Watch this amazing presentation by Hans Rosling. This is a thought-provoking presentation and can be helpful in long term policymaking. It goes to show that countries from anywhere can rise to any limits.

Time.

Time is often regarded as the fourth dimension. All activity in the universe is linked to time.

But,

What if, time did not exist?

Would the universe stand still? After all, if there is an activity, there’s something that happens “after” and something that happened “earlier”. And, aha, there comes time. Can we imagine the universe, as we humans know it, but, without the dimension of time?

What do the “experts” on the topic say?

And, when talking of time, when did the time start? What existed before the start of time? And if something existed, then isn’t that time as well? Mind you, before you jump to comment, I am NOT talking about the beginning of “universe”, but rather the beginning of “time”. To my mind, therefore, if there is a starting point of “time” then there must be something before that “point”. After all, that “point” is a moment in time as well. And, if there is something before the start of time, then that “start” is really not the start. Is it?

Enlighten me, friends.

Hasan Zuberi, our very own Chairman of Mensa Pakistan has been prominently featured across the new website of Mensa International.

Mensa International recently launched their new website, and as part of the new theme, it features an image on the top right side corner on all pages of the new website. Hasan Zuberi, the Chairman of Mensa Pakistan, who has been instrumental in reviving the Pakistan chapter and projecting its image across the globe, is one of the four people featured in the header of the new theme as the “faces of Mensa”.

Way to go, Hasan!

Now what on earth is Google Wave. Its a paradigm shift from the internet based communication tools you have known since the email went online.

To understand what it is, lets first look at this homemade video:

This video would have got you curious, as well as confused

It also has various plugins. I am particularly impressed by its translation robot, “Rosy”. It allows you to communicate with someone in real time in two different languages.

Now lets look at this video coming from the house of Sergey and Page

But the best way to really comprehend and appreciate what it is, is to take it for a test-drive.

I will be looking forward to your ideas on how you used it, or tested it. As I said, its a paradigm shift, so we all will need a bit of time to truly appreciate its potential and start using it.

Google Wave is in early stages of release and may not be available to everyone. If you do not have access to it, at least get yourself on their list so that you can get an invitation in due course.

Hasan recently shared this ad on the Mensa Pakistan Yahoo group.

Although, while writing this article I am wondering, “Oh, yet another movement, and we still seem to be standing still!!!”

An interesting idea, and if properly implemented, it should give the city a neat look for few months. Beuase, the griffiti writers are not going to stop anyway.

I was reading this thought-provoking post by Lee Seigel, The Intellectual Crash of 2009: Where Have All the Smart People Gone? and I can’t help share Lee’s sentiments.

I remember the times when we used to argue and debate concepts, ideas (no, I am not talking about the hot new idea for a urinal with a fly printed on it!!!) and the debate would go on and on until we would realise that its morning. But, ah! Those were the times. Thanks to economic pressures, now even late dinners are usually with business partners and the discussions are interspersed with issues and strategies related to on-going projects.

For weeks I have an item on my to-do list: “Organise a philisophy night”. The key figure for this project lives 4 houses away from mine, in the very same street. Yet, thanks to the “busy-ness” of everyday, its still an item on the list.

I don’t want to take-away the core of Lee’s article and would encourage you to go there and read it yourself.

Yes you read it right folks! This is actually an all-girl band and they have produced a song entirely played through a bunch of standard, off-the-shelf, or rather off-the-appstore apps downloading on their iPhones. Amazing amazing stuff.

Is it the sign of the times to come?

Mensa Pakistan is proud to Announce that it has now been recognized as Provisional National Mensa … and is in final stages to claim its full NATIONAL STATUS.

Kindly come to this meeting and also invite any Mensa current or old Mensa member that you know.

Hope to see you at (details as follows):

How to Improve Your Memory & Exercise Your Brain – (source: internet)

Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a ‘cognitive reserve’ that will help you stay sharp as you age.

2. Keep your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly “exercising” the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.

3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures.”

4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.

5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.

 
6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.

7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.

15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you’ve done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.