Raya Bidshahri, 19 May 2012

How did a universe, so beautifully complex and unimaginably vast come to existence? What, or should I say who, caused its existence? Well, I find it absolutely remarkable that scientists have actually uncovered reasonably solid answers to these thought-provoking profound questions.

The big bang theory is the most widely accepted theory regarding the origin of the universe. Simply put, it tells us that the universe was once an infinitesimally dense and infinitesimally small region of matter and space. It was when this infinitely dense region of space begun expanding rapidly that the universe came to be. What makes it such a superb theory is the overwhelming amount of evidence to support it- Some of which include the expansion of the Universe, the presence of the Cosmic Microwave background radiation and abundance of hydrogen and helium.

But until quite recently, science could not answer the question on how a universe that was so magnificently enormous, could pop out of nowhere. Turns out if you we’re given infinity, an entire cosmos could indeed materialize out of nothingness. As vast as it may be, our entire macrocosm is simply made up of two main ingredients. The first is space itself and the second is mass and energy, which as Einstein has already proven, are pretty much the same thing.

But how exactly is this scientifically possible? Well, The laws of physics that describe the nature of our cosmos require the presence of what scientists like to call “negative energy”. Stephen hawking, one of the greatest scientists alive, uses a simple analogy to explain this concept:

Imagine a digger who wished to construct hill on a flat piece of land. Here, the hill would represent our universe. In order to build this hill, the digger would have to make a hole in the ground and use the soil from the hole to make his hill. Thus, whilst he’s making his hill, he is also consequently making a hole, which is the negative version of his hill. The negative and positive quantities balance out with each other, canceling each other out.

This is the main principle on what happened at the beginning of the big bang. When the big bang produced extensive amounts of positive energy, it simultaneously produced the same amount of negative energy, which is now stored in the fabric of space-time itself.  On the other hand, the positive energy is stored in the other ingredients of the universe – mass and energy – both of which are interchangeable.

Therefore, the laws of nature require the positive and negative energies of the universe add up to zero or in other words, nothing. This means that if the entire adds up to nothing, it could simply have appeared from nothing. In the words of Stephen Hawking, The universe is the ultimate free lunch.

Now all that remains is the question of what triggered off the process in the first place.  What could have possibly caused the spontaneous appearance of an entire universe out of nothing?

In our daily lives, things don’t just materialize out of nowhere (Although it would be lovely if they did). However, all around us, there is world beyond our senses where things so indeed pop out of nowhere. If we zoom into the particles of matter at the subatomic level, conjuring things out of nothing becomes effortlessly possible. In fact, it happens all the time. Particles like protons appear out of nowhere for short periods of time and then disappear into nothingness as well.  At the quantum world, virtual particles randomly appear out of nothing pretty much all the time. Now all you have to do, is take this into account alongside the fact that the universe was once extremely small – in fact, smaller than the proton. That being so, we now know that the universe could have simply popped out of nothing.

But then we are left with another critical question, what created the laws of the quantum world? Once again, science has a very compelling answer that also happens to be elegantly simple.

Considering the fact that we live in a world where everything appears to be caused by something, it is natural for us to be convinced that causes always come before effects. We are deluded to believe that for a universe to exist, something must have caused it to come to be. But when it comes to the Universe as a whole, that is not necessarily the case.

Another crucial fact that the laws of nature reveal to us is that nothing could have simply caused the big bang. Before it, the universe was unimaginably small and dense, similar to black holes today (although no where near in terms of size and density). Just as there is no such thing as time within a black hole, the same applies to the Universe. You see, time itself was created at the big bang. This means that before the big bang, cause and effect had no meaning. You cannot get to a time before the big bang because there was no such thing as “before”. I think its beautifully elegant explanation; the big bang doesn’t have a cause because there was no time for the cause to exist in.

All this may be a little hard to grasp as it defies common sense, but that’s not the point. The important thing here is that all of these findings rely on evidence and can actually be proven. It leaves me hopeful and in awe of our species to know that we’ve already uncovered so much regarding the origins of our cosmos. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll create our own universe.

Shafnaa Kassim, 18 May 2012

Students or former students, regardless of which school or decade, all must have had  different experiences with mathematics- often not too pleasant. Mathematics always has presented the slight bumpiness in the long journey of school and education. No one can forget the tedious days in classes, clogging the brain with innumerable formula, calculations, sequences and the ultimate frustration of not getting the right digits.

Mathematics is just like a droning  fruit fly stuck in the head, buzzing and gnawing at the brain. Although many must have found the way around the number crunching and problems, students never fully comprehended the real purpose behind it. When the exams are around the corner, students whine, moan and berate themselves to eventually achieve a clean report with no red letters. Being in this scenario, over and over again, only a few make it out of school or college without going completely berserk over  mathematics. I actually speak for myself and many students out there. However, if we are ready to look beyond the box and textbooks, mathematics is one of the most astonishing fields out there; just like philosophy and art.

As much as we think of maths being irrelevant and null for future use, it is the ultimate study of truth.

English is the international medium of communication but mathematics is constant throughout the universe. It is the mother tongue of cosmos, and possibly the only way of communication with other sorts of denizens out there (if they exist). The only place where all the mathematics break down is in the singularity-the heart of the black hole. To truly understand the cosmic events and the way universe works, mathematics is your key to unlocking the infinity. Yes,the same thing you learn in your class.

Mathematics is also subtly embedded in our nature,waiting to be figured out. Flowers, butterflies and honeycombs are all the proof of mathematics being less ruthless than what we all have come to conclude. For an example, the Fibonacci sequence is a number series where each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two. ; (1,1,2,3,5,8,11,..). For those who have only seen this in their squared notebooks, take a walk in your garden and observe your flowers. It is quite a norm to find 3,5,8 petaled-flowers. You rarely see flowers with 7 or 9 petals. The infamous “he loves me,he loves me not” daisy usually have 34 petals-a number of the sequence. The progeny of rabbits are also in the figures of Fibonacci. If a straight line is drawn through the diagonals of the square( some serious stuff there), you get the memorable spiral, where galaxies, hurricanes and nautilus shells can be spotted donning them. The list goes on!

As much as zeroes are very unattractive on your test results, its discovery is one of the monumental breakthrough in the history of mathematical concepts. Only through zero were we able to distinguish between 33 and 303,also from which addition,subtraction were given birth to. This success is accredited to the Indians and Babylonians, who deduced this  in as early as 628 AD.

With so much marvel and awe associated with the language of mathematics, it is quite saddening to see how it been associated around us. Should the education system be blamed for only focusing the academic part of it, or is mathematics destined to be the bitter taste in the dish of education?

With the knowledge of mathematics playing a more vital role in defining the abstract world around us, hopefully,mathematics becomes much more tolerable in your next class.

Euclid, the Greek mathematician who is the Father of Geometry quoted:

“The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God”.

Teresa Francis, 18 May 2012

I’ve met several fascinating characters through the course of my life, but Robin, the first true friend I can say I’ve had, as well as the first person I have ever loved—platonically, not amorously—has always had a special place in my heart. This may stem from the fact she was the first person I could truly say I would sacrifice anything for, but also just because she was a bundle of contradictions in pretty wrapping paper, and the cogs of her brain captivated me to no end.

She had a hunched posture that made her look harrowed for a twenty year old, and large brown eyes that were so impassive one could spend hours staring at them without being able to discern any emotion. She had a smashing smile and whenever she did (smile) her face would completely transform. She was rather plain to look at, besides ears that would have made Dumbo the elephant jealous, and wasn’t really the type of girl who caught your attention, but when she smiled, you could tell she was actually beautiful.

But she rarely smiled, and few besides me have had the privilege of knowing what a beautiful person she truly is.

Once she sent a letter to Woody Allen, her absolute hero at the time, and wrote three pages that she never let me read, saying instead they contained the ‘inner most thoughts of her mind’, and attached with it the screenplay for a movie she intended to direct but never did make, a clever tale about a young man who flies to Paris for a temporary job only to find himself falling in love with the Parisian nature and way. Later she told me that she had written all about seeing Annie Hall for the first time, and knowing beforehand that she would be an author, had after seeing his movie decided she would write screenplays. She had told him about her disapproving grandmother, the only relation she wasn’t estranged to, who almost died believing she had turned to a Satanist until she saw the first play she wrote for a high school’s drama club, which she loved and after which fully supported her.

She told him that while she knew he was an incredibly busy man who was not obliged to go through the possibly thousands of letters he received, she hoped that he would take the time to read hers. She said in the letter that she understood his rules (the rules were that though he read all of the mails he received, he replied to none), and required no reply, and said that simply the thought of him scanning the lines of her unworthy prose was enough to get her to sleep at night.

This was not remotely true, though. In fact, if the letter is half of what I imagine it may have been, this was the only lie Robin penned to her hero. For the next few days she was jittery and mercurial, snappy as well as cynical at the general mess the world was in.

‘I’m such an idiot’, she’d whine, ‘I should have never sent him that letter’.

‘Why didn’t you tell me to not send it to him?’

‘That is the single most horrible decision I have made in my life-so far’.

She’d sigh a lot, too. She’d exhale more than she’d inhale, damning herself at every opportunity she got. The problem with Robin was that she hated hoping, and tried her hardest to suppress its pleasures-she daren’t think about Woody Allen sending her back a reply, because it was simply outside any realm of possibility; and yet, inside, deep down, she always did. In her heart, she thought of the wildest prospects, thought of a long reply from the man himself promising her she was prodigious and held a future in whatever she would pursue. She despised herself for it, but we all loved her a little more, so it balanced it out.

And one day, she got a letter in the post, its address belonging to a place she knew by memory. She wouldn’t open it without us present, and her hands were shaking as she did. It was a 4 by 4 picture of him, signed in white marker. The standard reply she’d dreaded. There were no additional letters of commendation, no promises of success, nothing she’d hoped for. And she got up, quite suddenly, and left the room, the picture with her.

She took time to clear her head, I suppose, prepped herself up for the looks of pity she’d get from us inside. And then she walked in, tossing the photo in the trash and pretending like it had never happened, like she’d never been nervous or like inside she wasn’t colossally damaged at how realistic and cruel life had to be.

Rohan Roberts, 18 May 2012

“Brian Greene is perhaps the single best explainer of abstruse science in the world today.” – The Washington Post

“A pure intellectual adventure, this is about as good as it gets…Greene’s book stands out for its sweeping ambition… stripping down the mystery from difficult concepts without watering down the science.” – Newsday

“Sends the reader’s imagination hurtling through the universe on an astonishing ride… his excitement for science on the threshold of vital breakthroughs is supremely infectious.” – The New York Times

Brian Greene’s earlier book, The Elegant Universe, was, for the longest time, my favourite book of any genre.  It grabbed the reader by the scruff of the neck and took them on a mind-bending tour of the structure of the Universe.  String theory, hidden dimensions, Calabi-Yau manifolds, quantum mechanics, the beginning and end of the universe—could there be any other topics more exhilarating?

So one may easily imagine the delicious thrill of anticipation I felt when I saw he had released a new book, The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos. I’m glad to report that Brian Greene doesn’t disappoint. Once again, he’s delivered the goods—complete with ribbons of multiverses, bows of doppelganger particles, and baubles of parallel dimensions.

In brief, the book takes the reader on a tour of the different types of multiverses that might exist, based on current theories and cutting-edge Mathematical equations. He talks about a Quilted Multiverse where each parallel universe is part of a single spatial expanse separated by unimaginable distances. He talks about an Inflationary Multiverse, where each bubble universe is sharply divided from the next by the value of the intervening inflaton field. He also explains the concept of Brane Multiverse where our familiar universe resides in a three-dimensional brane with other parallel universes residing in higher dimensional branes. He also talks about a Cyclic Multiverse, with universes forming and dying out over unimaginable eons; and a Landscape Multiverse, where upto 10⁵⁰⁰ universes might exist with different values for the different cosmological constants. (It goes without saying, that this is an inconceivable large number). He goes on to elaborate on three other species of Multiverses: Quantum Multiverse (every possibility is embodied in its probability wave and is realised somewhere in the vast ensemble of parallel universes); Holographic Multiverse (which asserts that our universe is exactly mirrored by phenomena taking place on a distant bounding surface); and Simulated Multiverse (the idea that our universe is simply one computer-generated programme among many).

What is especially enthralling about the book is how Greene is at pains to explain to the reader the consequences and ramifications of the concept of infinity. Consider for instance, the possibility that space is infinite. Then, the closer in time to the big bang we get, the smaller in size the universe is. However, regardless of this shrinkage in size, in an infinite universe, space will always be infinite: when the  universe shrinks, its contents will be ever closer and the universe will be ever denser, but its overall extent will be infinite. After all, half of infinity is still infinity.

Perhaps for me the most startling revelation in the book (and trust me, this book is absolutely filled with startling revelations) is the notion that space is the same as information. He elaborates upon this in what I believe is the most enthralling chapter in the book: “Black Holes and Holograms: The Holographic Multiverse.” Traditionally, physics focuses on things: particles, atoms, planets etc. John Wheeler (that doyen of the particle physics world) suggests that these things—matter and radiation—should be considered as secondary—as carriers of a more fundamental and abstract entity: information. (The skyscraper is but a physical realisation of the information in the architect’s blueprint. Therefore, from this perspective, the universe can be considered as an information processor). Black holes, from this perspective can be viewed as regions in the space-time fabric that have maxed out their information-carrying capacity and withdraw from the continuum of reality.

Greene is an unabashed proponent of String Theory. (His friend and colleague, the superstar physicist, Lawrence Krauss, is not entirely convinced about its explanatory powers.) This book is based on the consequences of string theory and there are far too many references to it to elaborate in a review. However, if there’s one feature that impresses the reader most about string theory it is that properties of subatomic particles are determined by the size and shape of tiny, curled-up extra dimensions. (Just as the air streams flowing through a wind chime have vibrational patterns dictated by the instrument’s geometrical form; or just as a single string on a guitar can create different notes based on the structure and composition of the string)

String theory and superstring theory are important because they’re the only theories we have at the moment that claim to unite quantum theory with gravity; unify all forces; explain particle properties; confirm experimental observations; cure singularities; and explain black hole entropies.

It would be easy for the scientifically illiterate lay person to scoff at the predictions made in this book. But they would do so only because they are ignorant of the scientific method. Predictions (real predictions: like the existence of antiparticles, neutrinos, the perihelion of Mercury, the magnetic dipole moment of electrons, the energy released when uranium splits into barium and krypton…) in science result from detailed Mathematical calculations based on solid physical theory that produce precise, testable numbers.

In a world where people are obsessed with what Kim Kardashian ate for breakfast or where Paris Hilton threw up after her binge night out, we need more thinkers like Brian Greene, who point out that the difference between 0 and 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 may not seem like much, but it is what accounts for a radical shift in how we envision reality.

Perhaps it’s fitting to end with a quote from Timothy Ferris of the New York Times, who says in his review, “If extraterrestrials landed tomorrow and demanded to know what the human mind is capable of accomplishing, we could do worse than to hand them a copy of this book.”

Our grandchildren will grow up taking for granted that we live in a cosmos where there are not only parallel universes, but parallel parallel universes. Reality is not only expansive, but abundantly expansive. They will laugh at our parochial notion of a single universe. Much as we laugh at our forebears for thinking our sun was the only star with planets around it.

Nikita Vyas, 15 May 2012

I am writing for the first time after three and a half years. I don’t know why I stopped and I don’t know why I am starting today. I was like a magician without magic, a florist without flowers and an artist without paint. I had no inspiration to write and I had no motivation to. I don’t even know if I am even a good writer. I wasn’t forced to become a writer but it just seemed to fall into place, it fitted into my puzzle, into the complications of my life. However there was a lot of noise when I decided to become a writer. Relatives used to say that I would never be successful, but I wanted to take a chance, a risk and follow my heart.

It was the 13th May 2008, my first book had just been published and my family wanted to take me out to celebrate my achievement of getting on the best sellers list. I was 24 and had already been asked to be a co-writer of a series of books. My parents decided to take me to a Chinese restaurant that we all adored. My sister had bought me a navy blue tea chiffon dress to wear for the occasion; I had my hair in silky curls and was carrying a small handbag. I was filled with elation and my heart felt lighter. I couldn’t believe that I was a published author, I could write and imagine what I wanted to, I could write anything. My parents’ eyes were glistening as they had given themselves the title of ‘World’s Proudest Parents’. They were all blissful and exhilarated. Before the food arrived, my father presented me with a diary; on the tan leather of the cover was my name in gold and inside on the front page was a photograph of all of us. My heart melted like butter on hot toast and my eyes started to water. I gave my dad a big hug and also a few tears on his shirt.

“Don’t cry Hazel, you will ruin your make up”, my sister said jokingly.

“Thank you so much. You have all supported my dream from the very beginning. It’s finally happening and it is all because of you. I wouldn’t be here without you guys and I really mean it. You mean the world to me. I love you all very much”. I stopped and thought for a second; Is this too good to be true?

The food arrived and finished within minutes. We loved the food there. It was about 22:17 and we asked to order dessert. Every time we went there, we would order Honey Noodles and Vanilla Ice Cream. That was something I used to crave in uni. After dessert, we left the food heaven and commenced our journey home. It unusually started raining heavily plus the car needed fuel. My dad pulled in at the nearest petrol station and we got out the car. Normally we wouldn’t but for some unknown reason we did. My mum and sister went into the shop whilst my dad filled the petrol up. I was admiring the flowers outside the shop. Then I felt odd, like I had forgotten something then I realised my earring had dropped somewhere. I turned around and searched the ground for it, but no luck. I gave up. Then I saw something shining near one of the empty petrol pumps so I went to check what it was. Yes! It was my earring. I bent down to get it. My father was calling me to come to the car. I had clasped the earring in my hand and was about to get up. I heard a skid, saw a bright light and felt a rush…

The next morning, I opened my eyes and saw white. White walls, white ceilings, doors, chairs and people dressed in white. I couldn’t move. I felt like I was trapped and wrapped in cling film. It was suffocating and I thought there was knife stuck through my head, that initiated a ringing sound in my ear. My teeth were clenched which caused excruciating jaw pains. Was I being punished? Was I in hell or a bad dream? Why am I in so much pain? I had no energy and my legs felt heavy. I closed my eyes.

The next time I woke up I was in a bedroom that wasn’t mine. I was in a different place to home. The walls were covered with lavish wall paper and there was a lot of wooden furniture. The curtains were velvet and the ceilings had intricate coving with a chandelier. Was I dreaming?  I saw the door open. A petite woman appeared with a cart, dressed in a nurse’s uniform and a smile on her face. She opened the curtains and greeted me. I was baffled. What was going on? I was in a opulent room which had a nurse in it. What a contradicting idea? But why was here? Where was my mum, dad and sister? My head started hurting, I felt tensed and agitated, curious and confused, apprehensive and irresolute.

“How are you feeling today, Hazel? I have brought you hot waffles and juice. You like waffles, don’t you?” The nurse seemed nice but a bit patronizing. “Tomorrow is Easter, so you will get to meet all the others and we are going to have a little party,” she said as she put the breakfast tray on my lap “oh and you have to meet the psychologist this afternoon,” she reminded me. I started sweating, my eyebrows were raised, my eyes wide open and my mouth was dry. I started to go into a frantic panic. Was it already 2009? I frowned. Who were the others? Why did I need to see the psychologist? I started to shake. The tray started to shake. Then… I screamed! The tray and its contents ended up on the floor. I rushed off the bed and started to destroy the room. I pushed the everything off the desk, side tables and windows sills. I made the desk topple over. I pulled the curtains off the rails and threw the cushions from the bed onto the floor. The nurse tried many times to stop me but I rebelled. I fell to the ground and started to cry uncontrollably. I was injected with something and put to sleep.

“Hazel…Do you remember me? I am Dr. Stewart.” I didn’t remember anything. He carried on speaking but I wasn’t listening. Instead, I kept looking at his pen. “Hazel?… Hazel? I asked you if you remember anything from May last year?” I stared at him with wide eyes and astounded.

” I don’t remember anything, what happened in May?” I looked at his pen again. I wondered. I thought. I cried. I didn’t know why these strange and unconventional things were happening. I was still looking at his pen and then he realised. He took it off his shirt pocket and gave it to me. I inspected it and appreciated it like it was a shiny, new toy. I smiled. I was taken to my room and never let go of the pen. I had made my mind up that I would never let go of it. The pen was like gold to me; precious and with great sentimental value.

After that day, things got better. It was September. I started to respond to Dr. Stewart. I was a lot calmer and used to for walks in the estate. However, not everything was a bed of roses. I had forgotten everything else that used to exist in my life. Some questions didn’t have their answers. Half of me was becoming normal and the other half lost in the past. I wanted to remember so much. I knew there was something to be remembered. Dr. Stewart had mentioned that he could help me remember things.

March, 2010. I was eating breakfast and suddenly I could smell vanilla. It seemed so familiar. It seemed to be a signal or it may have triggered a thought but at that time I couldn’t remember anything. That day I thought and thought. I fell asleep in the afternoon and I had a strange dream. I dreamt that I was in a flower shop, writing something, eating vanilla ice cream, wearing a navy blue dress and it was raining outside. The pen I was using was Dr. Stewart’s. I could hear laughing in the background. Then the dream kept repeating and repeating and repeating. The panic started again and I woke up. I went straight away to find Dr. Stewart. I couldn’t find him since it was 2 am. I fell asleep in the hallway and had another dream. This time I was holding a novel with my name and Dr. Stewart’s name on it, in the flower shop, eating vanilla ice cream, wearing the same dress and holding the pen. That kept repeating and repeating and repeating. Did these dreams have any meaning to me? To who I am? The following night I dreamt about books and books and more books. All the books had my name on them and I was holding the pen again. How were these dreams connected to me? Did they have any significance? Did they have any meaning? Questions like these kept circling in my mind. Night after night, I had the dream about books but I kept seeing flashes of light.

July, 2010. “Hazel, Hazel, wake up, Hazel, wake up,” the nurse’s soft voice wasn’t enough to wake me up. She tried and tried but I refused to wake up and just turned away. I had felt like I hadn’t slept for months. That was the first time I didn’t have the dream. That day I woke up at 1 pm. When I opened my eyes, Dr, Stewart was present with the nurse by his side. I felt the pen in my hand, I was holding it extremely tight. I cried. Dr. Stewart kept asking why I was crying but the tears kept coming. I had my eyes closed and then a flashback entered my mind; the day of my graduation mixed with an image of the tanned diary and the dream about books. My eyes opened in shock. Both Dr. Stewart and the nurse were staring intently at me.

“I…I…um…I think…I think that um…I am a… a WRITER!”

I suddenly got out of my bed but then collapsed. I skin went pale, my hearing went dull, I could see black and I was shaking. When I woke up, there was a laptop on the desk. There was a note that read; ‘Maybe this will help you connect to who you were and remember your past.’ I stared at it and stared at it. I could’t get myself to type anything. I felt as if I had betrayed myself.

May 2011, the laptop had collected a layer of dust on it. I hadn’t touched it or the pen. I started to hate myself. I found myself despicable. I used to stare out the window thinking about how I could have let myself go to such a state. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror and I couldn’t even say I had low self-esteem, because I didn’t have any confidence in myself. Sometimes I would think that I could persevere but all hope was lost. I wouldn’t even notice if anyone came in the room, as if I was numb. My heart felt like it was drowning. I was stolid and impassive. I was a stone.

A few days later, Dr. Stewart came ” I know you must think your life is over but there is hope still. What you are feeling, though, is unconventional. You should be proud that you remember that you were a writer, you should feel encouraged to make more  achievements. You haven’t done anything wrong, so why are you feeling so down? Even I can’t figure it out, but you have potential to do something, write something,”.

I said nothing. Silence was the only thing that would stop me from breaking down. Nevertheless, I got up and went over to the desk. I picked up the laptop and gave it to Dr. Stewart. He left.

Two months later, I found a notepad and pen lying on the desk. Three weeks later, there were a few novels. They remained untouched. I wasn’t ready yet. How could a writer write without inspiration? Even if I did write, it would be total rubbish; expressionless, feelingless and confusing, somewhat like me.

I am writing for the first time after three and a half years. I don’t know why I stopped and I don’t know why I am starting today. I was like a magician without magic, a florist without flowers and an artist without paint. I had no inspiration to write and I had no motivation to. I don’t even know if i am even a good writer. I wasn’t forced to become a writer but it just seemed to fall into place, it fitted into my puzzle, into the complications of my life. However there was a lot of noise when i decided to become a writer. Relatives used to say that I would never be successful, but I wanted to take a chance, a risk and follow my heart.

Dr. Stewart had helped me after all. He started writing things and gradually it would capture my attention. Then after a few times of that, I said that I was READY. Now, I am going to start writing more. Hopefully, I will be working and starting novels but I must walk before I can run. Most of my questions have been answered now I have my memory back except one; WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY?…

Last month a group of Sixth Formers from the Winchester School, made their way to the Jam Jar – a quirky warehouse in Al Quoz that offers a creative space and works to promote artists and support the development of Dubai’s arts scene.

They watched ten short plays set in Dubai and written and directed by residents of Dubai who are part of the Dubai Drama Group (DDG). The actors were amateur but there was nothing amateur about the entire performance. The plays were entertaining, witty, and insightful. The alternative ambience of the  venue, the appreciative audience, the sincere acting, all made for thoroughly enjoyable evening of theatre. It was a great way to soak up some real culture and I daresay, was a civilised thing to do in a city that can otherwise be so superficial.

Here’s Faiza Syed’s take on the evening:

Dubai has grand things to offer, in every sense of the word- don’t we Dubaians just love our larger than life itself stature? – but the fact is grand, glitzy and glamourous stops being so after you’ve seen it everyday, over and over again. La vie en rose transgresses into a giant frenzy of candy-coated mush. 800 metres ceases to exert grandeur. The world is just one Palm Jumeirah exit away.

And then comes along evenings like Friday night and you think to yourself, “Ah, this is why I love this city!” The Jam Jar has an unpretentious air to it: it’s raw and it’s unconventional, what’s best is that it’s also completely unapologetic at being so. The activities of the warehouse-turned-studio are much like the venue itself: you go in expecting a rough edged, hastily put together product but the experience you leave with is one possessing the caliber, quality and class comparable to most professionally produced works of performance arts. With the only exception being the ambience’s much cozier and the audience more enthusiastic!

For me, what made Jam Jar a complete winner was that everyone, from the performers right down to the people who run the place, was exactly like you and I! They had their jobs, and they had their lives, and they had their everyday business to go about. But they all found the time to come together, to do what they loved, and they created magic.

Tannya Jajal:

Living in the luster of the materialistic city that we call Dubai, we are often exposed to the rants and grumbles of those around us seeking raw art and pure culture that is, for once, not transmitted in the form of false grandeur. Regardless of how much one may bask in the superficial comfort that Dubai has to offer to so many of us – we simply cannot ignore the feeling that something, somewhere is missing. Well, lo behold everyone! Dubai has a stream of invigorating talent flowing somewhere underneath all that concrete.

I may sound dramatic when I say so – but to me, being lucky enough to witness such awe-inspiring art was like unveiling a whole new hidden side to a city that I sometimes feel entrapped within. With its simplistic atmosphere and keen ambience, the warehouse-turned-arts-exhibit left me completely blown away. The scripts were phenomenal; they were relatable, entertaining and gratifying. Merged with top-drawer acting, Jam Jar offered me a theatre experience like no other – one that was brimming with pure art, rather than commercialism. That was the beauty of it all; one would never expect to find such modesty among this entire surrounding splendor.

What intrigued me the most, though, was the fact that these actors were amateurs with no professional experience; yet they sought to do what they love most in their free time and put up an enthralling show. It was far beyond my expectations and I can say, undoubtedly, that this city has far more to offer than what may appear at the surface – if only you look in the right places!

Rohan Roberts, 4 May 2012

“Brain the size of Birmingham, ego just as big,” is how one reviewer describes David Deutsch. Why? Because in his latest book the unassuming but frighteningly intelligent Deutsch has the temerity to disagree with the likes of Richard Dawkins, David Attenborough, and Jared Diamond—all three luminaries in the field of science. My response is ‘so what?’ So what if they are luminaries? An avowed admirer of Dawkins, Attenborough, and Diamond as I am, I’m the first to admit that they are not the last word. Science has no Authority. Everything is open to debate and discussion—and that’s exactly what Deutsch does in his paradigm-changing book. The Beginning of Infinity is a bold and all-embracing intellectual exploration about free will, creativity, artificial intelligence, beauty, infinity, and the future of humanity.

Broadly speaking, the book has three threads of thoughts:
1) The jump to universality – knowledge is unbounded and human progress can be infinite.
2) Epistemology - the study of knowledge and how we know whether something is true or not.
3) Liberalism - the most important thing to preserve is the ability to correct mistakes.

Deutsch repeatedly states that problems exist and that problems are solvable. Whatever is not forbidden by the laws of physics can be possible—if we have the knowledge and wherewithal to make it so. Perhaps the most exciting chapter in his book is ‘The Jump to Universality’ in which he talks about the tendency of gradually improving basic systems to undergo a sudden large increase in functionality and become universal in some domain. Here he discusses the difference between a writing system with an alphabet and one that uses pictograms. The former is universal in that it is capable of representing every single current and future word in that language, while the latter is severely restrictive. He goes on to discuss how Roman numerals have an inherent limit to how far one can count and how the Arabic/Indian system of counting is universal due to the rule that the value of a digit (0-9) depends on its position in the number. This system of counting allows us to count numbers to infinity. Other jumps to universality, according to Deutsch, include the movable-type printing press, DNA-based life, and digital computing.

What is particularly attractive about this book is the importance Deutsch accords the values of the 18th Century Age of Enlightenment that praised science, reason, and intellectual discourse over recourse to authority. Deutsch argues that rejecting authority in regard to knowledge is a necessary condition for progress. This is why one of the oldest scientific academies, the Royal Society, took as its motto Nullius in verba: ‘Take no one’s word for it.’ Knowledge, Deutsch asserts, consists of explanations. He discusses how good explanations are strikingly simple and hard to vary. Take for example the explanation of the seasons as being due to the tilt of the earth. This simple explanation accounts for all phenomena associated with the seasons. The Greek mythical account of the seasons as being due to Persephone and Pluto is woefully inadequate. For example, it shows complete ignorance of the seasons being reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.

In an amusing Socratic dialogue between Socrates and a young Plato, Deutsch illustrates how knowledge is obtained; how we can distinguish between true and false, right and wrong, reason and unreason; and which sorts of knowledge are possible and which are mere chimeras. By contrasting the attitudes of the ancient Spartans against the Athenians, Deutsch illustrates why the most important thing to preserve is the ability to correct mistakes. The Athenians valued being open to suggestions, tolerant of dissent, and being critical of opinions. The Spartans enjoined their citizens to refrain from questioning and held their ideas to be immune from criticism. They did not seek the truth, because they believed they already had it. The Spartans with their bloodlust and love of battle could not understand why they could not get the better of the Athenians, who were focussed on intellectual discourse and whose society was based on democracy, tolerance, and liberty. The difference between the two cities may be put as follows: fighting versus having something to fight for. Later in the book, Deutsch explains that this is the difference between the Easter Island society that went extinct because it was static and another island society like modern Britain that is thriving because it is dynamic, embraces the values of the age of enlightenment, and is dominated by rational memes.

Other interesting notions Deutsch puts forward in this book include a study on the evolution of creativity; a seminal interpretation of Dawkins’ ideas of memes; the metaphor of Hotel Infinity that he uses to explain the consequences and ramifications of infinity; the evidence for multiverses; and the current state of Artificial Intelligence.

In stark opposition to the Principle of Mediocrity, Deutsch also avers that far from being insignificant, people (universal explainers and constructors) are the most significant entities in the universe. He explains this idea by pointing out that most of space is a vacuum. A typical place in the universe is intergalactic space. What is it like there? He asks us to imagine the whole of space to be divided into giant cubes the size of our solar system. If you were within one of these cubes, the whole of the sky would be pitch black. The nearest star would be so far away that were it to go supernova, and you were staring directly at it when its light reached you, you would not even see a glimmer. That is how big and dark the universe is. In this cold, dark, empty universe it is planets like earth and people that are untypical and of cosmic significance.

The only area I felt Deutsch doesn’t make a strong case is when he talks about a scientific basis for estimating beauty. He is simply not convincing.

All in all, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the best books I’ve read and is destined to become a classic. It shakes the reader out of everyday complacency and takes them on a trip to the farthest reaches of human thought. It was an enthralling read, and I found myself riveted for the entire 450 pages of cracking intellectual discourse. Perhaps what makes this book definitely worth reading is the underlying optimism it is founded upon: Whatever is not prohibited by the laws of physics is possible. It’s just a question of knowing how. We are now faced with the prospect of unlimited creation of future knowledge. This is an idea that fills me with an ineffable thrill.

Raya Bidshahri, 30 April 2012

Science is all about explaining the Universe in a series of determinative laws. It is all about certainty, predictability and ultimate truths… Or is it?

Some of the most startling, thrilling and revolutionary discoveries occurred when scientists plunged deep into the minute aspects of space and existence. Physicists aimed to uncover the ultimately fundamental building blocks of all existence, only to be greeted with an entire world of uncertainty.

They were startled to uncover that there could be nothing more crowded than empty space itself. Even when they thought they had removed all possible matter from empty space, they were greeted by particles that not only seemed to appear from nowhere, but also had unimaginable fluctuations of energy. The truth is that beyond the conventional macroscopic world that we all have adapted to, there is an entire world waiting to be uncovered – A world of “jiggly” things (in the words of Physicist, Richard Feynman).

Turns out, that all around each and every one of us there is an entire invisible universe teeming with sheer violence as particles appear, disappear and behave in the most seemingly random manner. At this scale, energy comes in discrete patterns known as quanta and everything acts like both particles and waves, depending on one’s perspective. Unfortunately, our brains are not adapted to envision the nature and scale of the Quantum world. Yet, we have uncovered so much…

The world around us is made up of an incredible number of atoms, combined in a myriad of different ways. As we zoom into each of these tiny particles, we come across vast empty vistas in which electrons spin in complex manners around a galaxy of whirling energy- better known as the nucleus.

Already, things begin to get interesting. There are mathematical wave functions that can merely predict the probability of finding an electron in a specific place considering that there is always a slim chance that it may be somewhere else. Bizarrely, the wavy nature of these “particles” is that we cannot know their position and speed at the same time; simply observing something so tiny completely alters its enigmatic behavior.

The deeper we plunge, the more bizarre this so-called “empty space” becomes. Families of subatomic particles not only appear from seemingly nothing but also interfere, entangle and indulge in one another’s behavior. At this point, nothing makes sense and all the laws of nature appear to break down. All we know about reality, consciousness and time becomes futile. This – The Quantum world – is a place of high energies and fundamental forces that directly shape this wondrous universe we reside in.

Zooming in even more, we discover that the tiny particles themselves are made of even smaller “stuff” that are at the very edges of our comprehension. These unimaginably miniscule sub-sub atomic particles are also a universe of their own held together in patterns that stretch out into multiple dimensions.

There is so much in this relatively novel branch of study that remains to be known. For instance, even though matrix mechanics in the complex plane predicts electron orbits, no knows why.

No one knows how an entangled pair of photons (particles of light) can communicate instantly regardless of how far away they are separated. Considering that our universe is bathed in these messenger particles, I find this to be one of the most bewitching facts uncovered by science. Every single particle, including all photons, was once entangled before the big bang. That includes everything in you, all existence, and me. It suggests that we are all connected together at a level never imagined before.

Nevertheless, Nor is anyone aware of why in the twin-slit experiment, a single fired photon, atom or molecule interferes as a wave when unobserved yet behaves like a particle when observed!

However, there are numerous formulations of the quantum world, all of which lead to a different interpretation of what is happening whilst attempting to explain the true nature of reality…

The first and most popular is the Copenhagen interpretation, which claims that the reality of the microscopic world is created by observations or in other terms, looking can cause change in the behavior of sub-atomic particles. If this is true, there is no such thing as “ultimate reality” at the quantum level.

Then there is the Many worlds interpretation, which says that the world constantly divides creating parallel universes with other possibilities. Another, the transactional interpretation allows the future to affect the past whilst the bohm interpretation sees the entire universe as a single entangled whole.

These are a mere handful of the many formulations and speculations that there are regarding the quantum world – Each as mind-blowing as the other.

There’s no denying that this unimaginable minute world is as extraordinary and thrilling as a universe that stretches 14 billion light years across. In my opinion, learning how much matter can be contained in such an infinitesimally miniscule area of space gives the macroscopic Universe a more magnificent meaning and perspective of size.

Yet, it’s not merely the beauty and thrill of quantum physics that awes me but also its significance. It has already revolutionized our technology. Quantum tunneling and the uncertainty principle are the cornerstones of electronic components like diodes, transistors and silicon chips. Considering the rate of advancements in the field, quantum mechanics will soon allow us to store information in space, extract the energy that binds particles together for our use and also develop computers with phenomenal capacities and speeds.

Whether we truly understand it or not, there is no denying that the future of humanity is in the hands of the quantum physicists.

Raya Bidshahri, 30 April 2012

When Nicholas Copernicus first introduced the notion of a heliocentric universe in which the earth revolved around the sun, the human population was appalled not because it was a fallacious theory but because it wasn’t what they wanted to be true. I believe that the same paradigm is occurring today with the theory of evolution even though it is gradually fading as the evidence becomes far too overwhelming.

As a matter of fact, I consider it crucial that each and every human being learns as much as possible about evolution, whether or not he or she believes in it. But before I tell you why I consider this crucial, allow me to show you how you can apprise yourself about it.

The human evolution has been an astounding and dramatic one. The evidence to support the fact that we’ve all evolved from apes and that in fact, all living creatures on earth have a common ancestor is overpowering. It’s not merely the vast amount of proof that we have, but also how scattered out they are. The sheer amount of substantiation that scientists have gathered is not merely from one, two or three sites but from all around the planet. All around the globe, from the western edges of the Americas to the eastern corners of Australia, we have uncovered endless quantities of evidence to prove it. Most importantly, there is evidence within us, in our own bodies. Honestly, it makes sense to claim that planet earth and everything in it on its own is all the proof that one requires.

But where does a curious individual begin to learn and understand about evolution of life and in particular, human beings?  I believe that documentaries are perhaps the best way to enlighten oneself regarding topics such as evolution as they allow one to travel to the numerous archaeological sites from around the world. They permit you see for yourself exactly how scientists know that we have all evolved from single-celled organisms.

I, for instance, truly enjoyed watching Dr. Alice Roberts’ Origins of us and The incredible human journey.

In Origins of Us, Dr Alice Roberts reveals how our own bodies, the way we look, think and behave, are a result of a six-million-year struggle for survival that has caused us to evolve from the very initial forest-dwelling apes to the most successful species on planet earth. Throughout three episodes she briefly explores the human body, particularly our bones, guts and brains in order to convey how dramatically we have evolved in millions of years. Most importantly she tells us why and how it occurred.

On the other hand, The Incredible Human Journey explores how we managed to spread across the planet from eastern regions of Africa all the way to Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The documentary not only answers how we did it but also reveals why there are so many different races and why we are the only “homo” species that survived.

What I truly enjoyed about these two documentaries is how Alice Roberts travels the globe, converses with innumerable other scientists and explores various archeological sites. She considers all the possibilities before deciding which is the most appropriate one, based on evidence. She uses nothing and nothing but evidence from genetics, fossils, archaeology and climatology to make her claims.

But Dr. Alice Roberts merely explores the phenomenal human journey. We have to ask ourselves where the early apes come from in the first place. Where did all living creatures originate? How did so many different forms of life come into being?

Evolution doesn’t answer these questions not because it doesn’t have an answer but because it’s not its purpose to do so. Those who complain that evolution says nothing regarding the origin of life are complaining that an umbrella is useless because it doesn’t tell you when it’s going to rain. The point is that it’s not meant to. There are other theories such as that of abiogenesis that answer this question elegantly enough. They suggest that the very first single-celled organisms were so uncomplicated that it shouldn’t be far-fetched to claim that they occurred by accident chemical reactions between naturally occurring elements and compounds.

Nevertheless, The world we reside in today is blooming with hundreds of millions of complex living creatures of all varieties and when it comes to their origin, David Attenborough’s, First life, is the ideal documentary to watch.

Attenborough is known to be one of the greatest advocates of nature to have ever lived and in this documentary; he conveys one of nature’s most magnificent accomplishments—Life. This documentary not only uses gripping visual effects and stunning photography to elucidate the origins of living creatures but it also takes you to sites in the world today that tell us exactly what happened hundreds of millions of years ago.

One can write volumes and volumes regarding the blind yet extraordinary process of evolution and the evidence to support it. The documentaries brushed upon in this article are mere introductions. Now why is it that I believe that all human beings should learn about evolution to some extent?

This is because it truly conveys how precious and rare we are. Evolution has given us evidence that the Homo sapiens are not an easy product of nature. We did not merely pop out of nothing. It took us millions of years (Even more if you start from the big bang) of good fortune and hard struggle to get where we are and achieve what we have. Its complicated enough to originate complex life but to turn into sophisticated and intelligent species capable of pondering on their own existence is exceptionally baffling. Do we want it all to merely go to waste by preoccupying ourselves with endless war, bloodshed and greed?

Perhaps, if every human being were made aware of the fact that we are a result of four billion years of evolutionary success, we’d start acting like we were worth it.

Raya Bidshahri, 30 April 2012

The Universe is so flawlessly perfect… So finely tuned that it is difficult to accept the possibility that it may not have a designer. I believe this is one of the most intriguing, thought-provoking and fascinating dilemmas in modern cosmology.

You see, if the force of gravity were 0.1% stronger than it is now, then the cosmos would be filled with myriads of deadly black holes. And if it were a mere 0.1% weaker, no galaxies or any other magnificent star systems would have formed.

If the big bang had exploded with a tiny amount less energy than it did, the early young universe would have collapsed onto itself, seeing its end in a crunch. If the infinitely dense region of matter had instead a little more energy, expansion would have been far too rapid for stars to form.

If the electromagnetic force were any weaker relative to the gravitational force, then massive celestial bodies such as stars would collapse onto themselves before they even had the time to evolve.

If the proton were slightly more massive than the neutron then hydrogen would decay instead of fusing to form more elements. Consequently, most of the matter in the Universe would merely decompose.

If the strong nuclear force was any stronger than it is today, then the subatomic particles could not have fused together and atoms could not have formed.

If there were equal quantities of matter and antimatter then nothing would exist, as they would all annihilate one another. For some reason, there happens to be more matter than anti-matter despite the fact that both were generated equally.

… And the list goes on.

I believe that it’s amazing that we even exist. Considering that the slightest stray from this fine-tuning could have easily prohibited our actuality, the features of the Universe are enthralling to ponder on.

But what’s interesting is that the answer to the big question on why the Universe is perfect is not only simple but lies in the very fact of existence: Of course the Universe is perfect, If it weren’t then we wouldn’t exist in the first place to ask the question of its perfection.

This idea goes by the name of the Anthropic principle. It states that there are hundreds of millions, perhaps an infinite number, of universes, each with their own mix of constants and we happen to live in one that is perfect for us. Perhaps if any of the “perfect” features of the Universe weren’t the way it is, then a completely different form of life would exist. In other terms, the definition of perfect is quite subjective.

Just as every other scientific theory, this idea is highly criticized. After all, the definition of the scientific process relies on critically analyzing everything. For instance, detractors of the Anthropic principal, claim that it defies Occam’s razor by including colossal amounts of new un-provable stuff. Frankly speaking, I don’t disagree with them.

Many people, however, believe there to be a specific reason for this perfect tuning of the Universe. They believe some sort of designer to be behind it all. Some have even gone as far to suggest that the Universe must be a virtual reality computer stimulation of a sort. But who wrote the program? How was it set up? Are the enigmatic designers freaking out right now because I happened to brush upon their secret?

Perhaps the idea of computer stimulation is more like science fiction or fantasy but its not impossible. It is undeniably fascinating to ponder on but nothing compared to the extraordinarily thought-provoking idea known as Neo-Darwinism.

The advocates of Neo-Darwinism have taken a new take of what we already know to be true; evolution. They have advanced the idea of a possible biocosm by suggesting that the reason the universe appears to be so ideal for intelligent life is because it is the offspring of generations of successful parents. Highly evolved parents can pass on this perfect mix of constants, similar to naturally selected DNA in the natural world, to baby universes via big bang. Now imagine that!

That aside, you have quantum physicists telling you that perhaps the universe is merely a huge conscious mind, intertwined like a quantum computer, trying everything to achieve intelligence life until it succeeded. Perhaps we are a mere split second of a thought or an idea in this quantum mind…

As pseudo-scientific it may sound, most of these mind-blowing ideas are debatable. It’s not only utterly enthralling that there are so many fascinating possible answers to why the Universe is the way it is. I think it is also important for us to study, scrutinize and criticize all the possibilities no matter how silly they may sound at first.

And as for which one is true, only time can tell.