Friends, I am happy that all editions of Times of India on August 9th carried my article "The religion of Reason" - in their Sunday column "Mind over Matter". It is based on a blog written earlier on CLEAR FUNDAS. As suggested by the editor, I expanded the original blog - you can access this version at the following link.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA5LzA4LzA5I0FyMDIxMDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
This is the second time in the last few months that something written on CLEAR FUNDAS has been published in TOI. The last occasion was on March 26th, 2009 when my blog on 'Maximizing Happiness" was published in THE SPEAKING TREE on the editorial page (this one had to be abridged and was given a different title).
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The last blog on "improving curiosity quotient" produced a spate of responses - most of which were sent to me by e mail instead of posting them on the blog - site.
Let me first tackle the two questions that I had left un-answered.
Why do we give a red carpet welcome?
Suman Bose (his comment has been posted on the blog-site) is absolutely right. Red happens to be the colour of our blood - the most precious thing that we possess. So when we welcome somebody with a red carpet welcome, it signifies the importance we attach to that person and to the act of welcoming him / her.
Why do cell phones have no dial tone?
In land - line phones, 48 Volts DC voltage is provided to the telephone instrument by the "central exchange" of the telephone company. This voltage can be used to produce any audio signal. Telephone companies all over the world choose one of the standard audio signals (we call this the dial tone). You must have noticed that on important days (like the New Years Day for example) the telephone company many a times, provides standard greeting messages (on lifting the receiver of the phone) which keep on repeating themselves. In such cases the greeting message is itself the "dial tone". It stops the moment you start dialing. Since there is no voltage provided as an input to the cell phone instrument from the central exchange of the service provider, there is no "dial tone" in a cell phone. One could of course use the battery of the cellphone to produce an artificial "dial tone" - but this would serve no particular purpose and in fact would drain the battery faster. The wireless signal received by the cellphone instrument from the tower is a good enough confirmation of connectivity.
Since readers have shown such acute interest in these "tellmewhy" questions, let me ask a few more, this week ( for all of you to chew on).
- How did the expression "back to square one" originate?
- Can someone die of a "broken heart" [induced for example by a girl/boyfriend jilting you)?
- Why does only 'February' have 28 or 29 days?
- What is the difference between a marriage and a wedding?
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4 comments:
Absolutely Great! I wish that we continue seeing and reading your words in the TOI regularly.
The questions put up by you this time are intreging. let me see if answers are available anywhere.
Back to square one must be from the the board game 'saamp seedi' or 'snake and ladder' where you reach the top line or destination and a vicious snake gobbles you and places you at the bottom line at the start.
Regarding Feb; When the english calender was created, alternate months were given 30 and 31 days with an exception that Feb was made 1 day less. July named after Julius Ceaser got preference as his month had 31 days which hurt Augustus Ceaser. To satisfy him August was also given 31 days. The extra day was deducted once again from poor Feb. The calender creators then reversed the sequence after Aug and Sept was made 30, Oct 31 and so on.
Wedding is a function while marriage is a relationship.
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