If nanotechnology invades the realm of sport, will it dilute skill and competitive spirit, or will it raise the bar of perfection more than just a little bit higher, tsi finds out...
A man is doing an Olympic sprint for 15 minutes without taking a breath, and another is under water, scuba-diving for four hours without oxygen... Sounds like a scene straight out of a sci-fi flick but in fact, this could very well become a reality in the not-so-distant future, so claims Ray Kurzweil, the man who has also suggested that nanotechnology could pave the way for immortality in as little as the next 20 years.
One of the many questions that a scenario like this
throws up is that, if indeed every person could sprint like an Olympian, then would we still host these games and competitions? If skill and hard work, the very cornerstones of competition, are replaced by technology, then will these ‘robots’ masquerading as humans compete in an arena where human error and skill are the deciding factor between triumph and defeat? “The charm of competition and the spirit of sports would be lost for ever if such health enhancers put every individual at the same pedestal,” opines Jugraj Singh, hockey gold medalist at the Asia Cup and Junior World Cup. If these nanobots could reverse ageing, I would wish that legends like Dhanraj Pillai come back and change the face of Indian hockey once again,” adds Singh. Living forever and being with our loved ones is something we dream of, but if this dream becomes a reality and no one dies a natural death, soon we’ll have to device an automatic switch-off programme which manages the ever-growing population on the face of the earth. “Personally, I would never want to live forever. Although I always wish for the wellbeing of my dear ones, but if I had the chance to give this technology a shot and make someone immortal, it would be someone like Lance Armstrong, who in spite of enduring great suffering, has still retained the will to live and compete,” says ace pugilist, Akhil Kumar, Arjuna Awardee and a gold medal winner at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. It is true that the spirit of a soldier and a sportsman is worthy of admiration. The never say die attitude has always carried them a long way regardless of the hurdles. Every technology is good if we know how to use it for the right reasons. It is essential to live within the realms of nature and respect its laws. Like two sides of a coin, even nanotechnology would have its downside. The way humans have now seemingly tapped the way to cheat death, soon, man would find ways to compete again and make life more interesting. “A sportsman’s spirit is different. Even if these nanobots bring all humans at par as far as health is concerned, an athlete would work hard, develop further skill and soon find a way to be better than the others...” Olympic Bronze Medalist, Sushil Kumar signs off.
A man is doing an Olympic sprint for 15 minutes without taking a breath, and another is under water, scuba-diving for four hours without oxygen... Sounds like a scene straight out of a sci-fi flick but in fact, this could very well become a reality in the not-so-distant future, so claims Ray Kurzweil, the man who has also suggested that nanotechnology could pave the way for immortality in as little as the next 20 years.
One of the many questions that a scenario like this
throws up is that, if indeed every person could sprint like an Olympian, then would we still host these games and competitions? If skill and hard work, the very cornerstones of competition, are replaced by technology, then will these ‘robots’ masquerading as humans compete in an arena where human error and skill are the deciding factor between triumph and defeat? “The charm of competition and the spirit of sports would be lost for ever if such health enhancers put every individual at the same pedestal,” opines Jugraj Singh, hockey gold medalist at the Asia Cup and Junior World Cup. If these nanobots could reverse ageing, I would wish that legends like Dhanraj Pillai come back and change the face of Indian hockey once again,” adds Singh. Living forever and being with our loved ones is something we dream of, but if this dream becomes a reality and no one dies a natural death, soon we’ll have to device an automatic switch-off programme which manages the ever-growing population on the face of the earth. “Personally, I would never want to live forever. Although I always wish for the wellbeing of my dear ones, but if I had the chance to give this technology a shot and make someone immortal, it would be someone like Lance Armstrong, who in spite of enduring great suffering, has still retained the will to live and compete,” says ace pugilist, Akhil Kumar, Arjuna Awardee and a gold medal winner at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. It is true that the spirit of a soldier and a sportsman is worthy of admiration. The never say die attitude has always carried them a long way regardless of the hurdles. Every technology is good if we know how to use it for the right reasons. It is essential to live within the realms of nature and respect its laws. Like two sides of a coin, even nanotechnology would have its downside. The way humans have now seemingly tapped the way to cheat death, soon, man would find ways to compete again and make life more interesting. “A sportsman’s spirit is different. Even if these nanobots bring all humans at par as far as health is concerned, an athlete would work hard, develop further skill and soon find a way to be better than the others...” Olympic Bronze Medalist, Sushil Kumar signs off. 
published The Prospect of Immortality that set off a minor revolution in the process of thinking about the dead or, more precisely, return of the dead. If a person’s body could be frozen immediately after death — Ettinger had suggested — future technologies might make it possible to bring the same back to life. Ettinger's thesis became the rallying point of a new philosophy, or shall one call it the science of Cryonics.
ask him! I’m presuming he saw just beyond numbers. That would be an obvious presumption on my end but I’m sure that question should be probably answered by him. I’ve played my part, as a performer. And the kind of director that he is, I’m sure he is not going to okay a take from anybody for his film if he is not okay with it. I still happen to be the protagonist of his film along with Priyanka but I’m sure he wouldn’t even okay an extra’s or junior artiste’s shot till he is not okay with the performance.
of Indian classical dance remains one of India’s greatest assets. From the sculptured elegance of Bharatanatyam and the ebullient spring of Kuchipudi, to the gentle sway of Manipuri and Odissi, the endless twirls of Kathak and waves of Mohiniattam, Indian classical dance offers the performer and the viewer a path to transcendence. The newly inducted Sattriya of Assam also joins her sisters in the mutual goal of evolved rhythm and imaginative poetry to portray the range of human experience.
flowers also play an important role in it. It appears as if nature itself has worn a red stole. Love, pampering, teasing and enjoyment are an inseparable part and parcel of this festival. And it is not only the weather that plays the seductress; there are relations that have their own charm. Nanad-Bhujai, Devar-Bhabhi, Jija-Saali, the festival dispel the shyness in the relationship and strengthen it. The seduction is compounded by nature itself. Mahua, Kadamb, Mango, Palas and Amaltas trees, among other things, emit fragrances that leave people a little high. Therefore it is only logical that the festival reflects the mood.
of Macaulay. The course content, though enriching and informative, fails to help candidates land jobs. So students turn to coaching institutes. Bureaucrats who run the education system are totally out of touch with the present day needs of students. Coaching institutes, on the contrary, have a planned and scientific approach to things. They are, therefore, as much a necessity as a compulsion. They are likely to remain so until the government changes its approach.
seem to be fighting imaginary adversaries. We violate traffic rules, throw garbage wherever our heart desires and go all out to prove how tough we are by breaking basic norms of decency. How dare the municipal corporation tell us where to urinate and where not. We relieve ourselves on roadsides and on public walls at will. Our cities have turned into free-for-all urinals. In India, lovers are frowned upon if they hold hands or kiss in public, but it's perfectly to urinate or defecate out in the open. We spot a board that says "Photography prohibited" and we do everything we can to assert our freedom by posing before that very board and going click, click, click... Rules are made to be broken. Park your car under a no-parking sign, pluck flowers from gardens that are out of bounds and jaywalk with gay abandon meters away from a zebra crossing or a subway. We are Indians and we don't like to be dictated to.
become impostors themselves. Yet this is exactly what the West Bengal police are being accused of. Posing as journalists of two non-existent publications – one as a reporter of Asian News Agency of Singapore and the other as a camerman of Tazaa TV channel of Kolkata – they arrested Chatradhar Mahato, the most vocal face of Lalgarh’s Police Santras-Birodhi Janaganer Committee (People’s Committee against Police Atrocities).
Dussehra. But this year I don’t think I will be able to buy any. My husband is working in a private sector company. Due to slowdown he has got no increment this year, which means our budget for the upcoming festivals will remain more or less same as last year. With price of everything rising thick and fast, I don’t think with the same budget I have any chance to buy any gold jewellery.” This is what visibly upset Jyotsna Patra, a home maker from Bhubaneswar, shared with us while discussing about her plans for this year’s festival season. But then, she is not the only one.
K V Dayal was adorned by a heavy bronze bell. Jaitha Dayal, lady of the house and wife of KV Dayal came out to greet us; Dayal was away for a meeting of Nature Club, a conclave of people endeavouring towards organic approach to agriculture. We decided to take, in the meantime, a round of the forest that has supplanted the once-barren Muhamma region in Alappuzha district of Kerala, thanks to the efforts of this 62-year-old nature enthusiast.
was heavily fined when it failed to meet the regulatory norms set up by the European Commission (EC). In 2008, the antitrust regulators fined a whopping $1.3 billion for not being able to comply with the antitrust laws since 2004 and thus bringing the total amount of fines on Microsoft to a gigantic $2.5 billion. In 2009, EC imposed a fine of $1.45 billion (£1.06 billion) on American giant, Intel Corporation on the ground that illegal anticompetitive practices of Intel would harm the continuation of a healthy competitive market. The EC, in fact, has gone unique in this century with its antitrust activities. It fined Archer Daniels Midland, along with 13 other leading pharmaceutical companies, which the EC suspected were seeking to control the European vitamin market. The most horrifying one was when EC blocked the $43 billion merger deal between General Electric and Honeywell on the ground that American firms are targeting and buying European firms to retain their growth. Surprisingly, the deal was allowed by the US regulators.