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In 1905 Albert Einstein wrote a set of scientific articles, including one holding the famous equation E=mc2 that transformed our perception of the world and became the foundations of quantum mechanics and general relativity - the twin intellectual pinnacles of the past century. Honestly, not all that bad for a 26-year-old Albert who was a patent office clerk in Switzerland.
I just finished reading Walter Isaacson's Einstein - his life and universe. Isaacson has produced a marvelous book in providing a careful and thorough exploration of Albert Einstein's life, which is genuinely a skilfull piece of scientific literature and a fabulously good read. Isaacson believes we should consider Einstein not as a famous scientific mind, but as a revolutionary with admiration for the 'harmony of nature', a scientist who rated imagination far higher than knowledge and an individual whose slogan, at least in his early years, was 'long live impudence! it is my guardian angel.' But I'm not sure if I agree with him on that point. And yes, Albert had an offensive streak, no one could probably doubt that, but it cost him profoundly too, also not without positive long-term outcomes. Albert had an active and bold attitude at the Zurich Polytechnic, where he studied physics, he was his year's only graduate not to be offered a job. So he chose to spend months applying unsuccessfully for academic jobs across Europe. The Swiss Army even declined him for having flat feet. In the end, he made it to the Swiss patent office. It was a great thing for the young Albert. 'had he been given instead the job of an assistant to a professor, he might have felt constrained to be overly cautious in challenging accepted notions.' Instead, Einstein did his day's work in a couple of hours and then sat back in his 'worldly order' and indulged in a happy uncertainty in order to create some of the most beautiful, challenging ideas of modern science: the special law of relativity and the idea that light behaves like particles, for example. 'Physics was to be upended, and Einstein was poised to be the one to do it,' says Isaacson. I really believe, it's one of the greatest stories of modern science and to his credit and my surprise, Isaacson has done a fantastic job in telling it. This is, very simply, an interesting read.
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We often hear and read a lot about developed and developing nations or advanced or emerging world. For a long time, we have been labeling part of the world as "Developing" and another as "Developed." But we actually shouldn't.
Hans Rosling called this type of labels as "outdated" and frankly "absurd." Think about it, any categorization that pieces together China and Tanzania or Nigeria is too general to be helpful or practically insightful. So we have continued to use "developed" and "developing" in our conversation because there wasn't a more specific, easily acceptable or understandable alternative - until now. I recently read Hans’ new book Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think. In it, he provides a new framework for how to think about and analyze the world. Hans proposes four categories based on income level: Level I: One billion people live on level 1. This is what we think of as extreme poverty. If you’re on level 1, you survive on less than $2 a day and get around by walking barefoot. Your food is cooked over an open fire, and you spend most of your day traveling to fetch water. At night, you and your children sleep on a dirt floor. Level II: Three billion people live on level 2, between $2 and $8 a day. Level 2 means that you can buy shoes and maybe a bike, so it doesn’t take so long to get water. Your kids go to school instead of working all day. Dinner is made over a gas stove, and your family sleeps on mattresses instead of the floor. Level III: Two billion people live on level 3, between $8 and $32 a day. You have running water and a fridge in your home. You can also afford a motorbike to make getting around easier. Some of your kids start (and even finish) high school. Level IV: One billion people live on level 4. If you spend more than $32 a day, you’re on level 4. You have at least a high school education and can probably afford to buy a car and take a vacation once in a while. So why does this even matter? It's really hard to pick up on advancement if one is to divide the world into rich or prosperous countries and poor or impoverished countries. When those are the only two choices, we are more likely to think anyone who doesn't have a particular condition of life is "poor." Hans also and interestingly compares this instinct to standing on top of a tower and looking down at a city. All of the other building will look short to us whether they're ten stories or sixty stories high. It is very much the same with income. Life is significantly better for those on level II than level I., But it's difficult to understand that from level IV except you know to look for it. Keep in mind that the four levels are just one of many truly insightful parts in Factfulness that will help us better appreciate the world. Hans Roslin is no longer with us, but he worked on Factfulness until his very last days, even bringing many chapters with him in the ambulance to the hospital, ultimately his son and daughter-in-law helped to finish it after he passed on February 7th, 2017. Most of the book is genuinely dedicated to ten instincts that keep us from seeing the world "Factfully." These range from the fear - we pay more attention to scary things to the size - standalone numbers often look more impressive than they really are, to the gap - most of us fall between two extremes. With each sense, Hans offers us practical advice about how to overcome our natural biases and inclinations. For example, he argued that these instincts make it very difficult to put events in perspective. Just imagine news coverage about a natural disaster - let's say, a tornado that kills 15 people in a small city or town. If you look at only the headlines, you'll view the event as an unbearable tragedy, which it is. But if you put it in the context of history, you'll also know that tornadoes today are a lot less deadly than they used to be, thanks to advanced signal systems that warn us. That's no comfort to the loved ones of those who died, but it matters a great deal to everyone who survived the tornado. I think what Hans is attempting to tell us is that the world can be both bad and better. But I love how Hans articulates it beautifully in Factfullness. Another remarkable point about Factfulness - and about Has himself - is that he refuses to judge anyone for their misconceptions and faults. Most of us would beat people up for their ignorance, I know I would, but Hans doesn't. He doesn't even go after the media. Instead, he tells us about his experience. He explains that these instincts make us human and that overcoming them is really not that easy. When you get a chance, be sure to watch some of his TED talks. He was extremely charming, very patient, and never judgemental. He spent his life not only learning how global health was progressing but sharing what he learned in an engaging, exciting and transparent way with a wide range of people. Factfulness is a fantastic book, and I hope you read it and enjoy it. One of my favorite questions to ask friends, family members or colleagues has nothing to do with business or work: “What do you read nowadays?”
I genuinely think the simple act of reading can have substantial advantages, from improving mental health and well-being to expanding one's capacities to empathy, understanding and critical thinking. In recent months, I have developed a passion for reading biographies and autobiographies. These stories of other people's lives have served as the right antidote for pride and ego for me. We - humans - are naturally attracted to human narratives. Between showing us what's possible and how past breakthroughs have happened, biographies can help us see the human story - in a way that other types of books often don't. I am a firm believer that our ability for growth and excellence is exemplified by the people we surround ourselves with. So if we can't hang out with Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Ben Franklin and so many others, why not surround ourselves with their stories? In the past few weeks, I was hanging out with Leonardo Da Vinci. It was merely a fascinating experience, "in his art and his life, in his birthplace and now even in his death, there is a veil of mystery... As he knows, the outlines of reality are inevitably blurry, leaving a hint of uncertainty that we should embrace. " Leonardo was a ruthless perfectionist. He worked on the Mona Lisa for over sixteen years, And it was in his bedroom when he died. I also learned a great lesson from Leonardo. He was more interested in seeking knowledge than in publishing it. He really "wanted to accumulate knowledge for its own sake, and for his joy, rather than out of a desire to make a public name for himself as a scholar or to be part of the progress of history." Leonardo left us on May 2nd, 1519. He was passionately curious, about everything. It was immensely fun and entertaining hanging out with him. Who are you hanging out with nowadays? |
AuthorRoozbeh, born in Tehran - Iran (March 1984) Archives
December 2024
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