Being Brilliant Every Single Day

One of the things most of us struggle with is consistency. We are brilliant. Sometimes. But struggle to be brilliant often enough. Or consistently.

And so I was intrigued when I came across Dr. Alan Watkins that seemed to address this issue. And unlike most Ted Talks, this one does not end after 18 minutes. It requires a 2nd session. I have no idea how effective this will be in improving consistency. But definitely worth having a look. And trying.

And in case you see better, brilliant and consistently good blogs going forward, you'll know it works.

Being Brilliant Every Single Day (Part 1)
Dr. Alan Watkins




Being Brilliant Every Single Day (Part 2)
Dr. Alan Watkins



As always there are several interesting apps that allow you to try and practice breathing techniques. One that I downloaded and checked out is iBreathe, which seems pretty good.

Sense of Humor! Or Senseless Humor !!

In December of last year, we had a "Chinthan Baithak" at our offices. That's Hindi for "Thinking Sit-Down", a session of Introspection. This was a session where the senior management identified positive and negative traits in themselves and each other with the idea that introspection and feedback would help us improve not only internally but largely benefit the organization. It worked wonders.

Its absolutely true that we, or at least and definitely I was missing the obvious. Obvious to everybody, but for me. 2 of the interesting things that came out were my sense of dressing and my sense of humor.

The fact that I was not particular about clothes and did not have a great dressing sense, I was aware of. Reia as a child had once told me, "If there were a Fashion Police, you'd be in jail." What I did not realize was that it made a difference. To how I was perceived. And so last week I engaged the Fashionista to give me a makeover.

The sense of humor bit was a shock. I always thought I had a great sense of humor. Freia is the one who gets a lot of compliments about her sense of humor. And I thought she had got it from me. Interestingly a few months ago, she credited me for it. And I was basking in my glory. Till the Chinthan Baithak burst my inflated humor.

Naturally, the person I reached out for help was Freia. Earlier today as we drove to Philly, Freia gave me a course on having and handling a sense of humor. And once again, while a lot of tips seem to be obvious, they clearly weren't. At least not to me.

Here are the 5 main things I learned from Freia.

1. A joke is about the listener.
A joke is not about the teller. But the listener. It's important to keep in mind who the listener is. And what she or he finds funny.

2. What's funny to you, may not be funny to someone else.
All of us find different things funny. And what's funny to me, may not be funny to someone else.

3. Context matters.
The situation and interaction matters. The listener having the context of the situation that the joke is set in determines whether the joke is understood.

4. Many don't have a sense of humor
While most people love having fun. many don't have a sense of humor. A sense of humor like most things is a developed taste and is not common.

5. When you're not sure, don't joke.
The upside of a joke, especially in a work situation is limited. The downside is unlimited. You're better off not joking. Unless you're sure. Of the audience. And the joke.

I'll know at the end of the year, during our next "Chintan Baithak", whether enrolling my kids to help me has worked.

What's in a name ?

This Sunday, I didn't know what to do. And was figuring out how I can pass time and yet come up with something for this blog.

And then I came across a talk on poetry. Never was a poetry fan, and yet the title caught my fancy. Sat through it. And realized, poetry could be interesting. I loved it. And think you may too.

Everyday moments, caught in time.
Billy Collins

And then I came across another talk where again the title caught my fancy. One again, I was not disappointed.

Your elusive creative genius
Elizabeth Gilbert

Whoever said, What's in a name? ... may not have appreciated that with a different name maybe, just maybe we wouldn't smell the flower to know that it would smell as sweet.

Quantum Computing

Yesterday after the Indian Union Budget was announced, a colleague asked me, "What is Quantum Computing". While I had an idea of what it was, I didn't know enough to explain and so said I didn't know much about it. I asked what was the context of the question and he told me that the Finance Minister had announced a budget of Rs. 8,000 crores (~ US$ 1.15 billion) for Quantum Technologies.

Here's what the Dept. of Science & Technology who gets to spend that money said on its website.

"
Budget 2020 announces Rs 8000 cr National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications

The government in its budget 2020 has announced a National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications (NM-QTA) with a total budget outlay of Rs 8000 Crore for a period of five years to be implemented by the Department of Science & Technology (DST).

Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in Union Budget 2020 speech said that the new economy is based on innovations that disrupt established business models. Artificial intelligence, Internet-of-Things (IoT), 3D printing, drones, DNA data storage, quantum computing, etc., are re-writing the world economic order.”

“Quantum technology is opening up new frontiers in computing, communications, cyber security with wide-spread applications. It is expected that lots of commercial applications would emerge from theoretical constructs which are developing in this area. It is proposed to provide an outlay of ` 8000 crore over a period five years for the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications,” she added.

Quantum technologies are rapidly developing globally with a huge disruptive potential. The next generation transformative technologies that will receive a push under this mission include quantum computers and computing, quantum communication, quantum key distribution, encryption, crypt analysis, quantum devices, quantum sensing, quantum materials, quantum clock and so on. The areas of focus for the Mission will be in fundamental science, translation, technology development, human and infrastructural resource generation, innovation and start-ups to address issues concerning national priorities.

Their applications which will receive boost include those in aero-space engineering, numerical weather prediction, simulations, securing the communications & financial transactions, cyber security, advanced manufacturing, health, agriculture, education and other important sectors with focus on creation of high skilled jobs, human resources development, start-ups & entrepreneurship leading to technology lead economic growth.

The range of quantum technologies is expected to be one of the major technology disruptions that will change entire paradigm of computation, communication and encryption. It is perceived that the countries who achieve an edge in this emerging field will have a greater advantage in garnering multifold economic growth and dominant leadership role.

The transition of quantum science and technology from a field of active interest in research laboratories to one that can be applied in day to day life is also the opportune moment that provides the space for many startup companies to form and develop. The Mission draws upon the existing deep strengths within academic institutes across India to support interdisciplinary research projects in key verticals involving quantum technology, while simultaneously developing key foundational strengths in important core areas. QT research, operational implementations, Human resource availability and technology development are in rudimentary stage.

It has become imperative both for government and industries to be prepared to develop these emerging and disruptive technologies in order to secure our communications, financial transactions, remain competitive, drive societal progress, generate employment, foster economic growth and to improve the overall quality of life.

The Mission will be able address the ever increasing technological requirements of the society, and take into account the international technology trends and road maps of leading countries for development of next generation technologies.

Implementation of the mission would help develop and bring quantum computers, secured communications through fibre and free space, quantum encryption and crypt-analysis and associated technologies within reach in the country and help address India specific national and regional issues.

The mission will help prepare next generation skilled manpower, boost translational research and also encourage entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem development. By promoting advanced research in quantum science and technology, technology development and higher education in science, technology and engineering disciplines India can be brought at par with other advanced countries and can derive several direct and indirect benefits.

Quantum Technology is based on the principles of quantum theory, which explains the nature of energy and matter on the atomic and subatomic level. It concerns the control and manipulation of quantum systems, with the goal of achieving information processing beyond the limits of the classical world. Quantum principles will be used for engineering solutions to extremely complex problems in computing, communications, sensing, chemistry, cryptography, imaging and mechanics. Quantum field has not yet matured for commercialization, due to the extreme scientific challenges involved.

Quantum computers store and process information using quantum two level systems (quantum bits or qubits) which unlike classical bits, can be prepared in superposition states. This key ability makes quantum computers extremely powerful compared to conventional computers when solving certain kinds of problems like finding prime factors of large numbers and searching large databases. The prime factorization quantum algorithm has important implications for security as it can be used to break RSA encryption, a popular method for secure communication. Indian physicists and engineers are preparing for a deep dive into the quantum world that holds the secrets for developing exciting technologies for computing, communication, cryptography and many more.

With a solid research base and workforce founded on significant and reliable government support, it can lead to the creation of innovative applications by industries, thereby stimulating economic growth and job creation, which will feed back into a growing quantum-based economy. The government’s financial and organizational support will also ensure that both public and private sectors will benefit. It will establish standards to be applied to all research and help stimulate a pipeline to support research and applications well into the future.

https://dst.gov.in/budget-2020-announces-rs-8000-cr-national-mission-quantum-technologies-applications

I wanted to know more and while there are several extremely good resources, this one by Wired was done brilliantly. I loved the style and how it had explanations for everyone from a child to a teen to an undergrad to a grad to a professional.

Quantum Computing Expert Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of Difficulty | WIRED
IBM's Dr. Talia Gershon (Senior Manager, Quantum Research)