Category Archives: philosophy

Jan Lokpal Bill: More than what meets the eye

Anna Hazare’s fast unto death has entered its third day, and I am still conflicted about whether the Jan Lokpal Bill (in support of which Hazare has launched his fast) will actually address the problem of rampant corruption in India. To be clear, the Lokpal Bill (Ombudsman Bill) proposed by the lawmakers in India as

Lincoln and Bush Jr.: what’s in common?

In one word: dubitatio. It is a rhetorical device in which the person starts with the impression of being helpless, not being able to speak well or articulate their points of interest. Lincoln used it brilliantly in his Cooper Union speech that made him an instant political star. He was politically a nobody when he

Testing our morals for forgiveness

I used to hold grudges against people for wronging me. With time I learned to forgive them, but I don’t think I ever forgot what they did to me. Interestingly, the deeds I remember the most are the ones I have been able to forgive the least. Even now I hold a childhood grudge which

On P versus NP, layperson’s edition

Recently, slashdot went berserk with Vinay Deolalikar’s manuscript (in progress) that claims P is not equal to NP. For a detailed generalist’s explanation of the P vs. NP problem, check out MIT’s website. Now many of you might ask “WTF is P, NP, and why should I care?” I am here to tell you that