Election notes – 9/05/2024

“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerated the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism: ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt

I think elections this time around is lack luster as the voting percentages indicate. Severe heat is a problem. I think issues are non substantive and downright trivial. I think  college or university elections are fought on more substantive issues. It’s a real disappointment.  Firstly the elections have to be fought fair and square, secondly the ombudsmen and regulators like election commission have to be free to exercise their rights and thirdly media needs to be non partisan. Some of the self congratulatory channels amplify trivial comments by non actors. Who is Mr. Pitroda? have suggestion for his comments – stand upside down – white hair would become black and try it again – black beard will become white then he can carry on national integration exercise. And on other side, the great man is  waiting to pounce on every  comment and add  to reflected glory ” He is a great man, he must be a great man”…all in third person. 

I guess the opposition alliance is much more civil and putting a good fight in this time around. It needs to cut out irrelevant actors from opening their mouth. I would rate opposition much more responsible in this elections. It might not be enough but it’s a good start. It has found a good campaigner in Priyanka Gandhi. I also think Rahul Gandhi not contesting from Amethi is a fair move, why fall into establishment narrative (trap)? If I were opposition bloc, would focus on cadres and hold on to them. They are much more important than votes. They have a multiplier effect. Same is true of any organisation – employees are more important than customers or markets. This is my point of view and belief. Of course customers and votes ( here) are important they are a consequence of committed employees ( cadres here) effort. It’s a second order consequence.

I think BJP win’s because of its cadres and booth management. It’s organizationally and ideologically tighter and that helps. I respect ideological organisations though one’s belief may be different. Cadre based parties have something to hold on to in all situations and mostly adversity. If BJP wins, which think they will this time around (with a lesser mandate suspect) they must be much more gracious and accommodating of others’s positions. Everyone is not your adversary. I would request prime minister to move away from divisive narrative as accomplishments are many to showcase. Right Sir. Time to let go ” mangalsutra”…

The real issues are jobs, price rise, water scarcity, electricity, education, poverty and empowerment of women. I have been volunteering in corporation schools for seven years – understand primary education and teachers vacancies not being filled and value of mid day meals. Education is very important and public and corporation schools should be first focus.  Many children will lapse into poverty if we are not careful. Where is the safety of women and girl child? where elected parliamentarians are accused of mass rape? where girl’s are murdered in colleges? we need a broad  gender sensitization campaign and protection for girl child? Put that Revanna behind bars immediately! Ditto Brij Bhushan singh!? set an example!

I think economy is on a good footing although its a jobless growth. State has a role to play in job creation – fill all government vacancies.Secondly don’t just give double promotion to some technocrats and identify a diverse talent base. Thirdly all you political strategists who come on television and defend the indefensible. All you pollsters who do some kind randomized controlled trial is it? Or is it market survey ? are you free to opinionate? 

The only people whom respect are reporters who go out in the heat and talk to people. Those views are the ones that matter. I think Mausami Singh (India today) is a good political reporter.  As for studio anchors with data and flow charts –  you may sound clever but do you really know people’s pulse…?

I would say well played Opposition so far. The establishment if you win, which you will because of a popular prime minister and targeted welfare schemes. Please be gracious.

In the end we are all one. We are a billion plus. 

Sincerely, Suresh ( Sir third person mein bolu..)

Eleventh blogging anniversary

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to
succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”
― Abraham Lincoln

Today is  eleventh anniversary on WordPress. Lot happens in a decade, a new generation has come of age, governments have finished two terms in a elected democracy, there is a prolonged war in Ukraine, brutal inhuman one in Gaza and many of the countries are going to poll this year. I have since also grown a decade older. My birth and WordPress anniversary are barely a month apart. So we have grown older together. It gives me  a voice and it’s all that have. Thank you for reading  posts. Hope some of them could give a space for shared reflection, mirror companion soul perhaps, pleasure, some entertainment, hope so…..

I have the same challenges as every one else and perhaps in some areas more acute – professionally and personally. In spite of decade long of posts, have no map for the future. Perhaps nobody knows except the politicians and priests who have a definitive discourse. Krishnamurti says there is nothing creative unless there is freedom from known. I agree. So unless we give up the same old repetition there is nothing new. I hope not to repeat myself. I learnt from a interview by  Harvard happiness Prof. Arthur Brooks with Gallup CEO that it helps to have focused curiosity. Curiosity in a range. Otherwise there is no end to learning. I think need to try same. I have always been incredibly busy in one’s curiosity and learning.  But have I grown? did I do justice to myself and others?

I acutely feel desire to grow and need focused curiosity. My great motivation in life has always been good people.  I would add God to that mix. In last twenty six years have relied only on God and good people. I remember all  good people who were kind. Things are transient. Sometimes it’s all our fault. Remember a master said the best  possible thing for relationships – is to consider it as our fault. When two people think they are wrong. Only then love survives. Love is also all about forgiving and overlooking. I think love is as important as breathing. It’s the most beautiful thing in life. It has always been number one goal in life. Like play is for children, fashion for teenagers, right wing high for middle class, yoga for middle aged…..

We are looking for some structure and some form. I think a disciplined morning routine helps. I keep experimenting – reading 20 pages, exercise and house work. I have started writing a gratitude list as soon as wake up for about 15 minutes. I feel good. I never ever felt old like my hero Dev Anand ” Life is optimism. Optimism is excitement..”  Am scared of bills and paranoid about family health, no right wing/ left wing/centrist ideologies are of any help. God and good people. And that mirage…

I saw a wonderful Taylor Swift NYU 2022 commencement speech and to quote:

life can be heavy, especially if you try to carry it all at once. Part of growing up and moving into new chapters of your life is about catch and release. What I mean by that is, knowing what things to keep, and what things to release. You can’t carry all things, all grudges, all updates on your ex, all enviable promotions your school bully got at the hedge fund his uncle started. Decide what is yours to hold and let the rest go. Oftentimes the good things in your life are lighter anyway, so there’s more room for them. One toxic relationship can outweigh so many wonderful, simple joys. You get to pick what your life has time and room for. Be discerning.

― Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is the most influential artist and her concerts have earned a special mention from authorities for doing more for US economy than any other headwind post pandemic.  I remember  reading Times magazine person of the year 2023 profile. I admire her contribution to US economy. I think all her concerts world wide has the same scale and impact. A lesson for politicians perhaps.

There is an election in few days in my country? Who will win? guess the one who is more prepared, has more resources and hungry will win, so its an easy answer. Unless people throw up a surprise? if you have a mathematics exam, you prepare well for English, will you win? never mind.

I hope to keep posting and not sound receptive. Happy eleventh blogging anniversary to myself.

Sincerely, Suresh

Dr Manmohan Singh

“I do not minimise the difficulties that lie ahead on the long and arduous journey on which we have embarked. But as Victor Hugo once said, “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”. I suggest to this august House that the emergence of India as a major economic power in the world happens to be one such idea. Let the whole world hear it loud and clear. India is now wide awake. We shall prevail. We shall overcome.”

― Dr. Manmohan Singh, 1991

I read a news story of Dr. Manmohan Singh retiring from RajyaSabha the upper house of parliament on 3 April 2024 after a three decade stint. I remember last seeing a photograph of a frail Dr. Singh attending parliament in a wheel chair. I felt sad and admired the former prime minister for attending parliament in spite of ill health. I admire Dr. Manmohan Singh’s contributions as former reserve bank governor, finance minister and prime minister. He has been stellar in every capacity in public life. Dr. Manmohan Singh and former Prime minister Narasimha Rao have been singularly responsible for Economic liberalization which led to a services boom and changed the economic contours of the nation. Yes have been following economy since then. I think history will be very kind to them.

These days every body is proud, father is proud of son, son is proud of wife, wife is proud of husband, husband is proud of leader and leader is proud of himself. Pride seems to be the current currency. So in these inflated times people forget a quiet scholarly dignified man changed the world. To quote from his 1991 budget speech

The best I can do is to pledge myself to serve our country with utmost sincerity and dedication. This I promise to the House. A Finance Minister has to be hard headed. This I shall endeavour to be. I shall be firm when it comes to defending the interests of this nation. But I promise that in dealing with the people of India I shall be soft hearted. I shall not in any way renege on our nation’s firm and irrevocable commitment to the pursuit of equity and social justice. I shall never forget that ultimately all economic processes are meant to serve the interests of our people.”

― Dr. Manmohan Singh

I would rate Dr Manmohan Singh as an excellent prime minister who had to navigate the challenges posed by turbulent often unsavory coalition politics. There were many good social welfare schemes – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment  Guarantee Act (MNREGA), right to education for every child, Direct benefit transfer( DBT), national identity number, Aadhar, UPI. I remember if am not wrong the current government when it first came to power in 2014 increased the MNREGA outlay.  So in politics what you say is not important but what you do.

I agree the later half of Dr. Singh’s government was riddled by corruption scandals and none of them have been proved. It created an anti corruption plank led by civil society movement and people who most benefited from that movement are in power today. One is in Jail. Politics makes strange bed fellows.

I guess Dr. Singh was not the customary politician and separation of political powers and executive powers were always a difficult job. But he did his job with quiet dignity. I like his servant model of leadership and he was excellent in all of public life.

Dr.Manmohan Singh will go down as India’s finest public servant and changed the economic fortunes of the country. He said ” History will be kind to him than media.” I think history will be very kind to him. He was also last Prime minister who did press conferences. 

Unfortunately no body remembers an ex prime minister or President – Do you remember Barack Obama, Tony Blair, Angela Merkel? they were all excellent  leaders and changed the world.

I hope we remember Dr Manmohan Singh’s stellar contribution and services to public life.

My humble regards Sir!

Sincerely, Suresh

References:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/remembering-the-budget-speech-that-changed-india/articleshow/73292816.cms?from=mdr

https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/manmohan-singh-retires-from-rajya-sabha-a-look-at-ex-pms-33-year-long-journey-in-5-statements-11712140835293.html

https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/editorial/manmohan-singh-a-rare-leader-with-a-fine-record-2965771

Daniel Kahneman

Some insights from Thinking fast and slow:
– Anchor your judgment of the probability of an outcome on a plausible base rate. Question diagnosticity of your judgment.
– ” This start up looks as if it could not fail, but the base rates of success in the industry is extremely low. How do we know this case is different.?”
-” They keep making the same mistake: predicting rare events from weak evidence. When the evidence is weak, one should stick with base rates.”
-An important principle of skill training : rewards for improved performance work better than punishment of mistakes.
– A significant fact of the human condition: the feedback to which life exposes us is perverse. Because we tend to be nice to other people when they please us and nasty when they do not, we are statistically punished for being nice and rewarded for being nasty.
– The “Sports Illustrated jinx.” the claim that an athlete whose picture appears on the cover of magazine is doomed to perform poorly in the following season. Overconfidence and the pressure of meeting expectations are often offered as explanations. But there is a simpler account of the jinx: an athlete who gets to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated must have performed exceptionally well in the preceding season, probably with the assistance of a nudge from luck – and luck is fickle.

― Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and slow

Many more. I have been fascinated as a layperson by Daniel kahneman’s work on two modes of thinking – System 1 and System 2.

• System 1 – The instant, unconscious, automatic, emotional and intuitive thinking.
• System 2 – The slow, deliberate, rational, reasoning and conscious thinking.

I revisited and listened to great psychologist/ economist’s 2002 Nobel prize lecture on bounded rationality few times as read the news of great man’s demise. The work is towering and created a new field of behavioral economics. I do have a digital copy of Thinking, Fast and slow. I last saw a Mckinsey Quaterly interview on Noise: A flaw in human judgment by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein. The interview had Sibony and Kahneman. I guess Kahneman was 88 years old then and admired his intellectual faculty and work ethic. He is one of  my intellectual heroes.

I must concede have not read the book – Noise. Though read articles and interviews by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein. Whenever lose jobs whole life comes to an halt and have not been able to buy books. I hope to be back to dignified life soon.

Some more insights:

– A basic limitation in the ability of our mind to deal with small risks: we either ignore them altogether or give them far too much weight – nothing in between.

– We tend to overweight small risks and are willing to pay far more than expected value to eliminate them altogether.
-When an unlikely event becomes the focus of attention, we will assign it much more weight than its probability deserves.
-Reducing or mitigating the risk is not adequate; to eliminate the worry the probability must be brought down to zero.
-People overestimate the probabilities of unlikely events. People overweight unlikely events in their decisions.

-What is the probability that a baby born in your local hospital will be released within three days? You were asked to estimate the probability of the baby going home, but you almost certainly focused on the events that might cause a baby not to be released within the normal period. Our mind has a useful capability to focus spontaneously on whatever is odd, different, or unusual.
-The unlikely event became focal.
-Your estimate of the frequency of problems was too high.
-The successful execution of a plan is specific and easy to imagine when one tries to forecast the outcome of a project. In contrast, the alternative of failure is diffuse, because there are innumerable ways for things to go wrong. Entrepreneurs and the investors who evaluate their prospects are prone both to overestimate their chances and to overweight their estimates.
― Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and slow

From the 2002 Nobel lecture on bounded rationality:

Intuitive thinking:

-Some of the highly skilled cognitive activities are intuitive

• playing chess at the master level
• appreciating social situations

-But intuition is prone to systematic biases and errors:

• which are sometimes not corrected at all, and are rarely corrected perfectly

Intuitive thinking then, its a kind of thinking  that goes on very quickly contrasted to the more serial, effortful processing of information that we sometimes engage in, most of the time we think intuitively. ( Kahneman 2002 Nobel lecture)

I think this is very insightful and how superficial generally our assessments/perceptions can be. We all need to move to System 2 thinking for matters of importance – choosing a career, finding a partner, business decisions, policy decisions and all bigger decisions. It’s just not possible guess to be deliberate on every decision and then might go crazy. But every system 1( intuitive) needs a lens of System 2 ( rational).

I love ideas and Daniel Kahneman and his collaborator Amos Tversky is a giant in the world of ideas and changed the world. When was a student remember reading Paul Samuelson’s book on Economics many times. I think Daniel kahneman’s Thinking, fast and slow is in the same league.

I regret my education. I had no peace. My learning though is effortful – System 2. I now have some peace.

RIP Daniel Kahneman Sir!

Sincerely, Suresh

Another year, another year in paradise

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

One of my heroes has been a hyperactive boy who was a researcher ( perhaps MIT) and someone whose interview had watched on state television when young, he had said ” Am some one who fails on a daily basis and rarely discovers some thing new …” I guess this is kernel of science and scientific research. I kind of applied it as a life philosophy and viewed life as a series of experiments. Is it a good philosophy? don’t know. The boy must be much older now and only he could possibly make an assessment. Let me do the reflection as have been doing in this space. It’s something for myself and anyone looking for a honest reflection and some learning. It’s not for clever people.

Am somebody who fails on a daily basis. My successes are few. Is life a scorecard of victory or losses? Or is it about being man in in the arena and daring greatly? I belong to the later world view. It’s about  doing and trying and developing skin in the game. Sometimes we quit too early. Sometimes our efforts are misguided and strategies are wrong. It must be course correcting then and staying on course. I got my initial efforts in wrong chronology. Its too late now. Nothing can be undone. I should have focused on computer programming course and PG. Instead of the public examination. An astrologer told me ” You will fail.” He had met me on a bus journey. An astrologer tells me now ” You did not follow the prescribed course ….” The learning has been – ” even if life is a series of experiments, there is a chronology, guess like in science….”  I know some people succeed purely by passion, some by bullshit and some by luck. None of them is for me. My learning has been ” There is a chronology that one has to go through.” I also like what former Prime minister Manmohan Singh had said  about hard work and luck. The difference is Arjuna and karna from our folklore’s. 

I love walking. All my reflection and learning comes from walking. The trees, children playing and some times a beautiful woman. While this pic is from university. My learning comes from reflection and books.

I listen to talks by scientists, tech executives and economists and try to live in intersection of science and humanities. Is it wrong path? have no idea, Only time will answer..

I think made a positive contribution to children by volunteering and that makes me happy. I did contribute. I hope to do more work in CSR.

I think children will remember , hope so….

What about all the companies and projects which led to hundreds of tech jobs for so many people?

I think consequence of work was consequential.

In life and work we meet both great people and bad people. We are mostly let down by people we trust and admire. That’s a surprisingly painful lesson learnt in journey called life. Word hard, be independent and never depend on anyone.

My brother and mother always get a cake and we have a quiet time. I love my life of reflection, walk, learning, cycling, family, temples and sometimes meeting friends. I always loved people. I only miss you and all those memories.

I do not need intelligent crooks in life.

Am disappointed by the scene and my prediction for elections is – 100 seats less for the overwhelming favorite. Am always for down trodden, am always for unsung, am for poor. I don’t care for popular opinion and dislike arrogance whether institutional, political, business or society. My hope is poor and judiciary.

Life is a wheel of dharma and it will turn….

Older. George Michael had a beautiful album “Older”..and that song..”She takes the back road and the lane/ Past the school that has not changed in all this time/ She thinks of when the boy was young
All the battles she had won just to give him life/ That man, she loved that man….”

This for today friends its another year in paradise.

Sincerely, Suresh

Education is only hope – 23/02/2024

A combination of unrealistic goals, unnecessarily pessimistic expectations, and the wrong incentives for teachers contributes to ensure that education systems in developing countries fail their two main tasks: giving everyone a sound basic set of skills, and identifying talent.”
― Abhijit V. Banerjee, Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty

I admire teachers. More so teachers in government/municipal corporation schools. They have to have uncommon passion to teach poor children day in and day out basic set of skills and impart semblance of knowledge. Teaching is underrated in a country like ours where education is still a challenge and pipe dream for  many. Credit to government/ local government bodies there are schools and basic facilities in place. At least in the cities and towns. The mid day meal ensures school attendance and nutrition for children.  Last six or seven years that have been mentoring/volunteering in four such  schools have opened my eyes. I never knew this world earlier and its a world which gives great hope and anxieties for future. Many children will come out of poverty and have a great future. Some am afraid will go downhill. They have no interest and no skills. There is no safety net. 

I myself do not fit into traditional education system. That is one of the running themes of this blog. I am most interested in grass roots education and start ups where have knowledge, skills and experience. My interest is in bottom end of pyramid. My effort is not sustainable and needs support. What can we do to help poor children? Every such school needs a mentor who can volunteer 2 to 4 hours a week. That’s what am doing – whom children can share their fears and learn some skills. Every government and municipal school should regularize mentoring/ extra classes to learn subjects students are having difficulty – mathematics, science and English. This is done in good faith by volunteering and CSR. I think every municipal corporation school needs a mentor. I have done my bit. 

I used career transition this time productively with schools. Earlier used to spend time with start ups which was a hit and miss thing. I hope to help students in way which is more sustainable. I need a sponsor. 

the poor are no less rational than anyone else—quite the contrary. Precisely because they have so little, we often find them putting much careful thought into their choices:They have to be sophisticated economists just to survive.”
― Abhijit V. Banerjee, Poor Economics: Rethinking Poverty & the Ways to End it

The poor at least the ones who are living in cities are well aware of the impact of education in changing their destinies. I saw a parent asking a school principal ” My daughter’s interest has declined from 90% to 50% this year, please find out why?.” That is the level of intent a father has in his child’s future. My cook has taken a three month leave to look after her child’s 10th standard exam preparations. Every one is serious about education. That is what gives the greatest hope. 

Some pictures..

Feb 2024 – The very impressive teacher and student with yours truly..

One more….

Group picture with meritorious students who receive scholarships.

I ask them” why they are sitting in halls and studying?” they said ” Its quiet here and there is noise in classroom”

They are my hope.

I think am happy with whatever have done so far. I need a sponsor.

Student – ” Sir come again!”

Student : “What do you teach? Can I join your class?

Student : ” I want to attend classes again.”

Until next time…

Sincerely, Suresh

PS : (The pictures are from my volunteering work for Ullas Trust. I want to dedicate this post to my kind and loving friends.)

Seven technologies to watch in 2024: Nature

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
― Albert Einstein

I feel just the same without the distinction of the great scientist. I regularly read articles and book reviews  from Nature  to keep abreast of latest developments in science and technology. I love science and my second love is economics. If only can roll back time machine would study.  As Cohen sang ” ― “Then let me start again,” I cried, “please let me start again, I want a face that’s fair this time, I want a spirit that is calm.” It is this complex that drives me to read and study. Its like a paltry tribute to one’s persistent longing. The spirit is calm and face is….

Einstein after studying in ETH university in Zurich worked at the patent office in Bern where he did much of his pioneering works in Physics which lead to Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Einstein won Nobel prize ” for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.” I guess it doesn’t matter where you work and what and how you work is most important.  So many people judge you either by grades or organization. Grades is meritocracy and organization is relationship skills. How ever the consequence of work should be consequential and that is what matters when it comes to scientific break through’s like mRNA vaccines which really saved millions of  lives  during pandemic. Infectious disease Epidemiologist & WHO expert Maria Van Kherkhove posted on X platform “Sadly at the end of 2023, we passed the 7 million mark for the number of #COVID19 deaths reported to @WHO . 7,010,586 to be exact. The true death toll is higher, with estimates of at >3 times more deaths globally.” ( Jan 11, 2024)

If we take the excess death toll into account its around 20+ million. That’s lot of people and considering this the vaccines could have saved equal number of people – 20 + million or more. Am doing a guesstimate. That’s what a breakthrough technology can do. It saves lives.

According to Nature report seven technologies to watch in 2024: 

• Deep learning for protein design 
• Deepfake detection
• Large -fragment DNA insertion
• Brain -computer interfaces
• Super -duper resolution 
• Cell atlases
• Nano materials printed in 3D

Let’s explore one or two of above from the nature article

Deep learning for protein design

“Two decades ago, David Baker at the University of Washington in Seattle and his colleagues achieved a landmark feat: they used computational tools to design an entirely new protein from scratch. ‘Top7’ folded as predicted, but it was inert: it performed no meaningful biological functions. Today, de novo protein design has matured into a practical tool for generating made-to-order enzymes and other proteins. “It’s hugely empowering,” says Neil King, a biochemist at the University of Washington who collaborates with Baker’s team to design protein-based vaccines and vehicles for drug delivery. “Things that were impossible a year and a half ago — now you just do it.”

Much of that progress comes down to increasingly massive data sets that link protein sequence to structure. But sophisticated methods of deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), have also been essential.

‘Sequence based’ strategies use the large language models (LLMs) that power tools such as the chatbot ChatGPT (see ‘ChatGPT? Maybe next year’). By treating protein sequences like documents comprising polypeptide ‘words’, these algorithms can discern the patterns that underlie the architectural playbook of real-world proteins. “They really learn the hidden grammar,” says Noelia Ferruz, a protein biochemist at the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Spain. In 2022, her team developed an algorithm called ProtGPT2 that consistently comes up with synthetic proteins that fold stably when produced in the laboratory¹. Another tool co-developed by Ferruz, called ZymCTRL, draws on sequence and functional data to design members of naturally occurring enzyme families².

Sequence-based approaches can build on and adapt existing protein features to form new frameworks, but they’re less effective for the bespoke design of structural elements or features, such as the ability to bind specific targets in a predictable fashion. ‘Structure based’ approaches are better for this, and 2023 saw notable progress in this type of protein-design algorithm, too. Some of the most sophisticated of these use ‘diffusion’ models, which also underlie image-generating tools such as DALL-E. These algorithms are initially trained to remove computer-generated noise from large numbers of real structures; by learning to discriminate realistic structural elements from noise, they gain the ability to form biologically plausible, user-defined structures.

RFdiffusion software³ developed by Baker’s lab and the Chroma tool by Generate Biomedicines in Somerville, Massachusetts⁴, exploit this strategy to remarkable effect. For example, Baker’s team is using RFdiffusion to engineer novel proteins that can form snug interfaces with targets of interest, yielding designs that “just conform perfectly to the surface,” Baker says. A newer ‘all atom’ iteration of RFdiffusion⁵ allows designers to computationally shape proteins around non-protein targets such as DNA, small molecules and even metal ions. The resulting versatility opens new horizons for engineered enzymes, transcriptional regulators, functional biomaterials and more.”

Deepfake detection

“The explosion of publicly available generative AI algorithms has made it simple to synthesize convincing, but entirely artificial images, audio and video. The results can offer amusing distractions, but with multiple ongoing geopolitical conflicts and a US presidential election on the horizon, opportunities for weaponized media manipulation are rife.

Siwei Lyu, a computer scientist at the University at Buffalo in New York, says he’s seen numerous AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images and audio related to the Israel–Hamas conflict, for instance. This is just the latest round in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse in which AI users produce deceptive content and Lyu and other media-forensics specialists work to detect and intercept it.

One solution is for generative-AI developers to embed hidden signals in the models’ output, producing watermarks of AI-generated content. Other strategies focus on the content itself. Some manipulated videos, for instance, replace the facial features of one public figure with those of another, and new algorithms can recognize artefacts at the boundaries of the substituted features, says Lyu. The distinctive folds of a person’s outer ear can also reveal mismatches between a face and a head, whereas irregularities in the teeth can reveal edited lip-sync videos in which a person’s mouth was digitally manipulated to say something that the subject didn’t say. AI-generated photos also present a thorny challenge — and a moving target. In 2019, Luisa Verdoliva, a media-forensics specialist at University Federico II of Naples, Italy, helped to develop FaceForensics++, a tool for spotting faces manipulated by several widely used software packages⁶. But image-forensic methods are subject- and software-specific, and generalization is a challenge. “You cannot have one single universal detector — it’s very difficult,” she says.

And then there’s the challenge of implementation. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Semantic Forensics (SemaFor) programme has developed a useful toolbox for deepfake analysis, but, as reported in Nature (see Nature 621, 676–679; 2023) major social-media sites are not routinely employing it. Broadening the access to such tools could help to fuel uptake, and to this end Lyu’s team has developed the DeepFake-O-Meter⁷, a centralized public repository of algorithms that can analyse video content from different angles to sniff out deepfake content. Such resources will be helpful, but it is likely that the battle against AI-generated misinformation will persist for years to come.”

― Seven technologies to watch in 2024, Michael Einsenstein, 22 Jan 2024, Nature

More: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00173-x?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=17a8b67978-briefing-dy-20240122&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-17a8b67978-51036312

According to a news report:

India, along with Bangladesh and Pakistan, is among the top ten countries in Asia-Pacific most affected by identity fraud that is committed using deepfake technology, according to a leading digital identity verification firm. The UK-based Sumsub Identity Fraud Report says 2023 recorded a significant rise in such cybercrimes, which will increase further next year.

Vietnam leads the region with 25.3 per cent of the total deepfake identity frauds, followed by Japan at 23.4 per cent, Australia at 9.2 per cent, China at 7.7 per cent, and Bangladesh at 5.1 per cent, according to the data derived from an analysis of over two million fraud attempts in 224 countries and territories across 28 industries.

― India among top targets of deepfake identity frauds, Subham Tiwari, India Today. Dec 5, 2023

More:https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-among-top-targets-of-deepfake-identity-fraud-2472241-2023-12-05

With 2024 elections round the corner in many countries deepfake detection needs to be vigil;ant and countries need expertise to counter media manipulation and smear campaigns. 

Google Deepmind’s Alpha Fold solution to solve the protein folding problem

AlphaFold was taught by showing the sequences and structures of around 100,000 known proteins.

It can now predict the shape of a protein, almost instantly, down to atomic accuracy.

AlphaFold was recognised as a solution to the grand challenge of protein-folding by CASP (Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction), a community for researchers to share progress on their predictions against real experimental data.

―AlphaFold,  https://deepmind.google/technologies/alphafold/

Advances in AI and deep learning is fueling much of these technologies. I hope to follow more on these seven technologies. Elon Musk posted on X ” The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” ( Jan 30, 2024) I think Brain – computer interfaces advances are very encouraging.

Today is Mahatma Gamdhi Martyrs’ Day ( Shaheed Diwas) and wonder what would Gandhiji say on advances in AI, perhaps ” You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if few drops of ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” ( Mahatma Gandhi)

Today is also my brother’s birthday!

Sincerely, Suresh

National Girl Child Day 2024!

“Great schools don’t just teach you, they change you!
Equal Education moves people towards empowerment but unequal education does the reverse. Of all the divisive tools that are used to push people to go to the margins, unequal education is the most damaging and enduring. Unless there is an explicit effort to include everyone, schools will never be a remedy for exclusion, they will be a cause of it . Yet in-spite of the outstanding benefits that come when girls get an education, more than 130M girls around the world are still not in school…”
― Melinda Gates, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

I have been volunteering in a girls school for some years in my city and can relate first hand to power of education and inclusion in social upliftment. I consider education as the best tool for social change and say so with all sincerity given experience of volunteering in government schools. There are lot’s of barriers students have to overcome – language barrier, confidence barrier, nutrition barrier, poor living conditions and other complex trauma’s ( gender based/socio/economic) to just attend school and study. The fact that they attend school and desire of parent’s to send children to school is a great achievement. Children from remote places where there are no schools stay in hostel to study. Some of they are so young. I try to do my bit and love talking to children and listening to them. I hope could bring some smiles to these immensely brave and wonderful children. I have photographs and fond memories of children and classes taken over the years on the walls my house. They are my inspiration and blessing in life. Children are also thoughtful and have visions as good or better than adults –  I asked them a question – What would you do if you became Prime minister for  a day? and most of the answers include ” I will give government jobs to people”, ” I will start a school and hospital in my village”, ” I will start a school” etc.  Children understand the issues and most of them want to be IAS/IPS officers. I want them to achieve their dreams and have better living conditions. Girl child is very bright and we learn grammar, solve puzzles, maths problems and learn new things together. Many of the children that have met are the brightest. Education is not a one off thing – it takes a village to raise a child – government support, committed teachers, scholarships, nutrition, social organisations, corporate social responsibility and volunteer’s all play a role. I had some ideas and wrote to a government official and am yet to hear from them. A healthy child is a healthy society. Healthy girl child is a healthy family. Some times promising stories have a tragic ending. One girl child from this year’s batch lost her life due to illness. I have a group picture with child holding a scholarship. I felt sad for days. I did not show it and but have been acutely feeling sad for last two days. Yesterday after much thought got the group picture laminated in child’s memory. I could not speak to child and only have picture. I will take this as a reminder that life is a gift and drop all complaints and regrets of the past. We have many inner conflicts and turmoil. At-least in my case. I tried to give a spin to this sad incident and give up all conflicts and turmoils. Krishnamurti had said most of our energy is lost in needless conflicts and turmoil. Life is a real gift and denied to many. Make the best of this journey.

This is from last weekend. I love going to school and meeting wonderful children. They show appreciation by singing songs, touching feet and taking blessings as our sessions got over. This may be my best work so far, industry and lots of loved ones have forgotten me….never mind. One more picture..

Government of India has designated January 24 as National Girl Child Day! I support this initiative and if all arms of the society come together and support girl child initiative ( Beti Bachao, Beti Padao) we will surely be a high income country in years to come. I can vouch for sincerity, talent and commitment of girl child. I am committed to this cause.

This post is dedicated in memory of Pournima Sapkal a girl child who wanted to be a linguist.

Sincerely, Suresh

PS ( I volunteer for Ullas Trust, CSR initiative of an organization (Polaris) where was an employee till Aug 2018. I continue to volunteer and all photographs are mine.)

Joy – Notes 13/01/2024

“Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”
― Maurice Sendak

This is one of my favorite recent quotes. I have learnt in life no matter what we attempt we are going to face challenges and naysayers. May be happiness is in short supply and every body is up against it, as Cohen wisely said ” No body masters the heart.” The hardened heart is the real calamity he had further said in a television interview. I am constrained by introversion and worries about family health. It get’s overwhelming and have spent many a sleepless night. Good sleep is a luxury. I wake up middle of night and do mindfulness practices learnt from works of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. The career transitions and a heartbreak has been just too difficult. I am open about never ending challenges and lay it out here to only share about this difficult struggle. Am reading Brene Brown’s book – Daring greatly and she talks lot about foreboding Joy. It was an eyeopener for me – why am not living in Joy? it’s a pointer to live lot more in joy rather than the constant stress and strain of life. My only accomplishment has been peace. I need to live in Joy. Not the vacuous kind but a deep Joy. That Joy lost in my twenties. I had many setbacks one after another. I want to go back to Joyful state. One of things that gives great joy and happiness is time spent with children. The other perhaps when am cycling early in morning and go and have my favorite bread omlette in a Iranian restaurant. I haven’t done that in long time. Or when go and meet a friend. Can career give joy? think work can give meaning. It can give purpose.  Can it give joy? Nishkama Karma Gita says choice less action or desire less action….but jobs run by these MBA led companies are not joyful…..there is a honey moon period of six months and after that….its kickboxing, kungfu, Kalaripayattu , David Copperfield all rolled into one. . ,let’s keep  exploring…my doctor friend told me something wonderful ” You need intensity and compassion.” I also felt the same realization” You need to be both serious and sincere at the same time. If you are not serious about what you do worldly results elude you.” Relationships are fragile. Only sociopaths and crooks seem to have relationships. May be am wrong. Never mind but still there is no joy…. lets explore some joy pics…

Street art – Joy No.1 – Keep city clean

Street Art No.2 – Joy No 2…Save environment…

Joy No.3 – Birthday song – The school, children wishing their class mate….children gave chocolates and took blessings. Children and school are maximum joy…..that too some people want to spoil….nobody see’s hardwork…if only we respected effort and preparation, we would be lot more kind…..

Joy No.4 – Bike ride, cycling…..

I actually do only those things that give me Joy or peace. I have been chasing Joy for years – Can Joy be conflated with happiness? societal happiness is money, travels and eating with part time friends with two children and posting on social media or not posting on social media if you are the clever kind. I am in outcast in society’s happiness tiffin box..

So art, music, books, cycle, eating favorite food gives joy, riding two wheeler, tea…..do miss friends…..but sometimes all you need is….desire…

Am I too late…….is it all over…..desire…..

This for today dear friends.

Sincerely,Suresh

Happy New Year 2024!

“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
― Leonard Cohen

Hope you have had a promising start to new year! I went to school for a session a day before new year and spent some time with children. I don’t have a new year program or a five year plan. I have an idea, Am excited by ideas like have always been all my life. I want to start a book project. Each municipal school should have a library. I want do it one school at a time. My dream is all schools have books and library. This is my social project. I have some ideas and wish to sound if off with like minded entrepreneur friends. I need a big goal otherwise keep thinking about heartaches. I need to transmute suffering to make a positive change in world. I have been volunteering for seven years. I can do a long term project. 

This is my new year pic. This time a child after session asked me – “Have you been to London?” I smile and answered ” No” and added ” You can go to London easily if you study well.” She replied ” I want to go to London.” Children from even poorest strata have aspirations. I love interacting with children and have many many memories. No one can take way experiences. Of course you don’t get anything, but heart is full….

“Fall in love with some activity, and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn’t matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough. Work as hard and as much as you want to on the things you like to do the best. Don’t think about what you want to be, but what you want to do. Keep up some kind of a minimum with other things so that society doesn’t stop you from doing anything at all.”
― Richard P. Feynman

Am still struggling with other things? so society keeps sending me on a shame trip on a daily basis. Its the part of existence have not made peace. Its terrible. I should have resolved this long ago? Should I become a investment banker or go back to industry am familiar? will I find a sponsor? need something for next twenty years to fund existence and  my dreams?

5/01/2024 – evening pic. I love cycling. The only people who cycle are children or young who are always overtaking me on narrow cycling lanes. All of them have better and sturdier bikes. All of them in hurry. We don’t have infrastructure yet for cyclists but there is some step in right direction. So this is 2024 picture and continue to do so all the time. I request someone to take a picture and ask him ” are you waiting for bus?” ” No” he answers adding ” have a motorcycle and just want to spend some time by myself.” I nod smile and ride away.

2023 was a mixed bag. I made some progress and overcame difficult hurdles. It also pained me with difficult experiences. I will keep living life with integrity and answer when time comes. There are two times you know the real nature of people – 1) when you work with them 2) when you want the same things…

I made terrible misjudgments. Am deeply sorry for same. I know there is no going back. Past is really difficult territory. There is no permanent redemption. No amount of spiritual learning gets a closure. But the pimp, self congratulatory, trapeze artist, social climber, corporate climber, politicians… .move quite easily. The selfish are detached. Imagine if the good were detached, how much would get done….

Perhaps all of us who have some experience- kinder way of saying getting older have regrets or terribly painful experiences to deal with perhaps. Sometimes past is beautiful, charming and a lie. We must forgive – ourselves, every one. That’s good for soul – keeps love intact in soul and extends life by few years may be….warm heartedness is a life long plan. His holiness Dalai lama’s teaching’s which have covered in earlier posts are about karuna ( Compassion) and ahimsa ( Non violence). Have compassion and hate no one….

Mein zindagi ka saat nibhata chala gaya……will keep volunteering, cycling, new dreams…and same loves…values….inner core musn’t change..

Should I switch to EV? is it sustainable? affordable? need to ask expert friend….

I recently saw two minister’s copying the same prophetic style of prime minister’s speeches….never mind.

Happy New Year! May 2024 be a good one for all of us….

Sincerely, Suresh

PS: If you like the book project. Please explore it by all means and change the world….