February 2025
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The ‘Living’ Dead Tree
Have you ever wondered why some people strive to be different? Why they obsess over uniqueness? Not everyone feels this urge, but for those who do, is it a good thing? That depends on perspective. Take a moment to consider a place called Ténéré in the heart of the Saharan Desert. It’s not a name Continue reading
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For the Love of
WarArtHave you ever wondered why nearly all of Europe is adorned with architectural marvels and grand monuments? The simple answer is that Europe was the cradle of the Renaissance. However, that alone does not fully capture the deep-rooted love Europeans have for art and architecture. When other civilizations were reaching great heights in science, culture, Continue reading
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Does the Universe Care?
In the greater schemes of the cosmos, no lives matter. Even in the galactic scale, nothing will change if tomorrow a giant cataclysmic event destroys Earth into tiny fragments of rocks and end all life forms. The Milky Way galaxy will continue to exist; the only tiny change might be that the Sun would wobble Continue reading
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A brief sparkle called life
Yesterday was a sad day. Someone close to me passed away due to a heart attack. I am not a particularly emotional person, yet at the funeral, I found myself grieving. I consider myself a borderline atheist and throughout my life, I have held on to two guiding principles—destiny and karma. I believe that destiny Continue reading
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Stockdale Paradox — the downfall of being over optimist!
Named after James Bond Stockdale, a U.S. Naval officer and the highest-ranking POW during the Vietnam War, the Stockdale Paradox highlights the perils of unchecked optimism. Captured in 1965, Stockdale endured seven and a half years of brutal captivity. During this time, he observed a striking pattern: the overly optimistic prisoners—those who clung to unrealistic Continue reading
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Silicon-Based Life: A Sci-Fi Perspective
So, what have I been engaging my thoughts with of late? I’ve been visualizing an intriguing question raised by many past researchers: Is silicon-based life possible? As carbon-based life forms, we are the product of four strong covalent bonds, which enable us to create long chains and complex molecules like DNA. Carbon is the backbone Continue reading
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The Samurai’s Oath
I’m an avid reader and also a huge fan of movies/series, especially those with historical or sci-fi themes. If I enjoy a movie/series, I tend to re-watch it—not because I didn’t understand it the first time, but simply out of pure admiration. One such film is The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise. Loosely based on Continue reading
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Beautiful Small Things
Small things are important and true perfection often resides in the little details. Big things exist because of the small things that hold them together. Take the Eiffel Tower, for instance—not the massive steel beams, but the thousands of tiny bolts and nuts that keep it standing. As the great Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran once Continue reading
bhaskar saikia 