Houston, we have a solution

The United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has put out the top 14 engineering challenges for the 21st century.

http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/

Close to two weeks back, Dr. Charles Vest, President Emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was speaking at the Faculty Hall of the main building at IISc, Bangalore. He is currently the President of the NAE. The topic of the lecture was ‘Engineering Education in the 21st century'. What caught all of us by surprise at the very outset of his talk was the statement that he made, which said “the world is actually getting better.” This was a refreshing change from the common handout that the world has taken a nightmare pill. The world is actually getting better.

Part of this talk covered the 14 greatest challenges you saw above, and how solving them could render a great impact to tens of millions of lives around the world. However, a cursory glance at the list will tell you that there are many other challenges that are equally important if not more, but haven’t made it to the list. For example, the issues of recycling the world’s waste or space exploration don’t feature on that list. But the 14 we have here are big enough to keep our heads and hands occupied for the next 100 years.

I’ve been spending time over the last few weeks meeting with people in academia, government and industries trying to gleam an understanding of where technology, especially enabling ones like nanotech (which I hold rather dear to me) are moving us towards. Invariably in each of these discussions, the topic gets derailed from the technology per se, to the fact that the world is beating inroads to the Indo-China region; and how everybody wants to be a part of the growth story. In my discussion earlier today with Ms. Indira Samarasekara, President of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, it became abundantly clear that policy makers and influencers of tomorrow will need to root themselves in one particular 'center of gravity' of a technology/science/engineering issue, and bring forth an economical or societal or legal understanding of the same problem.

This points out to two steps the Indian government ought to consider. Firstly, the issue of Brain Drain that so famously filled debate topics during the 90’s is now not on the radar. And as Dr. Vest pointed out in his talk too, we’re now on our way to Brain Circulation from Brain Drain. This is but a passing phase where we should in all eventuality end up talking about Brain Integration. I can’t get a grip on the third phrase yet. However, brain circulation seems like a logical extension of a globalized world. I can now grow, harvest and sell my ideas to the world while living in my own country, thanks to so many other enabling technologies that could require an entirely new post to talk about.

Secondly, we’re looking at integrating the micro-technologies of info, bio and nano and bridge the gap on to the macro systems like energy, healthcare, defense and so on. India has a huge slice of this pie, and we’re only getting started. That will call on technocrats to draw on multi-disciplinary skills. We need more programmes at the masters level at Indian science and engineering institutes to implement this.

There’s never really been a better time to live and grow in this country. Houston, we have a solution!

Mother Earth

My good friend Shweta Soni writes this gem of a poem on the condition of our planet. Very well written, but more importantly the point is made loud and clear.

Mother Earth

Once there lived a beautiful woman
A beautiful woman, the Mother Earth
But today she is in misery
All alone with her sufferings and dearth

And who is responsible for her condition
All her own sons
A mother who gave them so much
has to her rescue none

In place of her green forests
she sees today the forests of stone
and the cold blooded inhabitants
they have no heart, only bone

There is no water to be found
only blood flowing everywhere
'coz if look for violence
you can easily find it anywhere

The word 'Love' is forgotten
by all and sundry
The streets are full of
people who are hungry

But it's not hunger, it's greed
driving everyone mad
Greed for money, greed for power
through a means good or bad

But her sons are all indifferent
They care no more for their mother
A mother who is hurt but hopes
they'll wake up some day or other

Let that day be today itself
Let us all fulfill our duty
And pledge together one and all
To return the mother her lost beauty.

The world map

NASA’s Terra spacecraft has come out with a map showing the elevation of almost all the places on earth. Scientists believe that this is the most complete map of the world till date.

Check here.

There is something fascinating about the word map. We had a wall hanging of a giant world map at home when I was in primary and middle school. A world map on your wall is a great investment. Compared to a globe, the map is better in the sense that you get a single snapshot of the whole world in one view (unlike in a globe where you get to see only a portion)*.


Most of us have never been to a world map after we left school. I suggest you try it out: get out an atlas or google for a high resolution picture of the political map of the world and study it. It can be a very consuming activity.

*Footnote: List the differences between a map and a globe.

A world of spiraling success

The chance of a third world war breaking out is remote. Read The World is Flat if you want to be convinced about this fact. Despite the supposed bad times that we are in economically, when you take account of the things around and as you zoom out, it is in fact not very hard to believe that the world as a whole is spawning on a path of self development. Technology is getting more sophisticated and life is in a way getting more comfortable, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the human emotions and the way the mind works.

Our discussion here is about the domino effect that is created by the company a person keeps. By company, we imply those thoughts that fill a person’s mind in a given day. Like the saying goes- if you want to fly with the eagles, you’ve got to stop pecking with the hens. Who we hang around with and who we listen to is far too consequential that most of us hardly pay attention. One of the principles of personal success in any field as history has shown is to surround oneself with successful people. Group dynamics automatically ensures that an individual performs at a level close to that of his high performing peers.

Tracing back a well known fact, it is estimated that 1% of the world’s population controls close to 96% of the wealth on earth. Why is that we don’t have more than 1% doing this? The answer is association. If I could have a daily access to what is running though the head of Barrack Obama, or Roger Federer, I would be better positioned to think along the same lines and react like they would in circumstances. Association leads to a change in thinking, be it positive or negative. And what drives those thoughts is inspiration. If you got to spend a couple of minutes with a person you admire, you might probably come back feeling better. You would probably choose your actions differently from there on based on the inspiration you received from the person and not from the information you received in the form of advice.

Twitter, social networks, blogs and so on; the internet has put the 99% of the population in direct access with the 1%. There’s more unfiltered information coming though between the two camps that was unseen and unheard till recently. For instance, I can now follow my idol Shashi Tharoor and get into his mind through his tweets. Or I can understand at closer quarters what Aamir Khan is thinking through his blog. That inspiration drives the future. As more people start acting on that inspiration, and as success begins to breed success, it is but inevitable that we’ll see more wealth creators coming out. By the turn of 2050, that 1% could possibly become2%. In this way, the world has set itself up for a self perpetuating ride towards a brighter future thanks to the internet.

Our Leaders are on Drugs

Davos is over; at least for 2009.

Here

As a by-stander, I am disappointed. Beyond re-iterating the existing gloom and sad stories, I can’t quite see an action plan in place. Platforms for discussions like the prestigious one in Davos tend to pride more on the fact that world leaders, diplomats and religious leaders made an appearance. Little is understood as to why they did it.

The message from the Annual Meeting is that leaders must continue to develop a swift and coordinated policy response to the most serious global recession since the 1930s: global challenges demand global solutions.

Honestly, did we need 4 of the heads of G8 counties to tell us that? What next?

Does the WEF have any follow up programme? How are we doing on the agendas that were set in the WEF 2005 (say) to tackle hunger in Africa? Or trafficking in Cambodia?

The greatest outcome of the Annual Meeting 2009 was that, despite the economic turbulence, people chose to come together in record numbers from industry, government and civil society to reflect on the seriousness of the global challenges we face and to connect and respond to such challenges.

Goodness! Is this the kind of conclusions that you would expect from history makers at a time in history like this?

The bottom line question is: Will the effort that went into staging the WEF this year pull the world out of recession? I doubt so. A lot will be achieved on the periphery.

In case you suspect, I am not a critic of the World Economic Forum. On the contrary, I am a keen follower of the event with the hope that something might get done that could improve the well-being of an old lady in the Andes, or a twenty five year old in the heart of India’s Silicon Valley.

WEF kicks off

The 5-day World Economic Forum (WEF) kicks off this evening in Davos, Switzerland. The event is expected to draw 2,500 participants from 96 countries. Participants from around the world include:

• 250 public figures, including 41 heads of state or government, 60 ministers, 30 heads or senior officials of international organizations and 10 ambassadors
• More than 510 participants from civil society, including 50 heads or representatives of non-governmental organizations, 225 media leaders, 215 leaders from academic institutions and think tanks, 10 religious leaders of different faiths and 10 trade union leaders. [Source: www.weforum.org]

The co-chairs of this year’s meet, as in every other year, is a handful of some of the world’s most influential names: Kofi Annan, Stephen Green of HSBC Holdings, Anand Mahindra of Mahindra and Mahindra, Rupert Murdoch of News Corp, Maria Ramos (Transnet Ltd., South Africa), Jeroen van der Veer (Chief o Royal Dutch Shell) and Werner Wenning of Bayer, Germany.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to pitch Russia’s Economic Vision at the opening address (00:15, IST) that is expected to set the tone of the debate over the course of the forum. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath is leading the Indian congregation.

It will be interesting to note how Klaus Schwab’s stage will shape up discussions (and solutions, hopefully). With all the doom and gloom expected for much of 2009, this could very well be a place for the top brass to put matters into perspective. As it is already being said, this is the most important edition of the WEF in forty years.

A familiar face at WEF, Bill Gates, seems absent. The Obama administration is sending only one senior adviser. Another section to watch out this WEF: The Young Global Leaders.

Gopi Manjuri with doublextra cheese

Here’s a dumb question to start with:

If a man can dress Indian, eat Indian (strictly), has Indian ancestors and an Indian wife, received his primary.edu in India and drives a Maruti on the streets of Bengaluru, he should speak English with an Indian accent.

The above statement is:

1. True

2. False

3. The data provided is insufficient.

The Texas Tragedy

Electronics major Texas Instruments has its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. They have a setup at Bangalore too. A big percentage of the employees working at TI, Bangalore have been to Dallas at some point of time during their career at TI.

Result: They speak with an American accent.

A case: Varadharajan, who’s joined TI last month finds it difficult to follow what his team leader Gopal Swamy Iyer says, because of the latter’s American accent.

A brief history: Gopal Swamy Iyer, on finishing his PUC at Revannasiddhiya Pre-University College went on to do his BE in ECE from the RV College of Engineering on Mysore Road, Bengaluru. After a brief stint with an IT firm, he went to the University of Michigan to pursue a Master of Science in pure electronics. After 3 years at TI, Dallas, Gopal Swamy Iyer was sent back to his native land of India.

//Gopal Iyer has done away with the dispenser in the toilet at his house on KR Road. One can find a roll of tissue instead.

Pseudonyms and Uncles from Scotland

So where does one need to go to get an American accent?

The naive would think the obvious, that Texan accents are picked up in Texas, or a Canadian accent in Toronto or Quebec. But as we are propelled into the Internet age, one can pick up a mid-western American accent sitting in Boreville, Mumbai. Yes, the world is shrinking!

Which brings us to next question- How long does it take to pick up one?

Let’s probe a little further to dig out the answer for this one. A friend’s Uncle lives in Scotland, a land where its natives are known for their distinctive English accent. He migrated to Scotland from India in the early 1970’s when the Beatles were getting big. 35 years hence, every time his family comes on their annual vacation to India, it is said that this man speaks just like any other Indian.

Rajiv (name changed) is an Investment Banker. He works with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. Last summer he was sent to Singapore for 4 months on an assignment. Sources close to him say that he came back with an American accent (Wtf?)

Verdict: In the 21^st century, one can talk like an American within a few days without as much as having to make trip to the airport.

The New Species

There is no substantial evidence for the need to put on an accent. While victims in the glass and steel buildings might claim that their interaction with global customers requires them to speak like a New Yorker, there is only one thing that can be said- show me a man who cannot follow the Indian accent but can follow the American one, and I’ll free him from paying taxes for the rest of his life.

If the problem can be spelt out clean, so should the solution to tackle it. This is not to help you put a new accent or rid you from the existing one, but more to help you identify yourself and act as personal discretion may permit:

1. The Localised specie: You are the kind that refuses to shed your regional accent. You go to Canberra and speak English like a Keralite. The plus point would be that it would popularise a local accent in the world market. Trouble: People are laughing behind your ass. There is high risk involved here, but not fatal. Egzamble: Lolla Kutty.

2. The Globalised specie You go around the world speaking English like an Indian. But in doing so, pay attention that it is can be understood by the listener. Take care to weed out the mother-tongue accent. Example: LN Mittal.

3. The Super-Globalised specie: Where ever you go, you speak with the accent prevailing in that area. Or in other words, when in Rome, be a Roman. This is extremely challenging, but is possible to achieve. Example: A friend’s 3^rd cousin.

4. The Run down specie: No matter where life takes you, always speak like a Yank. Example: Gopal Swamy Iyer.

If you happen to figure out more forms of species that can co-exist with the above, feel free to mail it to me. I’d be more than glad to append the existing list.

Adios.

P.S: ‘Gopi Manjuri’ is Tamil-English for the Indo-Chinese dish Gobi Manchurian.