Maverick’s Blog

Author: Maverick

  • How to deliver an academic seminar?

    The delivery of a seminar in academia is one of the most important duties. Following is a guideline to give an accurate and proper seminar.

    1. Make the topic as convoluted as possible :The importance of your research is linked directly to how complex it sounds. Not how complex it really is, but how others perceive it. So use all technical jargons, opaque words and a lot of badly generated plots. In other words, at the end of the talk no one should have a single question to ask!
    2.  Don’t tell a joke: Of course you can’t tell a Dad-joke but you cannot joke about your research as well. Not even a witty joke. This is highly unprofessional behaviour.
    3.  Tone: We at academic seminars keep a very fixed and consistent intonation. This is strategically designed to make the audience fall asleep, which falls very well with our aim of avoiding questions at the end.
    4. Questions: It is your duty, as an elite member of the academic society to judge questions. If a question seems too complex, just call it “interesting”. Any question, that aligns with your bias is a good question and should be called out loudly that it is! (Sorry about the exclamation mark, emotions are not allowed in scientific discourse.) Any question which is a bit deep and “stupid” should be met with awkward silence and gestures so that such stupid people can be kept out of our elite seminars.
    5. Information overload: The best defence is always burying the opposition in paperwork. Same applies in academic seminars. Give so much information and slides that people skip the minutia and don’t have time to process the validity of the work, which is the best way to avoid questions that challenge your work and more importantly, force you to think! (Sorry again for the exclamation).

    These five golden rules are absolutely imperative to survive an academic seminar without being labeled stupid by your peers. As a speaker, you should pontificate, not to build a bridge but trample the curiosity beneath. Keep looking up at the stars and down at other people! 

  • Understanding

    I understand that I don’t understand!

    Therefore, when I don’t understand, I have understood something, and when I have understood, I know I don’t completely understand because there shall be something I haven’t understood!

  • Resonant Minds

    Back and forth goes the oscillating block.
    Having energy abundant in stock.
    Happy in its own periodicity,
    Even though it appears mediocrity.
    Alas, the imperative society,
    An interaction with forces too mighty,
    Makes the block behave strangely.
    Often dampened and stifled to its own nature.

    Einstein says when the phase of the driver,
    matches the natural frequency of the striver,
    resonance is reached, limits breached, yearnings screeched.
    Yet out of phase, if the driver was, the oscillation ceased.

    Divergence: a genetic defect or altruistic advantage?
    The topic needs a better vantage.
    Misunderstood, often portrayed as numinous and gifted,
    Yet the block's frequency remains natural and accreted.

    Resonance, resonates with the resonant mind.
    A mind that is of a different kind.
    Resonance emerges solely by external interaction,
    Since the mere rocking block likes to confide in the humdrum fraction.

  • I was here

    Oh! The fleeting nature of existence.
    Would anyone know I was here?

    Lost in the crowd, my voice, shouting to be known.
    A divergence wanting to be shown.

    Does it even matter?
    For human existence is all but short-lived.

  • The Pursuit of Life

    Amidst the vast Universe, are we alone?
    Are we unique to have a Sun which has brightly shone?
    I wonder, ponder, that on a scale grander,
    What it means to be alive?

    Two hundred billion galaxies discovered so far,
    A life like ours, yet none on par.
    There has to be! There has to be! says the insight,
    Yet none appear in sight.

    Entailing less extrospection and more introspection,
    We look for not the answer, but the question.
    What is life?
    One that is rife on Earth, but outside, a mere dearth.

    Our wish to find someone like us or someone entirely different—
    Or are they the same?
    For aliens they are, regardless of the claim,
    Bearing no resemblance to human descent.

    We are eccentric!
    A hyperbole, albeit we travel an orbit elliptic,
    Arrogant and Anthropocentric, a better fit,
    For a thought so impolitic, defended by extremity of the statistic.

    Would they be hostile? Would they be intelligent?
    A reflection of us, or a futile argument?
    A deep curiosity perversely juxtaposed,
    With creatures like us, having minds closed.

    Infinite with our limitless imagination,
    We picture them with fascination—
    Wicked, crooked, and evil,
    Projected onto the abstract.
    With seldom bouts of gracious inspiration,
    A thought deemed a vicious aberration.

    Reason and emotions together characterise this quest,
    A voyage of thought at none’s behest.
    A conscious mind questioning its rarity,
    A search for someone of an equal parity.
    Probability agrees, practicality declines.
    Within gloomy darkness, a silver line shines.

    Peeping in a narrow tube to see a broad Universe,
    An astronomer lays eyes to unveil the mystery,
    With a question living eons and an immortal history.
    The human in him asks the question, or does the scientist?
    Oblivious to the ontology, focused on the gist,
    He seeks to answer whether aliens exist.

    The fleeting timespan of human curiosity
    Is but a mere fluctuation, a jiffy in the cosmic scale,
    What is life? A question so subtle,
    The solution transcends humanity and aliens.
    For a conscious soul is profound,
    And habitable worlds abound.

  • Dormant Poets Society

    Debate, discussion, art, are the ways to express ourselves. But they seem to be missing in today’s world. There are some voices which want ears but all they get are eyes.

    I believe the fire should be reignited. Environments should be created where people can openly express new thoughts and argue about their validity. In other words, the echo chambers should be converted to auditoriums.

    There is an asymmetry governed by a hierarchy. It defines what thoughts demand ears and contemplation whereas all other thoughts are put in the same bracket of “not useful”. As the saying goes, “A barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping a lion”. We need more enthusiasm from the generation which is going through an epidemic of loneliness. Perhaps because they need to be heard. Social media gives a superficial validation which lacks true debate and confrontation that is required to be truly heard and challenged.

    Conformism is the antithesis of youth. There is a silent force which lies dormant and needs the right spark, perhaps from a “non-conventional” teacher, to come back to life.

  • The Call for Scientific Impressionism

    The words scientific impressionism could be oxymoronic for few. However, science is inextricably linked to art. Our research papers are not just about numbers and objective work, but also about making it accessible and comprehensible to the scientific community. This opens room for creativity.

    Credit – Pixabay (Free use license)

    Let’s venture in the past with the discovery of photography and the birth of impressionism in art. After this discovery, the artists lost their value since they could no longer beat an original picture in both landscapes and portraits. So they added their own impressions into their art.

    Coming back to the present. We see the rise of AI and especially publicly accessible AI platforms. It is in principle possible to use AI to convey ideas in a way that is more polished, precise, and prudent. This could be applied to scientific writing

    However, that hugely invalidates the artistic part of science. Originality should take precedence over the accuracy of what is written, to a certain extent. In other words, some accuracy should be compromised to respect originality. This brings us back to the call for scientific impressionism. As AI continues to become prominent, more thought is required by academic journals and scientific writing communities to protect human ingenuity.

  • Passive Society

    He kept shouting “look!”
    Look at the beauty of nature.
    Look at this exception,
    in our understanding.
    Isn’t it intriguing?

    But others said “ohh that!”
    That’s so obvious,
    It always happens this way,
    Big deal!, mocking him.

    Look at the pattern, he continued courageously,
    Look at the gate the other side to which lies a better understanding,
    a better manifestation of nature.

    But other’s said “NO!”,
    It’s just obvious,
    obvious and mundane,
    you must be insane.

    Maybe I am insane, he thought,
    the passive society killed his will,
    and made him another run-of-the-mill.

  • Why India is Not Independent

    Disclaimer — Brutally honest.

    “Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birth right of all”, were the words of the legendary martyr Bhagat Singh. But are we free; in the 21st century?

    The economic divide between rich and poor in India is worse than the British period. This might not be alarming to many people but for those who are cognisant of developing a deeper-understanding through subtle hints such as these, it is ringing alarm bells. 

    Let’s step back and analyse this situation. Many of the laws in our penal code are still reminders of British Legacy (Changing the name of the book doesn’t change the content). Many of our judicial institutions and bureaucracy-dependent institutions are still reeking of colonialism. A trivial but potentially profound observation is the prevalence of the “sir” culture. I can summarise all of this through humour and say the following story:

    The British came to India and told Indians, hey there fellas, would you like to play a game? It’s called Servants-Master. And Indians said, hey look at these Aliens! Wouldn’t it be fun to play a game with them!! And then they played a game of slave and masters for almost 2 centuries. But then some Indians said, okay we are now bored with this game. Actually we have understood the game well enough and don’t need you anymore. Go home. Please! And the British said, OK! And then Indians created their own game of economic-servitude.

    Now let’s understand this game. It is a game where you can play the role of both the servant and master in your lifetime. A person from a poor family is obligated to keep his/her head down to the needs of the people more affluent than them. A young employee has to hustle his way in to the company. But once they get powerful enough, they become the masters. “Now you call me Sir and you work 100 hours”. Some privileged people would never get to play servants as they are well-off and some poor people will never become masters. But, for many the game is of a dual nature. 

    Hats off to the EIC for messing up all our institutions so badly that many have not even realised the extent of the problem, let alone find solutions. An educated mind is still a danger to the society. Because it asks questions. These are not arrogant, destructive questions. They are polite and apt, and force many to think. But, if everyone starts thinking, the game fails. The rules of the game don’t allow thinking. So the hierarchy favours people with degrees and not people who are educated.

    So are we truly free? Do we care about learning, not just through text-books, but through experience? Can we indiscriminately learn esoteric but important things like anthropology, gender studies, astronomy? Are government jobs a way out of the servant-culture; because the servants are tired of being servants and want to become masters for once? Why do we have to call people “sir” to get the job done? Why are people who ask questions ridiculed? Why is sycophancy rampantly rewarded in young Indian professionals? Are we free to speak an honest truth albeit politely, creatively, and insightfully?

    And finally, is this the India our freedom-fighters envisioned; and sacrificed their life for?

  • The Sailor

    Out into the open sea, the sailor set to sail,

    He knew he was ready when he felt a strong gale.

    He pulled the sail up to the top of the mast,

    He was ready to sail at last.

    He was aware that his job would be tough,

    the weather would be a challenge and the sea would be rough.

    He set out into the sea, with a strong determination,

    A will which won’t quiver until he reached his destination.

    He had no one to help with his daily ordeal,

    The ferocious sea was feeding on his zeal.

    But he never gave up and courageously sailed,

    Every day he won and every day he failed.

    The sailor is a manifestation of a strong will,

    A trait not found in anyone run-of the-mill.

    The sailor had in mind that the destination doesn’t matter,

    Destination came from daily struggle and he was concerned about the latter.

    He knew he had to survive everyday and keep learning from mistakes,

    He wished to be perfect but he knew his wishes were of no avail

    Because every day he won and every day he failed.

  • Old Eyes

    Age is a vortex which swallows all alike,

    it is an inevitable road on which everyone has to hike.

    I see the old dog losing its vibrancy.

    His weary eyes depicting life’s inconstancy.

    His eyes look familiar as if telling a story,

    the story which needs no oratory.

    I see a similitude in his eyes and doddering Nancy’s ,

    both expressing an inescapable dormancy.

  • A Winning Mindset

    It could be hard to deal with a mental illness that affects almost every aspect of your daily life. It poses several stumbling blocks in your path. Even the simplest of tasks could seem like an insurmountable hurdle. Self-care and self-sustenance become an ordeal. However, if we adopt a mindset that intends to meet the problems face-on, then it could do wonders.

    But how do you develop such a mindset when you cannot trust what your brain is telling you? Like other things in life, it requires a certain level of skill. One needs to completely restructure the way one thinks. Baby steps are the most helpful. The idea is to create a small set of achievable tasks and follow this routine religiously. It is an excruciatingly slow process, but patience will reap its fruit. The most important thing to keep in mind is to radically accept the challenges in life. The tougher the challenge, the sweeter the victory.

    One should never derelict one’s duty. This serves as a motivation to keep going. As you start incorporating this mindset, it becomes self-sustaining. This positive feedback makes it a runaway process. This is the essence of a winning mindset. To focus on one step at a time, be confident of your ability and persevere. It is a fight and a crucial fight one must win. It is vital to inculcate the ability to start from a basic understanding and build your way up to the nitty gritty of the concept. In the process you create something beautiful, and this beauty only adds with time. In retrospect, when I look back, I find that I’m in a much better position than the previous day, and the cycle continues. This, in turn gives a boost to the confidence.

    So, to sum up, when facing any challenge, simply break it down and take it step by step. Eventually, you will get there. 🙂

  • Solidarności

    I walk on a trodden road,

    Laden with a heavy load.

    A drop of compassion is all I need,

    A teensy bit of love for the soul to feed.

    On a point, I strive to focus

    The point that defines my life’s locus.

    With a bundle of solidarity

    And a head full of clarity

    I hope to convey these wordly bits without parity.

    There is much to live and much to explore,

    In this seemingly eternal dance on life’s floor.

  • The Story of My Life

    It’s a trap of genetics.

    Altruism isn’t just theatrics.

    Oh, positive, degenerates my blood group and my nature.

    I wish to reach the height, where no one could reach.

    Give me the strength lord, to give justice to the altruistic gene.

    Forgive me thy lord, for all the Schadenfreude seen.

    It is a gift and a curse to have the altruistic gene.

    The grass on the other side always seems green.

    These rhyming words trying to describe the story of my life.

    The story with a lot of compassion and the fewest of strifes.

  • Fallacies and Cognitive Distortions

    The Strawman fallacy is the most common fallacy seen in any debate or argument. Debates and arguments are not just idiosyncrasies of politics or religion, but is inherently present in many daily-life conversations. But if we ask, why do people use a Strawman fallacy-or any fallacy, for that matter? If you explore different types of fallacies, you see a similarity in the types of fallacies and cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are a way of thinking things in an unclear manner which often results in worsening of anxiety and sadness. These are quite amplified in those suffering from mental health challenges. But it is a mistake to think that only mental health patients should worry about identifying them. An average individual is also prone to a cognitive distortion albeit at a lower intensity.

    Let’s try to highlight the similarities in cognitive distortions and logical fallacies by seeing some common types of both.

    1. Slippery Slope Fallacy and Catastrophising – A good thing about the names of these fallacies is that they are self-explanatory. It would be ironic if they weren’t. Slippery slope is a metaphor for an irreversible and unmanageable damage or outcome. The cognitive distortion in which one catastrophises and assumes the worst outcome is not very different from this way of thinking.
    2. False Dilemma and Black and White Thinking – A false dilemma is when you think, if you don’t take the one option, there is only one other option apart from this and you hence put yourself in a dilemma. Similarly, black and white thinking is a distorted way of thinking in which people think either something is all bad or all good. It can also mean similar polarisation of people, emotions and such into two categories : one of which is positive or favourable.

    Coming back to the topic of arguments and debates, it is important to be aware of these fallacies and how intrinsically linked these are with our psyche. Being aware of these fallacies can help you be on track and avoid being swayed away by red herrings (another fallacy) and Strawman arguments. Knowing this also makes it easier to argue in a debate since the pattern of thinking is fundamentally similar and you can apply the same counter-argument to different people who have a similar tendency to be fallacious. Knowledge about cognitive distortions is also equally important because everyone is prone to it and understanding and countering these can save us a lot of worry and stress.

    I surmise the thing that makes these two similar is emotion. Debates and arguments are often fuelled by emotions which can cloud the nuances of the topic and lead to misunderstandings. Cognitive distortions are also a byproduct of emotions, and when mental health issues make emotions difficult to manage, these distortions amplify. 

    Of course, no one can be entirely rational all the time. But the goal is to understand why and where we are more likely to fall short of making a rational decision and pursuing a rational process, especially when the stakes are high. Little insights from trivial debates, arguments, and thought distortions can train us for applying the same principle to more important issues where personal bias and fallacies should be kept at bay.

  • A Panacea to Insomnia

    Sleep is a queen. It doesn’t obey any directives. However, it is adherent to routine as it is a natural consequence of the circadian rhythm. So a disciplined routine is what helps most for a regular sleep schedule.

    Alas, one can’t be always regular as life is full of stressful events which disturb the daily schedule and inadvertently the sleep schedule. Moreover, you might also find it difficult to sleep in a new environment. What to do then? You might have an important test or interview the following day and waking up early is a must.

    The more you chase it, the more it runs away. It creates a runaway cycle of anxiety. The more you see the time, the more you think that you should be asleep by now. This raises your anxiety which is a deterrent to sleep. More anxiety leads to more sleepless hours which in turn lead to more anxiety and so on. 

    I have learned to experiment with the mind to learn how to trick it. I try to be reckless about the time I go to sleep if I realise I am having symptoms of insomnia. I aim to make my mind relaxed by watching funny and light stuff even though it involves exposing myself to the blue wavelength of light— Another deterrent to sleep. However, it works for me since I am not worried about the time of night and happy-go-lucky. This sounds easy in theory, but I haven’t still mastered this art. It’s as if the mind finds it natural to worry rather than relax.

    I think medications should not be used to treat insomnia as they make you dependent and devoid of the necessary skills to trick your brain. They also do not let your sleep to be in your control as the dosage can affect the quality and quantity of sleep. They should be used only in an emergency. The idea is to experiment with different ideas that might not necessarily be what “sleep experts” say. You are awake and it’s midnight, might as well relax and let your mind-monkey wander and get tired naturally. It will eventually come home to sleep.

  • When a Nobel Laureate said “I am an idiot” in his Acceptance Speech

    Professor Mitchell Miller won the Nobel Prize in Physics (2050), and in his acceptance speech, he openly admitted that he isn’t particularly smart. Here’s an excerpt of what he said:

    “I have great regard for the honour of the Swedish Academic Society, and I do not wish to contradict their choices. But I have been meaning to find the right time in my life to say this: I am a complete idiot. I hope that inspires people like me to pursue their passion, regardless of the labels they are given.”

    Professor Mitchell has supervised many successful students over his career in addition to being a brilliant scientist. His remark has sparked controversy on social media. Many are accusing him of misleading the youth about ambition and competence. We went to talk with him about the speech, and here’s what he said:

    “Throughout my life, I was praised for being clever, brilliant, and sincere. But these were just labels to me — they didn’t do anything specific for my growth or learning. I used to remind myself of my shortcomings and what I needed to improve. But I couldn’t openly express those thoughts in front of people.

    When I was a graduate student, I had to struggle through immense competition to pursue my passion. Admitting weaknesses wasn’t an option then. As I progressed in my career, I noticed that people valued authority, and I felt I needed it just to have my voice heard. But as I grew older and more secure, I began to realise that I could afford to be true — not just to myself, but to others too.

    I felt a deep dissonance when people praised me. For once, I wanted to communicate what I actually felt about myself and what has helped me keep learning physics. And when I found out I had received the Nobel Prize, I thought: perhaps now is the right moment to tell the truth.”

    Many users have commented that being labelled smart, stupid, arrogant, or humble is deeply reductive to the complexity of human experience. These traits can shift and co-exist at different stages of life.

    One user wrote on the platform Y:

    “Some may argue he was arrogant to fake smartness all this time — but to those people I ask, what is smartness? And for that matter, what is arrogance?”

    While the speech has sparked debate over how we define brilliance, incompetence, and arrogance in academia, many outside academia found it surprising — and oddly refreshing.

    What are your views? Let us know at our handle — @ThisisNotRealNews.