What is our favorite sense?

[... from a discussion with a friend]

While at the Monterey bay aquarium, we came across the hammer head shark. Wikipedia says - the hammer head shape is due to the nostrils at the end of the hammer head, and the nostrils (wide apart) assist the shark in attributing a specific direction to a smell. Quite interesting, right!

Among the sensory organs in humans and most animals, ears are widest apart followed by eyes, nostrils and tongue. Does it imply that we need to determine the direction of sound more than the direction of light or smell?

Interestingly, technological innovations in the entertainment world also follow similar trends -- radios, tape recorders, etc.; TVs, movies, videos etc.; and recently devices to emit a particular smell.

Coincidence? May be, but doesn't look like it.

PS: Entertainment here doesn't include recreational activities! :P

How about different education for men and women?

From the title of the post, I definitely sound like a sexist. May be I am. Here though, I am not arguing in favor of any sex.

This article suggests women's brains are more complex and apparently do a lot of thinking. If it were true, by giving both men and women the same education (training to think and act on a variety of issues), aren't we under-utilizing women's brains. It could very well be the reason why women have all the time in the world to think about not-so-important issues.

How about having different education systems for men and women (not disturbing their interaction), and let women teach women how to harness their lateral thinking abilities in a meaningful way.

Computerization demands extra verification

Computers have crept into every nook and corner of our life. It comes at an expense. Extra verification might actually help deal with it well.

For my 24th birthday, my girl friend gifted me an audio (radio, stereo) player for my car. I was really happy with it. Not even 2 months, it got stolen when I parked it right next to my Department in the amazing city of West Lafayette. I thought it would be sensible to report the same to the cops and did so. The cop asks me to give him the serial number of the player and so I do.

Next day, I wake up with a call from the same cop. Apparently, my player was already reported stolen. They didn't put it that way but the cops suspected me of theft from the "actual owner" of the player. It is only after confirmation from BestBuy did they let me go.

I felt we rely a little too much on the reports that are filed electronically. I strongly recommend extra verification in these cases. I suspect some guy has lost his car stereo player and the serial number got distorted either at source or at entry. A little verification as to whether he has already bought it would have not put me in a spot. And in case, it really happens, they would have had a way to track down how it got back onto the shelves of BestBuy.

Questions from India

One friend of mine already stole this idea from me.

When I call people back at home in India, they always ask the same questions. Here they go, in the reverse order of sensibility.

1. Is it day or night at your place?
2. What is the time? (as if they won't talk to me if it was an odd hour)
3. What did you cook today? ( For Pete's sake, I don't cook. Even if I do, it is not like I know what I cooked.)
4. When would you be visiting India again?

Round figures

I never understand why people associate a lot with round figures...

Why is Sachin Tendulkar's 99 so different from his 100. Why can't people just talk about averages? Why do they talk about number of centuries, number of 5 wicket hauls? It is pretty weird.

I do understand that there should be milestones to chase and celebrate. But, why associate so much to a milestone?

The Village Bride of Beverly Hills

Yeah. I am talking about the book by Kavita Daswani.

My first read in that genre. It was a small book (size does matter, I picked just coz of its size) which talks about the culture tension through a traditionally wed Indian woman's life.

Bottom line: Okay book. Good to read once. Very hard to read the second time.

Do colours bring "colour" to life?

For Americans - Colour = Color

This is the beginning of February. It has been quite sometime (more than 2 months) since it is all white. It was much better when eye could see different colors - green, blue, yellow, red. As if to rub it in, Fall comes just before Winter.

Back at home, winters were also very colourful. And, life is happier too. I do understand there are other aspects which make life more interesting. But, I was just wondering how big a role colour plays. Would West Lafayette be a lot merrier if it was colorful (but equally cold)?

I wish there were a clear answer to this - is research not to find such interesting things? Or, rather, I wish I could find that answer if anyone had found it.