rajchakravorty

[rajchakravorty]

An interesting take from a Professor in Israel:

Most jobs that exist today might disappear within decades. As artificial intelligence outperforms humans in more and more tasks, it will replace humans in more and more jobs. Many new professions are likely to appear: virtual-world designers, for example. But such professions will probably require more creativity and flexibility, and it is unclear whether 40-year-old unemployed taxi drivers or insurance agents will be able to reinvent themselves as virtual-world designers (try to imagine a virtual world created by an insurance agent!). And even if the ex-insurance agent somehow makes the transition into a virtual-world designer, the pace of progress is such that within another decade he might have to reinvent himself yet again.

The crucial problem isn’t creating new jobs. The crucial problem is creating new jobs that humans perform better than algorithms. Consequently, by 2050 a new class of people might emerge – the useless class. People who are not just unemployed, but unemployable.

The same technology that renders humans useless might also make it feasible to feed and support the unemployable masses through some scheme of universal basic income. The real problem will then be to keep the masses occupied and content. People must engage in purposeful activities, or they go crazy. So what will the useless class do all day?

One answer might be computer games. Economically redundant people might spend increasing amounts of time within 3D virtual reality worlds, which would provide them with far more excitement and emotional engagement than the “real world” outside. This, in fact, is a very old solution. For thousands of years, billions of people have found meaning in playing virtual reality games. In the past, we have called these virtual reality games “religions”.

What is a religion if not a big virtual reality game played by millions of people together? Religions such as Islam and Christianity invent imaginary laws, such as “don’t eat pork”, “repeat the same prayers a set number of times each day”, “don’t have sex with somebody from your own gender” and so forth. These laws exist only in the human imagination. No natural law requires the repetition of magical formulas, and no natural law forbids homosexuality or eating pork. Muslims and Christians go through life trying to gain points in their favorite virtual reality game. If you pray every day, you get points. If you forget to pray, you lose points. If by the end of your life you gain enough points, then after you die you go to the next level of the game (aka heaven).

As religions show us, the virtual reality need not be encased inside an isolated box. Rather, it can be superimposed on the physical reality. In the past this was done with the human imagination and with sacred books, and in the 21st century it can be done with smartphones.

Some time ago I went with my six-year-old nephew Matan to hunt for Pokémon. As we walked down the street, Matan kept looking at his smartphone, which enabled him to spot Pokémon all around us. I didn’t see any Pokémon at all, because I didn’t carry a smartphone. Then we saw two others kids on the street who were hunting the same Pokémon, and we almost got into a fight with them. It struck me how similar the situation was to the conflict between Jews and Muslims about the holy city of Jerusalem. When you look at the objective reality of Jerusalem, all you see are stones and buildings. There is no holiness anywhere. But when you look through the medium of smartbooks (such as the Bible and the Qur’an), you see holy places and angels everywhere.

You gain points with new cars and vacations abroad. If you have more points than everybody else, you won the game

The idea of finding meaning in life by playing virtual reality games is of course common not just to religions, but also to secular ideologies and lifestyles. Consumerism too is a virtual reality game. You gain points by acquiring new cars, buying expensive brands and taking vacations abroad, and if you have more points than everybody else, you tell yourself you won the game.

You might object that people really enjoy their cars and vacations. That’s certainly true. But the religious really enjoy praying and performing ceremonies, and my nephew really enjoys hunting Pokémon. In the end, the real action always takes place inside the human brain. Does it matter whether the neurons are stimulated by observing pixels on a computer screen, by looking outside the windows of a Caribbean resort, or by seeing heaven in our mind’s eyes? In all cases, the meaning we ascribe to what we see is generated by our own minds. It is not really “out there”. To the best of our scientific knowledge, human life has no meaning. The meaning of life is always a fictional story created by us humans.

In his groundbreaking essay, Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight (1973), the anthropologist Clifford Geertz describes how on the island of Bali, people spent much time and money betting on cockfights. The betting and the fights involved elaborate rituals, and the outcomes had substantial impact on the social, economic and political standing of both players and spectators.

The cockfights were so important to the Balinese that when the Indonesian government declared the practice illegal, people ignored the law and risked arrest and hefty fines. For the Balinese, cockfights were “deep play” – a made-up game that is invested with so much meaning that it becomes reality. A Balinese anthropologist could arguably have written similar essays on football in Argentina or Judaism in Israel.

Indeed, one particularly interesting section of Israeli society provides a unique laboratory for how to live a contented life in a post-work world. In Israel, a significant percentage of ultra-orthodox Jewish men never work. They spend their entire lives studying holy scriptures and performing religion rituals. They and their families don’t starve to death partly because the wives often work, and partly because the government provides them with generous subsidies. Though they usually live in poverty, government support means that they never lack for the basic necessities of life.

That’s universal basic income in action. Though they are poor and never work, in survey after survey these ultra-orthodox Jewish men report higher levels of life-satisfaction than any other section of Israeli society. In global surveys of life satisfaction, Israel is almost always at the very top, thanks in part to the contribution of these unemployed deep players.

You don’t need to go all the way to Israel to see the world of post-work. If you have at home a teenage son who likes computer games, you can conduct your own experiment. Provide him with a minimum subsidy of Coke and pizza, and then remove all demands for work and all parental supervision. The likely outcome is that he will remain in his room for days, glued to the screen. He won’t do any homework or housework, will skip school, skip meals and even skip showers and sleep. Yet he is unlikely to suffer from boredom or a sense of purposelessness. At least not in the short term.

Hence virtual realities are likely to be key to providing meaning to the useless class of the post-work world. Maybe these virtual realities will be generated inside computers. Maybe they will be generated outside computers, in the shape of new religions and ideologies. Maybe it will be a combination of the two. The possibilities are endless, and nobody knows for sure what kind of deep plays will engage us in 2050.

In any case, the end of work will not necessarily mean the end of meaning, because meaning is generated by imagining rather than by working. Work is essential for meaning only according to some ideologies and lifestyles. Eighteenth-century English country squires, present-day ultra-orthodox Jews, and children in all cultures and eras have found a lot of interest and meaning in life even without working. People in 2050 will probably be able to play deeper games and to construct more complex virtual worlds than in any previous time in history.

But what about truth? What about reality? Do we really want to live in a world in which billions of people are immersed in fantasies, pursuing make-believe goals and obeying imaginary laws? Well, like it or not, that’s the world we have been living in for thousands of years already

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

Musings on a Lazy Sunday Morning

After a late-late Saturday night out with some friends I am trying to do nothing on a Sunday. My eyes are not crunched up like when I am trying to get a software to work that gets stuck at the same point repeatedly. I know I should be doing something different but I just can’t figure out what and when I close my eyes it gives me a headache

Today my mind is relaxed. It is recuperating, perhaps like the muscles do after a week of exercising in the gym. Is it repairing itself? Who knows? Are there any tests to gauge how the mind works? Tests that grade it on a scale of 1 to 10?

Now your mind is performing at level 4. Give it some rest till it gets back to 8

Maybe you need to continuously flog your brain, with small breaks in between, so that it performs optimally like good brains should and not become rusty. Or work like the brains of a cow chewing the cud or like that sleepy pigeon perched in that nook outside the window. They say the mind works even when you are sleeping. Perhaps drinking hard on a Saturday night to numb the brain is the real rest a brain gets. Add the loud chatter in the room that dulls and soothes your brain

Yesterday evening was okay. On a scale of One to Ten I would grade it Six. We three students from SJA ’73 batch were meeting after 50 years. I don’t remember much from school days. I was a days-scholar so not much bonding with my other classmates. Then for fifty years we traversed on different paths. There was that curiosity of course, thinking what if I had chosen to do what my other classmate had done forced by circumstances or otherwise. Now our lives were decidedly different. The varying experiences of all that time have made us as different as chalk and cheese. If life was a race probably it mattered who led or who lagged behind. If life was simply to be led because billions who came before us had simply lived then was there any point in this rat race?

So we met, spoke and we drank. We talked about ourselves, our kids and our other classmates some of who had become famous. Then we parted with a hug mouthing We will meet again

Will we? Maybe. But once every 50 years is too long apart. I am not too social. Not like Jitu. In a crowd I find it difficult to follow what others are saying. I don’t talk much. I can make out some people are agitated about something. Perhaps the budget. Our priorities have changed though we all seem to be seduced by power. Power achieved through various means - physical, mental, money, social...Power over others.

Maybe I should keep a pet. Then I can have power over that silly mutt who can’t even feed itself and has to depend on its Master for shelter and food. Keeping a pet will satisfy my cravings for power over another being.

I can decide its happiness and its existence on Planet Earth

Keeping pets is a responsibility that thrusts itself upon you. Forcing you to look after its welfare. Plus you come under the scrutiny of others. Have you been good to the pet?

Will it help to use your brains? I don’t think so. I mean you can’t be having a serious debate with your dog on a Saturday evening over a glass of wine

Nah you just get some playtime

I think all kids should have puppies because kids like to play as do puppies. But dogs occupy space, cost money and takes effort. Can we have dogs for the weekend? The rest of the week an agency looks after them.

‘We have clean dogs. No fleas, shiny fur. Doesn’t bites, loves kids. Rent them and take them home, they are good company. For just Rs 2500 a day’

Is there a business opportunity here? Can I put some money lying in the bank to get better returns here?

All I need is a dog-farm, a dog-manager, some food. A Vet nearby for the inoculations and for keeping the dogs healthy

Maybe I could promote the business as a psycho-therapy thing and charge Rs 10000 for the weekend

Air B&B with a cute pet thrown in

Maybe

It seems a bit far-fetched but not so much as the idea of colonizing Mars

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

5315 CGTG 2019

Don’t cancel your ticket!

Manas was calling from Vizag waiting to board the train on 28th evening. He was bewildered by the turn of events. With the forces going into full alert our CGTG was in jeopardy. Our entry to INS Shivaji was curtailed.

Manas come to Bombay and stay with us, I told him on the phone

Theek hai. Rehne ka problem nahi hai bhai. But CGTG hai ya nahi hai

Let me check

I went through a slew of messages in our whatsapp group. Charlie sitting in Goa had risen to the occasion. Plan B was initiated.

I thought to myself ‘How does Charlie know about Lonavala while I sitting in Navi Mumbai was clueless?’

Charles had zeroed in on a few resorts in Pune and Lonavala that fell within our budget (10K already collected + 3K additional). The gen was passed to KOT sitting in Delhi who took over from there to salvage the get together which he had planned for months and now seemed to be derailed by events outside his control.

He took control gave directions to his staff, started making his calls. The program was back on the rails.

BYOB someone said. I took out my Limited Edition Chivas Regal that I had kept for a special occasion. This was a special occasion

Next day we were all there at Serenity Resort coming from Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Vizag, Goa, Chennai, Kerala and nearby Mumbai & Pune. I felt happy meeting old faces. I realized we had become older. Those jaunty strides were missing but the josh was high.

KOT rallied us around with the revised schedule. The trip to Shivaji hung by a thread. Fortunately, by next day Shivaji was back in our schedule. KOT managed to get back the invitation thanks to his connections. After breakfast we all trooped into the Navy bus. As we entered the hallowed gates of Shivaji we were transported from the dusty chaotic town into a neat green institution. The transformation was magical.

Only when you lose something good you realize how precious it was. My mother always used to say you don’t know how lucky you guys are in the defence leading a clean healthy life. I took it all for granted. I thought these privileges were my rights. Now settled in the civvy street I realized what I was missing when I entered Shivaji

At the motivational hall I read the history of Shivaji and the people who made it what it is today. I realized my country is great today because of such institutions. The defence academies, IITs, FRI, ISRO etc which nurture our youngsters and make them solid citizens are the institutions that make our country great. All those dedicated people- the giants- who worked so hard to create these institutions are our real heroes.

I was reminded of the quote by Sir Isaac Newton “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”.

At the WTC it was fun to participate in the water sports. The years melted away as I went kayaking. The aches and pains were relegated to the backburner. We became young and merry once again

CO Shivaji and his good lady welcomed us all. We had tasty sandwiches and samosas for refreshment enjoying their lovely hospitality. When he presented us with a cap I felt a lump in my throat. The respect that our juniors give us feels the same when our kids respect us today for been strict with them when they were growing up

In the evening the smiles had become wider. The ladies had organized an impromptu show. They called out the names and we gents had to identify the person

Demo Handspring – Okay That’s me

Sunny Side Up – Mallu! Who else

Thompson & Thomson – That got me thinking. It turned out to be Valsan and Bhadra. Apt

The Don – Binny of course

Bahri – Einstein

KOT – Capt Haddock – Blistering Barnacles

Kapil – Chocolate Man

Rana – Hasya Kavi

Charlie – St Nicholas

PK Mishra – Atal Behari

Davray – Modiji

KMD – Amit Bhai

Lavangi Mirchi – Rathi

19th hole – Jiban

Iron Man – Manas (for the iron in his knees though he said it was titanium

Standup Papa – Seby. God Bless his famous son Kenny the standup comedian

Masseur – SK Mishra. Aha the chumpy on Chowpatty

Shayar – Venu

Flying Dolphin – Baijal

Calculus – Tuli

Next day Rajni told me ‘I wanted to name you Milind Soman’

Wow O Wow. I walked a little taller. I felt emboldened and walked up to the lady who had conducted the show

‘Sharmila what a marvellous performance it was. You are a natural emcee’

I am Pramila not Sharmila!

Duh

Ladies! Thanks for the great show. You Rock!

(Ashim & Venu showed their appreciation with their rock-star dance moves)

Every time there is a CGTG I feel this is - the best! Azad (who started it all and whom we missed badly), Murgu & Batta, Kapil, Thakare with help from Naga (RIP) and Manas at Vizag, Charlie who proved there can be a rollicking get together without the Navy support. Thank you guys, you are the pillars of 5315. This time a new benchmark has been set.

Thank you Charles for initiating Plan B when everything seemed lost. Thank you KOT. All those planning and effort that you took was visible. Thank you all participants for without you guys there can be no CGTG

Those who missed out do try to make it for the next one. Believe me we have a champion group here – the 5315!

Au Revoir! Till we meet again

PS – The cost was restricted to 10K. The additional 3K was ultimately not required

[rajchakravorty]

The Future of Humanity by Michio Kaku

Book Review

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup, They slither while they pass, They slip away across the universe, Jai guru deva om                       - Beatles 1968

You have to read this book with an open mind and set aside any preconceived notions you may have about humanity. Let your mind free and let the imagination soar beyond the wildest thoughts you may have harboured

The author is a renowned physicist and a futurist. He has written several books on science to try and make the subject popular with laymen and non-scientists. Kaku has the distinction of co-founding the String Field Theory    

Using the logic of science Kaku lays out the blueprint of stepping out of Planet Earth, first to Mars using Moon as a stepping stone, thence to other planets and their moons. From this solar system to other nearby stars and to distant stars in distant galaxies. The final chapter speculates how future humans can leave this universe to explore other Universes in a multiverse system.

The author has laid out a systematic approach of going to Mars and to make it suitable for humans to live in. For a layman it is surprisingly understandable and believable. But when Kaku talks of humans venturing beyond Mars to other planets and moons and to other stars and their planets it stretches your imagination to the limit. The question then pops up - is it science, fiction or wishful dreams?

With current technology available the distance to Moon is 3 days, to Mars is 9 months. Beyond Mars the distances magnify. A trip to the nearest star several light years away would take hundreds of earth-years and several generations of humans traveling in the space capsule. The author then discusses various ways to extend human life in order to survive the long journey. One question I have is, if we send robots or part humans part robots instead of ‘natural humans’ then will it count as a satisfactory way of exploring and propagating human life outside planet earth?

Kaku talks about the effort put by Americans, Europeans, Chinese and Russians to go to Mars. I felt he could had added ISRO’s (Indians) successful mission in their very first attempt for Mars. Our MangalYaan is a commendable feat considering all other nations have failed one time or the other in their missions to Mars.

Kaku says the Mars mission is truly on. Apart from sovereign countries US (NASA), Russia, China, India (ISRO) we now have private players SpaceX, Amazon (Blue Origin) and Boeing with plans to land on Mars within the next decade. Unlike governments, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is not scared of failures and that’s why I feel he will be the first to succeed in his mission for Mars. He is not afraid to fail and in the process learn faster than others.

Scientists say humans currently have the technology to transform Mars into a liveable planet by terraforming. Life evolved on Earth from the most basic one-cell to the complex forms over billions of years. Scientists feel they can use the top-down approach of terraforming to replicate life on a barren planet within a few centuries or earlier. In 100 years, Mars will become a beautiful garden where rich people will aspire to go and live. It is difficult to imagine such a thought but the author is confident.

The book then talks about building a starship to traverse the vast space hunting for other earth-like planets. We realize now how lucky we are with the conditions for Earth. It lies in the Goldilocks zone been not too hot not too cold and with just the right conditions conducive to life. Humans have found thousands of planets with the help of Kepler spacecraft but not one of them matches the earth-like conditions to support life as we know. There are still an unlimited number of planets out there waiting to be discovered. One day, maybe, we will find an earth-like planet. Hopefully it will be soon in future. The only problem as I see is it would be too far out to reach even if we travel at the speed of light. In other words travelling to a distant planet with current technology is simply not possible.

Here’s where Kaku delves into ‘ultra-science’ and speculation. Apparently, we are not a four-dimensional world but a ten dimensional one. Kaku explains the String Theory. It is different from quantum theory. Through string theory, he explains black holes, anti-matter, worm holes, faster than light travel and some other theories which will ultimately help humans to travel from this universe to another in a multiverse system.

For a lay person to comprehend this part of the book is difficult.

Kaku feels it is important that we become multi-planetary beings developing into explorers of other stars because one day human life will end as sure as day follows night. It’s a fact that almost all forms of life have gone extinct on earth. With this logic Sapiens will not be an exception.

It could be any big disaster like eruption of a super-volcano, a massive earthquake, hit by a rogue asteroid or the most dangerous of them all a self-inflicted nuclear war that can end human lives. Therefore, if humans want to survive we must think of life beyond earth.

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]

Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer

Ada, Countess Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron and his learned wife, Lady Anne Isabella Noel Byron, was a deeply gifted mathematician and a pioneer of computer science.

Bodleian Publishing’s upcoming Ada Lovelace: The Making of a Computer Scientist will tell the remarkable story of how this 19th century woman with no formal education become the world’s first computer programmer.

Amongst the previously unpublished archival material that will feature in the book is an exploration of Lovelace’s precocious childhood, including her youthful thoughts about the science of rainbows, and her juvenile ideas for a steam-powered flying horse.

The featured material from later in Lovelace’s life includes her paper on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, which includes the table of mathematical formulae that is now recognised as the first computer program ever written.

Ada Lovelace: The Making of a Computer Scientist is written by Christopher Hollings, Ursula Martin and Adrian Rice and will be published in April 2018.

[rajchakravorty]

[rajchakravorty]