Top Five Muslim Scholars you should know

           In the recent years the image of Islam has taken a beating due to the various terrorist groups wrongly claiming to be followers of Islam and doing the god's work. Everything good thing about Islam is overshadowed by these terrorists and the world believes Islam to be a religion of intolerance and  backwardness.However this was not the case always.Once upon a time,called the golden age of Islam,It was at the forefront of the values of tolerance and equality and also in the field of science.     To raise awareness about this period and the scholars who came then and afterwards I present this small list of Five Muslim scholars who everyone should know.
   
             In the period before the European Renaissance unfairly called the Dark Ages, much of the world thinks that there was no progress made in science.But in the Islamic world which was spread over the middle east , a golden period of science and learning was taking place.It was accelerated by the Caliph Al Mamun who started arguably one of the most significant movements in the history of mankind,the translation movement.The translation movement led to the growth of a number of scholars in the golden age of Islam and directly and indirectly influenced much of the modern world.
Here is the list of top five famous scholars of the Golden Age of Islam and after.This post has been directly influenced by Jim Al Khalili's book 'Pathfinders'

1-Al-Khwarizmi
Some of the many reasons why you should know him:
   Suppose you are given a equation to solve.For example
                           2x-10= 90
the first step to solve this is,as most of you will have learnt in school,adding 10 on both sides
the equation then becomes
                       2x-10+10= 90+10
This step of adding/subtracting to cancel terms was first described in Al-Khwarizmi's book-'The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing' This step is known as Al-jebr.By know you must be getting an idea about where I am going.The term Algebra is derived from the word Al-jebr.In this book Al Kwarizmi presented the first systematic solutions to linear and quadratic equations

Areas he is known for:
Mathematics,Astronomy,Geography

Legacy:
A crater on the moon is named after him.
In 1983 the soviet union issued a stamp commemorating Al khwarizmi's 1200th birthday.

Born-Died: 
780CE-850CE

2-Ibn Al-Haytham
Some of the many reasons why you should know him:
His book on optics 'Kitab al-Manazir' or the book of optics was read by and greatly influenced European scholars like Leonardo Da Vinci,Galileo,Rene Descartes and Johannes kepler.His theory of vision was very influential and inspired many other works of later centuries.Some call him 'The Father of Modern Optics'

Areas he is known for:
Optics, astronomy, mathematics, meteorology,visual perception and the scientific method

Legacy:
The crater Alhazen on the Moon is named in his honour.Also an asteroid is named as Alhazen

Born-Died: 
965 CE-1040 CE

3-Ibn sina
Some of the many reasons why you should know him:
He wrote the book 'The Canon of Medicine' which is about health and diseases. It remained a standard medical text in Europe and the Islamic world till the 17th century.Even now in colleges of India and Pakistan it is followed as Unani system of medicine.

Areas he is known for:
Medicine,Astronomy,alchemy,geography,geology,psychology,logic,mathematics,physics,poetry

Legacy:
George Sarton, the author of The History of Science, described Ibn Sina as "one of the greatest thinkers and medical scholars in history.His portrait hangs in the Hall of the Avicena Faculty of Medicine in the University of Paris.

Born-Died: 
980CE-1037CE

4-Ibn Khaldun
Some of the many reasons why you should know him:
 He was regarded among the founding fathers of Economics,Histriography and sociology.Historian Jim Al Khalili goes on to say that when compared with Adam Smith,the man many economists of today consider to be the father of economics,it is Ibn khaldun who is more worthy of the title.He wrote the 'Muqaddima' which is a treatise on human civilization.He was one of the first who called for creation of a science to explain society.

Areas he is known for:
History,historiography,economics,sociology

Legacy:
There is an Ibn Khaldun award given by Tunisian Community to any Tunisian/American whose works constitute a direct or indirect service to community.

Born-Died: 
1332 CE- 1406 CE

5-Al Jazari
Someof the many reasons why you should know him:
 He invented the camshaft and the crankshaft.It is one of the most important inventions in the history of mankind.A crankshaft is a mechanical part that can perform a conversion between reciprocating motion and rotational motion.Internal combustion engines used in vehicles have these to covert the reciprocating movement of the pistons into the rotary movement of the tyres. He also made many automated moving devices which later may have influenced Leonardo Da vinci.He wrote 'The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices'

Areas he is known for:
Mathematics,Mechanical Engineering,Inventions,Art

Born-Died: 
1136CE-1206CE

Based on the feedback I receive I plan to write about a few more scholars.

Book Recommendations.Part 1

I am starting a new series whereby I will be listing the good books that I read.

Book Recommendations- The top three books I read Recently.

            'Today a Reader,Tomorrow a Leader' so said Margaret Fuller,the first full-time American female book reviewer in journalism. And Abraham Lincoln said "The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who'll get me a book I haven't read." So without much further ado let me get into the good books of everyone here by suggesting the following three amazing books.

3-Hot,Flat and Crowded by Thomas L Friedman

 This is book is by Three time Pulitzer winner Thomas L Friedman is about the State of Affairs regarding Global Warming,Globalisation and the growing Population.And What the United States could do to counter it.The title is about the convergence of Hot(Global Warming) Flat(Globalisation) and Crowded(Population rise).Friedman discusses the measures United States has to take, to stop the onslaught of the three factors.Along the way he shows various scenarios regarding the energy situation in the world and what the future holds for us.Though the book is primarily about what the US can do, it has a lot to offer to the readers from other countries.A must read for anyone related to Electric Power generation.

2-Good to Great by Jim Collins

Widely regarded as a modern classic of management theory, Good to great by Jim Collins is about how some companies with their unique factors make the transition from good to great.He defines what 'Greatness' is and with great detail Jim and his team give the case of a handful of companies which made this transition.The book became a huge bestseller, selling four million copies.

1-Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Do you know Your date of birth could be a factor in deciding if you will be successful in life.No,I am not talking about astrology here.Malcom Gladwell in his book 'Outliers' offers a very different approach in explaining the reason behind great people's success.With examples ranging from the National Ice Hockey Team of Canada to the culture of Korea,Malcolm Gladwell moves around the globe giving you facts and information that will leave you astounded.Prepared to get shocked and enlightened at the same time.Let me leave a teaser question for you.What do Bill Gates,Steve Jobs,Vinod Khosla,Steve Ballmer,Eric Schmidt and Paul Allen have in common apart from the fact that they are giants of 21st century ? Answer-They were all born in the 50s.What is the significance of that? Read the book to find out.

Bungee Jumping!

                     I looked at my feet. Half of them were on the platform and the other half were hanging in the air.The drop was 83 metres.My heart was throbbing and my breathing became shallow.

                       I was standing at the edge of India's highest bungee jump platform. I felt the harness around me as it clung to me. Till the time the crew was giving me the initial demonstration of the exact way of jumping I was fine but as soon as I made my way to the edge I became painfully aware of the true extent of this extreme adventure activity. As I had my first glance at the drop, my breath was sucked away. My first reaction was to back away from the jump. Beads of perspiration formed on my forehead. Slowly as they glided over my skin the whole world around me came to a standstill. I was terrified. There was no denying that. I asked the crew to give me a moment’s time so I could steel myself.

                     My mind went back to the day I had actually decided to someday do this bungee jump. Me and my friends were sitting in a roadside dhaba and on television we saw a guy do the bungee jump. I remarked that someday I would do it. I was met with laughs. Someone asked why would anyone do this. For the answer I thought of George Mallory. When a reporter asked him about why he wanted to climb the Everest. He replied simply with 'because it is there' I said the same for the jump because it is there and also because I can.

                    So finally in my recent Uttarakhand Adventure Trip, Bungee jumping was the last and the most thrilling activity planned. After a week of trekking and rafting the time to do the ultimate adventure activity came upon me. All of that conversation played in my mind and with Mallory’s words ran inside me I was ready. Ready to jump off. I told my instructor that I was ready and he started the countdown. Three. My breath started heaving. My muscles clenched. Two. I bent my knees to take the proper position. My hands were now tightly holding the harness near my shoulder. One. I propelled myself and jumped. My hand dug into the harness and into my own skin. I fell. I fell with the acceleration of gravity. What was happening I knew not. The ground was rushing towards me with alarming speed. My mind all the time was in a trance. This trance was broken suddenly by a jerk as the bungee expanded. Whatever fear was left was gone now. Fear turned into exultation. I unwrapped my hands from the shoulder harness and shouted at the top of my voice 'Yes'! My voice echoed in the surroundings as I made a gentle arch in the air. I spread my hands outwards and shouted again 'Yes'! I had done it. I conquered the initial fear and made the jump. That moment of joy was the purest joy I ever felt. Slowly the bungee settled down and I hung there rocking to and fro gently. As I let down my hands and was hanging upside down I felt a sense of calm and serenity overcome me. Soon I was received at the bottom and a badge was given to me certifying that I had guts. The feeling of ecstasy that I felt during the jump is exactly why I travel and do these adventurous stuff

Horror.One of my Favourite genres. Part2

Continuing from my last post.
     Along with horror stories I have been watching horror movies since my school days.It started with Aahat, Sony's horror series.The best thing about Aahat was its theme music and the opening animated sequence. Zee horror show was another show which too had an equally chilling theme music.The skull at the start of the show used to terrify me more than the show itself.

     The following movies are some of my favourites.I like psychological horror which involves little to almost no gore.Slasher movies don't interest me and I don't bother watching them.

-Ring,the Hollywood remake.

Ring was a great movie which reignited my interest in horror.Its ending remains one of my most favourite horror moments.After 'Ring' I started looking for horror movies.

-The wicker man by Robin Hardy

This was the most recent horror movie I saw and this is a horror movie like no other.Other horror movies have normal events taking place and then things turn for the worse.But in 'the wicker man' from the beginning you sense a undercurrent of foreboding.And there are no sudden sound effects,everything is shown so casually and normally.And yet as time passes by you can feel the helplessness and the desperation of the lead character.This film is not easy to forget.

-The Exorcist by William Friedkin

The story of an exorcism of a young girl has some spine chilling moments.The spider walk down the stairs was one such.The theme song tubular bells provided the perfect atmosphere for the movie.I was once narrating a horror story to a friend and along with I was humming this music in between words.After a few minutes into the story he stopped me exclaiming that I was unnerving him.

-The shining by Stanley Kubrick 

This has a superb premise.The sense of isolation is one of many factors of a horror movie and shining excels in it.The three characters are shut off from the world and the effects of the isolation slowly start showing in the main lead.Jack Nicholson's acting adds to the already tense setup.

-The Thing by John Carpenter

Again isolation plays a main role here.The research station in the Arctic plays a perfect part as the background of this masterpiece. 

-Alien by Ridley Scott

The opening sequence where we first see the spacecraft and then slowly the different parts of it remains one of my Favourite opening sequences.The stillness and the lifelessness of the craft provide a prelude to the coming events.
  

-The Blair Witch Project

 It remained with me for a long time.The whole premise of a group of students documenting a trip to a haunted forest to investigate the rumours of a witch was very interesting.The camping scene was truly terrifying.Nothing is seen except the expressions of the actors as they listen to some unusual sound coming from the forest around them.When I was camping in the hills of Uttarakhand all I could think of during the night was this movie.

-The Birds by the great Alfred Hitchcock. 

 Birds will never look the same again after you see this movie.Back home we have a lane which  is lined with trees on both sides and every evening crows crowd the branches and caw continuously. The last time when I was walking there all I could think of were the birds of the movie 'Birds' It was a bit unnerving.I chuckled to myself thinking of the effect the movie was having on me.

-The sixth sense by Night Shyamalan.
The story of a boy who could see dead people has a scare a minute.The twist in the ending is one of the best ever.

Some other movies which I like

-The Village by Night Shyamalan

-The Others by Alejandro Amenabar

- Jaws by Steven Speilberg

-Night of the Living Dead by George Romero

-Ju on.The Grudge by Takashi Shimuzu

-Scream  by Wes Craven

-Session 9 by Brad Anderson

-Signs by Night Shyamalan

Horror.One of my Favourite genres. Part1

What makes horror stories so interesting?
Is it in the chills that pass through your spine.Or in the electric feeling that you get on your skin.Or maybe because of the scares it provides.Or maybe simply in the atmosphere of paranormal. The supernatural,that realm that lies on the border of reality and fiction,that space whose existence is acknowledged by some and scoffed at by others,has an undeniable truth to it that it creates an interest. Doesn't matter if you like it or hate it, it elicits a strong reaction nevertheless.I was drawn to horror stories right from my childhood and used to read a lot of them.I like the atmosphere created in those tales of terror.And they make the imagination run wild. Horror stories have always fascinated me.
         I used to read a lot of them during my school days.Some of the earliest stories that I have read are some of my favorite too.It began with Stories of Algernon Blackood and Ambrose Bierce. Blackwood's 'Wendigo' was one of the reasons I got lured to this genre.The atmosphere of suspense and mystery it creates is unmatched.The bleak climate,the swamps of Canada,the cold,a group of hunters and a mysterious creature.The story stayed with me for a long time.It made me hungry for more.And more I did find.Ambrose Bierce's 'The Damned Thing' again about an unknown being was an excellent read.
         My favorite compilation of horror stories was a book by Ruskin Bond 'Ghost Stories of the Raj' It had stories of British and their supernatural experiences with the natives. Though not any one story stands out it is the combination that sends the reader back to the days of the British Raj and their thatched bungalows,lonely forest rest houses and hunting lodges.It is one of the reasons I have a fascination for the forest rest houses left by the British in the jungles of India.
         And then there are stories by Edgar Allan Poe.I read a few,among them 'The pit and the Pendulum' stands out. More than the stories I liked his horror-poem 'The Raven'. For all the readers I suggest you read it after 2pm in a lonely cottage somewhere in the middle of a jungle.The essence of the poem will flow out then.Stories of the master of horror H.P.Lovecraft I have read a few.His creation Cthulhu has become an Internet sensation lately.I still have to read a lot of his stories.
        And then there are stories whose moments got imprinted in my mind but I don't remember the name of the story or the author.Like the one about a young man and his young lady friend he makes across the street.The twist in the ending is one of the best I have read.This particular story was a big hit at many storytelling sessions we used to have back in our school days.And the one about a hunting expedition gone wrong due to a supernatural sighting in an abandoned hunting lodge.Or the one about an out of the world object found in the ruins of a house in the jungles of Burma.I am still trying to find these stories.I hope to find the names someday.
My interest has not subsided even now and am still reading horror stories.

Apart from the above mentioned stories the following are some of my favourite stories
-'The monkeys Paw' by WW Jacobs
-'The most dangerous game' by Richard Donnel
-'The country of the blind' by HG Wells
-'The Signal Man' by Charles Dickens
-'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' by Ambrose Bierce
-'The Willows' by Algernon Blackwood.

Look out for my next posts on Horror movies and Horror story telling sessions we used to have.

My Top Ten Food Experiences

I am not much of a foodie but once in a while I get to experience something that makes the whole eating experience an important point of the whole trip.The factors that I have taken into account here are the ambience,the taste and the location.Without any particular order Here goes the list

1- Fish Curry in Agartala,Tripura
2- Andhra Meals in a quaint hotel somewhere in between Hyderabad and Bidar,Karnataka
3- Chocolate bars in Ooty,Tamil Nadu
4- Prawns in Puri,Odisha
5- Momos in a Tibetan Restaurant in Mainpat,Chhattisgarh
6- Parsi food in Jamshedpur,Jharkhand
7- Bread omlette in Srinagar,Jammu and Kashmir
8- Fried Fish dishes in Kolkata,West Bengal
9- Pani Puri in Mumbai,Maharshtra
10-Squashed Potato while trekking in Uttarakhand

Power Engineers.The Unsung Heroes.

Its 2 am in the night. A group of engineers are looking intently on the monitors in front of them. Their faces, tense. Everything must go according to the procedure. No deviations. No mistakes allowed. The plant is being started, technically called a light up and should be done according to the schedule. The shift in charge is yelling instructions. There is constant ringing of the desk phones. To an outsider it is utter chaos.

               Power engineers are one of the most underappreciated engineers. Barely anyone outside the industry ever hears of them. The dedication and work they do goes unnoticed.

               In a power plant there are various departments like operation, Control and Instrumentation, Maintenance, Chemistry etc. A plant runs with the cooperation of all the departments. But it is the operation Department which oversees the day to day running of the plant. Operation engineers work in shifts. There are three shifts including night shifts. That in itself is quite difficult for the human body to adapt. Then there is the matter of responsibility of running huge machines like turbines, pumps and compressors. The biggest pump, for example, in a 600MW unit is a Boiler Feed Pump which is a 12MW machine. That means, it is of the same power as of 150 hatchback cars of 100Horsepower.Also it is equal to the power capacity of 6 locomotive engines. One can imagine the might of this machine and the responsibility attached to running it.

    With huge machines come maintenance problems. Giving permission, technically called a permit, to other Departments for resolving issues is a very critical task. The permit giver who is an Operation engineer must ensure that the concerned machine is isolated and won’t affect other machines, processes and most importantly the personnel involved in the maintenance. Apart from all these there are hundreds of parameters to keep an eye on. The operation engineer should know the range of these parameters, he/she should know what is an abnormal value, at what value the machine stops (technically called a trip) and at what value it is harmful for the machine.

    Running a plant of 600MW is no small task. If the plant trips then 600MW is being suddenly removed from the grid. A grid is nothing but a network of power generators and consumers of electricity. So when 600MW is suddenly removed the whole grid is shaken up. So utmost care has to be taken to avoid tripping of a running plant.

  As can be seen from the above examples Operation Engineers have a very responsible job and it involves split second decision making. They deserve much more recognition than what the society gives them.