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Archive for Lit
Life in perspective
“We are searching for life, yet we have a little idea what life really is….”
A quote I read in a Natgeo article some years back. The article was based on SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). And today I came across another article which reminded me of the line and about why liked it the first time.
Take a read. (Alien life on earth??? – the BBC’s Science portal)
The article essentialy is in 3 parts:
The first, suggests that alien life may exist in earth itself – in very unusual or toxic lakes etc. It could be the result of ferrying from comets, mars – the usual sources. Not very convincing though. As one scientist questions in the article – How do u differentiate between earth and non-earth forms? Even the article itself uses the phrase – wierd life everywhere. Not at all impressive.
The second part, calls for more exploration on earth itself. Sensible – no matter what “life” you are looking for… wierd, alien, earth like. But an interesting quote here – “Personally, I’m only interested in establishing whether life happened more than once. If we find it has happened twice from scratch then its going to have happened all around the universe.” This makes a lot of sense. I believe when and if we find life – this is the one that everyone would agree to.
It reminded me of another article I read (I will put in the reference as soon as I recollect it). This was about a team of scientists who modelled our galaxy from origin. They modelled everything (so they claim) and simulated the entire program to search for intelligent species and came up with (I believe what is an disproportionately large number!) 361 results. The findings were published with a theme like – Oh, you know, life isn’t rare after all! – - Is this really necessary????!
I believe I am ambivalent when it comes to SETI. Undoubtedly, it fascinates me. It is a part of a quest, which began with intelligence itself. The earliest of civilizations have put up questions – What is the life? What is its purpose? Does life exists else where? Now for me there exists just the question – Whether these questions will ever be answered?
But sometimes it makes me wonder, whether these people have nothing else more realistic to do. I mean the world is so full of problems that threaten our very existence – such genius brains could be of great use here, not to mention the money spent.
The third part of the article is what interested me. Titled ‘Life in the lab’ it interviews a group of scientists who claim to have prepared molecules that are capable of ‘Darwinian Evolution’. These molecules have a DNA – RNA base with 6 letters in the genetic alphabet. The scientists have observed that the mistakes made in pairing are carried forward – showing that the molecule is evolving. The scientists claim that “Since, the accepted definition of life is a molecule capable of Darwinian evolution”, they have developed life and they would be testing the molecules for natural selection.
The phrase “definition of life” caught my attention. That would be the biochemical way to define life.
I believe somethings missing in their definition. I think that only one thing stops us from being just a blob full of chemical reactions. As Agent Smith would put it – PURPOSE
We’re here because we’re not free. There is no escaping reason; no denying purpose. Because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist.
It is purpose that created us.
Purpose that connects us.
Purpose that pulls us.
That guides us.
That drives us.
It is purpose that defines us.
Purpose that binds us. [1]
Life cannot be defined without it.
My head is full of thoughts and imaginations, doubts and debates which perhaps may never be sorted, a stand never be taken. And hence, I must end this blog the same way as I started it -
“We are searching for life, yet we have a little idea what life really is….”
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Roughly translated as “Who will watch the watchmen?”, I first came across this phrase while reading Dan Brown’s “Digital Fortress“. Since then, it has sparked a train of thought in my mind, to which I return to whenever I come across any reference. Over the course of time, I came up with an answer which satisfied me completely. It is an answer, which for me, has forever silenced any further doubts and speculation on the question. I decided to put it down here in the form of a short poem:
“Who will watch the watchmen?
And who will heal the healers?
Who will guard the guards?
And who will lead the leaders?
Who will cook for the cooks?
And who will help the helpers?
Who will raid the raiders?
And who will kill the killers?”
“THEY THEMSELVES. EACH OTHER. GOD”
Searching for rhyme
Well, I have never been much of a poet myself though many of my friends have come with their brilliant pieces. The reason for this I believe, lies in the type of poems I like i.e. ones with a good rhyme scheme. This poem here will be in contention for the universes worst poetry ever and will warrant a revision of the entry for the same in a future edition of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which would normally run as:
“Vogon poetry is of course the third worst in the Universe.
The second worst is that of the Azagoths of Kria. During a recitation by their Poet Master Grunthos the Flatulent of his poem “Ode To A Small Lump of Green Putty I Found In My Armpit One Midsummer Morning” four of his audience died of internal haemorrhaging, and the President of the Mid-Galactic Arts Nobbling Council survived by gnawing one of his own legs off. Grunthos is reported to have been “disappointed” by the poem’s reception, and was about to embark on a reading of his twelve book epic entitled “My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles” when his own major intestine, in a desperate attempt to save life and civilization, leapt straight up through his neck and throttled his brain.
The very worst poetry of all perished along with its creator Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings of Greenbridge, Essex, England in the destruction …”
So here goes nothing:
Awake at 3oclock in the morning,
Coz something stupid went into my eye.
And this line is just here coz,
I found a rhyming word in ‘why’.
Rhyming words are what I never seem to have,
So I will put in “Bye, Bye Miss American Pie”
And because I love reading Agatha Christie,
I will put in “A pocketful of Rye”.
So, on this fateful and sleepless night,
as GRE words doing am I,
But Yoda would say “GRE words doing I am”
How did I think about him and I wonder why?
Was it then a coincidence yesterday,
that I should come across a lullaby,
Written by an Android, Paranoid he may be.
‘&’ that I heard “Zaphod just this guy…?
Was it also a coincidence then,
That I came across a pie chart of pie?
Or that I could answer a quiz question,
Concerning both Isaac Asimov and Helen of Troy?
Now as I look out of the window,
Into the not so dark and not so starry sky,
Never have I thought so many rhyming words,
How did I think about them and I wonder why?
Doesn’t any poet find rhyming words difficult,
Or to everyone do they easily come by?
And do they have choice to make,
Whether to rhyme with “bee” or with “buy”?
And perhaps I am inspired to write this,
After reading the blog of this limerick loving guy,
And/or after reading this short poem by another friend,
Who gave a lecture, which introduced me to the cricketer CB Fry.
Rhyming words I have thought of many,
They include dry, my, cry, try, die, lie, even fungi and rabbi,
How to put them into lines,
I will think, till then BBYE!
Now I will put down my pen,
The magnum opus complete and the mind rested.
I don’t think I will write again soon,
Till I have so much time to be invested.
