தமிழின் பெருமைகள் நான்கு வரி செய்யுளில்

இன்று நாம் அனைவரும் சொல்லிக்கொண்டிருக்கின்ற பைதகரஸ் கோட்பாடு (Pythagoras Theorem) என்ற கணித முறையை, பிதாகரஸ் என்பவர் கண்டறிவதற்கு முன்னரே, போதையனார் என்னும் புலவர் தனது செய்யுளிலே சொல்லியிருக்கிறார்.

ஓடும் நீளம் தனை ஒரேஎட்டுக்
கூறு ஆக்கி கூறிலே ஒன்றைத்
தள்ளி குன்றத்தில் பாதியாய்ச் சேர்த்தால்
வருவது கர்ணம் தானே.

– போதையனார்

இக்கணித முறையைக் கொண்டுதான், அக்காலத்தில் குன்றுகளின் உயரம் மற்றும் உயரமான இடத்தை அடைய நாம் நடந்து செல்லவேண்டிய தூரம் போன்றவைகள் கணக்கிடப்பட்டுள்ளன.

போதையனார் கோட்பாட்டின்ன் சிறப்பம்சம் என்னவென்றால், வர்க்கமூலம் (Square root) இல்லாமலேயே, நம்மால் இக்கணிதமுறையை பயன்படுத்த முடியும்.

தமிழன் ஒரு வேலை கற்றலையும்/கல்வியையும்
பொதுவுடமையாகவும்,உலகறியச் செய்து இருந்தால் ….
அவர்கள் தரணி எங்கும் அறிய ப்பட்டு இருப்பார்கள்.

Regards, BMS

Soon, humans may live forever

A famous US futurist and inventor has predicted that in few years, computers will overtake humans and facilitate them to live forever.

Ray Kurzweil has claimed that in the first half of this century there will be a ‘Singularity’, a phase in which there will be incredible rapid technological change, triggered by the moment that computers become smart enough to improve themselves without human intervention.

He has set 2029 as the year when computers will overtake humans and the things start getting really weird - disease will be cured, death defeated, the universe will become the playground of immortal super-beings, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

“Every aspect of human life will be irreversibly transformed,” says Kurzweil.

He has envisaged that computers will enter our bodies and brains and the pace of change will be beyond our understanding unless we enhance ourselves with artificial intelligence boosts.

COURTESY: onenewspage.in

Regards, BMS

தாய் பக்தி

(என் அன்னையின் பிறந்தநாள் இன்று)

(30௦.10௦ -> 30 அக்டோபர்)

முப்பது பத்து..

முன்னுறு நாட்கள் தவம் புரிந்து

முத்தொன்றை இப்பூவுலகிற்கு புறம் தள்ளிவிட்டவள் நீதான் அம்மா..

பிற உணவு நஞ்சாகும் என

பிஞ்சிலே நெஞ்சமுது ஊட்டியவளும் நீதான் அம்மா..

என்னை சுவாசிக்க வைத்தாய்

என்ன வியப்பு நான் வாசித்த முதல் கவிதை நீதான் அம்மா...

உலகநூல் பயில சொன்னாய், என்

உலகமே நீதான் அம்மா...

தேவாலயம் போக சொல்வாய், என்

தெய்வமே நீதான் அம்மா...

பிழை ஒன்று நான் செய்தால்

பிரம்பால் அடிப்பவளும் நீதான் அம்மா...

வலியால் நான் அழுதால்

வாரி அணைத்து தேன் சொற்கள் பேசுபவளும் நீதான் அம்மா...

ஊரு உறங்கும் வேளையிலே எனக்கு

உணவு சமைப்பவளும் நீதான் அம்மா..

நோய் என நான் படுத்தால்

நோம்பு கிடப்பவளும் நீதான் அம்மா..

படைத்தவனை பழித்து விட்டு என்னோடு

பத்திய உணவு புசிப்பவளும் நீதான் அம்மா..

கனவிலும் நான் அழுதால்

கண் விழிப்பவளும் நீதான் அம்மா..

எந்த தவமும் செய்யவில்லை, உன்னை பெறுவதற்கு

எந்த வரமும் தேவையில்லை, நீ போதும் எனக்கு.

~பா.மா.ஷ.

Dasavathaaram - An Interesting fact

A friend of mine called me and insisted to listen
to “Kallai mattum kandaal” song from Dasavathaaram.
and that there was a particular set of lines that he found impressive.

When I listened to the song again,

and After decoding the real meaning of that song,

I figured which lines would have impressed my friend.

The lines are:

"Rajalakshmi naayagan Srinivasan dhaan

Srinivasan saei indha Vishnu dhaasan dhaan

Naattil undu aayiram raaja raajar dhaan

Raajanukku raajan indha Rangarajan dhaan"

This translates to

“Rajalakshmi’s husband is Srinivasan.

Srinivasan’s son is this follower of Vishnu.

There may be thousands of kings around.

But I, Rangarajan, am king of kings.”

Hidden Meaning:

Kamal Hassan’s parents are Rajalakshmi and Srinivasan.

and Vaali’s father is also Srinivasan.

Vaali, of course, is the lyricist’s psuedonym.

His given name is Rangarajan.

The lines quoted here therefore can be interpreted in different ways.

The most straight forward meaning is such that

The First two lines refer to Kamal Hassan the person, and the next two refer to Vaali.

Regards, BMS

Are sqrt(2) and the constant pi, Rational or Irrational Numbers?

Two of the concepts which at a time really confused me are sqrt(2) and the other related one is circumference of a circle.

If we have a triangle with a base and perpendicular of unit length, then it's hypotenuse would be sqrt(2) long. Obviously, such a length sandwiched between two other definite and measurable lengths should also be definite and measurable. Here, I use the words "definite" and "measurable from mathematics' point of view. If humans can't measure anything definitely or absolutely, it's their limitations, not mathematics'. As sqrt(2) is irrational number and has never-ending trail of digits after the decimal point, so as a result one might argue that if something never ends then how can it be used to represent something definite (in this case hypotenuse of the triangle)? In calculus we find limits for functions using mathematical methods and we say it's the limit which the function tries to reach without ever actually reaching there. Likewise, the length of the hypotenuse which equals the value of sqrt(2) is the 'pictorial' limit and in this case human methods are the reason which prevent us from really calculating the value of sqrt(2).

The same argument goes for circumference of a circle which is 2*pi*r. Pi is an irrational number just like sqrt(2) with unending trail of digits after the decimal point. We have the 'pictorial' limit before us but we don't have the instrument to reach it.

I understand my reasoning is, perhaps, convoluted and a little erroneous. But I'm sure you can see beyond what I wrote and can extract the correct bits of information, and can fill the gaps between them to make the reasoning understandable for you. What is your opinion on length sqrt(2) and circumference? Please let me know. Thank you.

Regards, BMS

Lie detector

Scientists have found that magnetic interference with the brain makes it impossible to lie, a discovery they say could be the most effective way to extract information from crime suspects unwilling to tell the truth.

Estonian researchers found that stimulating part of the front brain with magnets alters the simplicity of lying.

The team found that when magnets were applied to either the right or left side of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, found directly behind the forehead, it makes a person to lie or tell the truth, depending on which side was stimulated. However, magnetic interference directed at another part of the brain, the parietal lobe, was found to have no impact on the people's decision-making , the researchers said.

"Spontaneous choice to lie more or less can be influenced by brain stimulation," study researchers Inga Karton and Talis Bachmann were quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

For their study, published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, the researchers recruited a small group of 16 volunteers who were given coloured disks. Then, half of them were given magnetic stimulation on the right side of their prefrontal cortex, half on the left. They then had two options: to lie about what colour their disks were, or tell the truth. Results showed that the volunteers who had their left DPC stimulated lied more often, while the ones with the right DPC stimulated were more likely to tell the truth.

The experiment was repeated while a different brain region — the parietal lobe — was stimulated and it produced no effect, the researchers said.

Regards, BMS

Rowan Atkinson Says Goodbye to Mr Bean:

Rowan Atkinson(56) is retiring from Mr. Bean as he is too old to play the funny character. Mr. Bean the funny series has 18 million viewers and most of them are kids. Well, it is sad news for his fans.

However,

Rowan Atkinson says:

‘I’ve got a feeling I probably won’t play the character [Mr Bean] again.

‘Never say never, but I just feel I’m getting too old for it. I’ve always liked Mr Bean as a cartoon-like figure, who doesn’t really age much.

‘I’ve always seen him as an ageless and timeless being and I’m clearly not ageless and timeless.

‘The older I get, I feel I am less qualified to play him.’

Regards, BMS

Blast at Delhi High Court on 07.09.2011 10:14AM

Delhi blast: 11 dead, 91 injured

About 2 kg of explosives were used in the blast outside Delhi High Court which killed at least 11 people and 91 injured on Wednesday (07.09.2011) morning. The bomb, reportedly a combination of ammonium nitrate and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) was planted in a briefcase, exploded at 10:14 am outside Gate No. 5 of the court, where more than 100 litigants had gathered for passes to enter the court's premises.

Though terror group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) has claimed responsibilty of the blast, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram didn't confirm the claim made by the terror outfit.

"It's too early to say which group is involved," said Manmohan Singh.

What is PETN; why is it deadly?

Terrorists may have used hard-to-detect plastic-based explosive PETN in Wednesday's Delhi High Court blast - the same substance used in the underwear bomb plot on a 2009 Northwest Airlines Flight 253 and by the 'shoe bomber'.

Sharing details of the "preliminary" investigations, secretary of Internal Security U.K. Bansal told reporters that traces of pentaerythritol trinitrate (PETN) have been recovered from the blast site.

"But this is the result of preliminary investigation. Rigorous investigations are in progress," Bansal said, indicating that the explosive traces found were not conclusive.

PETN is one of the most powerful explosives and is difficult to detect. Because of its plastic nature, the explosive can easily pass metal detectors. Even bomb-sniffing dogs cannot detect it because of its low pressure molecules.

The explosive allows terrorists to use only small quantities with enormous damages. Even 100 grams of PETN is enough to blast away a car.

The colourless crystals of PETN were used by terrorist Richard Reid, commonly known as the 'shoe bomber', on an American Airlines jet to Miami in 2001.

Al Qaeda operative Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab also concealed this explosives in his underwear when he unsuccessfully tried to detonate a bomb in Northwest Airlines Flight 253, also known Christian Day bomb plot, in 2009.

The same explosive was also found in two cargo planes from Yemen to the US in October 2010.

Bansal said PETN is "an explosive of choice for terrorists" if they can lay their hands on it.

The remnants of the high court bomb were being analysed in a forensic laboratory, he said.

Courtesy: NDTV, CNN-IBN

Regards, BMS...

The Great Dictator - Speech by Actor Chaplin

The Great Dictator is a comedy film by Charlie Chaplin released in October 1940. Like most Chaplin films, he wrote, produced, and directed, in addition to starring as the lead. Having been the only Hollywood film maker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, this was Chaplin's first true talking picture as well as his most commercially successful film. More importantly, it was the first major feature film of its period to bitterly satirize Nazism and Adolf Hitler.

At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany. Chaplin's film advanced a stirring, controversial condemnation of Hitler, fascism, anti-Semitism, and the Nazis

Speech from Charlie Chaplin's in the above mentioned movie,

“I'm sorry but I don't want to be an Emperor, that's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that. We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.

The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.

Our knowledge has made us cynical,
our cleverness hard and unkind.
We think too much and feel too little:
More than machinery we need humanity;
More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.

Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair".

The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish. . .

Soldiers: don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you, who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you as cattle, as cannon fodder.

Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don't hate, only the unloved hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers: don't fight for slavery, fight for liberty.

In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written:
"The kingdom of God is within man"
Not one man, nor a group of men, but in all men; in you, the people.

You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let's use that power, let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give you the future and old age and security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfil their promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfil that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness.

Soldiers! In the name of democracy, let us all unite!. . .

Look up! Look up! The clouds are lifting, the sun is breaking through. We are coming out of the darkness into the light. We are coming into a new world. A kind new world where men will rise above their hate and brutality.

The soul of man has been given wings, and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow, into the light of hope, into the future, that glorious future that belongs to you, to me and to all of us. Look up. Look up.”

Regards,

BMS

Jan Lokpal Bill Vs. Draft Lokpal Bill (2010)

The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill is a proposed independent anti-corruption law in India. Anti-corruption social activists proposed it as a more effective improvement to the original Lokpal bill, which is currently being proposed by the the Government of India. The prefix Jan (translation: citizens) was added to signify the fact that these improvements include input provided by "ordinary citizens" through an activist-driven, non-governmental public consultation.

The Jan Lokpal Bill aims to effectively deter corruption, redress grievances of citizens, and protect whistle-blowers(a person who tells the public or someone in authority about dishonest or illegal activities occuring in a government department, public or a private organization or a company). If made into law, the bill would create an independent ombudsman body similar to the Election Commission of India called the Lokpal (Sanskrit: protector of the people). It would be empowered to register and investigate complaints of corruption against politicians and bureaucrats without prior government approval. First introduced in 1968, the bill has failed to become law for over four decades.

In 2011, civil activist Anna Hazare started a Satyagraha movement by commencing a fast unto death in New Delhi to demand the passing of the bill. The movement attracted attention in the media, and hundreds of thousands of supporters, in part due to the organizational skills of Arvind Kejriwal . Following Hazare's four day hunger strike, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the bill would be re-introduced in the 2011 monsoon session of the Parliament.

Accordingly, a committee of five Cabinet Ministers and five social activists attempted to draft a compromise bill merging the two versions but failed. The Indian government went on to propose its own version in the parliament, which the activists reject on the grounds of not being sufficiently effective

Draft Lokpal Bill (2010)

1. Lokpal will have no power to initiate suo motu action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public. It can only probe complaints forwarded by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
2. Lokpal will only be an Advisory Body with a role limited to forwarding reports to a "Competent Authority".
3. Lokpal will have no police powers and no ability to register an FIR or proceed with criminal investigations.
4. The CBI and Lokpal will be unconnected.
5. Punishment for corruption will be a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of up to 7 years.

Jan Lokpal Bill (demanded)

1. Lokpal will have powers to initiate suo moto action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public.
2. 2.Lokpal will have the power to initiate prosecution of anyone found guilty.
3. Lokpal will have police powers as well as the ability to register FIRs.
4. Lokpal and the anti corruption wing of the CBI will be one independent body.
5. Punishments will be a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of up to life imprisonment.

Courtesy: WIKIPEDIA.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Lokpal_Bill

Regards,

BMS

Desktop runs on Solar Power

If you are interested in green technology, here is a company which has launched the very first solar powered desktop computer in the Indian market. The company is called Simmtronics Semiconductors and honestly, this is the first time I’m hearing about this company, but I feel great that a green desktop is finally available in my country.

As the desktop is powered by the sun, it is a computer mainly targeted for areas which have frequent power cuts or even villages, where electricity is still a mystery to many. This solar powered computer is priced at just INR 28,990, which includes the solar setup and one year on-site warranty. Well, it is about time computers hit our villages!

When being powered by the gigantic ball made up mainly of hydrogen and helium, the computer also saves up some power which allows it to run for another 10 hours in the absence of sunlight.

Obviously, at such an affordable price, you cannot expect a monster in terms of specs, but the device seems perfect for internet browsing (although this is another problem in areas where there is constant load shedding or electricity is absent most of the time), office work and probably listen to some music and watch a movie or two.

It is powered by a Via C7 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB RAM, includes 160GB HDD and a 15.6-inch LED monitor. The keyboard and mouse are included and the operating system on the computer is Linux. The solar kit includes a 74W solar panel with charge controller, SMF battery and AC inverter.

Regards,

BMS.

SAVE WATER. SAVE LIFE.

World Water Day – March 22

Water (H₂O) is a finite natural resource that must be conserved; it is limited and scarce in many places. Even if you live in an area with ample rainfall, using water uses energy to process it, pump it, heat it, pump it, and process it again.

Ways to save water:

1. Use your washing machine only when it is filled to its total capacity. You can save about 4500 litres per month in this process. Besides saving water, this method is also helpful to save electricity.
2. Avoid using a shower for bathing. Try using a bucket instead. This will help you save about 150-200 litres everyday.
3. Turn off the tap while brushing and save more than 200 litres of water every month.
4. Don't drink water if you are not thirsty.
5. Use sprinklers to water the plants provided you have a large garden.
6. Ensure that your home has no leakages. Also check whether all water bottles are closed properly.
7. Use small glasses for drinking water. The smaller the container, the less consumption of water.
8. Whenever you waste water, just think about those millions of people who still struggle to save every drop of water for their survival.
9. Convert your toilet to low flush. Place a plastic bottle of water in the tank to displace some of the water used for each flush. Weigh the bottle down with pebbles or sand, if necessary. Or, try ordering a 'save-a-flush' or 'hippo' from your local water board.
10. Plant small trees under big trees. This will help prevent evaporation and provides some shade for your plants. You can also plant a shade garden under trees.
11. Lastly, spread awareness regarding water conservation.

Well, do you have any more ways to save water?

Regards,

BMS

Meaningless to equate ‘supermoon' with earthquake or tsunami

An auroral and unusually big ‘supermoon' was seen lighting up the sky on Saturday, offering a visual treat to an enthusiastic audience of curious sky-gazers.

The phenomenon was special, as the moon came closest to the earth in 18 years, becoming the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. The moon was around 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than the other full moons, Nehru Planetarium Director N. Rathnasree said.

“The ‘supermoon' is the biggest and brightest of 2011,” C.B. Devgun, director of the Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE), told PTI.

The moon was only 3,56,577 km away. The phenomenon occurred in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005.

Full moons coinciding with the moon's closest point to the earth in fact happen after every one year, one month and 18 days when it is about 3,63,104 km from the earth, Mr. Devgun said. “This is because the moon's orbit is an ellipse, with one side 50,000 km closer to the earth than the other. In astronomy, the two extremes are called ‘apogee' [far away] and ‘perigee' [nearby].”

A public sky-watch with telescopes and a live show with full dome visuals were organised by the Nehru Planetarium on Saturday evening for sky-gazers to have a better view of the perigee full moon, Ms. Rathnasree said. Hundreds of people thronged the planetarium to see the earth's natural satellite, she said, adding it was totally safe to watch the moon with naked eyes.

Dispelling reports that a correlation existed between the moon and earthquakes, she said the data for the past 100 years and more showed no correlation.

“It is meaningless to equate the ‘supermoon' with earthquake or tsunami. No inference should ever be drawn from looking at just two data points; any statistical correlation has to be checked over a number of data points.”

Earthquakes and tsunami were earth's internal affairs, R.C. Kapoor, a retired professor of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics said. The moon could cause a higher tide and nothing else.

The term ‘supermoon' was first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. He defined it as a situation in which the moon is slightly closer to the earth on its orbit than the average, which is 90 per cent or more of its closest orbit, and the moon is a full or new moon.

At the closest, the moon lies roughly 3,56,630 km from the earth.

— THE HINDU NATIONAL NEWSPAPER

Regards

BMS

5 Tips for More Effective PowerPoint Presentations

The following are some helpful tips for making the most out of a PowerPoint presentation:

1: Presentation First, PowerPoint Second

The biggest mistake people make when creating a PowerPoint presentation is that they make PowerPoint the presentation's focus. The focus should be on the presenter and on the compelling story that he has to tell. PowerPoint is most effective at providing supplementary information, like simple, colorful graphs, but should never be the main source of information. The worst thing a presenter can do is to turn around and read from the PowerPoint screen. If all of the information is on the screen, then there's no need for the presenter

2: Tell a Story

The goal of any presentation is to sell the audience on an idea. It could be a pitch for investing in a new company, a plan for reorganizing a business or a proposal for a scientific research project. For the audience to understand the presentation on an intellectual as well as an emotional level, it needs to be told as a cohesive narrative -- a story. The audience needs to know three things:

• Where we are now
• Where we want to end up
• How we're going to get there

PowerPoint slides should be used to communicate those three simple ideas. This is best accomplished by simple text statements, strong images and graphs.

3: Show It, Don't Write It

Human beings are highly visual learners. It's much easier for our brains to remember a strong, unique image than a series of facts and figures. PowerPoint is a great, easy-to-use program for creating dozens of different types of graphs and charts. Remember that the simpler and bigger the graph, the better. For example, if you want to drive home the point that Windows PCs control a large majority of the home computer market, show a pie chart with a huge chunk of the pie filled in with red and the word "PC." No matter how many stats you quote, this image will get the message home faster and will stick with the audience longer.

4: The Rule of 10

Guy Kawasaki -- former Apple "chief evangelist," venture capitalist and professional speaking guru -- has established his famous "Kawasaki Rule of Ten" in which he only uses 10 slides during a PowerPoint presentation, often in a "top 10" fashion. Those 10 slides generally consist of nothing more than a single sentence or phrase and a supporting image. The 10 slides give the audience powerful visual cues that reinforce the message that Kawasaki is communicating. And since the audience knows that there are only going to be 10 slides -- and 10 main points to cover during the presentation -- they know when the presentation is about to end. Which brings us to our final tip.

5: Keep it Short

No one ever complained about a PowerPoint presentation being too short. The second an audience gets bored and stops paying attention, the presentation loses its effectiveness. The audience not only stops processing new information, but begins to resent the presenter for wasting their time. Kawasaki, for example, thinks that an ideal PowerPoint presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes.

Regards,

B M S