The Book Challenge Series : Othello

 After a long time. Well, this had been part of the meagre new posts that I write for this blog.

Thought of starting a series, for next ten days and then again I will be back to sleep. It's related to this facebook Book challenge, where the subject needs to share a book cover that s/he liked; but why... no explanation. That is the bummer because it is important I would like to know why the other person liked it and also try to place my perspective. But no! No way.. so I thought of brushing off some of the cobwebs here... I will not explain all, but some that I feel made an impact to my grey matter up at the top.

Othello. 

This is the second in the series book that I shared. A strong drama set in the Victorian era, created by William Shakespeare; shook me. And that's why it called a great story. History teaches us about perspectives and literature talks a lot about the era and what can be learnt from them. But Othello is universal and evergreen. We all know that Desdemona exists and so does Othello, Cassio. There errors out of jealousy still happen and will keep happening. Othello took me to realize that words and action need to be very coordinated and distilled till the final drop comes out, to justify the purity of your actions. This had helped me in several places, making me inherently calm, which I do realize that sometimes it gets on my nerves as well as others. With a fortune amidst the unfortunate situation, my minds keep processing, because on paper Othello made the ultimate mistake; I cannot. Note: Personification is preferred for the last statement.

Although Shakespeare wrote it in English, this was an adaptation of a story called Un Capitano Moro, by Giovanni B. Giraldi; an Italian writer that voices out the same storyline. Just for the credit.

Source: https://www.writing-endeavour.com/blog/the-tragedy-of-othello-by-william-shakespeare-p118.html

House Arrest : A Nightmare in Making

It has already crossed a gargantuan number. Covid19 or as people call the Corona Virus infection. The governments are trying hard by suggesting people distance themselves, practise self-quarantine or in literal terms House Arrest themselves. The medical teams have put in their best foot forward trying to contain the spread and treating the effected; but the death counts are rising and the pandemic it has caused, dissolved all the borders.

Today, a movie came across my mind. "What Happened to Monday", 2017. I vividly recollect the scenarios of the society that had been portrayed in there. Due to overpopulation, the governments have imposed bans on the free daily movement of the mass and they are only entitled to go out on designated times. You are not supposed to have more than two kids and then a father tried to protect seven siblings, who were look-alikes or styled so,  were designated to go out one day of the week, each. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as named so. And then something happened to Monday. A missing link that literally devastated their existence and the secret was to come out.

Poster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:What_Happened_to_Monday.png

Today's situation is quite like that. Now people staying back, self quarantined for an indefinite period of time. But when the situation turns good, can they come out like free bodies? "Minimize Social Contacts" is a norm now. If that is being imposed, with more than 7 billion individuals, expected to touch 8 billion in 2023, keeping a safe distance of even 1 foot will be difficult. Then, what are the options?

Back in the early twentieth, the world faced Spanish Flu, in instalments various parts of the world faced the cholera epidemic in the last 200 years, a few years ago we had the SARS (South East Asia), Ebola (Western Africa) and Zika (being vector-borne), affecting travel, economy and life. But this is humongous! Covid19 surpassed all, affecting each and every country of this world. In fact, in my lifetime, I think it is the hardest hit pandemic scenario that the world has faced. It shows how vulnerable we still are and if Mother Nature can create us, she has the brutality to contain us. There are no more religious fights, no more terrorist activities, as the world comes together in hope that the Scientists can save them! COVID19 pandemic will be remembered as a great leveller. Bring the developed and the undeveloped nations try to find a cure, together! They will, but it will take time. I would like to quote Ivan Klima here:" To destroy is easier than to create " The scientific fraternity is trying hard and will soon come up with a cure. Till then, as the general mass, you have to help yourself and all others! #StayHome as much as possible; if you don't want to be in the situation like those seven sisters!

Two Decades, Many Transformations and One Soul

I don't think you will be interested if I pen down a summary of the whole twenty years that added on in my life; given that I have ultimately cleared the smog and dust laying with this URL for more than a year and a half. My last post was incidentally in June 2018.

Two decades or twenty years. Well, that's not my present age; wish though. Its a fifth of the 2000s and the fun way we teens of the nineties used to look at, the new New Millenia and Y2K!! Well, I am not very much informed about how the Y2K virus infected our digital world, but its cousins did infect our digital life with a term called social media viral. As nineties teens, we were more inclined to yahoo chats and later on a bit of Orkut. With facebook boom, apps and the advent of smartphones, life went on to a different level. Following the tune that binds the world, I too was maintaining one thing in my life constant: Change. Rather say, transformations; many in fact...

Entering the new millennia was by itself a landmark. With the world intermediately poised with terror, radicalism and development; the age of the empire got real evermore. No place was paradise and anything can happen anywhere. Be it an attack or taking selfies. You can fall if not careful. The transition from school to undergraduate college and then to higher education needed a lot of adaptations. Changing faces, lifestyle, taste and ideologies are the four most significant things that I think marks these 20 years of the new millennia. But, to slurp up all these was stepping from being a student to an earning man. Personally, though, I think everyone is a student for life and knowledge and the opportunity to learn never erases from your life.  Unfortunately, the bitter ones come more to mind than the happy moments and that is because bitter times leaves more deep impact than the happy moments. Psychology states that it is important to remember the good times more often for your mental health; but the fear of encountering the bad times makes you persistently move towards betterment. That's my perspective though! (Do pen your comments on that though).

In life, you get many choices. I got some. But coming decade I look forward to a better world and better news items to read. In the nineties you could read about sports more, being the highlight of the newspaper. Nowadays, the more you read the paper, the more protests, uprising comes to the limelight. Good things are happening though; you have electric cars, manned missions to Mars and the two Voyagers have entered the interstellar space! We still have shrinking Antarctica, Artic and missing aircrafts! Come on! We are better than that. Ultimately, we are on a piece of dust in this universe. As Dr. Carl Sagan wrote in his book Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space: "Look again at that dot"... Voyager 1 sent a goodbye picture to earth from approximately 6 billion kilometres away; a pale blue dot basked in the ray of sunlight. That's our home, our earth, all our relatives, emotions, properties and millions of years of evolution from a single cell. Interesting that day was 14th February 1990. We can make things better for our love we call Mother Earth, a lot better. That's what my soul says...

Source: "Pale Blue Dot". NASA. JPL-Caltech . Published Feb 2019. Look into middle of the rightmost (brightest) ray. You will see the pale blue dot.

Your One day is Strength for some for many days.

Hi,

I have been here after a long time. And this time, it's for a good cause. The best to my judgment in all the years of blogging I have been involved with. Since 2006, I guess.

I have been in the field of scientific research for almost a decade now. Learned, published and took up new ideas for the future. For long, I had the inculcated a wish to start up a Non-profit and Non-Government Organization for certain social cause. Well that dream is still a long way off, given my present status as a researcher (post doc to be precise); I was studying some aspects and NGOs that have popped up in my homeland, India. One of them being the #Feeding_India organization (https://www.feedingindia.org). This organization have been doing substantial good work in bringing healthy food to underprivileged children, who above caste and religion have a common thing to worship. Food to survive.

This post is to urge you my readers and friends, some of whom I may not even known in person; to contribute to this cause. As of today, the minimum price of donation is below Rs. 500. A price that can feed some of the deprived souls with nutritious food. You dont have to contribute regularly; just a small token on a very special day of your life would be good enough. Say for example your birthday or anniversary or something that comes around atleast once in a year.

I have more than 1000 people in my friend list on facebook. My readers will have similar. India is more than a billion strong and I believe that at least a million can fish off Rs 500 once in a year for such a cause. That would cumulate to a huge fund. I am not saying only for this organization; but there may be several. I found out with my limited means that this organization is Pan India, so named them. (disclaimer: I am not asked to publicise them. Its solely my discretion to mention them in this post. Any cause of this stature is to be considered via this article).

Now people can come up with several questions:
Q. Why should we pay them?
A: Its a cause. Try to stay half fed or starved for a week. You will know the pain. Further, if you are an IT payer, you can save some amount by this donation.

Q. We would prefer to be pompous and donate in a religious establishment. To God!
A: God resides in humans. (not preaching). If you donate some amount in these organizations, you will be making God happy and so will be the God in you. Donate a part of major donation you were to donate in these religious places and the rest here. I dont think the God will be unhappy.

Q. I donot have money.
A: Then ask people who can help. That also is a noble cause in itself.

Your one day of the calender will make several days of their calender. Believe me, it is helpful.

Stagnant thoughts

Stagnant thoughts. It brings out the best in you. Always, you can come up with ideas that never will be boring because you already are bored. It can either take you a far in the yesteryears when you were vibrant and then make you pass through the eye of the present into the windings of your brain that house your future. Well, unknowingly, it was these stagnant thoughts in the yesteryears that made you what you are today. And its the same exercise that will drive you through the temporary tunnel of darkness to your future.

It is always not true that an ideal mind is a devil's workshop. Its a workshop, no doubt; but to term it as a devil's household is not true at all. I think it frees you from your daily chores, which basically makes you mechanical. Home Office Home and then the same task. Sometimes, these time makes you think something different. Ink them down on that scrap piece of paper. Or maybe write a journal note. That always helps. You can then turn the pages back and draw inspiration or lick the juice of achievement as to how you overcame situations. Remember, you were less experienced back then, compared to what you are now. That will inspire you for your upcoming task, tomorrow, which is always a new day. A new 24 hours to begin.

So, it might seem odd. But stagnant is not always bad.

A Beautiful Mind

When fear fuels your bread and butter,
You are not enjoying your work.

If you are not enjoying your work,
You are not living upto your expectations,
Both from your self and people with you.

If you are not with yourself and the people around,
You become an outcast.

If you become an outcast,
Your self-esteem gets the punch not required.

If you donot require that esteem,
Then why do you even care,
About the fear...

Open your mind,
It's beautiful even in the dark;
Its beautiful in the glaring sun;
Its beautiful in the rain,
At least dance in it!

It is not like everytime things have to be beautiful,
Your mind needs to have the wiring to see it beautifully as it is.
A Beautiful Mind,
Comes in rarity.
To take it the way it is, is your unique approach, which is one in a billion.

Now isn't that beautiful?

Pic Taken: http://azmalforsan.com/vision-and-mission/

Baby Steps

In literal terms, this would mean when the child transits from using it's four limbs to two. It also means the beginning of a new era in the life of that human being. But, looking into a more diverse aspect; it also signifies the start your stroll through a new, unexplored avenue by your human mind. A feature that captures the imagination of many things, in reality, or dream.  It also segments your life to be part of many shades, the Newton wheel if you may refer to.

Newton wheel is a colourful concept. It literally defines your decision and segments of your life as to how you pain them. From the grey patches to the brightly lit yellow; everyone should rewind and revisit their wheel. In Buddhism, it may be referred as the Chakra. In Hinduism, the stages of life. Christianity has its Holy Trinity; for me, it's referring back to my memories. Learning from them has always been interesting and as it is always said, your past teaches you and makes you; some teaching are immortal for others while the same will be lying with you on your deathbed.

Gathering strength is a very difficult task even though you make it feel easy. You always require a referent point, which I guess you can always get by blowing off the dust from those rusted iron pillars that you have laid in your path. I refer back to my diary, my journal that always has been an integral part of my existence. Some were eaten by the worms and white ants, but in the heart, it will always be enlivened if you have lived the time with your heart. It doesn't always mean love, but with the passion.

Passion can make you or lack of it can break you. Cultivate that in you... for a better life...

Time will Always make You feel

A couple of years back, I always felt nice when people would "like", "share" or "comment" on my uncountable snaps of the Puja Parikrama and Panda hoppings... I felt like I was doing a great deal of good work in showing my friends and the world about the Durga Pujas, back in Kolkata. But now, I feel that amidst that happiness, there lay a dry and wry smile of missing the event. I am not saying that I am very much missing the event, but yes; I miss the fun and the frolic, the days which I used to look ahead like all Bengalis, over the year.

Second-year down and I will be viewing all those through the Yupp Tv and the occasional pics from my friends, mom, and others. Wish you all a Happy Puja 2017. I wish and hope to be there my dear Kolkata in 2018.

Why Do a PhD : ACCOMPLISH COMPLETION

This small opinion features in the recently initiated movement: The Invisible Scholar. The original opinion may be seen here : https://www.theinvisiblescholar.com/forum/why-do-a-ph-d/accomplish-completion

Starting from school, your journey starts to strive for and become educated. Not only letters, numbers, syntax or symbols; complete education means learning and applying your knowledge wisely. Ph.D. is the last frontier of this tryst with your destiny named "being educated".

With time, everything same drains you and Ph.D. is one of the areas where this draining is maximum; both mentally as well as physically and in many times socially. Being social among friend circles, you become engrossed in the lab and make groupies only online. But where there is the bane; there is the boon too. Although your contribution might make a small outward dent in the known sphere of knowledge; it should give you satisfaction to be part of the circle developed over the years of human history; fortunately part of the movement that had been there since time immemorial. I believe this satisfaction is what makes you strive for the degree. A publication or more; yes that is an added advantage. At least you will have your name for ever (lest your work doesn't get retracted! :P)

When you decide to come into this field, think twice or thrice or even more. The gain is worth a life time but what you have to sacrifice and sweat for is also immense. But, the sweat and heat for 5-6 years are worth it. Do have a Ph.D. and don't listen to the demoting statements! 

The Himalayas rose up after crashing into the Asian Wall... Just a metaphor.

All the best!

Testimony : The Invisible Scholar

Visibility in the area of modern science is fast becoming minuscule; given the many uncounted questions being asked and literally increasing the sphere of knowledge in an insignificant manner. The driving force is innovation, where the sheer pressure to innovate is destroying the basic "platform" science.

A couple of my friends have recently come up with a brand new innovative idea to knead their passion for writing and putting forward the beam of innovation ahead. They have formulated a blogosphere called The Invisible Scholar (Click here), which reports some of the innovative and technological advances made or worked with. The team, presently housed in San Deigo, CA is doing a great job and the start needs a proper accolade; which I am doing by spreading the word through my decade old Blog.

... As it is, writing nowadays have become infrequent for me.

#Presi200

The perfect occasion to write a blog, the day when US will be having a new President and the bold voice of Bengal, bolder pre independence; thought of New Age India for Literature, Philosophy and Science dresses up to enter a new century. Presidency University, Kolkata erstwhile Presidency College, Calcutta completes 200 years of existence.

Come to term, the democracy of India enters only 70 years of existence. But the seed of the nation have always been broiling within the still standing pillars of Presidency.

Many books and articles will blunt out the fact of Presi's 200 years, which I wont rant over here. I would like to share how, 14 years ago, it was a matter of immense self reconciliation and win over self confidence after I walked through the alters of this place of excellence. A state owned education system competed with the Delhi based board education. In Kolkata, it was always tough to get through good colleges, due to the abject cut offs set by the authorities that made the competition really difficult at the percentile pace. After finishing my school (K-12, ISC) from Calcutta Boys' School, my mom and myself went frantically searching for colleges and picking forms. My numbers were good, but my certificate board was not. Picking for various combinations of life science (Zoology, Microbiology and Physiology), I was placed somewhere at the waiting list. Later on, this waiting list came to be an eternal friend as in such competition, I waited to get ultimate gateway. Anyways, out of 10 colleges that I applied with the likes of Maulana Azad College (Zoology), Scottish Church (Zoology and MicroBiology), Jadavpur University (Geology and Physics), Asutosh College (Biochemistry and Microbiology), etc; all except Maulana Azad College admitted me.

Still, I had a beautiful wait. Only Presidency College had exam in all subjects and I took the Zoology and Physiology. The day Saint Xavier's pulled out the results, which was solely rejection; I accompanied with my school friend Arunima Sen, went to Presidency College. I had sent my good luck, my mom earlier to check the results. I didnot want to go to Maulana Azad College. And thank God, I kept my hopes alive.

The three years on Presidency (2003-06) sharpened me in all aspects. My skill, social acumen and knowledge. That's why, we all loop into one thing : "Presidencians Never Die. They Come Back to College".

2017 marks the 200th birthday. I miss it, thanks for my other work for which my Alma Mater made me. I wish the coming Century to be more glorious than ever before.

P.C: Somnath Paul, 2006

Throwback 2016

2016 can be tagged as one of the most transition infested year in my life. A transition from a well established graduate (read PhD) student to a post doctoral fellow; in an institute that captured my imagination a bit. The road from CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology to UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center had not been smooth, with the long wait for the Visa processing (J1) and then getting past the official paper works in India. This though was not so tough compared to the thousands of labs that I screened, mostly in US for the next step of my career.

I always had the set up in my mind that every stage of the career I bear a new subject under my belt. A rainbow spectrum, to me always seems lucrative for the inherent thirst of knowledge and never be into my comfort zone. Rather making uncomfortable zone homely is always been my motto. That reflects with my several transitions from B.Sc in Physiology to M.Sc in Genetics and then shift towards Molecular Biology with Epigenetics and Epidemiology been my area of expertise. Never the less, a lot is still needed to learnt over there, but I can well say I am well accustomed with what I know and wouldn't feel a Martian in those realms.

But of all these phases, to transit again was a big step in 2016. Now in a more refined arena of Chromatin biology, where I was outside my comfort zone for atleast 4-5 months since arrival; 2016 made this test a very hard one. The previous ones were always in my home ground. In my place of of birth, where learning was only new while other aspects weren't. Already in my early thirties, when the flexibility becomes stiff a bit, I had to find my ways to flex my backbone and learn not only the knowledge and techniques, but also the culture.

At first it was little tricky. Always converse in English and keep track of your actions. Paper works, insurance, SSN, Rent and what not. But, today when I look back and also discussing such with my wife, I can say with confidence that I have overcome the initial hurdles. It feels good in a sense that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.

With 2017 coming up, I would like to build on this and I wish all the fellows who are facing the same, time will make it. Only the making process will squeeze out more from you. If you desired for the changes, I think that is the only price time will ask from you, in return to the opportunity.

Happy New Year.

Sensation

Biologically the term gives the power to feel and be alive. It gives us the power to realize our environment, the world that we belong and the people that we live with. But in the modern context the term is also utilized to define the excitement that brews in us upon knowing a news.

"Its a sensation" or "Sensational...!"

Good or bad, the modern times witnesses news reports that by definition becomes mostly over exaggerated and creates a random chaos within various pockets of the society. The situation is being created to an eruption in the daily lifestyle of humans and deviate them from the humane thoughts. I happened to watch a movie called "Rush", which executed the basic thoughts to move ahead by presenting sensational news! In this case, create the sensational news!

It seems that the news; which should only be unadulterated truth comes in brands. "XXX Exclusive" or "Exclusive Footage" being water marked across the screen. Seems like we are buying the underpants of soft or coarse cotton or printed with the heart or strawberries. Although it will cover your vitals, it still comes in various colours and styles; because it will excite your partner. A similar policy comes with these exclusives and TRPs; to excite the viewers.

The movie ends on a nice note. Yes, we public have deviated from the truth. We do not want to see news that may be mundane and without blood shed or slangs! We prefer to dance with the tunes of bullets from the arms and not hinder the cracks going on in the icy poles of glaciers shortening their arms. Sad, but it feels so and that is being capitalized by many people. Filling their pockets!

The sensation is now not pinging properly within your neurons. It needs to be reset soon or else, soon the aliens will broadcast a sensation that would involve our own species' great asset: humanity.

Reform

Today, on a rainy week end, I happened to watch "Cinemawala". A film by Kausik Ganguly and aptly realized by the brilliant acting of Paran Bandyopadhyay and company. A fact being portrayed through the eyes of a theatre hall owner, who weathered away eventually through the tides of time and modernization. In this regards, Chaplin's great "Modern Times" come in the forefront where the humans start working like machines and also a time would soon come when they would be competing with the machines for Jobs.

Almost everywhere, the scarcity of jobs eats away the daily dreams of the human mind. For few, who choose being an entrepreneur, tries to regain some more from the ever losing trend. With reports of Academia getting stagnant, time will soon come when everywhere only a few people, exclusively following the Darwinian principle of Survival, shall thrive in the face of the earth. On this note, a recent notion coined by Stephen Hawkins about Mankind's 1000 years more, from now, soon be a reality where the scarcity of jobs, leads to scarcity of earning potential. This may eventually lead to lesser matrimonial conjunction and lesser offspring, because the parents would fear the future to feed the young ones. The erosion would start leading to Mankind's 1000 years only.

This idea though would seem to be very much extrapolated and means no sense with the Cinemawala, but the erosion of old in the hands of new seemed quite analogous to the formation of rust when iron gets exposed to water and air. In modern times, the water and air are more viscous, leading to rust and crack in the age old iron pillars of livelihood.

There was once grasslands,

Then came the mud roads for the carriages,

Then came the asphalt for the motor cars,

Soon there will be more advancements.

But today, when you stand on the road outside your house, have you ever given it a thought how it was may be 50 years ago, if not 100. Those have been in the oblivion, but we still stand on the age old concept, in a new way. The concept of road has not changed. All it did was reform. I think, to preserve your past and move into the future makes you perfectly ok; if only you can subdue the ego in you.

Dreams are not always celluloid. Dreams are in the eyes of the beholder.

আরেক বার

বই মেলায় চেনা মুখ গুলো,
ময়দান এর ধুলো;
পূর্ণিমার চাঁদ ,
ইডেন এর পিছনে;
পশ্চিমে সূর্য্য,
সব দেখতে ইচ্ছে করছে-

শীতকালের আমেজ আসছে  আমার চেনা শহরের আকাশ এ, অলিতে গলিতে। সেই লর্ড পাড়ায়  দাঁড়িয়ে থাকা ফুচকাওয়ালা, জেক বার বার মনে করতো হতো যে আমি ঝাল খাইনা। সে ঝাল টা আজ খুব খেতে ইচ্ছে করছে। আনাচে কানাচে ক্যাপ বন্দুকের আওয়াজ অনেক দিন চলে গাছে; কিন্তু আজও যেন মাঝে মধ্যে কোথাও সেই শিবকাশী-র ক্যাপ তা পটাশ ফটাস করে ফাটতে থাকে।
কালী পুজো, ভাই ফোটা, জগদ্ধাত্রী পুজো।.. র তারপর মন্জিনিস এর কেক. ও, মনজিনিস তো দেখুন mio amore এ হয়ে গাছে। মনের জিনিস মন্জিনিস টা  অনেক ভালো ছিল। হুম.. সব ছিল।  কিছু জায়গায় আছেও হয়তো! কিন্তু আজ Smithville  এর আকাশ এ আমি একটু গন্ধ পেয়েছি কালী পুজোর। লাল জবা না দেখলেও, কেন জানিনা মনে হচ্ছে ভূত চতুর্দশী র ভাই Halloween তাই আমি দিওয়ালি বানিয়ে দেব!
শুভ বিজয়া।

At the Stroke of Midnight

"At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will wake to life and freedom...", excerpts from Tryst with Destinity, speech delivered by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. 1947.

"If by the edge of the sword or fear of atom bomb, if someone tries to make our country bow, this country of ours is not going to bend or break..." Lal Bahadur Shastri, the third Prime Minister of India, 1965.

"...It would not have happened if the World Community had woken up to the fact (East Pakistan Massacre) when we first drew their attention", Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the first woman Prime Minister of India, 1971.

"...India have never bowed infront of terrorism or terrorist, and She will never bow..." Mr. Narendra Modi, the present Prime Minister of India, 2016.

It started at Midnight and the thing have metamorphosed to another life and recognition in an around that hour when the Indian Army conducts operations with precision into enemy territory. The term enemy comes with adversary conditions developed by the misalignment of words and stare at each other. India just replied to such a stare, being conducted physically at Uri, earlier this week, in September 2016. And the reply was just and clinical; may be that's why it's called "Surgical Operation".

Sitting outside my homeland, it gives makes me browse only through the day to day event where the border news comes flashing by. In the 21st Century, when India is roaming around Mars, some people are happy to shoot bullets, shell and off hand missiles to the skies. For and against people survive everywhere, but it gives me a food of thought to the people who involuntarily gets tagged, hit and killed. But, many peace agreements have fallen head over heels. Its time to play it intelligently and I guess, the present Indian Government has not yet disappointed me.

India Shining or Good Days, let my Motherland bask in the glory of the sunshine and prosperity and let all the Citizen of the World live with happiness. A day when I write this small article, is the day we start our celebrations of life.

Happy Mahalaya. 

The New Foundland

History bears the testimony that human always followed the path of lord to find food, land and shelter. Present bears the testimony when the humans have no new land to search, on the face of mother Earth and future will hopefully bear the testimony that the same Exodus will start off on her sisters and their children like Mars, Europa, etc.

With more and more heads multiplying, the demand for food and water multiplied by greed and money, power over the mass; all brews in the face of the planet which nurtured you for the past million year. The particles which create us all, after death would segregate into the elements and would re-start into some-one's sperm or ova as the DNA or the amino acids. And then what we fight for in the name of extra-ordinary? In the name of being different? Some lives matter? All lives matter... even the grass you walk on and create the massacre in the name of caste, creed or religion. There is nothing new in the death, no news in the pain.

Its pain all alike.

Sometimes I think, every morning to achieve something new. But at the day end. whatever I achieve or not achieve, needs some space to be absorbed, rather than the daily rantings of terror. It seems the humans in general have lost the love for universal happiness. Take any great book, read through the lines of religion. It speaks of happiness, something that you can get from within; unfortunately, it seems to be lost into the oblivion. A great abyss stares at us! Why do you spend in billions to stare at the night sky and mark phenomemon like V4641 Sgr, some 1600 light years away? Look into your coming seond or minute; which can put you in the black hole of pity. Try to research on that and stop that. The 1600 light years stuff would not reach you even in the next 16 minutes!

The New Foundland should be the universal happiness, that would be enjoyed by all. Sometimes, it's better to do things from the book, rather than just read and admire them in the name of "awesome" history, when your present and future is "aweful"!

p.c: Universe Today.

The Cold Summer

Seems quite an analogy if you are from Northern hemisphere and are located in the Southern Hemisphere, at this point of time in July 2016.

But, the actual reference to the title comes when the world continues to be spotted with the chicken pox of death, terror and unrest! This had been so, for many a decades, ever increasing in count and today, I realize that its getting colder every day. The humans at large are no more humane and the world skips a beat every time it starts to settle and compromise with the pain incurred.

In the words of Kipling, etched in his creation "Hymn to Physical Pain", I would like to quote-

"...Thine are the lidless eyes of night,
That stare upon our tears,
Through certain hours which in our sight,
Exceed a thousand years..."

Hope still persists, more so with the wait for the Winter Rain. When love will catch up, washing the dust at the dusk and bringing forth a fresh dawn where the spring harvest will take away the chill of the day. Till then "the Benefactor" will be benefited unless the terms of present world order is re-thought and redistributed. In another classic, that reminds us every sense that Kipling made in The Benefactor-

"...It is not learning, grace nor gear,
Nor easy meat and drink,
But bitter pinch of pain and fear,
That makes creation think.

When in this world's unpleasing youth,
Our godlike race began,
The longest arm, The sharpest tooth,
Gave man control of man..."

Its still cold a gift that the world offers... with love...

p.c; Pinterest

At the CrossRoads

Today, I came across an article shared in facebook and published in The Newyork Times, regarding Epigenetics and the concern of it's supposedly painful trajectory. I, being a disciple in the field would like to emphasize that the trajectory is not at all over exaggerated and makes sense when you look into the larger picture. The environmental cues (actual or micro) does bring forth changes in the long run and that has been re-instated by several in vitro and in vivo studies, leave aside real time patient samples.

The complexity increases several manifold when you go into the higher organisms. In the terms of statistics, which brings forth the "scientific sense" of "significant", is based on the possibility of occurrence given certain assumed conditions  dealt with in the study. Scientifically, it is not possible to take into account every thing. For example, a smoker eats fruits, veggies, may have frequent water intake or an occassional beer. In a study you can follow the individual, but ethically cannot control the subject's lifestyle, unless you keep him/her captive! In most of the aspects, the peer review demands for controlled models, which is being supported adequately by in vitro or in vivo models. That can be proved within the aegis of the journal. That doesn't demeanor the notion that "Epigenetic changes are overestimate of ideas" or as the aforementioned article mentions: "...the fact that it (epigenetic study) may merely be reporting noise".

After a read to the article, I feel that criticism only comes when you are doing things and that it's welcome. I am happy to be part of this journey, the notion of #Epigenetics.

The following picture literally sums it all up :

Source: University of Missouri

অনেক দিন পরে...

অনেক দিন পরে, আবার লিখতে বসলাম।

শেষ সেই ফেব্রুয়ারী তে লিখেছিলাম, যখুন অদ্ভূত একটা টানাপড়েনের মধ্যে দিয়ে দিন কাটছিল। বাসস্থান ছিল কলকাতা; আজ, প্রায় তিন মাস পরে, সেটা পাল্টেছে। পাল্টেছে দৈনন্দিন জীবন যাত্রা, পাল্টেছে সুর্জ্যাস্থা, পাল্টেছে আকাশের বুকে টিম টিম করে জলা জোনাকির আলো। এখুন আকাশ-এ অনেক তারা দেখতে পাই।  নেই স্ট্রিট light , নেই বাস ট্রাম এর সেই "বাবুঘাট, ধর্মতলা" অথবা auto -র সাউথ সিটি যাব সুধু হাকা হাকী।

কলকাতায় থাকতে ল্যাব থেকে মাঝে মধ্যেই বেরোতে ভালো লাগত।যাদবপুরের পুকুরের ধার দিয়ে হাটা , বা ইচ্ছে করে একটু রাত হলে... হেটে ঢাকুরিয়া থেকে ট্রেন ধরে বাড়ি ফেরা। ভালো লাগত শান্ত, নিস্তব্দ গলি গুলো।রাত যেন খুব কাছের ছিল, প্রিয় ছিল সেই যাদবপুর থানার রাস্তা-র ধারে  শনি মন্দিরের ৬০ watt -র আলো। কুকুর এর ডাক, বা রাস্তায় আস্থানা করে শুয়ে থাকা মেহেনতি রিকশা ওয়ালা -র নশিকা গর্জন! তারপর ট্রেন থেকে নেমেই একটা সুর, মায়ের চিন্তাময় রিংটোন: "কোথায়?" আর আমার সেই একটা উত্তর "২০ মিনিট, আসছি।"

স্মিথভিল্লে, সেই নিরব শান্ত পরিবেশ আছে; কিন্তু নেই সেই শনি মন্দির, নেই সেই rickshaw বা তাদের তলায় শুয়ে থাকা সেই মেহেনতি মানুষ। তা বলে এটা বলছিনা যে এখানে শ্রমজীবি মানুষ নেই; আছে, কিন্তু তাদের সাথে তো আর কলকাতা-র ঘামের গন্ধ নেই !

তবে বলব, আমি এখানে একদাম বাজে আছি তা নয়।  কাজ, যা আমাকে গড়েছে, সে সব আছে।  মজা আছে, বন্ধুবান্ধব -ও কম হইনিনে। সুধু এপার র অপার এর মাঝে মন টা পরে আছে।  মানুষ নিজেকে সারা জীবন গড়েছে। আমিও নিজেকে তার ব্যতিক্রম ভাবি না।  সুধু এই গড়া -র প্রচেষ্টায়, কু কিছু যাতে না ভেঙ্গে যাই, এটাই প্রার্থনা।

আমি আবার শুরু করব লিখতে। অবল তাবোল, যাহাই আসে আসুক; এই লেখা গুলি হয়ে উঠবে, আমার কথা, আমার ভালো বাসা, র নারী-র টান যে সহর র মানুষ গুলোর সাথে; তাদের সাথে আমার কথা বলা.

ভালো থেকো আর ভালবেশ!