I looked at consciousness a bit and wrote 4 essays in my blog. But I did not really find the subject illuminating or thinking about it too fruitful, and it did not grab my interest as a subject worth further study on my part using methods I use.  Here are the 4 essays.  The neural correlates of consciousness (neurological perspective) Evolution and consciousness. (Evolutionary perspective) Who am "I"? (Psychological and Eastern philosophical perspectives) What is self-consciousness? (western philosophical perspective) What is the understanding I personally took away? These are not novel ideas but the synthesis is mine for my personal use.. I personally think that only you subjectively can know about your consciousness.  Deducing consciousness, say of a dog looking at a mirror and gauging its reaction to his image to make inferences about its consciousness is far less persuasive.  Is AI conscious? I don't know. But a  google AI researcher was f...

I spent a lot of time in the past understanding politics, govt, and international. Once I understood what I wanted to know, I dropped it. I think age 70 is a good time to let go of politics, govt, and international if possible. They disturb your mind, and this is the age for calmer thoughts and endeavors. One should continue to observe these things but with much more detachment. No interest in discussing such topics with anyone going forward. These blogs are it on such topics. We are retired in Hawaii .  These days I am disconnected from the job market, stock market, mutual funds/ETF market, bond market (a non-callable FDIC insured CD held to term behaves very differently than ordinary bonds), real estate/mortgage/loan market (your home is where you live possibly for life), and largely unaffected by interest rates until close to the end of the next president's term. Debt is 125% of GDP. A number of other countries are in worse shape, and they don’t have the unique position of the U...

This essay is roughly in the realm of epistemology (closest I could find in philosophy). It describes the “algorithm” I use to acquire knowledge. Conversing with friends is not a knowledge acquisition exercise but an exercise in having fun or a social interaction!! These are not novel ideas but the synthesis is mine for my personal use.  Information is strings of zeros and ones. Knowledge is information which is the closest you can get to the truth. How do you know if a result, finding, or statement is true? You do that by examining the source and method and judging your confidence in that. You are not going to independently ascertain it. You accept it if you accept the source and method used in arriving at it. Logic has an extremely solid foundation, and you can accept a logical statement or reasoning. Science is based on the scientific method which is an extremely solid foundation, and you can accept that. Political science and economic science are also sciences and can be...

I had started a brand-new probe on climate, and earth. I have already blogged on everything, I am willing to write about me, my opinions and experience. I have already synthesized my world views and opinions and best understanding of truth on everything of most importance and interest to me (except this current probe) through my essay writing and research. This therefore is my last major thrust in essay writing and then I will stop. I would have to find a new hobby though!! Photography? Socializing? Relaxed Reading? Talk to People/Meet new people (right brain?)? I am glad you enjoyed my work. I take no inputs until an essay is written and then I take inputs. I do my own independent research and strive for balance and accuracy. The inputs may cause me to revise some sections. I rarely comment in public on any subject I don't have a World View or Opinion on and have not researched. I am selective on what areas I choose to learn, what history I choose to dig into, and what news I choo...

There are many perspectives on how values form. Here is my perspective.  Value form when you are younger, and they tend to really stick.  Nobody taught me hard work and integrity. I learnt it by observing dad. I observed how he climbed his way up from a poor PWD officer in Nagpur to the head of south India sales region in Kirloskar. He did it with hard work and integrity and determination.   I also saw how he interacted with everyone - never bad mouthing anyone and handling himself with integrity in all his interactions.  I observed everything he did and processed it. I adopted that in full. That was my role model. I learnt it.  Nobody taught me self-responsibility. I learnt it at IIT (collage). I was alone and independent far away from home staying in a hostel. I learnt and internalized and concluded that your parents sheltered you in the past but going forward I was an independent agent and whether I succeeded or failed or achieved happiness depended sole...

As one experiences life, everyone changes to some degree. You know more, you get wiser, you use new tools and techniques, you have more experience, and you acquire new skills. Does it affect your attitudes, behavior and personality? I believe so. But I think your core values do not change because I think they get incorporated into you as a bedrock early in life.  Although my wife and I have very different backgrounds and personality, surprisingly we have, or evolved to have, some very similar values. Let me try to list the common four most important ones (there are others that we have).  1. There is no free lunch. You have to work hard and smart and make the right choices. You are primarily responsible for your own wellbeing.  2.  You are responsible for your own actions and the consequences are yours.  3. Be compassionate and generous to the less fortunate/in need to the extent you can (earlier in life - much less so now since we are retired).  4. Integrit...

I put this together some time ago and wanted to share it in its original form. These are, in my view, the six major structural challenges the United States will face in the years ahead. The points remain largely as I originally wrote them, with only light refinement for clarity. These are, in my view, the six structural challenges that will shape the future of the United States. They are not short‑term political debates but long‑horizon forces that will influence our economy, security, and global position. Each challenge is complex on its own, but together they form an interconnected system that will test the country’s resilience and political will.  1. AI: Transformative Potential and Disruptive Risk AI has enormous potential to improve human life, but it also carries the capacity for major disruption. Impacts may include large-scale job losses, the need for retraining, and the obsolescence of entire industries. Ethical use is another major concern. It is unclear how to plac...