Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication

Some Qs people asked me and my replies to them - part 13

Q: What is your unique experience in life, which others may not even imagined?

Krishna: My deep association with science has taken me into a totally new arena.

I see science everywhere, run by it and controlled by it right from subatomic particles to the entire universe. I got a new, very enlightening vision.

I realized without science, nothing exists at all - including all life, its whole experiences like love and even spirituality ….

science-and-spirituality

This is strange and overwhelming. I am sure very few people have experienced what I did, including scientists.

And my experience makes me a highly fulfilled living being. Nothing compares to it and majority of people can’t even imagine about it.

Q: What differentiates a genius from a mediocre?
Krishna : Different people will give different definitions to the word genius. What you think is ‘mediocre’ might be ‘genius’ to some.

I have seen this happening in art, business, science and in almost all the fields.

When you don’t have a definite definition in the first place, how can you differentiate them? All that people say about these things is just based on their perceptions, not facts.

Anyway my perception goes like this … a genius is a person who can think critically and differently from others around, creatively connect things s/he learnt to solve the problems humanity faces, understand the most difficult scientific principles this universe is based on and explain it to others around in simple terms, can deal with several fields with ease, in a way a person who can utilize his or her grey matter to the optimum level.

Q:Who is smarter, the person who asks smart questions or the person who answers smart questions?

Krishna: An intellectual can both ask Qs and answer the Qs in a new way.

A critical thinker can think differently, ask differently, answer differently, and even question differently. All based on facts, genuine evidence, acquired knowledge, creativity, and sound fundamentals.

Critical thinking either while asking Qs or while answering, therefore, is the highest form of mental ability.

Smartness is not. Smart people can make mistakes both while answering or questioning. Critical thinkers rarely make any mistakes.

Q: Why is belonging an essential human need?

Krishna: Not for me. People who are emotionally dependent on others might feel it is essential. People who are not mentally strong need outside assistance.

I don’t need any outside emotional support. For people like me, belonging is not essential. I can live in an isolated state on an island without any living beings around.

However, evolutionary instincts make you crave for belonging. It is essential for survival in some cases, if not all. For instance some animals live on their own, completely independently, like the high end predators, while others need their herds or groups to survive like the prey.

Some young members in a community need the support of their families and groups, until they achieve stability. But adults going for emotional support? Haven’t they grown enough mentally and physically to survive on their own?

Independence makes you strong, not dependence.

Anyway different strokes for different folks!

Q: Do elderly people feel or know when they're getting ready to pass on?

Krishna: I didn’t face such a thing from the elders of my family. No! Ours was a joint family. My grandparents, uncles, aunts, parents, none gave us any hint. Only doctors treating them gave us some hint, based on their health conditions.

Elders talk about death a lot. Their failing health, age, body weakness make them say several things in desperation. We should not read much into these things.

But people usually attribute so many things to these words after their death. When you are facing a tragedy, your mind behaves strangely and tries to make connections and searches for meanings.

We can understand that.

Q: Would you rather be more knowledgeable or more intelligent?

Krishna: I want to be an intellectual, not intelligent.

A distinction is made between an intelligent person and and an intellectual. Intellect is considered to be related to "facts" in contrast to intelligence concerning "feelings". Feelings can sometimes screw up your mind and that is why even intelligent people make mistakes. Intellect refers to the cognition and rational mental processes gained through external input rather than internal. Intellect refers to the ability of the mind to come to correct conclusions about what is true. Intellect is often considered to be a branch of intelligence reflecting mainly its logical and rational side. Because of the lack of emotional and sensitive engagement, intellect is sometimes considered to be strictly limited to facts and not going beyond mere raw knowledge. You have to defeat your conditioning of mind by religion, emotions, culture, politics etc. and strictly depend on facts and evidence to do critical thinking and come to a conclusion to become an intellectual. Intellectuals rarely make mistakes while thinking. So intellectualism is a better and higher form of mind matters.

An intellectual is more intelligent than an intelligent person!

And intellectualism needs lots of knowledge to analyse any thing. Without knowledge, you cannot become an intellectual!

Q: Why is it that some ghost can enter inside the house through a closed door while some can not enter through a closed door?
Krishna : First there is no evidence of ghosts according to science. When you imagine something, you can imagine several things about it as well.

Therefore, ‘the entry of your imaginary ghosts’ can take place in any way you can visualize.

And these are my versions: They might piggy ride on your back from outside. Or float in the wind and come from the space below your door. Or your dog might bring it on its back. Or the cockroaches entering your kitchen through your window might bring them. They might enter the flowers of your trees and come with them when you pluck them and bring them inside. Or they might get attached to your shoes on your way to your home and come inside along with the dust. Or …

Oh, come on, there are thousands of ways of entries you can imagine. Why only two? :)

Q: If given a chance what supernatural power would you like to have?
Krishna : I already have it! The natural power of science that is unimaginably magical.

No supernaturals please. I am a scientist.

Q: Do ghosts come at 3.00 am?

Krishna: Ghosts don’t have any evidence in the first place according to science.

Science and the paranormal

When you can imagine something or hallucinate about them, you can also weave several interesting stories about them. Why only 3 am, I can even fix the time at 12 midnight after watching Bollywood movies!

Q: Does imagination mark the limit to one's ability to think of questions to ask, or can one have questions that are beyond the bounds of one's imagination?

Krishna: Why are you taking only imagination as a mark to ask Qs? Can't we ask Qs based on what we actually see or feel with our senses or observe through instrument assistance.

When something is brought to our notice in reality that we never imagined before, we can ask Qs based on them. People in ancient times didn't imagine and ask Qs about vast variety of microbes, before microscope was invented. They simply thought bad air caused diseases or God punished them in the form of suffering.

Only when we saw microbes with our own eyes, we started asking several Qs about them.

So, even reality that is beyond imagination can make us ask Qs.

Q: Can you tell me one negative thing about allopathy, homeopathy and ayurveda?

Krishna: Why only one? Several. I have already told. Read them here:

This is what ayurveda, homeopathy really look like

Q: What things are most needed by people in India?

Krishna: Others tell about several things. But as a person of science, my vote also goes to science literacy.

How scientific illiteracy can harm you...

Literate people living in urban areas are too scientifically illite...

Q: Does talking about ghosts make us vulnerable to them?

Krishna: There is absolutely no evidence of ghosts in the first place, according to science.

But under certain conditions, people imagine things and hallucinate. Read here what those conditions are: Science and the paranormal

One of the reasons is ‘movies impact and phobias (fear of ghost)’.

So yes, if you talk about them over and over again, hear stories or watch movies about them, fear grips you and you start ‘imagining things’ and interpret things in strange ways other than reality, if you have a weak mind that is not rational.

“Vulnerable”, yes to the imaginations and hallucinations, 'vulnerable' not to harm caused by them, because ghosts don’t exist in the first place.

And I wonder why I get so many Qs on ghosts!

Q: How information is important?

Krishna: Authentic Science Information , not any information, is supreme for me as I am in the field and as I also run a science communication network that gives reliable science news all the time.

Majority of the people don’t know this …

Right now we are fighting a ferocious war with anti-vaxxers, anti-GM, anti-nuclear, anti-science people and those who propagate superstitions, misconceptions, pseudo-science and several other anti-science theories because this malady is spreading speedily in this part of the world and if we don’t arrest it now, it will become a wild fire that would engulf everything on its way.

Man on the street doesn’t even know what he is getting into by believing everything he comes across. And people who blindly copy and paste everything they read and hear and share it with others around don’t even know what harm they are doing to their friends and loved ones. If we don’t tell how to differentiate between the right facts and misinformation, people might get harmed.

One has to realize this to know the importance of authentic data.

QYou're given a device that allows you to vividly relive the happiest moment of your life but using it will cause a random person to die, QA really screwed up, would you use it?

Krishna Yes, I would!

All living beings will have to die one day. We are not immortal.

Travelling by planes, ships, space ships, why even by cars can make you prone to accidents. You might die while doing that. If you just sit at home because of this, you will miss all the thrill in life.

Some happy moments in life are enough. And some sad moments are inevitable in everybody’s life. Why worry about the unavoidable?

A moment of thrilling life is better than 100 years of boring life.

Just be happy and enjoy every moment of the given life.

If it is me who would die, I will use it, but if my using it makes others people die, no, I might not use it!

Q: Why do people still commit crimes despite stringent laws and punishment?

Krishna: You can’t prevent murder by having a law against murder. It still happens. Laws aren’t ways of preventing something; they are ways of indicating society’s opinion, and to take a person who has done it out of circulation if they’re a danger, but you don’t prevent the actual event from happening.

The major reasons for crimes ...

Bad circuits in the brain - that make the person lack sympathy, empathy, and humane nature.

Atmosphere a person grows up or in that makes him a psychological mess.

Mental conditions like schizophrenia and severe depression.

Severe emotions that screw up one's thought processes and uncontrollable instincts ... you are extremely unhappy with a person, hate him so much that you want to get rid of him, no matter what! You don't think or care about law and punishment.

Feeling that you can escape law and punishment by hoodwinking or using your power or money.

Extreme time gap between crime and punishment. If you can escape punishment for 20 years, you feel you have escaped it forever!

Conditioning of minds that people belonging to other castes, regions, religions, countries, races are bad and they are your worst enemies .

Drugs and alcohol

Copycat affect

Extreme poverty

Media glorification of crime

Instant fame (even if it is a negative one)

Over population - creation of more people leads to some form of frustration or resentment towards society as such because of increased competition for various resources.

Q: What are some great proofs of black magic?

Krishna: Proof? None! According to science, that is.

Oh, yes, you get lots of anecdotal evidence, stories told by people who believe in it. But science doesn’t count anecdotal evidence as true evidence. It is just based on your perception, strange explanations, imaginations, nocebo effect and what not. That is no proof.

Q: What are the symptoms of suffering from black magic?

Krishna: None, as there isn’t any evidence for black magic in the first place, according to science.

But there is a thing called Nocebo Effect.

When you believe in it, you feel psychologically it is really affecting you and interpret all the bad things happening to you is because of it only. You started to fear everything and suffer as a consequence.

So stop believing in it and you won’t suffer.

Q: How can I get rid of black magic?

Krishna: Yes, I can help you!

First get rid of the thought that black magic exists. Because there is no evidence of black magic , according to science.

Then why do people suffer? Because of a psychological effect called “Nocebo”.

Both nocebo and placebo effects are psychogenic. These reactions result from a persons expectations and perceptions of how the substance or something will affect him or her. Negative suggestion can induce symptoms of illness. Nocebo effects are the adverse events that occur during sham treatment and/or as a result of negative expectations.

It usually effects the weak minds.

What is Nocebo Effect?

So, if you believe that black magic can harm you, you ‘feel’ sick. And think everything bad happening in your life is because of it.

Only if you get rid of your baseless beliefs, you can get rid of black magic effects. Period.

Or you can give your hard earned money to a witch or a quack who says s/he can help you and get fooled. Oh, yes, again if you think the rituals this witch does can remove the spell of black magic, again that psychologically boosts your confidence. But you lose your money for no reason!

Why should you follow the second one, when you can get rid of your fears with the first one without spending any money?

Think about that!

Q: How can I tell my son in a convincing way that believing in God actually will help him?

Krishna: In what way can God help your son?

You say, ‘ believing in God actually will help him’.

But you yourself are not sure how. Yours is just a belief without evidence. That is why you are unable to convince him and are asking others to convince you first and help you!

Don’t make your son blindly believe in what you do. Let him question things. Let him understand what reality is. Let him realize what he wants to do. Don’t try to impose things on others, even if they are your children or other family members. Each and every person has the right to choose what he wants to trust in.

Q: Were you attacked for saying what you did? How do you deal with such things?

Krishna: Yes, I faced these attacks for writing this article: Why Astrology is Pseudo-science , for saying that ‘dogs can’t predict the pregnancy of their owners’ and that ‘some Godmen are propagating pseudo-science’. I was asked to delete the content and when I refused to do so, I was severely trolled, attacked, threatened and … but I stood my ground.

We are making some people very uncomfortable. In my case I am trying to take away the ‘bread and butter’ of Astrologers. Naturally they will attack us. When we chose a path, we shouldn’t be afraid to walk on it, no matter what happens. In fact if I say something that goes against public understanding of that thing, I expect adverse reaction. We should learn to tolerate it. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. For science’s sake and the welfare of the world.

Q: What are the reasons someone starts believing in god in the first place? Is there any genetic code for it?

The main reasons I can think of are ... Cultural and religious conditioning of minds, human need for emotional support from a higher entity if the minds are not strong, to fill the gaps in human reasoning through short cuts, ‘security’ and other benefits you get when you join a religious group, to face adverse conditions with ‘boosted support’, control and exploitation of certain people in the name of God, fear of the unknown factors.

Q: How is it that people don't see that asking a bunch of questions is not an answer?

Krishna: Why can’t it? Especially if it conveys something?
Why can’t it? If it is highly relevant?
Why can’t it? If you have the ability to interpret it in the right way?
Why can’t it? If you think there are alternate ways to arrive at a destination?
:)

Q: Which is more beleivable, the existence of ghosts or aliens?

Krishna: Certainly, I have confidence in alien theory. It fits in the science realm. Although, no evidence has been found so far, it is probable that we might find some in the future. Our limitations in finding them is what is causing this delay.

Ghosts exist in some people’s imagination. And hallucination of human brains. Scientists tried their best but couldn’t find any till now. But in this process they created artificial ghost experiences! Read here how …

Science and the paranormal

Q: Can we understand God scientifically?

http://www.replyat.com/2-ScienceOfGod-Intro-365.htm

Krishna: As a scientist, ‘yes, why not, given the situation’, will be my answer.

If there really is a creator, s/he or it should be a great scientist because s/he or it created this universe very scientifically. Then this entity should also follow scientific method which constitutes validation. Any scientific creator should have left some sort of evidence for his existence. If there is none, what does that convey to you? Or if you still don’t have the capacity to find that evidence, what does that denote?

What if human beings ‘invented God’ to have some sort of emotional support to overcome their own insecurities and fears of the unknown? Or to fill the gaps in their understanding of this universe. If God exists only in your imagination, you cannot prove that such an entity exists. The argument that God is beyond anybody as such an entity is outside our realm or it doesn’t need any validity is lopsided. Even God needs proof in a scientific universe ( this universe is scientific because, it is based on scientific principles and run by science).

Theists, Scientific laws that run this universe themselves are part of what 's created. Or, atheists, the universe came into existence on its own based on scientific laws. Even if both views are taken into account, we have to use only scientific methods to unravel those mysteries. There is no other way!

Like one of my scientist friends says...even to prove God real requires science!

Science and Spirituality

Q:What is the difference between a spirit, ghost, jinn and a demon?

Krishna: The difference can be as varied as human imagination and hallucination. when something exists only in your imagination, you can imagine it in as many shapes and sizes you want.

Science and the paranormal

q;How do you define "belief"?

Krishna: belief is an ‘acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof’. it is mostly blind in nature. but we can question beliefs. That is how rationality and science develop.

Q:Why do we see visions of evil spirits in a haunted house?

Krishna: There are several reasons for this. all explained and discussed from a scientific point of view here …. Science and the paranormal

Some Qs people asked me and my replies to them - part 13

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