Topical

Includes posts on physics, philosophy, sciences, quantitative finance, economics, environment etc.

Articles and Essays, Unpublished, Philosophy, Physics

The Unreal Universe — Seeing Light in Science and Spirituality

/

This essay, originally written for a Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times, was published in an altered form in a philosophy magazine called The Philosopher. The published article (also posted in this blog — Perception, Physics and the Role of Light in Philosophy) had too much editorial input, I felt.

We know that our universe is a bit unreal. The stars we see in the night sky, for instance, are not really there. They may have moved or even died by the time we get to see them. […]

Philosophy, Physics

Uncertainly Principle

/

One of the few features in physics that have captured the public attention, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle figures way up there with the Big Bang and E=mc2. It is an independent axiom, standing on its own, not reducible to any other more fundamental principles. However, here is an Unreal attempt to derive it.

Articles and Essays, Philosophy, Physics

The Philosophy of Special Relativity — A Comparison between Indian and Western Interpretations

/
11 of 12 in Popular

In this blog version of an article published in Omega, I discuss how Eastern and Western views say essentially the same things when it comes to the nature of space and time. And how that view can be interpreted as a basis for understanding Einstein’s theories. [Journal Ref: Omega – Indian Journal of Science and Religion, Vol. VI, (Dec. 2007), pp 138-150.]

Columns, The Wilmott Magazine, Quantitative Finance

Software Nightmares

/

This article, to appear in the Wilmott Magazine, discusses the issues involved in rolling out a pricing model as a deployed platform for trading. Although of more direct interest to the practitioners, this article may appeal to those who find the mysterious field of global markets intriguing.

[…] The financial industry keeps up with the developments in the computer industry for one simple reason. Stronger computers and smarter programs mean more money — a concept we readily grasp. As we use the latest and greatest in computer technology and pour money into it, we fuel further developments in the computing field. In other words, not only did we start the fire, we actively fan it as well. But it is not a bad fire; the positive feedback loop that we helped set up has served both the industries well. […]

Creative, French, Environment, Philosophy

La logique

/

The last of my French redactions to be blogged, this one wasn’t such a hit with the class. They expected a joke, but what they got was, well, this. It was written the day after I watched an air show on TV where the French were proudly showcasing their fighter technology. This one talks about how logical conclusions can be illogical.

Creative, Books, Philosophy

1984

/

My impressions of George Orwell’s 1984.

[…]In 1984, the immediate story is of a completely totalitarian regime. Inwardly, 1984 is about ethics and politics. It doesn’t end there, but goes into nested philosophical inquiries about how everything is eventually connected to metaphysics. It naturally ends up in solipsism, not merely in the material, metaphysical sense, but also in a spiritual, socio-psychological sense where the only hope in life becomes death.[…]

Columns, The Wilmott Magazine, Quantitative Finance

Risks and Rewards

/

Published in the Wilmott Magazine in May 2008 under the title “Stress Test,” this piece looks at the incredible levels of endurance and resilience demanded of quantitative and trading professionals. It is anthology of my columns on work-life issues that appeared in the Today paper, adapted to the risky and rewarding lives of quants and other front office professionals.

Articles and Essays, Philosophy, Physics

Perception, Physics and the Role of Light in Philosophy

/
4 of 12 in Popular

Published in The journal of the Philosophical Society of England. The Philosopher, Vol. LXXXXVI No. 1 (Spring 2008), pp 3-7

This article examines the role of light in perception, physics and philosophy. Based on the similarities between metaphysical and spiritual or philosophical views on space and time, the article sheds new light on modern physics — the special theory of relativity, in particular.

Scroll to Top