In Probability Theory, ‘Birthday Paradox’ refers, that in a group containing certain randomly chosen people, there is a finite probability for some two people to have exactly the same birthday. For a group with 23 people, this probability is around 50%. This increases exponentially as the number people in the group increases. With as many as 80 people, the probability gets around 100%. This is of course, based on the idea that people are randomly chosen and each day is equally likely to become a birthday for someone.

For more details you may visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_problem.

Birthday paradox holds an important position in computer security also. It can be used to attack the hash functions. For example, let us say f is a hash function such as f(x) = y. With hash functions, it should be impossible to guess ‘x’ given ‘y’. In other words they are one way. Another characteristic is that it should be very difficult to find two inputs that yield same output i.e. it should be hard to find x1 and x2 such that f(x1) = y and f(x2) = y. This property is called collision resistance. But using birthday paradox it becomes relatively easier to find such collisions.

Today 16 May is my birthday. And, in facebook I have around 275 friends. Interesting thing is that I do not have a single friend whose birthday coincides with mine. So either some of them have entered incorrect birth date or hidden their birth date from display or for some reason facebook is not notifying me of this. Otherwise, based on birthday paradox I should have at least one friend with birthday today. Perhaps if I include the ‘near-miss effect’ then we can get some coincidences. For example, number of people with birthday separated by certain days. Such latitude will increase the probability of coincidence. But originally birthday paradox theory does not include this near miss effect.

Scientifically, music is an art form with sound as its medium [1]. Therefore, music is composed of sound waves vibrating with different frequencies and pitches [2]. One might wonder the difference between music and noise. While a particular sound pattern may be considered music by some, the same might be regarded as noise by others. However, scientists and researchers have attempted to point out the differences in mathematical terms. One source [3] mentions that “Music is sound with a discrete structure while noise is sound with a continuous structure.” Regardless of the mathematics behind music and noise, one thing is certain: music is what you find amusing and even noise can sometimes be musical to some.

As I write this article, I can hear chirping of birds outside my window. I find it melodious and I would consider it a music. But what about the birds? What are they trying to accomplish by making those sounds? Are they communicating? Or, are they just making some noise? I don’t believe that mathematics can explain that. They could be communicating or making noise, but I am finding it musical. So, noise or vocal communication can also be considered music. It all depends on the listener. There is a saying, beauty lies on the eyes of beholder. I would say something similar for the music also: “Musical value lies on the senses of perceiver”.

We have often heard that music has no language barriers. I believe this is true. Personally speaking, I listen to music from different parts of the world. It really does not matter what culture or religion or race the particular place belongs to.

Following are two links to music from Nepal.

Instrumental 1

Instrumental 2

You can visit the site http://www.pronepal.com/ for more music and songs from Nepal.

Please put links to some good music from your country or other countries you know in the comment below.

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.

-Gautum Buddha

I hope I will be able to understand it and understanding it truely means, I should be able to implement it. I hope I will be able to do so. Likewise, I wish you will be able to understand it and implement it as well.

There are people who consider hunting and killing helpless animals as sports. I say they are bunch of cowards. Playing football is sports, playing chess is sports, skiing is sports but how come killing animals is a sport? Throughout the history, animal killing has been popular among several sections of human population. But isn’t today a time to reconsider that idea? Take for example, bullfighting. Wikipedia says,

 bullfighting or tauromachy (from Greek ταυρομαχία – tauromachia, “bull-fight”), is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, some cities in southern France, and several Latin American countries, in which one or more live bulls are ritually killed as a public spectacle … bullfight usually concludes with the death of the bull by a sword thrust.

The bull suffers severe stress and a slow painful death. And the cowards claim themselves to be heroes. What wrong has bull done to be faced with such suffering? Another example is dolphin hunting in Japan. The Japanese consider it to be their pride. There are numerous other examples of such killing.

Some other section of people torture animals for their skin, fur and several other animal parts. China, is very popular for this, isn’t it? They rip the skin and fur out of live animals. They do not even kill those animals before doing so. Peta says “Before they are skinned alive, animals are pulled from their cages and thrown to the ground; workers bludgeon them with metal rods or slam them on hard surfaces, causing broken bones and convulsions but not always immediate death. Animals watch helplessly as workers make their way down the row”. Not only china, many other Asian countries operate in similar manner. At least, they should provide an easy death to animals before skinning them or extracting fur out of them.

Transporting animals is also conducted in an inhumane way. A webpage at http://www.moggies.co.uk/articles/2003/china_cats.html shows some pictures. A line from this site reads

Chinese cats and rabbits awaiting sale as food.

Nepal is no exception to animal cruelty. Many Nepalese people find it exciting to watch animals getting sacrificed. They kill animals in the name of god. I sometimes find myself ashamed to call myself Nepali. Recently, a shocking image of wounded rhino made front-page news in Nepal. The so called National Park in a place called Chitwan in Nepal hosts few numbered rhinos. The poachers frequently kill rhinos for its horn. This wounded rhino was one among these unfortunates. I felt so emotional by looking at that the bleeding rhino. Issue with this rhino was different from other poached ones because this rhino did not die completely. It suffered a bullet injury. Perhaps, the pain of bullet made it unconscious and while it was unconscious the poachers dislodged it horn.

But later as it came to consciousness, it had to suffer for a whole week before it died. It died a long painful death.

In Nepal there are many examples of other ritualistic killings too. A festival called “Dashain” is very popular in the country. During this festival, a male buffalo is forcefully given alcohol and later killed in a cruel way. So called “Newar” people are mainly involved in this. Recently, government of Nepal decided not to fund animal sacrifices. Though the government made that decision as an effort to cut it’s spending and not with a heart for animals, the decision was very good.

But the thousands of people from Newar community took to the streets and protested the government decision.

Eventually, the decision was rolled back. I also belong to same Newar community. And the day that protest started, I felt ashamed of being Newar and being Nepali. But this is just one example. There are so many that if one tries to write them done, it will turn into a thick book.

Please, let us join hands against such animal cruelty. There are many other ways of making money and living life. We do not have to depend on animals in such a cruel way. And even if we need to depend, at least they deserve an easy death.

Other Sites:

http://www.peta.org/feat/chineseFurFarms/index.asp

http://www.moggies.co.uk/articles/2003/china_cats.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighting

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/233153,government-decision-not-to-fund-animal-sacrifice-stops-festival.html

Throughout my education I thought I had practical experience or say knowledge of a crucial topic of my area. I thought if I ever have to implement it professionally I would be able to do so just like that. And earlier today, completely forgetting that I was already introduced to similar methods, I was searching of ways to implement it. But now suddenly I happen to come to know about it and that I have already learned in the past. I have come to understand that I learned it theoretically but I never did it in practical. I realize that I was putting myself into an illusion of knowing everything about it. This is the result of too much theoretical learning and little practical. I think I do not want to reveal what that crucial topic is, but I will tell that it is a very important aspect of my education and my master’s degree.

Oh, I just said something that certainly sounds strange for anyone from my area and with background similar to mine. The term “too much theoretical learning and little practical” may sound awkward and hard to convince yourself. But for many people this, I believe, is true. Like I said, it is just a matter of time when you come to know this reality.

A: Please.
B: Please.
A: I insist.
B: So do I.
A: OK then, thank you.
B: You are most welcome.

The protocol is zero-knowledge because it can be simulated without knowing
any of the secrets of these Italians; in fact, the execution is independent of their
secrets as well as of anything else.

Loosely speaking, zero-knowledge proofs are proofs that yield nothing beyond
the validity of the assertion. That is, a verifier obtaining such a proof only
gains conviction in the validity of the assertion.

Source: Silvio Micali, 1985 and A Brief Introduction to Zero-Knowledge (by Oded Goldreich)

I think the first episode of X Files, that I watched, was called “Soft Light” from season 2. I can’t expressed how much I liked the episode. I think the reason, I like X Files and the reason millions of people out there like it, is that it deals with some of the most intricate topics that haunt us. It deals with the questions, of whose answers, we were also searching from a long time back. The alien invasion, bio weapons, supernatural are the topics that are yet unanswered. Many people do not even believe they exist. But deep down inside everybody, there is that something that makes people wander around searching answers, searching the proof of their existence.

I have watched all the episodes of X files from season 1 to 7. That will make around 150 episodes or more. There are eleven seasons altogether. I am looking out for DVD of rest of the seasons. But no matter how much I watch, I just can get enough of it.

For now thats it. I will post more on the X Files in days to come.

Meanwhile, you can enjoy some of the stills from different episodes of the series.

I have listed some of the best songs by him. I hope you will also like them.

1. Sunsan raat shital pawan

URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNSYsGEcjv4

सुनसान रात सितल पवन, साथी तिम्रो याद बिदेशी भुमी
बिती रहेछ जिवन यहाँ, माया तिम्रो हो पत्र चुमी
सुनसान रात ….
कहिले हाँस्छु कहिले रुन्छु, माया म है पागल सरी
तिम्रो तस्विर हेरी रहन्छु, तिम्रो पत्र है पढछु घरी
तिम्रो पत्र है पढछु घरी घरी ।
सुनसान रात ….
ला ला ला ला ला ला ला
हाम्रो मिलन को मधुर क्षण आउदै छ नजिक सुस्तरी
कसम छ है तिमी लाई नभयी निराश, माया बस है बाटो हेरी
माया बस है बाटो हेरी ।
सुनसान रात सितल पवन, साथी तिम्रो याद बिदेशी भुमी
बिती रहेछ जिवन यहाँ, माया तिम्रो हो पत्र चुमी
सुनसान रात ….

2. Ma mereko chaina aajhai

URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwMMn2RZPco

3. Hamro prem ko katha

URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5WRFEMtVtI

4. Kehi pal aaba baki cha

URL : http://www.pronepal.com/index.php?action=playwinfile&id=580

5. Tyo premko balidaan

URL : http://www.pronepal.com/index.php?action=playwinfile&id=429

6. Kati bibaas cha tyo jeevan

URL : http://www.pronepal.com/index.php?action=playwinfile&id=433

 7. Jindagi ko ke bharosa

URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4faF2L7hMo

8. Purano dunga, pani ko chaala

URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA_K8G0f5WE

9. Anautho betha bhayecha mero prem kahani

URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTrPf2X8Ofg

10. Timro mero sambandha ko

URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbC8PYTTD1c

If you have lyrics of these songs or any other songs by Karna Das,

then please send me or put them as comments.

I will apprecitate that a lot.

VAGUE Magazine Cover

Whoooo… So now I am a celebrity

Each day of conference was followed by expensive and lavish dinner. The best one was of course the conference dinner on October 9th, 2008.

Some of the pictures from the entire event are posted below.