What we see is only what we should believe? Or is there something surreptitious, the existence of which surmounts certain conventional presumptions, human race had always adhered to. My primitive knowledge base alleviates spontaneity to absorb certain sporadic discoveries, a reminiscence and then a bitter comparison or a reality check with would always plunge me more into wilderness rather than understanding the revolutionized concepts ( I term it revolutionized cause certain truths instilled in me are now down in the dumps) . I was running through the morning papers when all of a sudden my eyes stumbled on an article which I found sturdy but too hard to digest. Once again I found myself cornered and soporific as my mind shrugged “Oh No. Here we go again not another one of those distinctive discoveries.”
I never knew about Robert Folk neither did I ever try to. The name neither his activities least could have impressed me until the very day when I had to accommodate his feature in my prevailing database and thereby had to rectify my pampered assumptions nourished since my childhood. Robert Folk ‘s career graph did enunciate an illustrious one including a medal for his contribution in Geological Science. He established the naming systems of Limestones, as well as doing important groundwork in describing sediments and classifying sedimentary rocks. Then in due course of time he developed a penchant for electron microscope and got himself involved in paranormal bustles. Thus a geologist who had mesmerized the geological arena substantially pursued biological science.
I always believed that bacteria did remain the smallest living being and even we always interpret bacterial in liguistics to the smallest thus emphasizing its significance. But now the theory is vandalized. Robert Folk found out extremely small objects in various rocks which resembled fossilized bacteria , but grotesquely a fraction of micron only in size. Indeed a few biologists( Folk was not a biologist rather a geologist ) have found few signs of living bacteria this tiny. Folk named his sighting nanobacteria ( the usage of nano is synonymous to geologists but a derision to biologists) . He began thus a wider research into this thereby metamorphosing his parenthesis with signs of ancient life equating the presence of nannobacteria in the Martian meteorite. This cultivated an ideological feud as his opponents strongly criticized his recent unearthing sarcastically. But Folk did not simmer down. He published journals citing his claim and even made tele appearances as a surrogate to biologists. This propelled an international debate the vitality reflecting in every scientific corners of the world as the biologists around the globe lined up decided to pursue a rancorous approach to Folk as a question percolated in them “ How come a geologist pursue biology or are they tantamount to each other” .
Finally, a research team consisting of World renowned geologist Jurigen Scheiber and equally talented biologist Howard Arnott decided to break the jinx. On their experimentation with fossilized bacteria in the lab they concluded that the alleged nannobacterial structures in sedimentary rocks are probably by-products of bacterial degradation of organic matter and not evidence for minute life forms called nannobacteria. If this conclusion holds up, then Robert folk would find his theory slashed and discarded. But a few renowned geologists has not supported this theory. Thus Robert Folk’s penchant for electron microscope landed him amidst an international scientific debate highlighting the ideological battle between the geologists and the biologists.
Well, so far with the Robert Folk’s Folktale. But believe me neither I got interested in Robert Folk nor his Endeavour to link geology with Biology and thereby a fusion between these sciences. Be the waging war between the biologists and the geologists for this issue followed by the stigmatizing of a valuable discovery did not quite reasonably garner any proclivity to either of the two sciences although I firmly notch up the criteria that I am just a passerby in this scientifically resplendent world of today. But I have a sturdy Question to Robert Folk which I believe is aptly meritorious to all the common people who differentiate geology and Biology as two heads with the same tail. My question is just to Robert Folk not to the scientific warriors prolifically tarnishing their self sustained reputation through what they claim as an authentication of their existence. Mr. Robert Folk ,please explain to me should I use bacterial or nannobacterial to define smallest . This is a significant qualm for me but for others it might be of bacterial/nannobacterial importance.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
Monday, May 7, 2007
Global warming and the Revenge of Gaia
Global Warming and “The Revenge of Gaia”
We may truly be in grave danger... few of the present inhabitants of the earth are likely to survive beyond the 21st Century
James Lovelock
The words are not an aberration but quotations from one of the most enlightening, but controversial scientific journal “The Revenge of Gaia” . The Gaia hypothesis developed and proposed by Dr James Lovelock, an independent scientist, author , researcher and environmentalist , changes our view on Earth from a barren rock covered with thin coating of life to a self organizing system that in many ways resembles a single organism . A staunch supporter of nuclear science, Lovelock believes that nuclear energy is the only alternative to fossil fuels that has the capacity to fulfill large scale energy needs of mankind thereby reducing greenhouse gases and halting global warming.
Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades. The prevailing scientific option on climate change is that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. The increased amount of carbon Di oxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels and other related activities lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect thereby being the primary causes of human induced component of warming. An increase in the global temperatures can in turn cause other changes, including a rising sea level and changes in the amount of pattern and precipitation. These changes may increase the frequency and intensify of extreme weather events such as floods, heat waves and hurricanes etc. Other consequences also include glacier retreat, extinction of species, lower agricultural yields and increase in the range of disease vectors. The rise in sea level is also major concern and one of the aftermaths of global warming. According to a survey if the sea level were to rise in excess 14 meters almost every coastal city in the world would be affected, with the potential for major impacts on world trade and economy. An example is the island nation of Tuvalu. Tuvalu, an island located near to New Zealand is a naturally gifted location but it has an average elevation of approximately one meter above sea level. As a result, Tuvalu had already an agreement with New Zealand to allow phased relocation as many inhabitants have already started leaving the island. According to the reports there, it is far from clear that the rising sea levels as a result of global warming are a substantial factor, with the sea level rising 1-2 millimeters per year.
Dr. James Lovelock’s “The Revenge of Gaia” is a wake up call to the entire human race. He mentions on the global warming scenario as real and deadly. He also believes that nuclear power remains the only short term way to provide enough energy without causing climatic harm. The Gaia theory takes its name from the goddess of Earth .or the earth mother according to Greek mythology. The concept formulates that the segment of earth from the bottom of its crust to the top of its atmosphere acts self regulating being , keeping conditions suitable for life .He also cites the chemically unstable composition of the atmosphere maintained by life as evidence that Gaia-the world organism – is self regulating for the benefit of life. His argument that if this atmospheric balance was not maintained life would die out, therefore Gaia must have life’s best interests at heart and work for the benefit and propagation of life. Lovelock also discusses on the history of life on earth and the impact that all living creatures, from micro-organisms to humans had on this ever changing planet, the ability of the Earth to maintain relatively constant conditions in temperature, atmosphere, salinity and pH of the oceans and reduction in pollutants defining the concept of organism. He also draws attention to one aspect of warming threat in particular , which is that the expected temperature rise is currently being held back by artificially by a global aerosol ( a layer of dust in the atmosphere right around the planets northern hemisphere ) which is the product of the world’s industry. This shields us from some of the sun’s radiation in a phenomenon which is global dimming and is thought to be holding the temperature down by several degrees. But with a severe industrial downturn the aerosol could fall out of the atmosphere in a very short time and the global temperature could take a sudden leap upwards.
“The Revenge of Gaia” has been nicknamed by many as the Book of Revelation. Lovelock’s vision of the planet’s revenge does not evaluate a spiteful attack against the homo sapiens as such but comprehensible collapse of the system that have kept earth habitable for billions of years. If Gaia means the interdependence of all organisms on earth, then the system collapse implicates to all the organisms, though he focuses it exclusively as our fault. His linking of forests and oceanic algae to the formation of clouds and thus attaining the capability to counter the earth’s warming from man made carbon dioxide. But he firmly believes that as a result of the relentless creeping of global temperature higher and climatic disasters will proliferate thereby the human race has moved beyond a point of recovery. He believes that at the current rate the global temperature will rise by nearly three degrees in the next 50 years. Then the rainforests begins to die and thereby the content of carbon dioxide increases. Algae fail in the ocean and stop generating cooling clouds and absorbing carbon. This results in glacier melting flooding some of the most commercial and economy propellant cities thereby paving way for human migrations, crop failures and emergence of warlords.
Lovelock also proposes a solution for all these impending dilapidation. He advocates the idea of rapid expansion of nuclear fuel to cut fossil fuel emissions, Giant reflectors in space, the solidification and burying of smoke emissions, availability of synthetic foods to give the planet a chance to recover. He dismisses wind power and bio-fuels as inefficient and has not mentioned much about solar power. He also proposes the utilization of higher levels of technology to reduce humanity’s impact on the environment.
Lovelock’s campaign against human abuse of the environment can be justified but certain presumptions of the Gaia hypothesis lacks credibility. In making such a statement, far gloomier than yet made by any other scientist of such international standing, he has sidelined the orthodox Darwinian concept. He can be acknowledged as the man who conceived the first wholly new way of looking life since Charles Darwin. The idea of a self regulatory planet to keep itself fit for life and being synonymous to an organism cannot be digested which is crystal clear when the research scientists virtually ignored his theory. Orthodox Darwinism did not consider that evolving organisms are part of each other’s environment and that diminishing the habitability reduce their chances of survival thereby Gaia being the sum of mutually dependent network. But his visualization of the imminent danger is a pre emptive admonition to the entire human race.
Lovelock is fierce in his insistence on the need to embrace nuclear energy: “Renewable energy sounds good, but so far it is inefficient and expensive. It has a future, but we have no time now to experiment with visionary energy sources: civilization is in imminent danger and has to use nuclear energy now, or suffer the pain soon to be inflicted by our outraged planet”. But nuclear fuel still remains a major bone of contention in the international arena and how safe will the human race be when there is a scuttle to obtain this energy.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
We may truly be in grave danger... few of the present inhabitants of the earth are likely to survive beyond the 21st Century
James Lovelock
The words are not an aberration but quotations from one of the most enlightening, but controversial scientific journal “The Revenge of Gaia” . The Gaia hypothesis developed and proposed by Dr James Lovelock, an independent scientist, author , researcher and environmentalist , changes our view on Earth from a barren rock covered with thin coating of life to a self organizing system that in many ways resembles a single organism . A staunch supporter of nuclear science, Lovelock believes that nuclear energy is the only alternative to fossil fuels that has the capacity to fulfill large scale energy needs of mankind thereby reducing greenhouse gases and halting global warming.
Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades. The prevailing scientific option on climate change is that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. The increased amount of carbon Di oxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels and other related activities lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect thereby being the primary causes of human induced component of warming. An increase in the global temperatures can in turn cause other changes, including a rising sea level and changes in the amount of pattern and precipitation. These changes may increase the frequency and intensify of extreme weather events such as floods, heat waves and hurricanes etc. Other consequences also include glacier retreat, extinction of species, lower agricultural yields and increase in the range of disease vectors. The rise in sea level is also major concern and one of the aftermaths of global warming. According to a survey if the sea level were to rise in excess 14 meters almost every coastal city in the world would be affected, with the potential for major impacts on world trade and economy. An example is the island nation of Tuvalu. Tuvalu, an island located near to New Zealand is a naturally gifted location but it has an average elevation of approximately one meter above sea level. As a result, Tuvalu had already an agreement with New Zealand to allow phased relocation as many inhabitants have already started leaving the island. According to the reports there, it is far from clear that the rising sea levels as a result of global warming are a substantial factor, with the sea level rising 1-2 millimeters per year.
Dr. James Lovelock’s “The Revenge of Gaia” is a wake up call to the entire human race. He mentions on the global warming scenario as real and deadly. He also believes that nuclear power remains the only short term way to provide enough energy without causing climatic harm. The Gaia theory takes its name from the goddess of Earth .or the earth mother according to Greek mythology. The concept formulates that the segment of earth from the bottom of its crust to the top of its atmosphere acts self regulating being , keeping conditions suitable for life .He also cites the chemically unstable composition of the atmosphere maintained by life as evidence that Gaia-the world organism – is self regulating for the benefit of life. His argument that if this atmospheric balance was not maintained life would die out, therefore Gaia must have life’s best interests at heart and work for the benefit and propagation of life. Lovelock also discusses on the history of life on earth and the impact that all living creatures, from micro-organisms to humans had on this ever changing planet, the ability of the Earth to maintain relatively constant conditions in temperature, atmosphere, salinity and pH of the oceans and reduction in pollutants defining the concept of organism. He also draws attention to one aspect of warming threat in particular , which is that the expected temperature rise is currently being held back by artificially by a global aerosol ( a layer of dust in the atmosphere right around the planets northern hemisphere ) which is the product of the world’s industry. This shields us from some of the sun’s radiation in a phenomenon which is global dimming and is thought to be holding the temperature down by several degrees. But with a severe industrial downturn the aerosol could fall out of the atmosphere in a very short time and the global temperature could take a sudden leap upwards.
“The Revenge of Gaia” has been nicknamed by many as the Book of Revelation. Lovelock’s vision of the planet’s revenge does not evaluate a spiteful attack against the homo sapiens as such but comprehensible collapse of the system that have kept earth habitable for billions of years. If Gaia means the interdependence of all organisms on earth, then the system collapse implicates to all the organisms, though he focuses it exclusively as our fault. His linking of forests and oceanic algae to the formation of clouds and thus attaining the capability to counter the earth’s warming from man made carbon dioxide. But he firmly believes that as a result of the relentless creeping of global temperature higher and climatic disasters will proliferate thereby the human race has moved beyond a point of recovery. He believes that at the current rate the global temperature will rise by nearly three degrees in the next 50 years. Then the rainforests begins to die and thereby the content of carbon dioxide increases. Algae fail in the ocean and stop generating cooling clouds and absorbing carbon. This results in glacier melting flooding some of the most commercial and economy propellant cities thereby paving way for human migrations, crop failures and emergence of warlords.
Lovelock also proposes a solution for all these impending dilapidation. He advocates the idea of rapid expansion of nuclear fuel to cut fossil fuel emissions, Giant reflectors in space, the solidification and burying of smoke emissions, availability of synthetic foods to give the planet a chance to recover. He dismisses wind power and bio-fuels as inefficient and has not mentioned much about solar power. He also proposes the utilization of higher levels of technology to reduce humanity’s impact on the environment.
Lovelock’s campaign against human abuse of the environment can be justified but certain presumptions of the Gaia hypothesis lacks credibility. In making such a statement, far gloomier than yet made by any other scientist of such international standing, he has sidelined the orthodox Darwinian concept. He can be acknowledged as the man who conceived the first wholly new way of looking life since Charles Darwin. The idea of a self regulatory planet to keep itself fit for life and being synonymous to an organism cannot be digested which is crystal clear when the research scientists virtually ignored his theory. Orthodox Darwinism did not consider that evolving organisms are part of each other’s environment and that diminishing the habitability reduce their chances of survival thereby Gaia being the sum of mutually dependent network. But his visualization of the imminent danger is a pre emptive admonition to the entire human race.
Lovelock is fierce in his insistence on the need to embrace nuclear energy: “Renewable energy sounds good, but so far it is inefficient and expensive. It has a future, but we have no time now to experiment with visionary energy sources: civilization is in imminent danger and has to use nuclear energy now, or suffer the pain soon to be inflicted by our outraged planet”. But nuclear fuel still remains a major bone of contention in the international arena and how safe will the human race be when there is a scuttle to obtain this energy.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
The Dollar
THE REGIME OF THE DOLLAR
The world economy has become extremely contingent on the Dollar. In fact dollar has not just been able to amass the confidence of its jaded investors but also has attained the significance of donning a new role as the world’s reserve currency. The U.S dollar is the world’s premiere currency, with approximately two thirds of the world’s official Foreign exchange holdings being dollars. Countries are willing to run trade with the U.S in return for additional dollar holdings Why actually are we reluctant enough to exchange valuable resources for these paper IOUs representing a form of tribute to the Dollar?
Before we excavate deep into this topic, a term which needs premonition is balance of payment. It means the summary of the international transactions of a country over a period of time including commodity and service transactions and gold movements. This is a major factor revolving around the economic policies of other countries. The balance of payment considerations constrain other countries to run tight economic policies, thus U.S appears to be free from all the constraints. U.S also gains the special advantage of having surplus trade deficits without apparent market sanctions. This gives Dollar a noteworthy edge over other currencies.
Notching up the status as worlds reserve currency increases the demand for U.S financial assets, thereby driving the prices of stocks and bonds, lowering the interest rates and a fillip to the household wealth of the nation. The U.S government also gets an interest free loan from the hundreds of millions in dollar bills held offshore. Increased demand for its assets makes US manufacturing less competitive internationally because an overvalued dollar makes US exports more expensive and imports cheaper. In order to generate high inflation, certain countries over-issues their own money which encourages foreign citizens to protect themselves by converting and keeping in hand dollars than the domestic currency. U.S owns the world’s largest share of output and trade is tantamount to their assertion on being the world’s military power. This criteria authenticates their big brother attitude thereby a security to protect the global market system also. Thus investor’s tendency to rush to dollars in times of uncertainty buds out of this concept.
Consumption and internal demand also percolates deep into the currency market. Certain countries fail to develop and adequate internal demand or consumption of their produced goods. This forces such countries to rely on the American consumer. The inadequacy in consumption may be due to poor income distribution or bad domestic economic policies. Countries riding high on due to their industrialization generating employment lack adequate internal demand. China is one such example. In order to keep their factories operating they have to depend on their exports which indirectly attracts foreign direct investment and advances development .China has been particularly willing to run trade surpluses with U.S because of its export attributed growth and increase in their foreign direct investment. Thus certain East Asian countries have converted their trade surpluses into dollars, thereby continuing strong demand for dollar and its dominance in official foreign exchange holdings. Industrialization leading to full scale employment has to have the demand. Inadequate internal demand forces such countries to depend on American consumers thereby an overvalued dollar. BMWs and Mercedes Benz manufactured by Germany is supplied in return for paper dollar IOUs as a result of lower internal demand and no noteworthy consumers.
Dollar’s regime can be toppled. When the countries that run trade surpluses with U.S becomes saturated with their dollar holdings, they cease buying. In fact they may even start selling. This will let the currency fall. But this would certainly destroy their countries export market and its associated growth.
The development of consumption markets could also topple the totalitarian regime of the Dollar. The concept of consumption market and a common currency associated with it is a possibility only if a group of countries manage to set aside their economic imbalances and develop their own consumption markets. Countries in the Euro zone are capable of doing this but they are gripped by inefficiency in decision making as a result of the inflation and its associated economic calamities. China’s totalitarian regime fears the presence of Unions and other organizations which are quintessential elements to improve the income distribution. The dearth of such systems inculcates ambiguity in the minds of consumers. The Middle East can be an alternative to this. The oil rich nations can metamorphose the dollars affidavit of security and stability by focusing on oil dominated trade surpluses. Energy deficit nations would flaunt their new trading partners and this would overvalue their currency. As a result, this currency riding on the waves of potential reserves would be a shot in the arm for countries disparaging the apparent market sanctions U.S dollar is betrothed to thereby a situation of endurance for the giant. But the political atmosphere prevailing in this region thwarts a concordance between the nations, which deliberately is an American ploy to destabilize the regions security thereby keeping the dollar consummate and unparallel.
The rest of the world has to develop an alternative to the US consumer. As long as other countries fail to generate sufficient demand in their own markets, they will be compelled to rely on the US market thus an overvalued Dollar. While US workers face stiff competition and job pressures from imports that are advantageous to Dollar, the long term economic prospects of the US economy is open to discussion. The rest of the world, in order to stabilize the world economy, should take up this opportunity encourage more consumption in the European or east Asian markets, improve the wages of the developing economies and thereby resurrect the global financial imbalances widened due to overdependence on the US Dollar.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
The world economy has become extremely contingent on the Dollar. In fact dollar has not just been able to amass the confidence of its jaded investors but also has attained the significance of donning a new role as the world’s reserve currency. The U.S dollar is the world’s premiere currency, with approximately two thirds of the world’s official Foreign exchange holdings being dollars. Countries are willing to run trade with the U.S in return for additional dollar holdings Why actually are we reluctant enough to exchange valuable resources for these paper IOUs representing a form of tribute to the Dollar?
Before we excavate deep into this topic, a term which needs premonition is balance of payment. It means the summary of the international transactions of a country over a period of time including commodity and service transactions and gold movements. This is a major factor revolving around the economic policies of other countries. The balance of payment considerations constrain other countries to run tight economic policies, thus U.S appears to be free from all the constraints. U.S also gains the special advantage of having surplus trade deficits without apparent market sanctions. This gives Dollar a noteworthy edge over other currencies.
Notching up the status as worlds reserve currency increases the demand for U.S financial assets, thereby driving the prices of stocks and bonds, lowering the interest rates and a fillip to the household wealth of the nation. The U.S government also gets an interest free loan from the hundreds of millions in dollar bills held offshore. Increased demand for its assets makes US manufacturing less competitive internationally because an overvalued dollar makes US exports more expensive and imports cheaper. In order to generate high inflation, certain countries over-issues their own money which encourages foreign citizens to protect themselves by converting and keeping in hand dollars than the domestic currency. U.S owns the world’s largest share of output and trade is tantamount to their assertion on being the world’s military power. This criteria authenticates their big brother attitude thereby a security to protect the global market system also. Thus investor’s tendency to rush to dollars in times of uncertainty buds out of this concept.
Consumption and internal demand also percolates deep into the currency market. Certain countries fail to develop and adequate internal demand or consumption of their produced goods. This forces such countries to rely on the American consumer. The inadequacy in consumption may be due to poor income distribution or bad domestic economic policies. Countries riding high on due to their industrialization generating employment lack adequate internal demand. China is one such example. In order to keep their factories operating they have to depend on their exports which indirectly attracts foreign direct investment and advances development .China has been particularly willing to run trade surpluses with U.S because of its export attributed growth and increase in their foreign direct investment. Thus certain East Asian countries have converted their trade surpluses into dollars, thereby continuing strong demand for dollar and its dominance in official foreign exchange holdings. Industrialization leading to full scale employment has to have the demand. Inadequate internal demand forces such countries to depend on American consumers thereby an overvalued dollar. BMWs and Mercedes Benz manufactured by Germany is supplied in return for paper dollar IOUs as a result of lower internal demand and no noteworthy consumers.
Dollar’s regime can be toppled. When the countries that run trade surpluses with U.S becomes saturated with their dollar holdings, they cease buying. In fact they may even start selling. This will let the currency fall. But this would certainly destroy their countries export market and its associated growth.
The development of consumption markets could also topple the totalitarian regime of the Dollar. The concept of consumption market and a common currency associated with it is a possibility only if a group of countries manage to set aside their economic imbalances and develop their own consumption markets. Countries in the Euro zone are capable of doing this but they are gripped by inefficiency in decision making as a result of the inflation and its associated economic calamities. China’s totalitarian regime fears the presence of Unions and other organizations which are quintessential elements to improve the income distribution. The dearth of such systems inculcates ambiguity in the minds of consumers. The Middle East can be an alternative to this. The oil rich nations can metamorphose the dollars affidavit of security and stability by focusing on oil dominated trade surpluses. Energy deficit nations would flaunt their new trading partners and this would overvalue their currency. As a result, this currency riding on the waves of potential reserves would be a shot in the arm for countries disparaging the apparent market sanctions U.S dollar is betrothed to thereby a situation of endurance for the giant. But the political atmosphere prevailing in this region thwarts a concordance between the nations, which deliberately is an American ploy to destabilize the regions security thereby keeping the dollar consummate and unparallel.
The rest of the world has to develop an alternative to the US consumer. As long as other countries fail to generate sufficient demand in their own markets, they will be compelled to rely on the US market thus an overvalued Dollar. While US workers face stiff competition and job pressures from imports that are advantageous to Dollar, the long term economic prospects of the US economy is open to discussion. The rest of the world, in order to stabilize the world economy, should take up this opportunity encourage more consumption in the European or east Asian markets, improve the wages of the developing economies and thereby resurrect the global financial imbalances widened due to overdependence on the US Dollar.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
Technology
Nanotechnology and the MRAM
Technology is now synonymous with evolution. The rapid pace attained by the technological innovations definitely has pulverized the luxurious aspirations of mankind. The spontaneity of innovations has placed the human race always on the track pursuing a rapacious advancement to cuddle the ammunitions man is subdued to, that beyond doubt has rather a mesmerizing effect on those who are entirely unsullied in this advancing world. With the advent of nanotechnology, the conundrum of intrusive investigation has divulged a new-fangled technique propelled by the ferocity of desires and sumptuous motivation that galvanizes with necessities and the primitive recquirements of common man.
Nanotechnology has set the pace of technological conquest on a rigorous scale. It actually characterizes a methodical design, production, application of structures, controllers, devices the size adjudged at the nanoscale. The term is not confined to any particular field as it finds its applications relatively in any scientific field associated with manufacturing and production alongside physics, biology etc. dealing with nanostructures’. The reduction to nanoscale will reflect even an entire digression of the properties of the material that they reflect on macroscale. One example is gold. Gold like all other metals are good conductors of heat and electricity and are almost solid at room temperature with high malleability and ductility. The melting point of gold is at 1060 degree centigrade. But the nanoscale property of gold figures a diversified state. When reduced to nanoscale, the solid form of gold turns into liquid at room temperature. This is called the quantum size effect according to which quantization of energy for the electrons in solid becomes relevant after the size barrier is kaput. The atomic force microscope and Scanning tunneling microscope are the two versions of scanning probes that launched nanotechnology. Ever since, a future manufacturing technology based on molecular machine systems came into picture.
The information and communication field had also its distinctive maturity with the influx of nanotechnology. The critical length scale of the integrated circuits is already at the nanoscale also considering the gate length of transistors in CPU and DRAM devices. But one of the most significant memory inventions of the decade is the development of magnetoresistive random access memory or Mram set to displace hard discs and flash memory in the near future.
On dissembling a desktop computer, the most significant component that the computer needs that justifies its performance and enhances its versatility is the Random access memory (RAM). It is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly that is any byte of the memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes (1 byte is 8 bits) .It is in fact an equipment that stores data to be accessed in any order-at random .Computers or processors use RAM to hold the program code and data .Thus increasing RAM is improving performance. There are two types of RAM, dynamic( DRAM) and static ( SRAM) of which the former is the most common one inspite of the requirement to refresh it thousands of times in a second and the latter being very expensive as it eliminates the above drawback. But RAM is in fact a short term memory. Reading and writing data to RAM can be done extremely quickly. But it is volatile, which means it needs constant power to save the data and any obstruction in the supply would cause great harm. In spite of maintaining data indefinitely by some RAM chips when there is a power failure, it is typically erased when there is a computer shutdown. Flash memory found its application henceforth.
Flash memory is non-volatile as it does not need power to maintain the information stored in it. It is electrically erasable and can be reprogrammed. It is quite predominant in cases when a significant amount of non volatile solid storage is needed as in portable devices like mp3 players and cameras. Although flash memory offers random access read and programming operations, it cannot offer random access rewrite or erase operations. Compared to hard disk drives, the option to erase and rewrite in the flash memory is limited due to which utmost consideration should be taken when the entire hard-drive based applications or operating systems as such is moved into flash memory based devices. It means Flash can only be written to some fixed number of times before it must be replaced. It is also quite slow to write into and can wear out after a definite period.
Nanotechnology unleashed an innovative elucidation on these subsisting predicaments of volatility and slow writing of data. The solution was MRAM or magnetoresistive Random access memory. Mram stores data magnetically, the same way a hard drive does. It is a non volatile memory technology that protects data in the event of power loss and does not require periodic refreshing. It is much faster and suffers no degradation over time in comparison to Flash memory. With smaller components packed onto a single chip, more can be produced from a single silicon wafer (integrated circuit memory) thereby directly affecting the cost. It allows single memory solution to replace multiple memory options within one chip, thus a more cost effective solution. The access time in Mram devices as demonstrated by the scientists is in the order of 2 nano seconds, somewhat better than the new advanced DRAM built with the latest technology. An Mram chip does not posses a battery unlike its predecessor. In fact the existing structure of Mram does not allow it to work until it comes in a radio frequency field thereby energizing it and have to work rapidly before the chip goes out of the field. Within this short span, there got be a wireless propulsion followed by external contacts and protocols to move through and read and write data. Mram combines the high speed of SRAM and the high component density of DRAM to store great amounts of data thus enabling it to access faster and more durability.
The concept of a fully automatic and digital 21st century house is now not a distant dream as already the major corporations like Microsoft , APPLE have entered this fray. With the entry of MRAM into the technological arena, the possibility has further flourished. Nanotechnology substantially will play a major role to assimilate the prerogatives the present century requires thus a further revolution and innovation in this industry cannot be ruled out. With holographic disks, that has the capacity to store terabytes of data and a speed of Megabytes, in combination with MRAM and is further innovations the digital world will further rumble, thus an elucidation on the concept of quantum computers, using quantum algorithms and low layered nanosytem, there by developing a super fusion heated computer at the core of the planet at 1.1 million degrees would become a distant reality. But as Karl Marx quotes “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people”. What about all those things that find no significance to the common man at all?
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
Technology is now synonymous with evolution. The rapid pace attained by the technological innovations definitely has pulverized the luxurious aspirations of mankind. The spontaneity of innovations has placed the human race always on the track pursuing a rapacious advancement to cuddle the ammunitions man is subdued to, that beyond doubt has rather a mesmerizing effect on those who are entirely unsullied in this advancing world. With the advent of nanotechnology, the conundrum of intrusive investigation has divulged a new-fangled technique propelled by the ferocity of desires and sumptuous motivation that galvanizes with necessities and the primitive recquirements of common man.
Nanotechnology has set the pace of technological conquest on a rigorous scale. It actually characterizes a methodical design, production, application of structures, controllers, devices the size adjudged at the nanoscale. The term is not confined to any particular field as it finds its applications relatively in any scientific field associated with manufacturing and production alongside physics, biology etc. dealing with nanostructures’. The reduction to nanoscale will reflect even an entire digression of the properties of the material that they reflect on macroscale. One example is gold. Gold like all other metals are good conductors of heat and electricity and are almost solid at room temperature with high malleability and ductility. The melting point of gold is at 1060 degree centigrade. But the nanoscale property of gold figures a diversified state. When reduced to nanoscale, the solid form of gold turns into liquid at room temperature. This is called the quantum size effect according to which quantization of energy for the electrons in solid becomes relevant after the size barrier is kaput. The atomic force microscope and Scanning tunneling microscope are the two versions of scanning probes that launched nanotechnology. Ever since, a future manufacturing technology based on molecular machine systems came into picture.
The information and communication field had also its distinctive maturity with the influx of nanotechnology. The critical length scale of the integrated circuits is already at the nanoscale also considering the gate length of transistors in CPU and DRAM devices. But one of the most significant memory inventions of the decade is the development of magnetoresistive random access memory or Mram set to displace hard discs and flash memory in the near future.
On dissembling a desktop computer, the most significant component that the computer needs that justifies its performance and enhances its versatility is the Random access memory (RAM). It is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly that is any byte of the memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes (1 byte is 8 bits) .It is in fact an equipment that stores data to be accessed in any order-at random .Computers or processors use RAM to hold the program code and data .Thus increasing RAM is improving performance. There are two types of RAM, dynamic( DRAM) and static ( SRAM) of which the former is the most common one inspite of the requirement to refresh it thousands of times in a second and the latter being very expensive as it eliminates the above drawback. But RAM is in fact a short term memory. Reading and writing data to RAM can be done extremely quickly. But it is volatile, which means it needs constant power to save the data and any obstruction in the supply would cause great harm. In spite of maintaining data indefinitely by some RAM chips when there is a power failure, it is typically erased when there is a computer shutdown. Flash memory found its application henceforth.
Flash memory is non-volatile as it does not need power to maintain the information stored in it. It is electrically erasable and can be reprogrammed. It is quite predominant in cases when a significant amount of non volatile solid storage is needed as in portable devices like mp3 players and cameras. Although flash memory offers random access read and programming operations, it cannot offer random access rewrite or erase operations. Compared to hard disk drives, the option to erase and rewrite in the flash memory is limited due to which utmost consideration should be taken when the entire hard-drive based applications or operating systems as such is moved into flash memory based devices. It means Flash can only be written to some fixed number of times before it must be replaced. It is also quite slow to write into and can wear out after a definite period.
Nanotechnology unleashed an innovative elucidation on these subsisting predicaments of volatility and slow writing of data. The solution was MRAM or magnetoresistive Random access memory. Mram stores data magnetically, the same way a hard drive does. It is a non volatile memory technology that protects data in the event of power loss and does not require periodic refreshing. It is much faster and suffers no degradation over time in comparison to Flash memory. With smaller components packed onto a single chip, more can be produced from a single silicon wafer (integrated circuit memory) thereby directly affecting the cost. It allows single memory solution to replace multiple memory options within one chip, thus a more cost effective solution. The access time in Mram devices as demonstrated by the scientists is in the order of 2 nano seconds, somewhat better than the new advanced DRAM built with the latest technology. An Mram chip does not posses a battery unlike its predecessor. In fact the existing structure of Mram does not allow it to work until it comes in a radio frequency field thereby energizing it and have to work rapidly before the chip goes out of the field. Within this short span, there got be a wireless propulsion followed by external contacts and protocols to move through and read and write data. Mram combines the high speed of SRAM and the high component density of DRAM to store great amounts of data thus enabling it to access faster and more durability.
The concept of a fully automatic and digital 21st century house is now not a distant dream as already the major corporations like Microsoft , APPLE have entered this fray. With the entry of MRAM into the technological arena, the possibility has further flourished. Nanotechnology substantially will play a major role to assimilate the prerogatives the present century requires thus a further revolution and innovation in this industry cannot be ruled out. With holographic disks, that has the capacity to store terabytes of data and a speed of Megabytes, in combination with MRAM and is further innovations the digital world will further rumble, thus an elucidation on the concept of quantum computers, using quantum algorithms and low layered nanosytem, there by developing a super fusion heated computer at the core of the planet at 1.1 million degrees would become a distant reality. But as Karl Marx quotes “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people”. What about all those things that find no significance to the common man at all?
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
soccer: A short story
The hall was empty. A few seats were occupied. I went inside took a seat in the third row from the screen. It was a huge screen with speakers placed on its side. The crowd had not started pouring in yet. In a few minutes the giant screen would be delivering the world cup encounter between Argentina and Holland, the two stalwarts of classic soccer, the very mention of the match would plunge any soccer loving people into enthusiasm and excitation. I was quiet happy that I had occupied a very comfortable position. I turned around to see the soccer savvy public. A few youngsters were seated a few rows back. They had already begun their routine acrimonies, howling and generating an unpleasant commotion by banging the chairs, a real bizarre style of enjoying soccer or was I weird? Well, for me easiness and relaxation remained the prime facets in enjoying a game, be it soccer or tennis. I was quite happy that they were seated a few rows back .The match was about to begin and all of sudden, the crowd had started scuttling in. My eyes were already glued to the screen as both teams had lined up for the anthem recitation. I confirmed the presence of each player and was happy to see my desired teams on the screen. How I wished I was at the stadium alongside my all time favorite Diego Maradona , who was inspiring his national side with a frivolous thumping on a drum, as a mere spectator in the gallery , much to the admiration of the world cup organizers.
I am a diehard Diego Maradona aficionado, the soccer genius who garnered both accolades and impertinence in his much controversial less resplendent football career. The white and blue stripes (represented by the Argentina) materialized an impingement on the mesmerizing skills Maradona had profoundly delivered to the soccer world and the ecstasy he brought to the millions of his admirers around the globe. Post Maradona era for Argentina was beyond doubt too appalling. In fact, Argentina had never been able to recover from that infliction, loss of this stalwart, who charioted Argentina to two consecutive finals, including the World cup in 1986. Thus viewing an Argentinean match for me was rather a profanity to all the progenitors of the World Soccer Governing body that led the conspiracy (at least I believed) to marginalize this icon who had already procured an iconoclastic status in their view. I was in a reverie when I was disturbed by a nauseating smell from my left. My yearning for a comfy analysis and viewing of the match now was tattered. The seat adjacent to mine was occupied.
The occupant looked a middle aged man, his hair graying on the sides revealing his age .His thick eyebrows even reaching his eyes, which was barely discernible, showed signs of attentiveness and astute concern in his activities. His short stature but broad chest and his monolithic posture on the seat exposed a monomaniac in him who would stride through the desert in order to accomplish his task. His unkempt hair, loosely tied shoelaces, clearly indicated his eagerness and fervor to be a part of this match right from the beginning. He kept his neck low, pulled his head to the shoulders and kept his eyes, which would not have faced the broad daylight thanks to his bushy eyebrows, firm on the screen resembled archers and sharp shooters, who had all these preparatory procedures before their onset. But his presence annoyed me. Being a middle aged man, he would have the natural tendency to brag about the previous soccer matches thereby a act a sort of fracas with numerous expressions which would include howling when there is a shot by a player to the target and untamed phrases at the players and the football rules as such, which were all a intimidation on my proclivity for calmness and a despicable tactics to attract others attention. These thoughts were spiraling in me but had lost its momentum as soon as I heard the whistle from the referee. The match had begun.
There was a warm applause from all the spectators present, viewing the match live from this part of the globe. The Argentineans looked seemingly vivacious and delightful too in their navy blue attire (they were not in their traditional blue-white stripped attire much to my dismay and apprehension). The Dutch in their traditional orange were less convincing compared to their opponents. Within a few minutes of the game, Argentina made their first attempt, a long range shot from their centre forward, who missed the goal post by inches. I could not control my excitation as I punched my fists into the air amid the applause from the spectators present. In a short span another attempt by Argentina was thwarted by the Dutch goal keeper. But this time I noticed something unusual rather extraordinary. All this time, the occupant made not even the slightest noise neither a stimulatory movement that arises out from sheer excitation. He remained in a sort of perplexity with his eyes firmly fixed on the screen and his position impervious and unaltered as at the commencing of the match.
Now I was thoroughly distracted. I could not read what his mind was filled with. No excitement , no words enwreathing , not the slightest hesitation neither a curiosity. His eyes, in spite of being hidden in his eyebrows, refused to take leave from the screen not even for a second. What was he ? A soccer connoisseur, or some sort of extra terrestrial genius, who could predict the outcome of the match cropping up from all this years of experience. Or he would have been blessed with the most fortunate boon allocated to the prophets in disguise, to control temper and emotions. He was something special. He must have a very perceptive knowledge on soccer and it’s history due to which these slender endeavors do not matter. He should possess an immaculate skill to arbitrate a situation when the ball reaches the opponents goal line or when there is a scamper towards the goal region. He did not illustrate any affinity towards a particular side neither was he interested in the instant replays,(aired when there is a foul committed or an attempt to score a goal) as though he had predicted the outcome lot before the analysts had .I really wished now to talk with him, a sort of rapacious affection to share his valuable knowledge to aggregate mine. It was a few minutes before half time that I noticed my neighbor (I felt myself humiliated in addressing an intellect by such derogatory terms) counting his fingers but with his eyes glued on the screen. The stringent action must have been a sort of cerebral calculation on the moments left for half time. I decided to break this silence. The referee’s whistle came as music to my ears and a conclusion to my enigma. It was half time.
I looked on to my neighbor. He was interested now in the audience, who were moving out to relax but still that perplexed look of his was not disbanded. He must have been wondering how the viewers were moving out amid speculation rather be glued to the seat like him. He turned around to me, his eyes piercing through the bushy eyebrows that almost resembled a chick coming out from the egg by cracking the covers. I decided to make my move. But I felt my throat go dry all of a sudden. Usually I had the slightest hesitation when it comes to approaching a stranger but on this occasion I faltered. The reason for this percolation of trepidation might have been due to his intellectuality, that any words foolishly spilled would demean my individuality or because I had humiliated a genius by considering him too low to my standards. I smiled on to him .He nodded his head, a complimentary move to heed my invitation.
“Its extra-time” words trickled out from my mouth.
He gazed at me and in the most sarcastic manner with downright genuineness looked into his wrist watch “Its 10:30 “. I giggled.
Only a most authentic knowledge foundation can materialize such sporadic humor. Such was his autocratic style of performance that I decided to engage in a healthier conversation with him. “Tight match .isn’t it?”. I gave him the onus to explain me the synopsis of the just completed first half.
“Yes, it was” his reply was stern and quite optimistic too.” I had just started enjoying the match when it got over”. “Over” my mind murmured.
“Even, I had started counting the number of players running around in the field with the whistle man ,i could not get how many were present there. Anyway it’s crazy that all these people are running behind one ball. But I don’t understand one thing. Why does that man who keeps whistling in the field not even given a chance to at least touch the ball?”
I looked on the screen. The play would resume in a few minutes. People had started occupying their seats. I was feeling very hungry.
I am a diehard Diego Maradona aficionado, the soccer genius who garnered both accolades and impertinence in his much controversial less resplendent football career. The white and blue stripes (represented by the Argentina) materialized an impingement on the mesmerizing skills Maradona had profoundly delivered to the soccer world and the ecstasy he brought to the millions of his admirers around the globe. Post Maradona era for Argentina was beyond doubt too appalling. In fact, Argentina had never been able to recover from that infliction, loss of this stalwart, who charioted Argentina to two consecutive finals, including the World cup in 1986. Thus viewing an Argentinean match for me was rather a profanity to all the progenitors of the World Soccer Governing body that led the conspiracy (at least I believed) to marginalize this icon who had already procured an iconoclastic status in their view. I was in a reverie when I was disturbed by a nauseating smell from my left. My yearning for a comfy analysis and viewing of the match now was tattered. The seat adjacent to mine was occupied.
The occupant looked a middle aged man, his hair graying on the sides revealing his age .His thick eyebrows even reaching his eyes, which was barely discernible, showed signs of attentiveness and astute concern in his activities. His short stature but broad chest and his monolithic posture on the seat exposed a monomaniac in him who would stride through the desert in order to accomplish his task. His unkempt hair, loosely tied shoelaces, clearly indicated his eagerness and fervor to be a part of this match right from the beginning. He kept his neck low, pulled his head to the shoulders and kept his eyes, which would not have faced the broad daylight thanks to his bushy eyebrows, firm on the screen resembled archers and sharp shooters, who had all these preparatory procedures before their onset. But his presence annoyed me. Being a middle aged man, he would have the natural tendency to brag about the previous soccer matches thereby a act a sort of fracas with numerous expressions which would include howling when there is a shot by a player to the target and untamed phrases at the players and the football rules as such, which were all a intimidation on my proclivity for calmness and a despicable tactics to attract others attention. These thoughts were spiraling in me but had lost its momentum as soon as I heard the whistle from the referee. The match had begun.
There was a warm applause from all the spectators present, viewing the match live from this part of the globe. The Argentineans looked seemingly vivacious and delightful too in their navy blue attire (they were not in their traditional blue-white stripped attire much to my dismay and apprehension). The Dutch in their traditional orange were less convincing compared to their opponents. Within a few minutes of the game, Argentina made their first attempt, a long range shot from their centre forward, who missed the goal post by inches. I could not control my excitation as I punched my fists into the air amid the applause from the spectators present. In a short span another attempt by Argentina was thwarted by the Dutch goal keeper. But this time I noticed something unusual rather extraordinary. All this time, the occupant made not even the slightest noise neither a stimulatory movement that arises out from sheer excitation. He remained in a sort of perplexity with his eyes firmly fixed on the screen and his position impervious and unaltered as at the commencing of the match.
Now I was thoroughly distracted. I could not read what his mind was filled with. No excitement , no words enwreathing , not the slightest hesitation neither a curiosity. His eyes, in spite of being hidden in his eyebrows, refused to take leave from the screen not even for a second. What was he ? A soccer connoisseur, or some sort of extra terrestrial genius, who could predict the outcome of the match cropping up from all this years of experience. Or he would have been blessed with the most fortunate boon allocated to the prophets in disguise, to control temper and emotions. He was something special. He must have a very perceptive knowledge on soccer and it’s history due to which these slender endeavors do not matter. He should possess an immaculate skill to arbitrate a situation when the ball reaches the opponents goal line or when there is a scamper towards the goal region. He did not illustrate any affinity towards a particular side neither was he interested in the instant replays,(aired when there is a foul committed or an attempt to score a goal) as though he had predicted the outcome lot before the analysts had .I really wished now to talk with him, a sort of rapacious affection to share his valuable knowledge to aggregate mine. It was a few minutes before half time that I noticed my neighbor (I felt myself humiliated in addressing an intellect by such derogatory terms) counting his fingers but with his eyes glued on the screen. The stringent action must have been a sort of cerebral calculation on the moments left for half time. I decided to break this silence. The referee’s whistle came as music to my ears and a conclusion to my enigma. It was half time.
I looked on to my neighbor. He was interested now in the audience, who were moving out to relax but still that perplexed look of his was not disbanded. He must have been wondering how the viewers were moving out amid speculation rather be glued to the seat like him. He turned around to me, his eyes piercing through the bushy eyebrows that almost resembled a chick coming out from the egg by cracking the covers. I decided to make my move. But I felt my throat go dry all of a sudden. Usually I had the slightest hesitation when it comes to approaching a stranger but on this occasion I faltered. The reason for this percolation of trepidation might have been due to his intellectuality, that any words foolishly spilled would demean my individuality or because I had humiliated a genius by considering him too low to my standards. I smiled on to him .He nodded his head, a complimentary move to heed my invitation.
“Its extra-time” words trickled out from my mouth.
He gazed at me and in the most sarcastic manner with downright genuineness looked into his wrist watch “Its 10:30 “. I giggled.
Only a most authentic knowledge foundation can materialize such sporadic humor. Such was his autocratic style of performance that I decided to engage in a healthier conversation with him. “Tight match .isn’t it?”. I gave him the onus to explain me the synopsis of the just completed first half.
“Yes, it was” his reply was stern and quite optimistic too.” I had just started enjoying the match when it got over”. “Over” my mind murmured.
“Even, I had started counting the number of players running around in the field with the whistle man ,i could not get how many were present there. Anyway it’s crazy that all these people are running behind one ball. But I don’t understand one thing. Why does that man who keeps whistling in the field not even given a chance to at least touch the ball?”
I looked on the screen. The play would resume in a few minutes. People had started occupying their seats. I was feeling very hungry.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION: A VIEW
Shanghai, widely regarded as the citadel of Chinese economy, is now fuelling an acrimony by hosting a summit of a group of Energy rich Nations, the repercussions reverberating even in the closed corridors of the White House. China although has declared the unison a combined effort to confront the three global threats terrorism , extremism , separatism , but the unanimity has much more to say . The presence of Ahamedinejad , the Iran president as an external observer with the invitation from the Chinese authorities ,amidst all the international controversies existing in the present scenario, has in fact stirred a hornets nest. Or citing it otherwise, U.S and its militaristic allies are not at all happy at his presence in the SCO.
The Shanghai 5 Grouping was originally created in 1996 with signing of the ‘Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border regions ‘in Shanghai by the heads of states of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China , Kyrgyzstan , Russia and Tajikistan. In 2001, the annual summit in Shanghai first admitted Uzbekistan in the Shanghai five mechanism (thus transforming it into Shanghai six). Then all six heads of state signed the Declaration of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, praising the role played thus far by the Shanghai Five mechanism and aiming to transform it to a higher level of cooperation. Later in 2005 ,Russia and China conducted their first ever joint military exercise called Peace Mission 2005 the next one planned in 2007 near the Ural Mountains and close to Central Asia ,thereby piling up grave concerns for the NATO .At the Moscow summit in 2005 , the Secretary General of the Organization said that the SCO will prioritize joint energy projects and the establishment of a Free Trade area. Along with Iran , Pakistan and India too received the observer status at the 2005 Summit in Kazakhstan. This is History.
In June 2005, the SCO issued a statement calling for a deadline to be set for the withdrawal of US military base from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The U.S was taken by surprise at this statement and thus began to focus attention on the sanctity and the real purpose of the SCO. China repeatedly denied the media hypes that the SCO was intentionally targeting the U.S with China’s Foreign Affairs Office publicly announcing that SCO never intended to get into a confrontation with any country. But Political Analysts have played down the idea that the SCO could emerge as a regional rival to the US or a concept of an Asian NATO’s emergence. But the idea whether the recently conducted joint military exercises might turn into full scale military alliance cannot be ruled out. Are we going back into a cold war era?
It seems an economic expansion is now on the cards at the moment for China rather than a militaristic expansion. The growing relations with oil rich latin American countries , once acknowledged the backyard of the United States , reflects it’s burgeoning demand for energy sustainability , the joint venture of China’s Sinopec with the Brazilian government owned oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro only legitimizes the prevailing situation there. Although SCO is primarily centered around the security related concerns of its member nations as claimed by China and Russia, the ulterior motives of the former on spearheading an Asian unity, inauspicious by the absence of India as its full term member, remains precarious.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
Shanghai, widely regarded as the citadel of Chinese economy, is now fuelling an acrimony by hosting a summit of a group of Energy rich Nations, the repercussions reverberating even in the closed corridors of the White House. China although has declared the unison a combined effort to confront the three global threats terrorism , extremism , separatism , but the unanimity has much more to say . The presence of Ahamedinejad , the Iran president as an external observer with the invitation from the Chinese authorities ,amidst all the international controversies existing in the present scenario, has in fact stirred a hornets nest. Or citing it otherwise, U.S and its militaristic allies are not at all happy at his presence in the SCO.
The Shanghai 5 Grouping was originally created in 1996 with signing of the ‘Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border regions ‘in Shanghai by the heads of states of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China , Kyrgyzstan , Russia and Tajikistan. In 2001, the annual summit in Shanghai first admitted Uzbekistan in the Shanghai five mechanism (thus transforming it into Shanghai six). Then all six heads of state signed the Declaration of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, praising the role played thus far by the Shanghai Five mechanism and aiming to transform it to a higher level of cooperation. Later in 2005 ,Russia and China conducted their first ever joint military exercise called Peace Mission 2005 the next one planned in 2007 near the Ural Mountains and close to Central Asia ,thereby piling up grave concerns for the NATO .At the Moscow summit in 2005 , the Secretary General of the Organization said that the SCO will prioritize joint energy projects and the establishment of a Free Trade area. Along with Iran , Pakistan and India too received the observer status at the 2005 Summit in Kazakhstan. This is History.
In June 2005, the SCO issued a statement calling for a deadline to be set for the withdrawal of US military base from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The U.S was taken by surprise at this statement and thus began to focus attention on the sanctity and the real purpose of the SCO. China repeatedly denied the media hypes that the SCO was intentionally targeting the U.S with China’s Foreign Affairs Office publicly announcing that SCO never intended to get into a confrontation with any country. But Political Analysts have played down the idea that the SCO could emerge as a regional rival to the US or a concept of an Asian NATO’s emergence. But the idea whether the recently conducted joint military exercises might turn into full scale military alliance cannot be ruled out. Are we going back into a cold war era?
It seems an economic expansion is now on the cards at the moment for China rather than a militaristic expansion. The growing relations with oil rich latin American countries , once acknowledged the backyard of the United States , reflects it’s burgeoning demand for energy sustainability , the joint venture of China’s Sinopec with the Brazilian government owned oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro only legitimizes the prevailing situation there. Although SCO is primarily centered around the security related concerns of its member nations as claimed by China and Russia, the ulterior motives of the former on spearheading an Asian unity, inauspicious by the absence of India as its full term member, remains precarious.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
Socrates : The Drama
SOCRATES: The wise philosopher of athene
ANYTUS: The most wealthiest man of Greece who was the predominantal figure in the indictment of Socrates.
GORIAS : A sophorist intellectual who imparts knowledge to the Athenians for a fee.
PLATO: The most faithful student of Socrates.
CRITO: The most faithful friend of Socrates
KING ARCHON: The judicial authority of Athene.
ARISTOTLES: The student of Plato
JAILOR
Scene 1
There was a huge crowd in the court. Antylus and Gorgias was standing adjacent to the chair of the King.They Looked quite disturbed.
Antylus: Gorgias, The name Socrates should not exist in Athene any more.
Gorias: Oh wealthiest of the wealthiest Antylus, only you could do that….Socrates has not only threatened my existence in the society but has blemished all of us who serve the state.
Antylus: That old man, who does he think he is? Misguiding the youth and turning them against us, questioning, free thinking he says….All these are against us . He is manipulating them against us.
Gorias: It is not the state he is after , he is after individuals particularly you Antylus.
Antylus: I wont let this happen..Today he will bear the fruit for the seeds he has sown…
A background yelling followed by arrival of king Archon. Goria moves nearer to Antylus. King Archon enters the court and wishes them and sits down.Gorias gets seated but antylus doesnot…
King Archon: Antylus, u look disturbed? take your seat.
Antylus: No lord, I will not sit, nor rest until I have my justice.
King Archon: Soldier , bring Socrates in.
The soldier brings Socrates with tied hands , unfolds the ties. Socrates turns towards Antylus who looks at him harshly and when he looks at Gorias , gorias slowly stands up.
Socrates: Yes My lord.
King Archon: Socrates, you know why have you been arrested and brought here for a trial?
Socrates: No My Lord, I do not know.
King Archon: Antylus, you can begin.
Antylus: Oh my Lord, This person has been instigating the youth against the state with notorius ideas.
King Archon: Socrates is this true?
Socrates: No my Lord. I have always obeyed and respected the state.I have never misguided the youth. I adviced them to believe in their knowledge. I had always told them a kind of wisdom that each of them lacks is an open awareness of his own ignorance. My aim is not to convey new information but rather to elicit awareness of something that an individual already knows implicitly.
Gorias: My Lord, He has been imparting knowledge by alleviating from our contemporary system. He has been doing this free of charge which is against the law?
King Archon: What do you have to say about this Socrates?
Socrates: My Lord, Knowledge should not have any barriers nor the style we adopt to attain it.is what I believe. So I decided to share my ideas with my students without accepting anything in return.This only would propel them to seek and learn more.
Gorias: What is learning more , My lord? They have started pursuing the idea that the world is no more a square but round in shape( in a saracastic manner) .We all know that there is a point in the world the farther we try to move would trip over and fall off. This knowledge has been passed over through generations by our ancestors and by contradicting it he is trying to degrade our teachings and also belittling our ancestors. Do you call this knowledge , My lord?
King Archon: Socrates, How dare you preach something which is against our tradition and Knowledge?
Socrates: My Lord, How can we ever learn what we do not know. Either we already know what we are looking for, in which case we don't need to look, or we don't know what we're looking for, in which case we wouldn't recognize it even if we found it.Iam inviting you all to the shores of the Aegean Sea from where we could see the ships coming in.
King Archon: How does it prove that?
Socrates: Yes my Lord. Just observe the ships . At first you will see the smoke followed by the pipe and then the body of the ship. Only in a round surface the objects could move around like that.
Antylus: My Lord, The old man Has gone Blind and is totally out of senses.He is imagining things and giving it a different outlook.My Lord, this man,s existence in this society is a shame to all of us. He has also started giving new definitons to judiciary?
King Archon: This is the limit Socrates…
Socrates: No My Lord, Let me ask you Antylus what is Judiciary?
Antylus: Nothing more than telling the truth and repaying ones debts.
Socrates: But in certain cases these simple rules without exception could bring disastrous results.For example Returning a borrowed weapon to an insane friend would be an instance of following the rule but would not seem to be an instance of just action.
Antylus: My Lord, He is redifining our pillars.
Kjing Archon: I cannot tolerate this anymore Socrates. Warden Take him and put him behind the bars till I give a further order on this.
Soldier comes in pushes him down ,ties Socrates. Socrates without saying a word Obeys…..Lights off
Scene 2
[ Socrates was in a deep thought when Plato came to see him}
Plato: Oh my Master…( in a very sad tone)
Socrates: My dearest student Plato..i was waiting for you ….i knew that you would be here before the sunset..
Plato: How can I not? How will I stay happy when my lord is inflicted to such a cruel state? How can I eat …How can I sleep…
Socartes: I am Quite happy here Plato…
Plato: No my master, Do not hide ur tears for that would flood Athene ..do not hide ur emotions for that would deafen the people here..
Socrates: Ur mistaken Plato….my emotions have dried up…I have served the state and I have served the people of athene humbly to my level best which is the final verdict for me…
Plato: How can you say that My Master when your task remains unaccomplished…you taught me that the only opinion that counts is not that of the majority of the people, but rather that of the individual who truly knows. You taught me about human virtues and emotions which still has not reached the masses that you intended to.
Socartes: No Plato ,virtue can never be taught….
Plato: My master, Your work is not over…Athene needs you..the people here wants you moreover I want you…I will not be able to carry your work all alone …don’t desert me in this situation ,my master
Socrates: Loneliness can occur even if you have a partner.There are many people who have many friends but are still lonely inside. So never feel lonely. I am always there with you An unexamined life is not worth living Plato…..
Plato: Master now I have come with a plan..please, do not reject that..
Socrates: What is that?
Plato: An escape from here
Socrates: I don’t understand
Plato: Yes My master, I have crafted a plan for ur escape. U could safely come out of this prison and stay secretly with us .The wealthy Ceyleus , ur follower has pledged his support to us.From there we could pursue the ill effects of this downtrodden society and free the Athenians from the clutches of these conspirators.
Socartes:Plato one never ought to do wrong.And it is always wrong to disobey the state . Hence one never ought to disobey the state. The state is to us as a parent is to a child. and since it is always wrong for a child to disobey a parent, it follows that it is always wrong to disobey the state.So obeying the state is a requirement right up until we die even if they are pushing me into a dungeon of tigers.
Plato: But My master…
Socrates: No plato, it is always wrong to break an agreement .And this is ultimate
Scene 3
[King Archon was seated kept his head low. Antylus and Gorgias stood on his either side.}
King Archon: So what is your opinion , Antylus?
Antylus: Lord, u saw his performance yesterday in the court, He has gone out of his snses and still u remain confused? Do you wish the youth of athene to laugh at us , disrespect us and hatch conspiracies against the state?
Gorgias: Do u want him to rewrite the existing judicial system and thereby even pose a threat to your throne?
King Archon: Gorgias, No Athenian is bigger than the state.
Antylus: Yes that is true but not in the case of Socrates. He is persuading the youth to question and search answers which if left out of control would pose a big threat to our state and the judiciary.
King Archon: So what do u suggest?
Gorias: Cut him down Publicly as we do to the all who defy the state.
King Archon: No, that’s not possible
Antylus: Yes Gorias , we should consider his age. And that would only intensify his symptahsiser’s frustration towards the state.
King Archon: So?
Antylus: Sentence him to die by drinking hemlock, the poisonous plant.
King Archon: But who would do that?
Gorgias: Critus will.
King Archon: Critus, you mean a close aide of Socrates.
Antylus: Yes he should. This should be an order from the state which should weigh more than his friendship with Socrates.
King Archon: Warden
( Warden comes inside)
King Archon: Ask critus to come inside.
Critus: Yes ur Lord.
King Archon: Critus, I hereby sentence Socrates to death by drinking hemlock. U are appointed to give him the poison.
Critus cries in disbelief ..
Critus: No my lord. Please don’t do that. A man of his age and knowledge should not meet such a terrible fate. Please consider this my lord( with tears in his eyes) . That man is respected and honored by thousands of athenians. By doing such an atrocity ur putting into the fire the beliefs and viewpoints of them all.
Gogias: Yes and that is what we want.
Critus: My lord I know him for the past 60 years.a man who has never committed a crime neither a robbery, one has never stood against the state How can the state be so cruel to him?
King Archon: Critus yes I have decided to weigh your opinion.But Socrates has been accused of corrupting the youth, disbelieving the laws and many more. So either he should drink the poison or I present him an opportunity to leave Athens in exile therby he should not be seen anywhere in the Athenian province.
Antylus and Gorgias looks at each other…..
Critus: My Lord there is no Socrates without athene for this is his blood his food , his air. Athene has given him his name , his knowledge.
King Archon: Let him decide his destiny. And I don’t want any further talk on this. You can GO…
Scene 4
Socrates was sleeping when Crito came inside..
Socrates: Why have you come at this hour crito? It must be quite early…
Crito: Yes certainly, The dawn is breaking.
Socrates: And u just came now?
Crito: No I came some time ago
Socrates: Then why did u sit and say nothing, instead of awakening me at once.
Crito: I have been wondering at your peaceful slumbers and that was the reason why I did not awaken you.I wanted you to be out of pain. I have always thought you happy but I do not want to see the cheerful way in which you bear this calamity.
Socrates: My dear friend Crito, when a man has reached my age he ought not to be repining at the prospect of death.
Crito: Yet a few older men than you are…misfortunes.
Socrates: That may be. But you have not told me why you come at this early hour.
Crito: I have come to bring you a message which is sad and painful.
Socrates: What! I suppose u have come with the news of my death.
Criot: ( starts weeping) Yes my dear Socrates , This will be the last day of your life.You have to drink the hemlock as ordered by the state.
Socrates: I had a vision, a dream on this Crito.
Crito: What was the nature of the vision?
Socrates: A Fair and scantily clothed woman called to me and said Socrates ur time has come.
Crito looked very sad and confused.
Crito: Tell me Socrates how should I bury you
Socrates: When I have drunk the poison I shall leave you and go to the joys of the blessed I want you to make sure that that I should not remain , go away and depart for the comfort of the judges.
Crito: Let the cup be brought , if the poison is prepared.
The jailor brings the cup..Whwn he places the cup he kneels in front of Socrates.
Jailor: I am sure that you would not be angry with me , for others are the guilty cause. I bid them all to drink poison .You are the noblest and gentlest of all who ever had been to this place.
With tears he walks out…..
Socrates: How charming the man is….Let me ask you my dear friend crito. Didnot the state give me a second chance other than to have this poison?
Crito: Yes , Leave Athens forever.
Socrates: What is ur opinion Crito?
Crito: I never gave you that option.
Crito: (looking outside) The sun is now only on the hill top.
Socrates: I don’t want a delay cause I don’t gain anything by drinking a lil later.
Socrates took the cup. Crito started weeping.
Socrates: Crito should I honour any god before I drink this?
Crito : Socrates….
Holding the cup to his lips quite readily and cheerfully drank the poison.
Crito: Ay last wish
Socrates:You are my good friend who is experienced in these matters .How much will this effect last..
Crito:You have to walk about until your legs are heavy and then to lie down and then the poison will act. Socrates…Socrates….
Socrates fell back and was dead.. Crot comes closer and closes his eyes
Crito: The end of justest , wisest and best of all men who lived in athens…….
Scene 5
Plato is addressing a group of students
Plato: The dramatic picture of a man willing to face death rather than abandoning his committmnet to philosophical inquiry offers up Socrates as a model for all future philosophers. The truth alone deserves to be the basis for decisions about human action, so the only proper apporoach is to engage in the sort of careful moral reasoning by means of which one may hope to reveal it.It was the dream of Socrates for an effective social life. It requires guardian of two external sorts. there must be both soldiers whose function is to defend the state against external enemies and to enforce its laws, and rulers who resolve disagreements among citizens and make decisions about public policy . Arsistotles Tell me what do u call such a society?
Aristotles( gets up): Yes Master we call it Republic.
Plato: Yes a Republic.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
ANYTUS: The most wealthiest man of Greece who was the predominantal figure in the indictment of Socrates.
GORIAS : A sophorist intellectual who imparts knowledge to the Athenians for a fee.
PLATO: The most faithful student of Socrates.
CRITO: The most faithful friend of Socrates
KING ARCHON: The judicial authority of Athene.
ARISTOTLES: The student of Plato
JAILOR
Scene 1
There was a huge crowd in the court. Antylus and Gorgias was standing adjacent to the chair of the King.They Looked quite disturbed.
Antylus: Gorgias, The name Socrates should not exist in Athene any more.
Gorias: Oh wealthiest of the wealthiest Antylus, only you could do that….Socrates has not only threatened my existence in the society but has blemished all of us who serve the state.
Antylus: That old man, who does he think he is? Misguiding the youth and turning them against us, questioning, free thinking he says….All these are against us . He is manipulating them against us.
Gorias: It is not the state he is after , he is after individuals particularly you Antylus.
Antylus: I wont let this happen..Today he will bear the fruit for the seeds he has sown…
A background yelling followed by arrival of king Archon. Goria moves nearer to Antylus. King Archon enters the court and wishes them and sits down.Gorias gets seated but antylus doesnot…
King Archon: Antylus, u look disturbed? take your seat.
Antylus: No lord, I will not sit, nor rest until I have my justice.
King Archon: Soldier , bring Socrates in.
The soldier brings Socrates with tied hands , unfolds the ties. Socrates turns towards Antylus who looks at him harshly and when he looks at Gorias , gorias slowly stands up.
Socrates: Yes My lord.
King Archon: Socrates, you know why have you been arrested and brought here for a trial?
Socrates: No My Lord, I do not know.
King Archon: Antylus, you can begin.
Antylus: Oh my Lord, This person has been instigating the youth against the state with notorius ideas.
King Archon: Socrates is this true?
Socrates: No my Lord. I have always obeyed and respected the state.I have never misguided the youth. I adviced them to believe in their knowledge. I had always told them a kind of wisdom that each of them lacks is an open awareness of his own ignorance. My aim is not to convey new information but rather to elicit awareness of something that an individual already knows implicitly.
Gorias: My Lord, He has been imparting knowledge by alleviating from our contemporary system. He has been doing this free of charge which is against the law?
King Archon: What do you have to say about this Socrates?
Socrates: My Lord, Knowledge should not have any barriers nor the style we adopt to attain it.is what I believe. So I decided to share my ideas with my students without accepting anything in return.This only would propel them to seek and learn more.
Gorias: What is learning more , My lord? They have started pursuing the idea that the world is no more a square but round in shape( in a saracastic manner) .We all know that there is a point in the world the farther we try to move would trip over and fall off. This knowledge has been passed over through generations by our ancestors and by contradicting it he is trying to degrade our teachings and also belittling our ancestors. Do you call this knowledge , My lord?
King Archon: Socrates, How dare you preach something which is against our tradition and Knowledge?
Socrates: My Lord, How can we ever learn what we do not know. Either we already know what we are looking for, in which case we don't need to look, or we don't know what we're looking for, in which case we wouldn't recognize it even if we found it.Iam inviting you all to the shores of the Aegean Sea from where we could see the ships coming in.
King Archon: How does it prove that?
Socrates: Yes my Lord. Just observe the ships . At first you will see the smoke followed by the pipe and then the body of the ship. Only in a round surface the objects could move around like that.
Antylus: My Lord, The old man Has gone Blind and is totally out of senses.He is imagining things and giving it a different outlook.My Lord, this man,s existence in this society is a shame to all of us. He has also started giving new definitons to judiciary?
King Archon: This is the limit Socrates…
Socrates: No My Lord, Let me ask you Antylus what is Judiciary?
Antylus: Nothing more than telling the truth and repaying ones debts.
Socrates: But in certain cases these simple rules without exception could bring disastrous results.For example Returning a borrowed weapon to an insane friend would be an instance of following the rule but would not seem to be an instance of just action.
Antylus: My Lord, He is redifining our pillars.
Kjing Archon: I cannot tolerate this anymore Socrates. Warden Take him and put him behind the bars till I give a further order on this.
Soldier comes in pushes him down ,ties Socrates. Socrates without saying a word Obeys…..Lights off
Scene 2
[ Socrates was in a deep thought when Plato came to see him}
Plato: Oh my Master…( in a very sad tone)
Socrates: My dearest student Plato..i was waiting for you ….i knew that you would be here before the sunset..
Plato: How can I not? How will I stay happy when my lord is inflicted to such a cruel state? How can I eat …How can I sleep…
Socartes: I am Quite happy here Plato…
Plato: No my master, Do not hide ur tears for that would flood Athene ..do not hide ur emotions for that would deafen the people here..
Socrates: Ur mistaken Plato….my emotions have dried up…I have served the state and I have served the people of athene humbly to my level best which is the final verdict for me…
Plato: How can you say that My Master when your task remains unaccomplished…you taught me that the only opinion that counts is not that of the majority of the people, but rather that of the individual who truly knows. You taught me about human virtues and emotions which still has not reached the masses that you intended to.
Socartes: No Plato ,virtue can never be taught….
Plato: My master, Your work is not over…Athene needs you..the people here wants you moreover I want you…I will not be able to carry your work all alone …don’t desert me in this situation ,my master
Socrates: Loneliness can occur even if you have a partner.There are many people who have many friends but are still lonely inside. So never feel lonely. I am always there with you An unexamined life is not worth living Plato…..
Plato: Master now I have come with a plan..please, do not reject that..
Socrates: What is that?
Plato: An escape from here
Socrates: I don’t understand
Plato: Yes My master, I have crafted a plan for ur escape. U could safely come out of this prison and stay secretly with us .The wealthy Ceyleus , ur follower has pledged his support to us.From there we could pursue the ill effects of this downtrodden society and free the Athenians from the clutches of these conspirators.
Socartes:Plato one never ought to do wrong.And it is always wrong to disobey the state . Hence one never ought to disobey the state. The state is to us as a parent is to a child. and since it is always wrong for a child to disobey a parent, it follows that it is always wrong to disobey the state.So obeying the state is a requirement right up until we die even if they are pushing me into a dungeon of tigers.
Plato: But My master…
Socrates: No plato, it is always wrong to break an agreement .And this is ultimate
Scene 3
[King Archon was seated kept his head low. Antylus and Gorgias stood on his either side.}
King Archon: So what is your opinion , Antylus?
Antylus: Lord, u saw his performance yesterday in the court, He has gone out of his snses and still u remain confused? Do you wish the youth of athene to laugh at us , disrespect us and hatch conspiracies against the state?
Gorgias: Do u want him to rewrite the existing judicial system and thereby even pose a threat to your throne?
King Archon: Gorgias, No Athenian is bigger than the state.
Antylus: Yes that is true but not in the case of Socrates. He is persuading the youth to question and search answers which if left out of control would pose a big threat to our state and the judiciary.
King Archon: So what do u suggest?
Gorias: Cut him down Publicly as we do to the all who defy the state.
King Archon: No, that’s not possible
Antylus: Yes Gorias , we should consider his age. And that would only intensify his symptahsiser’s frustration towards the state.
King Archon: So?
Antylus: Sentence him to die by drinking hemlock, the poisonous plant.
King Archon: But who would do that?
Gorgias: Critus will.
King Archon: Critus, you mean a close aide of Socrates.
Antylus: Yes he should. This should be an order from the state which should weigh more than his friendship with Socrates.
King Archon: Warden
( Warden comes inside)
King Archon: Ask critus to come inside.
Critus: Yes ur Lord.
King Archon: Critus, I hereby sentence Socrates to death by drinking hemlock. U are appointed to give him the poison.
Critus cries in disbelief ..
Critus: No my lord. Please don’t do that. A man of his age and knowledge should not meet such a terrible fate. Please consider this my lord( with tears in his eyes) . That man is respected and honored by thousands of athenians. By doing such an atrocity ur putting into the fire the beliefs and viewpoints of them all.
Gogias: Yes and that is what we want.
Critus: My lord I know him for the past 60 years.a man who has never committed a crime neither a robbery, one has never stood against the state How can the state be so cruel to him?
King Archon: Critus yes I have decided to weigh your opinion.But Socrates has been accused of corrupting the youth, disbelieving the laws and many more. So either he should drink the poison or I present him an opportunity to leave Athens in exile therby he should not be seen anywhere in the Athenian province.
Antylus and Gorgias looks at each other…..
Critus: My Lord there is no Socrates without athene for this is his blood his food , his air. Athene has given him his name , his knowledge.
King Archon: Let him decide his destiny. And I don’t want any further talk on this. You can GO…
Scene 4
Socrates was sleeping when Crito came inside..
Socrates: Why have you come at this hour crito? It must be quite early…
Crito: Yes certainly, The dawn is breaking.
Socrates: And u just came now?
Crito: No I came some time ago
Socrates: Then why did u sit and say nothing, instead of awakening me at once.
Crito: I have been wondering at your peaceful slumbers and that was the reason why I did not awaken you.I wanted you to be out of pain. I have always thought you happy but I do not want to see the cheerful way in which you bear this calamity.
Socrates: My dear friend Crito, when a man has reached my age he ought not to be repining at the prospect of death.
Crito: Yet a few older men than you are…misfortunes.
Socrates: That may be. But you have not told me why you come at this early hour.
Crito: I have come to bring you a message which is sad and painful.
Socrates: What! I suppose u have come with the news of my death.
Criot: ( starts weeping) Yes my dear Socrates , This will be the last day of your life.You have to drink the hemlock as ordered by the state.
Socrates: I had a vision, a dream on this Crito.
Crito: What was the nature of the vision?
Socrates: A Fair and scantily clothed woman called to me and said Socrates ur time has come.
Crito looked very sad and confused.
Crito: Tell me Socrates how should I bury you
Socrates: When I have drunk the poison I shall leave you and go to the joys of the blessed I want you to make sure that that I should not remain , go away and depart for the comfort of the judges.
Crito: Let the cup be brought , if the poison is prepared.
The jailor brings the cup..Whwn he places the cup he kneels in front of Socrates.
Jailor: I am sure that you would not be angry with me , for others are the guilty cause. I bid them all to drink poison .You are the noblest and gentlest of all who ever had been to this place.
With tears he walks out…..
Socrates: How charming the man is….Let me ask you my dear friend crito. Didnot the state give me a second chance other than to have this poison?
Crito: Yes , Leave Athens forever.
Socrates: What is ur opinion Crito?
Crito: I never gave you that option.
Crito: (looking outside) The sun is now only on the hill top.
Socrates: I don’t want a delay cause I don’t gain anything by drinking a lil later.
Socrates took the cup. Crito started weeping.
Socrates: Crito should I honour any god before I drink this?
Crito : Socrates….
Holding the cup to his lips quite readily and cheerfully drank the poison.
Crito: Ay last wish
Socrates:You are my good friend who is experienced in these matters .How much will this effect last..
Crito:You have to walk about until your legs are heavy and then to lie down and then the poison will act. Socrates…Socrates….
Socrates fell back and was dead.. Crot comes closer and closes his eyes
Crito: The end of justest , wisest and best of all men who lived in athens…….
Scene 5
Plato is addressing a group of students
Plato: The dramatic picture of a man willing to face death rather than abandoning his committmnet to philosophical inquiry offers up Socrates as a model for all future philosophers. The truth alone deserves to be the basis for decisions about human action, so the only proper apporoach is to engage in the sort of careful moral reasoning by means of which one may hope to reveal it.It was the dream of Socrates for an effective social life. It requires guardian of two external sorts. there must be both soldiers whose function is to defend the state against external enemies and to enforce its laws, and rulers who resolve disagreements among citizens and make decisions about public policy . Arsistotles Tell me what do u call such a society?
Aristotles( gets up): Yes Master we call it Republic.
Plato: Yes a Republic.
Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal
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