Open Source Science - An Evolution

Open Source Science - An Evolution
 
Introduction
There is an explosion of information exchange but there is no equability in sharing that information. Additionally there is no verifiability. This was the impression I had before delving into gathering some information about the colour and its distribution in the animal kingdom (fish to be precise). To my surprise there is an open source science project probably taking its roots from Linux Phenomenon. A group of people with scientific orientation joining up to form an open forum for greater good of the public  (rather than a corporate agenda) is commendable. With the stem cell research taking priority in a commercial environment this is a healthy phenomenon.

Background
There is a proliferation of newspapers and journals in the local market (Ceylon) and I am not sure what has given rise to this phenomenon?

May be making a fast buck.
I believe editors of these journals are not concerned about whether people are actually reading them or not.
Is this just a bit of publicity stunt, a corporate agenda or a political inexpedience? 
Exploration may be?
I wonder why even the BBC is thinking of new innovations.

With the inter-net taking its shape in speed (with speed accuracy is sacrificed), content and opinion making the paper industry is becoming a static phenomenon. Ball by ball commentary of cricket in the Internet is boring to follow but busy people are adapting to the new trends. The local editors are failing miserably to give a true picture at the ground level and the world at large.
It looks as most of the writers and journalists have a "cut and paste mentality" and some are copied from foreign agencies without any comments attached by editors or journalists. 
I believe journalists like our own Carl Muller should do some research on these trends.

With so many mushrooming industries, which include illicit liquor, betting stalls and video parlors and many more other nefarious activities (which one should not be proud of) what is happening to print industry is something bewildering.

Expectations
My Primary Objective is to make learning science a pleasurable experience to young students and budding journalists.
The Secondary Objective is to find how quickly one can gather information from whatever the sources available in an academic environment.
A subsidiary objective is to put that information in simple terms so that the reader could understand (improve my writing skills as a by product) the contents with ease.

Conceptual Impressions
Gathering reliable information is a piece of cake and I could accomplish this with a  drop of a hat. 
I am looking for a "hat collection" of information.

Approach
Internet, reputed scientific journals, library and my own collection of old books were utilized in that order.

Outcome
Scientific journals always wanted to check on one's subscription status and ones that gave some free access was limited by arbitrary time limits. The search engines were very poor. The value of particular information was never highlighted in a sequential manner. There is just the proliferation of knowledge but no particular break down or an order of importance.

Reviews were noted for their absence.

There was an exception to this phenomenon of knowledge explosion especially in the publications of the Public Library of Science (PLOS). Other exception is some American Medical Journals who are opening up the knowledge base to all and sundries. A healthy trend is there but what is lacking is commitment.

Verdict
Cut and tie mentality of a surgeon's mind is replaced by cut and paste mentality of the window's users. Writing as a skillful job has deteriorated. Spelling mistakes (in my case too) and content jargon and inaccurate information were abundant. 
To my amazement in one piece of writing the blood of the species of fish is almost identical to human blood. 
I believe we have hereditary linkage to bacteria and fish but not to that extent. How my fish would die with a simplest of change in the environment explains why their immune system is different from ours.

I have neither become wiser nor enriched but perplexed and confused.

Simplicity
Simplicity is not the art. Terminologies were not defined or poorly explained (in manner simple enough) for a kid to grasp the meaning to life and beings. 
I have no surprise why many kids look at science without enthusiasm.

Books
My old books that dated back to sixties and seventies were a treasure trove for my illumination and they still are. Those writers had a penchant for science as well as writing. It is bounden duty for the scientists to write in simple terms with their own comments included. They should write books which little children would love to read and should not become self centered like our journalists who publish papers at the  drop of a hat for image building.

Scientists should not become image builders.

They should take a lead from the open source science projects (Public Library of Science) and make science a living experience.
None of my objectives were satisfied after a month of trying but this is going to change in my lifetime.

Perspectives
The curiosity of a kid of yesteryear who loved watching at the little mosquito fish (Guppy) dancing in little streams (that are polluted now beyond any recovery) and changing their colour and tail configurations from generation to generation, lead to learning biology (with interest) and later becoming a human biologist (a pathologist to be precise) and that diversion did not deter the interests in colour (pigmentation we call in medical terms) from all kinds of life (nature at large) to photography to computer graphics .............

In spite of Diversity of colour (fish, toads, birds and bees) and the Specificity of a given species, there is a common thread that links all species that extend down the millions of years of evolution which is a remarkable feat of Simplicity of biochemical compositions (melanin, guanine, xanthochromes and haemoglobin) that expresses in various combinations in all living cells to give a particular combination of colours.

In the process of diversion at certain points in earth's history, however the secrets of Unity in Purpose (i.e. the defense against cancer, withstanding oxidative stress, skillful communication of impending danger that include ecological strain and becoming a living biological barometer of environmental stress of pollution), the unique survival instinct of all living beings was not lost.

However, the Unity of Purpose is lost when it comes to man's world (of incessant exploitation) where skin colour can be a decisive discriminatory factor in making choices (may not be scientific by nature).
That is the final philosophical point which I wish to make before winding up.........

Effective Communication
If the expectations laid down in any investigation or analysis (whether it is accomplished or not) is not communicated effectively to all those who have similar interests (sometimes failures), the commitment that make one to get involved in an endeavour becomes void. 

The energy and enthusiasm dissipate.

In other words it becomes a failure.

What I call the Club mentality whether it is a Garden Club or a Bridge Club that motivates people with similar interests to interact effectively is lacking in the Scientific Community.

It is a sad phenomenon.

Guiding Principles
The guiding principle should be to benefit mankind and all species on board this planet earth and above all the wellbeing of the planet itself.
 
In this process of exploration, if the individual who gets involved reaps benefits it is of course a bonus.
 
It is a feather on one's cap.

Edited on the 4th of August 2006

Philosophy of Science

Philosophy of Science
The reality of science
Is that, the knowledge
Is incredibly changing fast
And incremental in nature


The principle that make
Science interesting
Is that the concept that
I upheld now
Is governed by the
Very exception to the rule
I have formulated


But it is the exception
That governs the rule
Not vice versa


That makes science
Expanding
Challenging
And interesting
With many ways
To explore
And explain
A given phenomenon
As distinct from
What is known as not understood
As at present

Energy

Energy
Come to think about it
Energy is the least understood
But easily
And often
Misquoted out of context
In science and journalism
And if I ask the question
Does the matter has energy?
The answer is not clear cut


Then I ponder for a little while
And ask again
Which has more energy
Matter in motion
Or the matter remaining still?
I am called a trouble maker
In my class of adults


When I delve in further
And ask
What is the smallest particle having energy?
Is it the electron, the neutron, the proton or the quarks?


Then when I ask what is the smallest unit of energy?
A photon
Or a wave
I am very much
Stuck with words of expression


Now that I am in deep waters
Not understanding
All these concepts
What shall do to go any further?


State of the matter
Is that
If each particle
Carries loads of energy
What is the essential force that
Intrinsically bind them together
And hold them tight?
In relation to position
They keep
In space and time
While allowing free
Moving particles to move
Without much of a hindrance
Or rather than with
Minimum of interference
From its neighbouring
Particles of existence


If only the moving particles have
Mass, velocity and energy
That goes with the momentum of forces
What is the principle that
I should apply to my body of interest
Where me standing still
On this planet earth
Has no energy
Until I decide to kick a football
With a force


Now who has the energy my leg muscles or my football or both?
How confusing are those concepts
Energy and Forces in action?
I wonder


Then again I should have
Some energy to stand on Earth
Much less if I stand on Moon
What about moon walking,
Sweet talking and sleeping on the go
In this universal universe and space?


What are the energy consumptions of all these activities on earth, on its outer boundaries and in the space in between?


The mind
That made me to kick the ball
Should have either some energy or force
In any case
I argue
Since the Mind
That made me to kick the ball
In the first place
Made the movement of the ball
Possible
Until such time the
Mother earth decided to
Abort it abruptly in its journey
In space and time
So the mother earth should
Have some control over my mind


In fact the matter over my mind
Rather than mind over matter
In this instance


Bees, flies, mosquitoes and birds can fly
And in their case
They decide to fly away
As they wish
And also control
The start and stop
of the flight
As desirable
So birds and bees
Have more energy than me
And humanoids


Staggeringly confusing

Isn't it?


So who has more energy
The Mind (Kicking)
The Matter (Ball)
The Motion (Transition)
The Bees (Flight)
Or the mother Earth (Gravity)
That stopped the ball in its trajectory?


I wish the answer
Is clear enough
For a kiddy

I am not kidding


The answer to those questions
Are open to inquiry in a
Philosophical Sense
Now that I am beginning to
Think as a Thinker
But not as a Scientist
Who would provide me
The answers to the scientific tenents
That were raised in an open forum
Of inquiry


What is more powerful
Energy wise
The Thinking Mind
Or the Science in Action


I believe the former rather than the latter


Since the mind can penetrate
These concepts at will
Or at leisure
What is an energy and what is a force
The mind's energy by its very nature
Is probably far more superior
In its contents and activity
When used wisely and appropriately


Subtle and pervasive
Penetrating
The truths of all kinds
It is the mother superior
Of wisdom


Now winding up my thought process
Who had used more force
The Italian Parvo Rotti's Goal Header
The French Zidane Zidane's Head butt
And an ordinary Ceylonese (my) Penalty Kick
At the goal post
Of Wisdom
Sans DESTRUCTION


The power of the Mind
Could be ascertained
By intense focus
And attention
To its moment of Origin
And the Energy of its consumption
Can only be harnessed
By sustained
Commitment and Conformity to details of
Metta, Anapana Sati or any object of
Attention sans attachment
And the Competence in Meditation
CULTIVATED


By that intention
It is achieved
By the wise
The Arhaths
The Buddhas
And Passeka Buddhas
Of today, tomorrow, yesterday
And now in this moment of
Universal extension
Of the timeless dimensions
Of the Sansara Cycle


14th of September 2006
Edited on the 16th September

Power

Power
Few hand flexes
At the wrist joint
That generates electricity
By pumping action of the hand muscles
From mechanical power
To light a Wrist Torch
Is a modern manifestation
Of conservation in action

Yet the efficiency
Of the conversion of
Biological energy
To electrical energy
Is only forty percent
And is considered to be
The most efficient
And produces least amount
Of Carbon dioxide

But
The energy efficiency
Of the Coal Power
Is only ten percent or so
Considering the inherent wastage
Encountered
In developing
The infrastructure
And the corruption envisaged
That is rampant in
Energy Economics

Yet
The production of Carbon Dioxide
And all the noxious gases
Are staggeringly high
And the heaps of
Rubbish ash left behind
Is monumental

Power corrupts
Energy consumes
As soon as
It is produced
Absolute Energy
Of hundred percent sufficiency
Set in motion
A chain reaction
So devastating in magnitude
It would take billions
Of years for recovery
That is the Vision
The consumerist society lacks
And fail to grasp
In this moment of selfish needs

This is why I say
That the scientists don't have
Philosophy
And Philosophers don't have
Neither Mind Power
Nor Muscle Power
In this contemporary world
Of macroeconomics
To say that
Energy sufficiency of 65%
Is the most that
This tiny island can tolerate
Without
Upsetting the balance of nature
AND THE REST 35%
Should be left in wilderness

Analysis

Analysis
The essence of science
Is looking at
Facts, figures and phenomena
That can be observed
As quantifiable events
And then consider the meaning
As to why?
The facts and events present themselves
In a certain way
And delving deeper into
Making some application
Of some sort
With claims of discovery
And making some experimental design
To unravel
The Mystery involved
And finally formulating
Conceptual framework
Which other scientists
Would love to take a plunge
With renewed vigour and intent
To chart the unknown territories
With band wagon and pomp

Science

 Science
Just as there are
Many notions
To the origin of the Universe
There are many misconceptions
To the meaning of science
Which literally means
Acquisition of knowledge


The first of the many misconceptions
And the foremost of it is
That science is infallible
And the second that originates from the first
Is that science is the only explanation
From that derive the notion
That all interpretations
Are logical, complete and final

None of the above statements are true
In scientific sense
And that is the beauty of the science
Which is expanding
Challenging
And changing
By the day

Explore

Explore
"Curiosity kills the cat"
Is the proverbial stunt
That is
Subtly insinuated in the mind
Of an explorer
By the one who believes
That the authority
Of the scriptures are sacrosanct


But anything that is not explored
Visibly and in depth
Is not worth
The substance
That is said to be
Standing
On its own accord


Having said that,
Exploring without the tools
Of refinement
But with the tools of tradition
Is fraught with danger
Inherent there within them


What then are the tools
Of investigation?
They are the ability
To ask the right question
And the ability to scrutinize
The answers obtained
With laser blade accuracy
But leave the final outcome
Open ended


Edited on the 22nd of September 2006

September 9th 2006

Concepts

Concepts
Concepts are as good as
The words that describe them
And when the words that describe them are Simple enough
The clarity and content are obvious delight
But when the dialect used
Are not precise,
It becomes a pain in the neck
And the meaning of the concept get muddled
And fall into disrepute an ambiguity


The laws that govern the concept
Are the highly structured
Grammar of science


When the laws and contents have many
Loose ends and exceptions
The idea and the communication
Become jargon out of context
Just as when the language
Is spoken without
A flow or fluency
And grammar

In that sense science
Is the philosophy of using
Language with clarity and intent

Theory

Theory
Is a mental manifestation
Of an experience, an impression
Or an inspiration
That has been tested and verified
By many with similar interests
And concurrence
But the problem with theory
Is that when it get established and ingrained As reality
With rigid laws and concepts of convenience
In the people's minds with dissimilar intents
Validity of the original tenants
And its application
Become distorted and obscured
Out of context

For an example
When the man talks about Human Rights
In a world with divergent views
Literally and metaphorically
The abortionist and the non-abortionist
Have equal rights
To kill or preserve
A concept or life in general
Ensuing conflicts
And polarization of interests
Far beyond the meaning
Of its application
In original tenants

In effects the human right laws
Are the forerunners of mayhem
Of liberation sans responsibility
In the modern world of discordance

Hypothesis

Hypothesis
It is a tentative impression
One creates in the mind
Of random thoughts
Of some observation or an experience
And Its occurrence has
No control, relevance or any concurrence
In its natural history of evolution


It is best a guesswork of some kind
So the man has coined
An inspiration world called
Intuition
For its sustenance and nurture
In the history of mankind
And it is neither tested nor verified
Or has any application of significance
In its original context


For example man has created
Unique races with unique aspirations
Far above the ordinary meaning
In life and matters
And when this fallacy is self-perpetuated
At will
It creates disorder, disunity
And discordance of various magnitudes
Leading to wars of attrition


But in reality what is perceived as unique
Is a manifestation of cyclic nature
Of change
Of the world with diversity
Of opinions and prejudices

10th September, 2006

Inference

 Inference
Inference that is achieved
Without inducing
A method of free inquiry
Is not worth the substance
It claimed to have been deducted
As final, long lasting
And true in nature

9th of September 2006

Inquiry

Inquiry

Is the ability
To ask the right question
At the right time
At the right place
From a right person
And not expecting
The answer
To be all closed
For any further questioning
Or inquiry
147. Thinking
In ordinary sense
It is the spontaneous activity
Of engaging in one's own
Beliefs at random
Or beliefs burrowed
From friends, parents, teachers
Or others

But thinking
Without reasoning
Inquiry,
Or refinement of one's prejudices
Is like visiting
The Devil's workshop
In one's prime holiday
On a poor budget

Knowledge

Knowledge

In general
It is the habit of collecting
All redundant facts and figures
Of insignificance

The real knowledge
Is the ability to
Drop old ideas and beliefs
From the basket of knowledge
In possession


But the true knowledge
Is to know that
The latest acquired
Knowledge is the one
That has to be dropped first
Before  going any further


Why one should do that
From birth to death
I wonder
For a wisdom tooth

Meaning

Meaning

Repeated use of a word
Not to mention the words
Sorry or love or peace
Results in producing
The opposite of what is intended
A negative image
A meaningless connotation
To the original tenet
Of the meaning intended

Dialogue

Dialogue

It is an exercise
Of articulation
Of many shades of opinion
With rigidity sans sharing

It is a delivery system
Of opposition
To any opinion
Contrary to
One's own prejudice
Then
How can one enter into dialogue?
Which beats hell out of my guts

When one is unable to
Modify
Or rid of prejudices
Age all customs and prejudices
Of intolerance
How come sharing and caring
Can be attained

Education

Education
Is neither an exercise
That is
Hands off
Or Minds off
Of children
Nor it is a delivery
Of a curriculum
With rigidity and red tape
Communicated by only a sage

It is an activity
Of the mind of a child
To think
To inquire
To explore
With open mind
And then to exchange and develop
Ideas with meaning