India's First Rocket was brought on Bicycle!

Sounds absurd, but the first rocket India launched into space was transported to the launching site at Thumba in Kerala, using a bicycle.

In 1962, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established. Homi Bhabha, then the father of India's nuclear program, along with Vikram Sarabhai, took into consideration number of sites situated in Kerala to construct a rocket station. 

After long discussion they both finalized Thumba as the appropriate place. Thumba is a small village, until then, known only for fishing situated near the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala.

The newly built rocket launching pad was set amidst coconut groves. A local Catholic church, the St Mary Magadelene's Church served as the main office for the scientists. The bishop's house was converted into a workshop. A cattle shed became the laboratory in which the young Indian scientists worked on the first sounding rockets. Finally, the rocket was transported to the launching site using a bicycle.

Upon launching the first sounding rocket (Nike-Apache) on 21 Nov 1963, Prof. Sarabhai shared with his team his dream of an Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle. 

What's more is that the first satellite India launched was transported on a bullock cart!

India has reached numerous milestones since the launch of its first rocket from the sylvan settings of the coastal hamlet of Thumba near here, marking the decisive step of the country's space odyssey which has witnessed landmarks like the Chandrayaan (Lunar Probe Mission) and the Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission).

The Fault in Our Stars

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

The title is inspired from Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, in which the nobleman Cassius says to Brutus: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings." 

The book rose to #1 on the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists in June 2011 shortly after its title was announced. The Fault in Our Stars debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list and remained in that spot for seven consecutive weeks. The Fault in Our Stars has also gained places on several bestseller lists. It was #1 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list, #1 on the Indiebound bestseller list, and #9 on The Bookseller bestseller list. The novel was also the New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice. 

A feature film adaptation of the novel directed by Josh Boone and starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Nat Wolff was released on June 6, 2014.

The book can be purchased online on Flipkart and Amazon.

Einstein's Advice to his Son

"That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes."

Written in 1915, the following letter from Albert Einstein to his 11-year-old son Hans Albert Einstein is a great piece of fatherly advice. On November 4 that year, Einstein had just completed one of the finest works in the history of Science, the General Theory of Relativity. In this letter, Einstein speaks to his son about the way of learning the most in life.

My dear Albert,

Yesterday I received your dear letter and was very happy with it. I was already afraid you wouldn’t write to me at all any more. You told me when I was in Zurich, that it is awkward for you when I come to Zurich. Therefore I think it is better if we get together in a different place, where nobody will interfere with our comfort. I will in any case urge that each year we spend a whole month together, so that you see that you have a father who is fond of you and who loves you. You can also learn many good and beautiful things from me, something another cannot as easily offer you. What I have achieved through such a lot of strenuous work shall not only be there for strangers but especially for my own boys. These days I have completed one of the most beautiful works of my life, when you are bigger, I will tell you about it.

I am very pleased that you find joy with the piano. This and carpentry are in my opinion for your age the best pursuits, better even than school. Because those are things which fit a young person such as you very well. Mainly play the things on the piano which please you, even if the teacher does not assign those. That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes. I am sometimes so wrapped up in my work that I forget about the noon meal. . . .

Be with Tete kissed by your

Papa.

Regards to Mama.

Hawking warns against Artificial Intelligence!

The world's most celebrated physicist, Stephen Hawking believes that Artificial Intelligence could be mankind's worst mistake. In an article in The Independent written along with computer scientist Stuart Russell and physicists Max Tegmark and Frank Wilczek, he says that the benefits of AI could be huge, but we cannot predict what we might achieve when it is magnified — both good and bad.

Here is an excerpt of the article. 

"The potential benefits are huge; everything that civilisation has to offer is a product of human intelligence; we cannot predict what we might achieve when this intelligence is magnified by the tools that AI may provide, but the eradication of war, disease, and poverty would be high on anyone's list. Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history.

Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks. In the near term, world militaries are considering autonomous-weapon systems that can choose and eliminate targets; the UN and Human Rights Watch have advocated a treaty banning such weapons. In the medium term, as emphasised by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee in The Second Machine Age, AI may transform our economy to bring both great wealth and great dislocation.

Looking further ahead, there are no fundamental limits to what can be achieved: there is no physical law precluding particles from being organised in ways that perform even more advanced computations than the arrangements of particles in human brains. An explosive transition is possible, although it might play out differently from in the movie: as Irving Good realised in 1965, machines with superhuman intelligence could repeatedly improve their design even further, triggering what Vernor Vinge called a "singularity" and Johnny Depp's movie character calls "transcendence".

One can imagine such technology outsmarting financial markets, out-inventing human researchers, out-manipulating human leaders, and developing weapons we cannot even understand. Whereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all."

"So, facing possible futures of incalculable benefits and risks, the experts are surely doing everything possible to ensure the best outcome, right? Wrong. If a superior alien civilisation sent us a message saying, "We'll arrive in a few decades," would we just reply, "OK, call us when you get here – we'll leave the lights on"? Probably not – but this is more or less what is happening with AI. Although we are facing potentially the best or worst thing to happen to humanity in history, little serious research is devoted to these issues outside non-profit institutes such as the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, the Future of Humanity Institute, the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, and the Future of Life Institute. All of us should ask ourselves what we can do now to improve the chances of reaping the benefits and avoiding the risks."

You can read the full article here.

'Unknown' Vacation Destinations in India

Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar 

Valmiki National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the West Champaran district of Bihar state, India. Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) is one of the natural virgin recesses in east India, situated in the north west corner of Bihar. The pristine forest and wilderness of VTR is an excellent example of Himalayan Terai landscape. 

The reserve comprises of the Valmiki National Park and Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary.

How to Reach

Green Bee Eater at VTR

VTR is well connected with road and rail link. Apart from this it takes hardly two hours to reach VTR by road from Gorakhpur airport.

By Road: The VTR is about 275 km from Patna, the capital city of Bihar; 200 km from Muzaffarpur, major city and railhead of North Bihar; 70 km for Bettiah, district headquarters of West Champaran; and 125 km from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, by road. Vehicles can be hired from these places to reach the VTR.

Black-headed Oriole

By Rail: The VTR is situated on Gorakhpur – Muzaffarpur (via Narkatiganj) rail route. Direct train are available from major cities of the Country to reach the VTR. Daily / weekly trains are available from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Siliguri, Dehradun and Amritsar to arrive at Bagaha (to reach western part of the sanctuary) and Narkatiaganj (to reach central and eastern part of the sanctuary). Muzaffarpur and Gorakhpur are the nearest major junctions to get passenger / mail / express trains for Bagaha and Narkatiaganj.

By Air: Patna, Kolkata and Gorakhpur are the nearest airports.

Website: http://valmikitigerreserve.com/

Tarkarli, Maharashtra

Tarkarli is a village in Malvan Taluka in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is tourist destination and an attractive beach.

This place has gained prominence because of its long and narrow stretch of beach with pristine waters and water sports. On a clear day, one can see the bed unto a depth of 20 ft. It presents a panoramic view with tall 'Shuru' trees in the background. The wide river, the beautiful sailboats and the tiny hamlets situated on the riverbank, add to the picturesque beauty of Tarkarli. Sighting dolphins is not a rare event here.

How to Reach

By Road: Tarkarli is easily accessible from Malvan by bus and rickshaw. Tarkarli is 475 km (Panvel Kochi Road, NH 17) and 576 km (Mumbai Kohlapur Road NH 4) away from Mumbai. Daily private, luxury and State Transport bus service available from various parts of Goa, Mumbai, Pune to Malvan.

By Rail: Following options exist: 
Sindhudurg is a major Railway station. 
Kudal on the Konkan Railway which is around 1 hour 15 minutes by road from Malvan. 
Kankavli on the Konkan Railway which is around 1 hour 30 minutes by road from Malvan.

By Air: Nearest airport is Dabolim Airport, Goa.

Wayanad, Kerala

Meenmutty Falls, Wayanad

Yet another unexplored place in Kerala, Wayanad is one of the northern districts of kerala, on its border with Karnataka. It is hilly country with a huge swathe of plantations & estates (particularly coffee estates). This mountain district is in many ways the most picturesque in the state, with its rolling hills covered with tropical rainforest.

Wayanad also contributes richly to its fortunes, with its flourishing cultivation of many spices, and also Tea, Coffee and Cocoa. Wayanad is situated at a height of 700 to 2100m above sea level with temperatures ranging from 12 to 25 degrees centigrade.
This district also has the added advantage of linking Kerala with the golden triangle of South India : Bangalore, Mysore and Ooty. Kalpetta town is the center for all the sight seeing places. An ideal place for trekking and other adventure activities.


Its famous wildflife sanctuary has got everything from exotic flora, birds and a collection of reptiles. The best time to visit is between the months of June to October. There are a number places to visit in Wayanad like Phookat lake, Eddakal caves, Kuruvadweep and Chembara Falls.

How to Reach

By Road: By road, Wayanad is accessible from Calicut, Kannur, Mysore, Bangalore and Ooty. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has bus services from Trivandrum, Eranakulam (Kochi), Calicut (Kozhikkode), Mysore and Bangalore through Wayanad. Karnataka Road Transport Corporation also has bus services from Bangalore/Mysore to Calicut/Eranakulam following the route Mysore - Gundlupet - Sulthan Bathery(Wayanad) - Kalpetta(Wayanad). 

By Rail: The nearest railway station from Wayanad is Kozhikode (Calicut) which is 75 km away from Kalpetta. Mysore railway station is at a distance 140 km from Kalpetta. Tourists coming from Chennai to Wayanad have the option of coming to Calicut or Mysore and further move to Wayanad.

By Air: The nearest Airport to Wayanad is Kozhikode (Calicut) international airport at a distance of about 100 km from Kalpetta (Wayanad dist HQ). Mysore Airport (only domestic flights) is almost 140 km away from Kalpetta and Bangalore international airport is at a distance of approximately 280 km from Kalpetta.

Lachung, Sikkim

Lachung is a town in northeast Sikkim, India. It is located in the North Sikkim district and is near the border with Tibet. Lachung is at an elevation of about 9,600 ft or 3,000 m and at the confluence of the Lachen River and Lachung Rivers, tributaries of the River Teesta. The word Lachung means "small pass". 

Lachung has been described as the "most picturesque village of Sikkim" by British explorer Joseph Dalton Hooker in his definitive, The Himalayan Journal (1855). Skiing is conducted in Phuni near this town.

How to Reach

Yumthang, Lachung

By Road: This city is the hill station and people mostly prefer to travel through road. You can get taxi, jeeps, and buses to move from one place to another. Gangtok (113 km) is easily connected to Lachung with the road transport facility.

By Train: Lachung railway station is nearby the city which can be accessible by road. You can hire any of the available public transport to reach there. Rail network is well connected and make your journey comfortable.

By Air: Gangtok airport is one of the nearest airports to the city from where you can get regular flights to different destinations. This airport is well equipped with modern facilities which offer you with the utmost comfort.

My National Prayer

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

The grand Scene of birth of Independent India In that mid-night, the flag of the ruler of two centuries lowered; The tri-color Indian flag flaps in the Red Fort in the midst of National Anthem. The first vision of Independent India was dawned. The rejoice everywhere, happiness all around, There was a tender cry: where is the father of the nation? The white clothed soul walking in the midst of sorrows and pain, Injected by hatred and ego, the result of communal violence. The father of the nation, Mahatma, walking bare footed In the streets of Bengal for peace and harmony With the strength of blessed soul of Mahatma I pray the Almighty: When will be the dawn of second vision? Create thoughts in the minds of my people, And transform those thoughts into action. Embed the thought of Nation being bigger than The individual, in the minds of leaders and people. Help all the leaders of my country to give strength And bless the nation with peace and prosperity. Give strength to all my religious leaders to bring 'Unity of Minds' among all our billion people Oh Almighty, bless all my people to work and transform Our country from a developing into a developed nation. Let this second vision be born out of sweat of my people, And bless our youth to live in Developed India. Courtesy: www.abdulkalam.com

The Man Who Knew Infinity

The Man Who Knew Infinity is a fascinating biography of the brilliant, self-taught Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan. It is also a history of the astonishingly fruitful cross-cultural collaboration between this young, ill-educated mathematical genius and his mentor at Cambridge University, G. H. Hardy- a relationship that turned the world of mathematics upside down before it withered and died through a combination of Indian bureaucratic short-sightedness, superstition, English spiritual asceticism and the First World War.

Robert Kanigel, author of The One Best Way, tells this extraordinary tale, assessing the legacy of a man whose work contains some of the most beautiful ideas in the history of science, and whose major papers are still being plumbed for their secrets today.

It is a story of the clash of cultures between India and the West- between the world of Sarangapani Sannidhi Street in Kumbakonam in South India, where Ramanujan grew up, and the glittering world of Cambridge; between the pristine proofs of the Western mathematical tradition and the mysterious powers of intuition with which Ramanujan dazzled East and West alike.

It is a story of one man and his stubborn faith in his own abilities. But it is a not a story that concludes, Genius will out- through Ramanujan’s, in the main, did. Because so nearly did events turn out otherwise that we need no imagination to see how the least bit less persistence, or the least bit less luck, might have consigned him to obscurity. In a way, then, this is also a story about social and educational systems, and about how they matter, and how they can sometimes nurture talent and sometimes crush it. How many Ramanujans, his life begs us to ask, dwell in India today, unknown and recognized? And how many in America and Britain, locked away in racial or economic ghettos, scarcely aware of worlds outside their own?

This is a story, too, about what you do with genius once you find it. Ramanujan was brought to Cambridge by an English mathematician of aristocratic mien and peerless academic credentials, G. H. Hardy, to whom he had written for help. Hardy saw that Ramanujan was a rare flower, one not apt to tolerate being stuffed methodically full of all the mathematical knowledge he’d never acquired in India.

All his life, Ramanujan believed in the Hindu gods and made the landscape of the Infinite, in realms both mathematical and spiritual, his home. “An equation for me has no meaning,” he once said, “unless it expresses a thought of God.”