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Fake News and Authenticity in the Day and Age of Social Media

Fake News and Authenticity in the Day and Age of Social Media Fortunately or unfortunately, social media has become a huge part of our lives. We all have our unique ways and reasons for using and consuming it. Some use it for promotion of their products. Some use it for promotion of themselves. Others use it to document their lives and share some memories. It's become a platform for sharing information, opinion and much more. All that is good but there is also a flip side to this tool. Social media has also become a hub for fake news. Unfounded rumours and false news spark silly and unnecessary debates between people and end up dividing the society.  Fake news however isn't the only problem. The authenticity of content on platforms like Youtube or Twitter cannot be validated and lack proof and evidence. Another example could be that when a person posts a picture about his trip to the beach, he/she might just be standing in front of a poster of a beach. This is not just dishone

The Habit Of Reading Never Makes Us Lonely

Loneliness can be more than a problem. It can become a disease that actually takes a toll on our mental and physical health. And this is true for all ages and across humanity. Books are the answer to both these problems. They can be great friends and companions and keep you engaged and well informed. You can travel through the streets of Italy or explore the Milky Way or even travel through time. If this isn’t fascinating enough, books can provide you with the gift of knowledge. The point is, books are a wonderful tool to be happy, to learn something new, to make a new friend or two and to become more creative.  A book never lets you be lonely - even if you are alone. The internet can give information and provide temporary engagement but true wisdom can be acquired only by reading good books. Sometimes I wonder why most successful people are happy being alone and eventually turn out to be voracious readers. Look at Bill Gates - he actually takes two weeks off every year to be alone and

A Life Well Lived

An inspiring story of a man who changed the world with his [dis] ability! “ Rise above my friends, and reach back to help others climb the ladder of life. ” Do you know who said these words? Sounds like some olympic athlete or a world class surgeon. Isn't it? Actually these words are of Ralph W Braun - a man who had spinal muscular atrophy since childhood. It may seem like it is very hard to feel accepted and included in our society if you are different from others. You are discouraged and treated with disdain and made to feel that nothing that you will ever do is going to work out. Your life needs to be just seen through and managed. Success and achievement may seem like impossible dreams.  Most people quickly become victims and fall into depths of anger and pity. But then there are some who get inspired by this - like Ralph W Braun . Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at an early age, Ralph went through the struggle with a quiet determination. He stayed positive and tried to

Biomimicry - Moving Towards A Sustainable Future

“ It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change," said Charles Darwin. From the Galapagos islands came the idea of natural selection, the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change and only the fittest survive. And from this hypothesis came the idea of biomimicry. Biomimicry is the science of applying nature-inspired designs in human engineering and invention to solve human problems. From pigeons inspiring the Wright brothers to create the airplane to the Kingfisher’s beak inspiring the design of the world’s fastest bullet train, biomimicry is responsible for many marvelous inventions in the history of our planet. However, there is something which fascinates me even more. In the capital of Zimbabwe, a building called Eastgate center holds nearly 350,000 square-feet of office space and shops. It uses 90 percent less energy than a similar sized building next door. Something like th

The End of an Errrrrrrr......a - 2

Another journey comes to end, It's not a stop but just a bend. Learning is a curve, sometimes steep and sometimes slow, But it remains like a river in perpetual flow. We may have graduated today, but our education is still incomplete, Meanwhile we have such good memories and stories replete.

The End of an Errrrrrrr......a

School years go by -  so fast that they fly The memory maker works overtime,  The experiences are both sad and fine Good marks and bad too, dry subjects that challenge too Tough physics made easy, calculus making us worried and uneasy So many friends and a few enemies too, In the end all have a place like animals in a zoo Primary, middle and high school joined together but still different, By our conversations, styles and kinds of ignorance The school years were good and make glad, But I look forward to the next phase - wistful but not sad.

The Search For The Stone Of Mystery Of Chemistry

  All the elements of the world were going through an identity crisis. ”We all know our properties but don’t know our place.”, said all the elements. They didn’t know who they were, where they belonged or what their home was.  One day, they met an old man, whose name was mendeleev. He told them “all 0f you must stay together, all of you have a common space. But I can't tell you what it is. Look for the stone of mystery of chemistry and you shall find all the answers.” After giving this short message, he went away.  All the elements started looking for that mystery stone, which could provide an answer to their identity questions. They managed to find the cave which was supposed to have the stone. But the cave had a door which would not open. First, the gases said “we don’t have a form and we can enter anywhere. Let’s try to enter the cave under the door or something. (Add about oxygen rusting and chlorides…) Even the noble gases tried to help by pushing through the gaps, however t

The Mystery Fireball

A steady source and the strongest force All the knowledge in the metaverse cannot explain the heat of my universe The steady beam coming from sources unseen The afternoon glare hides the solar flares The moods of the sun - more complex than heaven Most changes unseen, as if they have never been Coronal mass ejections, spoil the perfection Of a ball of heat that is in perpetual action

My Peeve With AI

  Human Intelligence and AI Oh what a world this has become The future is here but it’s not fun Data is growing and computers cannot keep up They work fast but seem to be slowing Super computers are old, and quantum technology is growing Machine learning is racing in and blockchains do run Oh what a world this has become Humans cannot keep up with the change and brains are frequently losing their range Algorithms buzzing faster than we can ever run Oh what a world this has become Humans waste time in things like feelings AI races along wheeling and dealing   Soon we will achieve fusion and build many suns Oh what a world this has become I could   have written this with chatgpt but I wanted my words funny and witty AI will eventually win and we will surely be done Oh what a world this has become Oh what a world this has become.

Back with a Vengeance (From COVID)

Covid was very bad, sad and very very mad We stayed home.  Some stayed safe - others flirted with fate We thought it would be over soon But many days passed - as passed many a moons It just kept coming back, deadly and determined We got tired but it never took the hint Then the much awaited break came The pandemic did start to wane But what a surprise we saw Human nature started breaking nature’s law We travelled, we ran, with glee we did flee All the months and years of despair Gave way to exaggerated repair Covid is gone but we are back To consume the earth like a hungry pack With a strange mission and no sense We are hitting back earth with a great vengeance Avikal A

Save the World - STOP Climate Change

The wind on my face, the sun on my back. Make me free, grateful me have. The chirping of birds, the lovely sounds. In the deep green forests, they most abound. The sandy beach, and the waves crashing in. The endless sea, the end cannot be seen. The glow of a sunset, lights up my face. The sun going down, with so much grace. The drops of water, falling from the sky. Rainfall is magic, I always wonder why. We pollute the world, with so much haste. The beauty of nature, we quickly waste. I am a child and I love nature, I want to enjoy it even in my future. I want to climb mountains, I want to swim in lakes. Please save nature, whatever it takes. The wind on my face, the sun on my back. Let me be free, don’t take it back.

The 5 Bullet Holes

It was the time of the great depression in 1920s. Most people in the world had lost their jobs and some rich went bankrupt. For years, people stayed alive on very little food. It felt like darkness and sadness everywhere It was a dark night in New York city, USA. All shops were closed and people barely came out of their houses. In the city center, there was a café that was lit up and bright. It was called “Phillies”. An eccentric millionaire named George had some money with him and was using it to have a shot of espresso coffee. Suddenly, he started hearing sounds like ‘Boom”, ‘BANG’ and ‘whiss’. A shooting seems to have taken place right outside the café. George got worried and rushed to the kitchen and closed the lights. Soon, the main door of the café crashed open and George heard some footsteps. Suddenly, he started hearing loud gunshots. He got scared and was also worried about the other customers in the café. And then the shooting stopped. He heard steps again – slowly gett