Singing words told me : "Never quit!"

Music makes life livable at times. But for me music makes my life. Songs make and break my day. I sometimes sing along and sometimes just listen with all the concentration on the music or the lyrics. Certain times music hide the lyrics and even after a hundred times of rendering, I fail to even remember the pallavi fully. Certain other times, lyrics go so deep into my heart that I'll listen to the song only for the lyrics.
Also a few lyrically beautiful songs make me motivated and gives some hope which were much needed at times. I sometimes think the music and the words are indirectly giving us all some sort of encouragement all through out. Fresh each time and new feel every time. It wipe tears and bring in some joy, wakes us up from the slumbering dream. Roars, yet softly tell us that's not yet.
On that note here's a translation of one such song, a Kannada bhavageethe by N.S. Laxminarayana Bhatta.  Titled "Istu kaala ottigiddu." This song though have heard plenty of time in the voice of M.D.Pallavi makes me apply it to any situation I face.
----------------------------------
"Being together and gelled so well,
Have we ever understood our consciences?
Having rowed a thousands of miles on the sea,
Could the boat measure the depth of it?
Forever, having bent so much, as if trying to hug,
Was the blue sky able to kiss the earth?
Having showed so many beautiful faces,
Could the mirror hold any one of them for itself?
Isn't this telling us : nature itself has many "tried and failed, yet trying" cases. Why quit disappointed?
-----------------------

Battling worries-A note to self.

   Days pass by really fast. By the time we look back manipulating things and feelings, we see a greater part is left undone. It might be a promise unfulfilled; a dream unrelished; an oath unfollwed, it might be even something huge like a goal out of focus! Now this last mention is critical. Its unfortunate if you forget your road to destination. But its miserable if you forget the destination on your way.
The very thought of undone, unfinished, unattained, un-something..., brings a great deal of disappointment and feeling of depression. Now tell me, who doesn't get depressed for all sorts of negative things in life? Who doesn't have a reason to frown? Who doesn't have a heart that shall sink in sorrow? Eyes that sobs? Mind that freezes? These are all not symptoms of mental weakness, but its just time to rethink our journey and take full charge of life! To make decisions to lead a fruitful life. Human beings with no Super-Natural-Powers unlike Buddha and Swami Vivekananda are bound to worries.
We come up with solutions easily for universal problems, this is purely my conclusion!
Everything shall pass by soon in a flash of light. Its better to hold on to it before its gone. Catch up with your loved ones, make some heart filling memories, unfolding worries. Doing so, you'll recieve lots of good feelings and hopes. Most importantly you'll have the courage to start afresh leaving behind the shadows of dark- feelings, with a smile that shines from heart. Now this is what your real loved ones can do for you. Now the new problem that might arise is who are our real loved ones? Well... All I can tell now is, you should figure it out yourself..! ;)
:)

Submit Your Happiness Please!

They say, “HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND.” Things often confuse us when we start with, “They say…”

2014 has just started; many of us have already booked this brand new year to achieve something new. “New Year Resolution”, like all these years has become a silent ritual which we follow on the day one compulsorily. 

We resolute we fail, we plan a diet chart and we go hungry like hell, on another list we will have meditation, yoga, laughing club- just to stay calm & happy. Some good scores on card, some new books just to add to your library, extra homework time (which later turns to be a buffer for games & movies) if you’re a student.  At No.1, a wardrobe make over for sure & recently should have been moved to, “Things to do before I die” list! This jargon of making and breaking resolution goes on… *insert infinity* May be the family tour would be the only thing that would work best out of all other plans we do on 1^st January eve every year. Déjà Vu!! It’s the same again!!!

When observed closely the sole reason behind all these plans, resolutions and lists is-Happiness. 

Man does so many things consciously & unconsciously just to be happy and to make others happy. Being happy shall chuck out all the above lists & we might not need them all anymore probably…!

Human mind is so powerful that it can easily fill in the gaps & also powerful enough to read between the lines. At times both these gaps & between lines put us in a fix & hurt feelings. Hence that state of mind –Happiness- is lost.  Come what may, our mind is still powerful enough to bridge the gap & bring on a smile if we will. But at hard times we overrule our will to stay happy by taking up hard decisions in haste. Instead we should try to overrule our unhappiness by willing to smile at first stage- This in my words is a process of restoring- HAPPINESS-a state of mind. 

We should believe in miracles, miracles which change our way of thinking, a miracle which changes our life forever, a miracle which makes one feel- “Happily ever after!”

  One magician who can do such miracles is right in our minds, in our own selves. We have to just believe in it. Belief is a branch of happiness, when we start believing things we realize how easy our life is. Breach of trust & belief is a part and parcel but we lose nothing in believing, it’s a loss for the one who breaks it. They’ll surely learn their lessons and shall come back. All we have to do is to forgive and believe again.

  

BELIEVING- is a state of HARMONY. FORGIVING- is a state of PEACE.

So please submit your happiness, start loving people, believe, forgive and make your life remarkable and resolve to HAPPINESS- a state of mind starting this 2014!

                                                          :o)

Are we as good as we profess to be?

Civilizations rise and fall in constant succession. Studies show that when people enjoy affluence and become addicted to luxury, decay begins in the life of the nation. The Roman Empire provides an example of how a well-established regime can collapse from the mental weaknesses induced by too much self indulgence. The same thing was witnessed in India when British – who then were just traders, in the name of East India Company tried to penetrate this holy land with an eye of hegemony. The Nawabs and other potential rulers fell, prey for self indulgence of royal treatment of someone who didn’t even belong to this land-The British! 

We all are leading a superficial life, both as an individual and as a nation. The real life is eluding us. We set much store by materialistic values of life, pleasure seeking and hypocrisy. The genuine real life is missing. In this hyper self indulgence we are growing only outward, the inward growth is not progressive. We just think of present pleasures and enjoyments which are unrealistic after some time. We are just leaving a void behind. The RIGHT and the WRONG do not matter anymore. The only thing that matters is the fleeting satisfaction of desire. Needless to add, the decay, especially in the field of culture and ethics, has already set in. Crimes have become more common feature everywhere.

We are fast turning into mental slaves. A reputed author has called Indians, who have a band of slavery round their necks, yet call themselves free, hypocrats. A time may come in near future, not so far, when consciousness of freedom may also vanish and we may not be able to express our Identity.

It’s true that our contemporary world promotes self-indulgence and lust for pleasure and the merits of superficial knowledge. Let us, therefore , look within us and see if we are acting like human beings and proving worth our salt. On introspection, many of us may find we are not what we profess to be. That is why thing do not happen as we want them to happen. Those of you who want to do humanitarian work, must look within, do heart searching, cleanse the poison lying hidden within for a better outer world.  

Evolution Of A Responsible And Happy Citizen

*The address and interaction of his Excellency Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam Sir in my college on 22-March-2013. "She drives ignorance away. She welcomes the bliss of life."   I am delighted to address and interact with the students of Nagarathnamma Meda Kasturiranga Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College for Women (NMKRV), Bangalore on the occasion of its 4th Decennial Year. celebrations. 40 years of service in the field of education, what does it mean? Earth rotates on its own axis, day and night comes, when earth rotates around the Sun, it takes 365 days. NMKRV College for Women, being in Earth had orbited around the Sun 40 times. My Congratulations to the management, Faculty and staff of NMKRV College for Women. Friends, today I would like to share few thoughts on the topic "Evolution of responsible and happy citizens".

Friends, it is said, "History has proven that those who dare to imagine the impossible are the ones who break all human limitations. In every field of human endeavor, whether science, medicine, sports, the arts, or technology, the names of the people who imagined the impossible and achieved are engraved in our history. By breaking the limits of their imagination, they changed the world."

Unique You Dear friends, Look up, what do you see, the light, the electric bulbs. Immediately, our thoughts go to the inventor Thomas Alva Edison, for his unique contribution towards the invention of electric bulb and his electrical lighting system. When you hear the sound of aero plane going over your house, whom do you think of? Wright Brothers proved that man could fly of course at heavy risk and cost. Whom does the telephone remind you of? Of course, Alexander Graham Bell.

When everybody considered a sea travel as an experience or a voyage, a unique person questioned during his sea travel from United Kingdom to India. He was pondering on why the horizon where the sky and sea meet looks blue? His research resulted in the phenomena of scattering of light. Of course, Sir CV Raman was awarded Nobel Prize. Do you know an Indian Mathematician who did not have formal higher education but had inexhaustible spirit and love for mathematics which took him to contribute to the treasure houses of mathematical research - some of which are still under serious study and engaging all-available world mathematicians' efforts to establish formal proof? He was a unique Indian genius who could melt the heart of the most hardened and outstanding Cambridge mathematician Prof G H Hardy. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that it was Prof. Hardy who discovered a great mathematician for the world. This mathematician was Of-course Srinivasa Ramanujan for whom every number was a divine manifestation.

Do you know about a great human being with a spirit of service, who also won a Nobel Prize for her contributions? She said and practiced, "Give, give and give, until it hurts". She is Mother Teresa. Friends, there was a great scientific lady who is known for discovering radiation. She won not one, but two Nobel prizes, one for physics and another for chemistry. Who is she? She is Madam Curie. Madam Curie discovered radium and she was doing research on the effect of radiation on human system. The same radiation which she discovered, affected her and she sacrificed her life for removing the pain of human life.

Friends, I have, so far, met 15 million youth in a decade?s time. I learnt, "every youth wants to be unique, that is, YOU! But the world all around you, is doing its best, day and night, to make you just "everybody else". In the home, dear young fellows you are asked by your parents to be like neighours children for scoring good marks. When you go to school, your teachers say "why not you become like the first five rankers in the class". Wherever you go, they are saying "you have to somebody else or everybody else". Now dear young friends, how many of you would like to be unique yourself. The challenge, my young friends, is that you have to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can ever imagine to fight; and never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place, that is, a UNIQUE YOU! Friends what will be your tools to fight this battle.

Criteria for achievement for youth How does achievement come? There are four proven steps; having an aim in life before 20 years of age, acquiring knowledge continuously, hard work towards the aim and perseverance to defeat the problem and succeed. Now you know, how the unique personalities got evolved and also you realize how to transform yourself into unique you. And above all, what you need a will power and confidence, that you can achieve great deeds. In this connection let me recall famous verses of 13th century Persian Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi:

I will Fly and fly - "I am born with potential. - I am born with goodness and trust. - I am born with ideas and dreams. - I am born with greatness. - I am born with confidence. - I am born with wings. - So, I am not meant for crawling, - I have wings, I will fly - I will fly and fly" My message to you, young friends, is that education gives you wings to fly. Achievement comes out of fire in our sub-conscious mind that "I will win". So, each one of you assembled here and elsewhere, will have "Wings of Fire". The Wing of Fire will indeed lead to knowledge which will make you to fly as a Doctor, or an Engineer, or a scientist, or a teacher, or a political leader, or a bureaucrat or a diplomat or anything you want to be. Since, I am in the midst of you, I would like to present my visualization of what type of India you would be in after your educational endeavors.

Distinctive profile of the nation 1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line. 2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water. 3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony. 4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination. 5. A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors. 6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all. 7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free. 8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated. 9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, devoid of terrorism, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path. 10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership.

Integrated Action for developed India To achieve the distinctive profile of India, we have the mission of transforming India into a developed nation. We have identified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action: (1) Agriculture and food processing (2) Education and Healthcare (3) Information and Communication Technology (4) Infrastructure: Reliable and Quality Electric power, Surface transport and Infrastructure for all parts of the country and (5) Self reliance in critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and progressing in a coordinated way, leading to food, economic and national security. I would suggest each one of you to select an important task pertaining to any of the 10 pillars which I have described based on your interest and core-competence. This will make you a partner in national development. Now let me discuss with you about the life of women leaders who have created history due to their quality of leadership in their domain of work.

Indomitable Spirit Sometime back, I was reading a book called "Everyday Greatness". I would like to share one event which demonstrates the power of leadership with compassion. Let me narrate the details of experience which happened in Mexico. A riot was raging in La Mesa Prison in Mexico. Twenty five hundred prisoners were packed into a compound, which had been built for only six hundred. They angrily hurled broken bottles at the police who fired back with machine guns. Then came a startling sight. A tiny five feet two inches, sixty three year old woman, calmly got into the crowd, with outstretched hands, in a simple gesture of peace. Ignoring the shower of bullets, she stood quietly and asked everyone to stop. Incredibly everyone did. No one else in the world, but Sister Antonia could have done this. Why did the people listen to her? All because of her decades of service to the prisoners by her choice. She sacrificed all her life for the sake of prisoners lived in the midst of murderers, thieves and drug lords all of whom she called her sons. She attended their needs round the clock, procured antibiotics, distributed eyeglasses, washed bodies for the burial and counseled the suicidal. This selfless act of love and compassion generated the respect among the prisoners to control themselves and urged them to do what she wanted them to do. What a great message for humanity? We have seen a leader with compassion is there for even prisoners, but we need leaders with compassion for the voiceless people of millions in the nation and the world.

Planting of trees is the planting of ideas Friends during my Presidency, I met a great a lady Prof Vangari Mathai in Rashtrapati Bhavan honouring her for a great contribution in the green environment. After discussion with Prof Wangari Mathai unfurred life in front of me. Prof Wangari Maathai, who has a passion for environment and bio-diversity and is contributing to the sustainable development and growth of planet Earth. Wangari Muta Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya (Africa) in 1940. She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree and to become chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and an Associate Professor. Wangari Maathai was active in the National Council of Women of Kenya and was its Chairman in 1981-87, where she introduced the idea of planting trees with the people and continued to develop it into a broad-based, grassroots organization whose main focus is the planting of trees with women groups in order to conserve the environment and improve their quality of life. Through the Green Belt Movement that Prof Maathai has evolved innovatively a movement with 600 community networks across Kenya and branches in 20 countries resulting in the plantation of 31 million trees. She and the Green Belt Movement have received numerous awards, most notably The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.

Prof Maathai gives a new meaning to the important act of planting a tree by extending it to the whole life, when she says, "the planting of trees is the planting of idea." She highlights the qualities of patience, persistence and commitment in planning and realizing a future, which is what we learn when we plant trees and wait for them to yield fruits for the next generation. She believes that no matter how dark the cloud, there is always a thin, silver lining, and that is what we must look for. The silver lining will come, if not to us then to the next generation or the generation after that. And may be with that generation, the lining will no longer be thin. India values Prof Maathai?s involvement and contribution in furthering the relationship between India and Kenya and had the privilege of honouring her with the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for the year 2005. She concludes her Nobel Lecture on December 10, 2004 like this: quote, "As I conclude I reflect on my childhood experience when I would visit a stream next to our home to fetch water for my mother. I would drink water straight from the stream? I saw thousands of tadpoles: black, energetic and wriggling through the clear water against the background of the brown earth. This is the world I inherited from my parents". Prof. Maathai would like all of us to preserve this inheritance.

Friends, I was thinking the national dynamics, particularly in our way of life and situation at home and the thinking of the youth and the experienced in the midst of many education systems and the law of the land. We may have many and many Laws. But, based on my study, evolution of a happy home will result into beauty of character in all the members of the family. Hence, I would like to share a few thoughts on Happy Home.

Happy home profile A beautiful home (we have 200 million homes in India) emanates from four dimensions. One comes from spiritual home, second comes from mother?s happiness, third comes from transparency of the home and the fourth comes from providing a clean and green environment. This combination of four traits indeed brings out happy home. Let us study, how we can achieve that.

Spiritual Home: Friends, let us look at a small family home with father, mother, a son and a daughter, or two sons or two daughters. In this home, both parents earn. I visualize in this little home, a small home library with at least ten great books and in this home parents have to inculcate reading habit among their children by reading books during breakfast or during dinner. The whole family should be together atleast at one meal so that they communicate and discuss freely. When they are all together on the eating place, the mother or the father takes a book from the home library narrates a story of ethical and moral values where the children participate in the discussion and offer their comments. Such a reading habit triggers the child to read the book in detail and collect more information on such stories which put into practice in their day-to-day life. Some children may also go to the school and discuss such instances with other children which can benefit a larger community. This is how the seeding of reading habits can be inculcated among the young minds. In addition, I visualize a little prayer room where every morning or night the whole family, including children prays and offer their thanks to the Almighty for receiving blessings.

This family get-together becomes a store-house of knowledge with ethical values and systems for the children over a period of time and such children are always engaged in carrying out their responsibilities in a spirit of excellence which comes out of dedication and self-esteem of being the best in whatever they do. Let us study the second dimension of the family. Mother Smile Mission: Whenever I meet the young at various places, be it school, or college or University, I give them a mission. The mission is how to evolve a happy home. I ask them to take a oath, as follows:

From today onwards, I will make my mother happy. If my mother is happy, my home is happy. If my home is happy, the society will be happy. If societies are happy, State will be happy. If State is happy, the nation will be happy.

A transparent home: Friends as I said, we belong to a society of 200 million families. Every family has four members; father, mother, two daughters or two sons or one son and one daughter. There is a crying need in the nation to develop a transparent society, a corruption free society. Dear young members, I have a mission for the youth of the nation, that is the daughter or son of the family. Friends, every one of you assembled here will know, after all corruption emanates from a few homes. It is estimated, 30% of our Indian homes are corrupt. That means approx 60 million houses may be corrupt. In a corrupt home, imagine, son or daughter can sense it and persuade the father not to become a victim of corruption using their love and affection. My conscience says, compared to any law against corruption, definitely this movement of the youth against corruption, will be extremely effective.

Green Home Mission: friends, today there is a constant climate change in the universe. Deforestation, industrialization and transportation emitted carbon-di-oxide has caused hole in the ozone layer, leading to increased heating of the planet earth. This is the major cause of flood and draught. If the youth of the nation decide, they can definitely change the situation. Every Indian must take an oath that he will plant and nurture atleast one tree. One fully grown tree absorbs 20 kgs carbon-di-oxide and emits 14 kgs of oxygen. During our life time, if we plant 10 trees and nurture them, we will have over 10 billion trees. These 10 billion trees can definitely contain the climate change problem. Green home means, not only the planting of trees but keeping the house and environment clean. In addition to the four virtues what I just mentioned, I believe, joint families play an important role in enriching a happy home.

Emerging women When I am with the students attending this seminar, I would like to share with you the thought process of the great poet Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar on this occasion who in 1910 composed the poem envisioning women of India. உதய கன்னி நிமிர்ந்த நன்னடை நேர்கொண்ட பார்வையும் நிலத்தில் யார்க்கும் அஞ்சாத நெறிகளும் திமிர்ந்த ஞானச் செருக்கும் இருப்பதால் செம்மை மாதர் திறம்புவ தில்லையாம், அமிழ்ந்து பேரிருளாம் அறியாமையில் அவல மெய்திக் கலையின்றி வாழ்வதை உமிழ்ந்து தள்ளுதல் பெண்ணற மாகுமாம் உதய கன்னி யுரைப்பது கேட்டிரோ This beautiful poem brings out the profile of emerging women. Emerging Women She walks with raised head, With her eyes looking straight, She has her principles, Unafraid of anybody! She has a lofty And knowledge based pride, Such cultured women, Don't falter from the chosen path. She drives ignorance away. She welcomes the bliss of life. With learned mind, This is the Dharma Of emerging woman.

The dream of the poet, I am sure, will become a reality of life for the students. When the child is empowered by the parents, at various phases of growth, the child transforms into a responsible citizen. When the teacher is empowered with knowledge and experience, good young human beings with value systems take shape. When individual or a team is empowered with technology, transformation to higher potential for achievement is assured. When the leader of any institution empowers his or her people, leaders are born who can change the nation in multiple areas. When the women are empowered, society with harmony in the home is assured. When the political leaders of the nation empower the people through visionary policies, the prosperity of the nation is certain. I am confident that this seminar will come out with the suggestion on how to empower the women embedding with these kinds of qualities among the students. Dear friends, this thought has indeed influenced my conscience and I would suggest that the education system must develop this faith among our youth and the youth to practice this faith in all their actions.

Conclusion Friends, finally I would like to ask you, what would you like to be remembered for? You have to evolve yourself and shape your life. You should write it on a page. That page may be a very important page in the book of human history. And you will be remembered for creating that one page in the history of the nation - whether that page is the page of invention, the page of innovation or the page of discovery or the page of creating societal change or a page of removing the poverty or the page of finding new technologies in energy or astronomy. I will be happy if you could write this page and mail it to me (apj@abdulkalam.com). With these words, I inaugurate the 4th Decennial celebrations of NMKRV College for Women and my best wishes to the students, Faculty and staff members in their mission of transforming the role of women to create a happy family and happy society. May God bless you.

Oath for the Students 1. I will bring a change in the life of 100 women in education, employment or healthcare. 2. I will promote courage and self reliance, particularly among women. 3. I will work continuously to remove gender discrimination and crime against women and children. 4. I will promote righteousness in the heart that will blossom the beauty in the character among citizens. 5. I will light the lamp of knowledge in the nation and ensure that it remains lit forever. 6. Wherever I am, I will always be remembered by my thought, word and action as a student or alumni of NMKRV College for Women. 7. My National Flag flies in my heart and I will bring glory to my nation.

By  Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam www.abdulkalam.com

A god-man called STEPHEN HAWKING!

A belief that heaven or an afterlife awaits us is a "fairy story" for people afraid of death, Stephen Hawking has said.

In a dismissal that underlines his firm rejection of religious comforts, Britain's most eminent scientist said there was nothing beyond the moment when the brain flickers for the final time.

Hawking, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 21, shares his thoughts on death, human purpose and our chance existence in an exclusive interview with the Guardian today.

The incurable illness was expected to kill Hawking within a few years of its symptoms arising, an outlook that turned the young scientist to Wagner, but ultimately led him to enjoy life more, he has said, despite the cloud hanging over his future.

"I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first," he said.

"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," he added.

Hawking's latest comments go beyond those laid out in his 2010 book, The Grand Design, in which he asserted that there is no need for a creator to explain the existence of the universe. The book provoked a backlash from some religious leaders, including the chief rabbi, Lord Sacks, who accused Hawking of committing an "elementary fallacy" of logic.

Hawking  at the 2001 Strings Conference, TIFR, India

The 69-year-old physicist fell seriously ill after a lecture tour in the US in 2009 and was taken to Addenbrookes hospital in an episode that sparked grave concerns for his health. He has since returned to his Cambridge department as director of research.

The physicist's remarks draw a stark line between the use of God as a metaphor and the belief in an omniscient creator whose hands guide the workings of the cosmos.

In his bestselling 1988 book, A Brief History of Time, Hawking drew on the device so beloved of Einstein, when he described what it would mean for scientists to develop a "theory of everything" – a set of equations that described every particle and force in the entire universe. "It would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God," he wrote.

The book sold a reported 9 million copies and propelled the physicist to instant stardom. His fame has led to guest roles in The Simpsons, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Red Dwarf. One of his greatest achievements in physics is a theory that describes how black holes emit radiation.

In the interview, Hawking rejected the notion of life beyond death and emphasised the need to fulfil our potential on Earth by making good use of our lives. In answer to a question on how we should live, he said, simply: "We should seek the greatest value of our action."

In answering another, he wrote of the beauty of science, such as the exquisite double helix of DNA in biology, or the fundamental equations of physics.

Hawking responded to questions posed by the Guardian and a reader in advance of a lecture tomorrow at the Google Zeitgeist meeting in London, in which he will address the question: "Why are we here?"

In the talk, he will argue that tiny quantum fluctuations in the very early universe became the seeds from which galaxies, stars, and ultimately human life emerged. "Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing. It is a matter of chance which we are in," he said.

Hawking suggests that with modern space-based instruments, such as the European Space Agency's Planck mission, it may be possible to spot ancient fingerprints in the light left over from the earliest moments of the universe and work out how our own place in space came to be.

His talk will focus on M-theory, a broad mathematical framework that encompasses string theory, which is regarded by many physicists as the best hope yet of developing a theory of everything.

M-theory demands a universe with 11 dimensions, including a dimension of time and the three familiar spatial dimensions. The rest are curled up too small for us to see.

Evidence in support of M-theory might also come from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, the European particle physics laboratory near Geneva.

One possibility predicted by M-theory is supersymmetry, an idea that says fundamental particles have heavy – and as yet undiscovered – twins, with curious names such as selectrons and squarks.

Confirmation of supersymmetry would be a shot in the arm for M-theory and help physicists explain how each force at work in the universe arose from one super-force at the dawn of time.

Another potential discovery at the LHC, that of the elusive Higgs boson, which is thought to give mass to elementary particles, might be less welcome to Hawking, who has a long-standing bet that the long-sought entity will never be found at the laboratory.

Hawking will join other speakers at the London event, including the chancellor, George Osborne, and the Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

Science, truth and beauty: Hawking's answers

What is the value in knowing "Why are we here?"

The universe is governed by science. But science tells us that we can't solve the equations, directly in the abstract. We need to use the effective theory of Darwinian natural selection of those societies most likely to survive. We assign them higher value.

You've said there is no reason to invoke God to light the blue touchpaper. Is our existence all down to luck?

Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing. It is a matter of chance which we are in.

So here we are. What should we do?

We should seek the greatest value of our action.

You had a health scare and spent time in hospital in 2009. What, if anything, do you fear about death?

I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first. I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.

What are the things you find most beautiful in science?

Science is beautiful when it makes simple explanations of phenomena or connections between different observations. Examples include the double helix in biology, and the fundamental equations of physics."

Courtesy: The Guardian Today

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