolute stupidity’. That kind of stupidity is an existential fact, inherent in our efforts to push our way into the unknown. Preliminary and thesis exams have the right idea when the faculty committee pushes until the student starts getting the answers wrong or gives up and says, ‘I don’t know’. The point of the exam isn’t to see if the student gets all the answers right. If they do, it’s the faculty who failed the exam. The point is to identify the student’s weaknesses, partly to see where they need to invest some effort and partly to see whether the student’s knowledge fails at a sufficiently high level that they are ready to take on a research project.

Productive stupidity means being ignorant by choice. Focusing on important questions puts us in the awkward position of being ignorant. One of the beautiful things about science is that it allows
us to bumble along, getting it wrong time after time, and feel perfectly fine as long as we learn something each time. No doubt, this can be difficult for students who are accustomed to getting the answers right. No doubt, reasonable levels of confidence and emotional resilience help, but I think scientific education might do more to ease what is a very big transition: from learning what other people once discovered to making your own discoveries. The more comfortable we become with being stupid, the deeper we will wade into the unknown and the more likely we are to make big discoveries.

2/21/2009

Artificial Intelligence version 0.01

Nabin k Malakar

When we identify the objects we assign them with function. That means our degree of intelligence has to do with its usage. The more efficiently we can make the connections, more intelligent we are pronounced. This explains our dominance in the whole animal kingdom. We can make use of things and think of possible ways of connecting the subjects. We can think! The process of thinking leads us to ability to discover. The tool from Thinking to discovery is exploration. The process of exploration is random, however, we would like to have smart ways to explore.

We are not being able to make objects with artificial intelligence because of the fact that we want to make camera but not associate it with the way our eye works. When we "see" an apple, a lot of logical connections are opened. Camera can take the picture of an apple but it can not associate with its use. When we see a car, we can immediately think of its use. Similarly we can take a picture of an apple. But again, the fact that we have taken picture of an apple will never be reflected in its use by camera. For a robot with camera, apple is an object. Which is not much different than another apple. Just think about an apple, how will you explain it to a robot?

For a record player, one song is no different than another. Yes, you can add the analyzer in terms of currents and voltages and spikes those go up and down and some reference of time in it. But can it sense the melody and harmony of the song? What makes you feel its difference? What makes intelligence to create music?

Similarly, we can have a lot of words in the dictionary. How does dictionary make us understand a word with the help of another word? Without an example of its usage, another word is just as confusing as the first one. During the learning process we start with associating the meanings of words. Association can be with the exact meaning or the nearest neighborhood of the meaning of the subject under construction.

When a robot is given with few objects, it needs to learn their use so that it can learn about the objects. The question here is robot can use the object, but can it learn how to use it? A simple example: Can a robot equipped with first kind of lever go, explore and discover the second or third kind of lever? For this purpose, it needs to associate the functional value of given objects and think of ways to make its usage. The stated example in itself has a lot of complications.

So, I think the next step in Artificial Intelligence is to make connections. Connections that are useful, which can be associated with the functional value, not as objects.


The sustained growth of social network is another example of how connections work. If anything can be identified as having some functional value, its growth is inevitable.

*********
Thinking abilities
Exploration
Discovery
Usage
Discovery
Thinking abilities
cycle et al.


Inspired by the reading of Rota, Feynmann's interview on joys of discovering things and the movie Gods must be crazy and other A.I. related articles.

[Mr. Malakar is a PhD student of Physics. He regularly writes on his own blog Time]

2/15/2009

भविस्यको पानीको तनाब

काठमाडौंमा दशकौ देखिको पानीको समस्या समाधान हुने कुनै लक्षण देखिएको छैन। कुनै ठाउमा एक दिन बिराएर धारोमा पानी उछ कुनै ठाउमा एक हप्तामा एक पटक मात्रै। पिउन खाना पकाउन मात्रै भएपनी पानी पायो भने भाग्यमानी मान्छन काठमाडौं बासी आफुलाई। नुहाउने, लुगा धुने अन्य कामको लागी कुरै छैन। कतिपयले यस्तै तरिकाले दैनिकी चलाऊन थाले भने कतिले अझै पनि मेलम्चीको आशा मार्न छोडेका छैनन। पानी उने दिन घरका धारामा बाल्टिन गाग्रीका लाइन लाग्छन, अघिल्लो दिन देखी नै। अनि फलानाले दुई बाल्टि मलाई एक मात्रै भनेर भनाभन, बेला बेलामा पिटा पिट अनी तेती गर्दा गर्दै पानी सुकी सक्छ। करीब दश बर्ष अघी नयबजार म्हेपी बस्दा सुख्खा मौसममा पल्लो कोठामा स्ने म्याडमले बिहानै चार बजे भाई उठ्नुस पानी लिन जान ढिलो भयो भनेर उठ्नु अनी बिष्णुमती पुलको छेउमा रहेको सार्बजनीक धारमा लाइन बस्नु एक किसिमले बानी नै परेको थियो। पढ्न बसेको केटोलाई कती डिस्टर्ब भयो तेसको लेखा जोखा नै छैन। के कुरा गराई भयो र। कुरो गर्यो कुरै को दुख्ख। एक पानी आउदैन आएको पानी पनि फोहर, अशुध्ध। त्यसैले खाने पानी हो नत्र पिउने पानी हुन्थ्यो नि भनेर ठट्टा गर्ने मसला मिलेको छ। कति दुख्ख पाईयो साध्य छैन। अस्ती पटक नेपाल गएर फर्किदा हैजाका किटाणु पनि सङै पछि लागेर आएछन। यता खैरेलाई हैरान। सेन्टर फर डिजिज कन्ट्रोल देखी विस्व स्वास्थ सङठन सम्म। (click here for more and here)

पानीको समस्या नेपालमा मात्रै नभएर सन्सार भरि नै छ। कतै बढी अनि कतै कम मात्रै। कतिले अहिले देखीनै समस्या झेलिरहेका छन भने कतिले केहि समय पछि झेल्ने छन। हामीले देखेका प्रत्यक्ष अप्रत्क्ष रुपमा भोगेका युध्द तेल को लागी भए भने अब हुने युद्धहरु पानीको लागी हुने भविश्यबाणी हुने गरेका छन। सन् १९९५ मै बिश्व ब्यांकका उपाध्यक्षले आउदो शताब्दीमा युद्धहरु पानीको लागी हुन्छन् भनेर दाबी गर्दा तहल्का मच्चियको थियो। पानीको समस्या सदियौ देखि रहदै आयपनि अहिले सम्म त्त्यसकै लागि लडाई भएको निकै कम ईतिहासमा पाइन्छ। आज भन्दा करिब ४५०० बर्ष पहिले टिग्रिस नदिको लागि लगाश उम्मा सहर बिच भएको बाहेक। हाम्रै छिमेकी भारतले उसलाई हुने पानीको हाहाकारको समाधानको लागी बिशाल नदी जडान योजना अघि बढाउदै छ। त्यसको लागी उसले नेपालका नदी नाला माथि नजर लगाएको सबैलाई थाहा नै छ।

बड्दो जनसंख्याको कारणले बिकसित भन्दा बिकासशील देशहरुमा प्रति ब्यक्ती पानीको मात्रा निकै घटेको UN को प्रतिबेदन ले देखाएको छ। प्रति ब्यक्ती पानीको उपलब्धता सन् १९५० देखी अहिले सम्म बिकसित मुलुकमा ४०% बिकासशील मुलुकमा ८०% ले घटेको छ। अनि मौसम परिवर्तन बिश्वब्यापी तापक्रम ब्रिधीको कारणले पानीका मुहानहरु सुख्खा हुदै गैरहेका छन। बैज्ञानिकहरुले गरेको एक् projection ले देखाए अनुसार सन् २०२० सम्म अधिकांस मुलुकहरु पानीको कारणले उच्च तनाबमा हुने छन। त्यसमा नेपाल पनि अछुतो रहने छैन। भलै बिश्वको दोश्रो धनी देश-पानीको लागि किन नहोस। जसको अर्थ हुन्छ एक लाख लिटर पानी प्रति ब्यक्ति प्रति बर्ष मात्र उपलब्ध हुनेछ। अनि सन् २०५० २०७० सम्म पुग्दा नेपालको पानी तनब त्यति नबढे पनि धेरै मुलुकहरु अत्यन्त तनाबको स्थितिमा हुनेछन। परिआएका समस्या समधान र्दै आएका मानिसले यो समस्या लाई कसरि समाधान गर्ने हुन।

माथीको तस्बिरले सन् २०२० मा पानी तनाब बिश्वमा कस्तो हुनेछ भनेर देखाएको छ। (Photo from BBC.com)