Friday, August 7, 2009

Science and Human Beings

I recently realized that for some people science is beauty and technology is fun. They cannot imagine themselves without science and technology. Though there was a time when I used to get really irritated with such people but now i deeply appreciate b'coz now i know that world's greatest inventions, discovries, research has happened only becoz these people and their quest continues to exist and this is what has helped the world reach to a level where it is.
"I am an Engineer by profession, but not as a person", this is exactly how i used to introduce myself to strangers. Yes I am an Electronics and Communication Engineer, working in software field for a Multi National. But my engineering side of brains only works till i am inside my office premises. When i am outside, it works on everything else, music, arts, people, animals, nature, food, almost everything but not technology or science...
My father is a scientist both by profession and as a person. He loves physics and technology. For this reason he would look for logic and explanation in everything that exist. He would want me to know and understand how the rain is formed after i would thoroughly enjoy playing in the rain, he would also want me to understand the working of roller coasters before i can really have a tough ride on it. While watching a cricket match, he would really wonder how do they track each and every ball to such a precision to judge the umpire's decision. He is a believer of God, but only becoz that belief empowers him and he is totally against the theory of spirits and ghosts. He hates astrology, numerology, palmistry and anything related to such stuff. He considers kitchen the best laboratory and he truly did some amazing experiments like yogurt veggie (i just invented this name, at that time we used to call it "dahi ki sabji"). During the Cricket World Cup, we used to do the mathematical and probability exercises to calculate the number of matches India needs to play and the run-rate required for her to win the cup. He never believed in anything that promises that human beings can predict the future. He is a learner becoz it was his habit, to know, learn and understand everything from a perspective of a scientist. Though it was a great learning for me to be with him during my growing years, i always used to wonder if it is really important to have an attitude like that. Is it really important to have a logic behind everything that exists and to believe in that logic so strongly that everything outside of it cease to exist ?
I am a very emotional and artistic person along with being an engineer. I believe in +ve energies (God) and -ve energies (evil). I believe that there is world which is outside of human logic and i believe in this one belief. With this thinking, i started resenting all those people who would never like to believe anything that stretches itself outside the boundaries of logic. Not to mention, i am surrounded with such people in my personal and professional life.
As i began to know more people of this kind, i started to see their world as well. I could see how my father saw beauty, love and every human emotion in his endless quest for answers, how satisfied he felt when he understood the science behind stuff. Like one of my friends claims that his first love was microcontroller 8051, and he loves it to an extent that 8051 would even sit on his desktop wallpaper. Like one other, who would even see linux related dreams while sleeping !!! I still cannot understand their world, but i can definately see an opening into it. There is not need to understand them, but there is a need to accept them along with their passion which is something intrinsically weaved in our lives - Science and Technology !!!
Frankly speaking, if i look at myself objectively i sometimes feel that even i belong to the same category of human beings with just a confused brain !!!

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