Trip to the Arches National Park, Moab UT

This was a family trip during the Memorial Day week end last month - and it was wonderful! We never expected the Arches park and the adjacent Canyonlands Park to be so beautiful!! We had only two days there and I feel at least a week is needed to enjoy this place fully.

A 4x4 would be ideal to tour the hundreds of miles of untarred roads....

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

The Impossible Explained.....



A very good book for the physics enthusiast – especially the unique approach the author brings to the table. The author takes a good look at various phenomenon in science fiction such as ‘Force fields’, ‘Invisibility’, ‘Teleportation’, ‘Time Travel’, ‘Perpetual motion machines’ and so on and classifies them into Classes of 1 to 3. Class 1 impossibilities are those that are impossible today but do not violate the known laws of physics and may be realized within this century, Class 2 are those that may be realized in millions (!) of years; and Class 3 (surprisingly very few) that violate the known laws of physics.

An easy to read book with many references to popular science fiction books as well as TV shows and movies, it enables the reader to put in perspective many of the science fiction concepts that we often hear about. Numerous scientists and authors have also been interviewed by the author and their feedback brought into the book. However I would have liked to see more of the author’s views on Ray Kurzweil predictions on spiritual machines and humanity overcoming death.

The author’s science projects at school will invoke an inferiority complex in most of us :) but does give an idea of what precocious children can achieve in the school system of the United States. In spite of the good research that went into the book, I noticed a minor error which will titillate Indian readers. In page 44 of the book, the Hindu God Shiva is mentioned as a goddess.

I would recommend this book to readers interested in Physics and Science fiction.

Kindling along....

I finally got my Kindle from Amazon last month. After a wait of about 45 days (since placing the order) it was exciting to take a look at one of the latest gadgets. 

I like the device - strong points are:

1. Easy to read - very close to a book feeling

2. Fast download of books from amazon.com

3. Highlight and Note features are great

4. The best one - you can download a sample chapter of each available book before you buy it.

Downside:

1. Battery seems to last only a few hours 

2. Only over 100,000 books available in ebook format

3. Most of the good ones are expensive - about $9.99

4. Hey - and I cant show of the books I buy in my bookshelf!

I tried a few sample book and bought my first one - 'Your Inner fish: A Journey into the 3.5 billion-year history of the Human Body' by Neil Shubin.

More on that later...

Genetic Diagnostics - To test or not to?

Blood Matters by Masha Gessen (Book Review)

The book describes the journey of the author who is diagnosed with a genetic mutation that predisposes her to ovarian and breast cancer. As she fights personal battle, she also tries to explore the field of genetic testing, its implications as well as ethical considerations.

The jacket cover of the book claims it is “a much needed field guide to this unfamiliar and unsettling territory.” Well, it is not. It is more a rambling journey across a difficult terrain by a pioneer, discovering trails and gathering knowledge during the process. The lack of a science background and the inability to explain the fundamentals in a clear and structured way weakens the book. Explaining a complex science to the laymen is tough but has been mastered by authors like Carl Sagan, Brian Greene and Richard Dawkins. This book fails to reach that level.

However, it does capture well the agony of an individual who goes through a challenging situation created by new knowledge provided by science. This will definitely be something more of us go through in future as we will be forced to grapple with the information provided by genetic testing.

The book provides interesting information on Asheknazi Jews as well as organizations like Dor Yeshorim which collect genetic data to provide predictive information. In spite of her jewish heritage, the author covers the Nazi efforts on eugenics with equanimity. A number of genetic diseases and their current research status are covered in the book through many interviews with experts across the world. Nevertheless the lack of a clear structure, direction and focus wastes the author’s efforts to a large extent.

Rani by Jaisree Misra

Flattered to Deceive

Finally - a historical fiction book on `Rani of Jhansi' - a name which most Indians would remember as a legendary figure in the India's struggle for Independence from British occupation. Some might even recollect the picture of a queen on horseback with a sword in hand, from their history text book. But hardly anybody would know more - maybe you can blame the traditional Indian apathy in highlighting their heroes.... So it was with some excitement that I picked up this book. My initial impression was good with the author's depiction of the Rani's childhood and the development of characters around the Rani. However, soon the book started becoming more like a documentary with very little excitement or story building. Set in the mid 1800's the Indian landscape provided considerable opportunity for the author to develop a fascinating story - but the author missed the chance. The book seemed well researched but becomes very boring by the mid way point. From then on it is a struggle to complete reading it.

I would recommend this book only to the serious students of Indian History.