Sand to Silicon in Kannada, ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾರತ

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Kannada version of my book "Sand to Silicon: The amazing story of digital technology" -- ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾರತ , has been published by Govt of Karnataka's Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati Pradhikara (http://kuvempubhashabharathi.org/kannada/),which publishes classics translated from other languages into Kannada and vice versa.

The book has been translated by Dr Y C Kamala and will be available soon in book stores.

Will keep you posted on book release programs from time to time.

Thanks for your encouragement and support.

Indian Intellectual Traditions and Modern Physics

Comments at NIAS symposium on "Modern Physics and Ancient Insights on Reality: A Dialogue across Traditions" , Dec 12, 2015--Shivanand Kanavi

I am not an expert in Indian darshanas. I am speaking here as a physicist. We have had very interesting remarks earlier by experts in Jaina, Bouddha, Advaita, Yoga and Kashmir Shaivite darshanas. I think while it may not be prudent to look for modern physical ideas in ancient darshanas, we can still learn a lot from them.
For example Samkhya posits that both Prakruti and Purusha are Nitya that is eternal, which basically rules out the creator and moment of creation, which are anyway very problematic for scientists. In fact Samkhya is Nirishwara darshana.
It also speaks of the dialectical interaction between matter and consciousness leading to the existence of our many splendored universe. The Prakruti-Purusha relationship is described as one that exists between a lame and a blind person. The lame (Purusha) can see but cannot walk (act) where as the blind (Prakruti) can walk (act) but cannot see. Thus either one on their own lead to nothing, where as the two together lead to the universe.
Similarly the concept of Svabhava in Samkhya is very similar to the Newtonian Law of Nature or properties of matter.
It is a known fact that the concept of one cause producing an effect the normal causality is too simplistic to explain complex phenomenon and if misapplied can lead to conspiracy theories. Here the Buddhist theory of Pratitya Samutpada of many causes leading to an effect provides a more realistic explanation of complex phenomena.
The Vaiseshika, Jaina and Ajivika theories of Atomism provide a very practical way out of the conundrum of continuum and posit a discrete structure of matter, space and time. This is also dictated by common sense which enables comparison of two entities like a stone pebble and a mountain because both have different amounts of finite and discrete matter in them.
The concept that nothing is static but everything in this universe is in motion expressed beautifully in Isho Upanishad as "Jagatyam jagat" is fully supported by modern physics as against the old Newtonian concepts of absolute space and time and state of complete rest and motion.
The methodology of proving any statement strictly according to Pramanas as expressed in Nyaya is again the basis of modern scientific method. Especially if you consider Veda or Agama pramana as Apta Vakya (reliable source) of Samkhya, which is certainly not infallible as it is after all paurusheya or human in origin.
The Jainas have profoundly expounded the concept of relativism of truth through Anekantavada illustrated beautifully by the parable of blind men and the elephant also thereby illustrating the asymptotic nature of cognition. Anekantavad amply allows for diversity of opinion, humility and mutual respect which are the basis of a rational discourse as well as democracy.
I once again thank the organisers who gave me the opportunity to participate in this symposium and listen so many experts in Darshanas from which I have benefitted.

Obit: Raju Vasanthraj

Raju Vasanthraj: Man of many parts 

My dear friend Raju Vasanthraj ( Rv Raj on Facebook) shocked all with his sudden passing away yesterday (March 9, 2016). Looking back at his text messages from Beijing only two months ago and all the conversations we had it looks unreal that he is no more with us !
A voracious reader, alumnus of Oxford and Berkeley. He was on the outside shockingly hawkish and sectarian but inside always going out of the way to help many. The twinkle in his eyes never let out whether he was a genuine hawk or was just pulling your leg for shock value.
A real backroom boy and undertook many quiet missions in both Dr Man Mohan Singh's PMO for the Knowledge Commission and now with the present PM, in the strategic area with NSA but he always did it all pro bono, as service to the country. He took his projects seriously and did all the necessary research and legwork tirelessly but never hankered for the lime light.
Rubbed shoulders with many high and mighty in business and finance and later politics and even International leaders but he was equally affable and down to earth talking to a man on the street or his driver.
He had a vast collection of books on history, philosophy, strategic studies and many other subjects. He greatly welcomed the onset of ebooks since it saved him the library space and soon had a veritable collection of ebooks. Whenever he liked a book he would lend it to me generously. Or if I was looking for a particular one he would use all his contacts here and abroad to procure it.
He was a foodie and introduced me to many a gem in the bylanes of Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. But he was a fantastic cook too. Especially south indian savouries. Once he presented my wife Radhika with his Thatte and Khara Boondi and completely floored all of us with its incredible quality. He was in the process of writing a cookbook of authentic Tam-Brahm food. He had already edited an Ayurvedic Cookbook written by someone else.
I tried many times to induce him to translate his vast erudition into writing. But I was successful only once. True to his mischievous self he signed it off with a pseudonym " Shaniyan" (:-).
He had also been recently convinced by a well known publishing house in UK to research and write a book on the history of global reach of Tamil entrepreneurs since the ancient times.
He leaves behind a young family and my heart goes out to them.
May he rest in peace.
--Shivanand Kanavi

Who invented email?

Who invented email?
Shivanand Kanavi

There are many sides to the story of email. In fact there is another Indian who pioneered email communication in 1972 (before Ray Tomlinson or Shiva Ayyadurai) while working on the Arpanet at MIT with File Transfer Protocol FTP (RFC 114) Abhay Bhushan. 

This 'controversy' reminds me of a quote by Paul Baran (who first articulated packet switching --the basis of Internet, in 1960-62 at RAND):

“The process of technological developments is like building a cathedral. Over the course of several hundred years: people come along, lay down a block on top of the old foundations, saying, ‘I built a cathedral.’ Next month another block is placed atop the previous one. Then a historian asks, ‘Who built the cathedral?’ Peter added some stones here and Paul added a few more. You can con yourself into believing that you did the most important part, but the reality is that each contribution has to follow on to previous work. Everything is tied to everything else. Too often history tends to be lazy and give credit to the planner and the funder of the cathedral. No single person can do it all, or ever does it all.” 

—PAUL BARAN, inventor of packet switching

Baran’s wise words sum up the pitfalls in telling the historical story of technology. Individual genius plays a role but giving it a larger-than-life image robs it of historical perspective.

In India, there was a tradition of collective intellectual work. Take, for instance, the Upanishads, or the Rig Veda; no single person has claimed authorship of these works, much less the intellectual property rights. Most ancient literature is classified as smriti (memory, or, in this case, collective memory) or shruti (heard from others). Even Vyasa, the legendary author of the Mahabharat, claimed that he was only a raconteur. Indeed, it is a tradition in which an individual rarely claims “to have built the cathedral”.