International Day of Mathematics

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Yesterday was a day which many of us don’t know about and many of us are glad of the fact. There is a very small percentage of our population who love this subject – Mathematics. Maybe someone like BB and his friends who are math nerds would appreciate this day, but for the rest of us plebs, it is one just like any other.

Each year on Pie day which is March 14 or in the American way of writing dates, 3/14 is the
mathematical constant for pie is approximately 3.14 and this day has been celebrated in many countries as Pie Day.

The International Day of Mathematics or IDM is the opportunity the explain and celebrate the essential role that mathematics and mathematics education play in breakthroughs in science and technology, improving the quality of life, empowering women and girls, and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. The first IDM proclaimed by UNESCO and co-organised with the International Mathematical Union or IMU was celebrated in 2020 which celebrated the beauty and importance of mathematics in our everyday lives. This annual event will be marked in more than 107 countries with over 1000 individual events.

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The major goals of an International Day of Mathematics, with expected benefits for students, for teachers, for women and girls and for society at large are to improve understanding among the general public, decision makers and in schools, of the importance of mathematics in education; contribute to capacity building in mathematical and scientific education, with special focus on girls and children from developing countries; achieve gender equality and empower women and girls in mathematics; improve understanding among the general public, with decision makers and in schools of the importance of mathematics as a tool for developments which lead to more prosperous economy circumstances; emphasise the importance of basic research in mathematical sciences as the seed to breakthroughs in technology and the management of society; highlight the role of mathematics in the organization of modern society, including economic, financial, health and transport systems, telecommunications in the quest for human well-being, etc.; raise awareness of the role of mathematics in fighting disasters, epidemics, emerging diseases, invasive species; highlight the role of mathematics in moving to a circular economy of sustainability compatible with preservation of biodiversity; equip the general public and young people with tools for understanding the planetary challenges and the capacity to respond as knowledgeable citizens; increase international networking and collaborations in public awareness of mathematics and increase the access to information, providing a simple way to give citizens a choice in all aspects of their daily life.

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Each year, the day is commemorated with a different theme and the theme for 2021 is Mathematics for a Better World. As the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, mathematics provides its models and tools to help us understand, monitor, and control the spread of the virus. It is also used to create weather forecasts and prepare for natural disasters. It warns us of climate change and helps us to anticipate and mitigate its consequences. Mathematics is central to the efficient organization of societies for the benefit of all citizens. It optimizes transportation and communication networks and enables smart planning and management of health, economic, and social systems. Science and mathematics have a crucial role in steering decisions to promote peace and social justice. As a common language to the planet, mathematics is an essential part of humankind’s cultural heritage. It is present in arts, music, and games, for human enjoyment and well-being.

For more information on the IDM and the events happening around the world, please head to the official website of the International Day of Mathematics. The site also has interesting games and activities you do to commemorate IDM. Here’s another interesting place where you can learn more about the beauty of mathematics is

2021 Week 10 Update

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This week marks the official one year mark when the WHO declared the Covid-19 as a pandemic. On 11 March 2020, deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction, WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 could be characterised as a pandemic. Singapore had been one of the countries affected with cases as early as in January 2020.

As of yesterday, we have 119 million cases and over 2.5 million deaths caused by the virus. Of these numbers, the United States accounts for almost 30 million cases and half a million deaths. A country which only accounts for 4% of the world’s population accounts for 20% of the world covid related deaths. Brazil has overtaken India as the country with the second highest cases and India is at number four in the total number of deaths related to the pandemic. Singapore with about 60 thousand cases stands at number 99 and with 30 deaths in total is at number 171.

This week I have spent in pain in my leg. The pain which came on and off for a few weeks in my ankles was so bad this week that I could only hobble. I also had a weird stiffness in the middle of one of my calves, like what happens when you calves cramp. I have been spamming lots of muscle relaxants and medicated oils and also using crepe bandages to get some relief.

Today’s quote is a lesson that people, especially me needs to learn. While every day may not be good according to your definition of good, but if you look hard, you will find something something good even in the worst of days. So look for the little things that bring that little joy to your day, it can be as simple as reading a beautiful sentence, a lovely sunrise or sunset or even something that a loved one said to you. Life will be so much more beautiful!

With this note, stay safe people and if you or your loved ones are getting vaccinated, please go ahead and book your appointment and get vaccinated, for the sake of yourself and your loved ones. It’s only when we do our part will life start going back to a semblance of normal.

In My Hands Today…

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No Baggage: A Minimalist Tale of Love and Wandering – Clara Bensen

When Clara Bensen arranged to meet Jeff Wilson on the steps of the Texas State Capitol, after just a few email exchanges on OKCupid, it felt like something big was going to happen. Clara, a sensitive and reclusive personality, is immediately drawn to Jeff’s freewheeling, push-the-envelope nature. Within a few days of knowing one another, they embark on a 21-day travel adventure—from Istanbul to London, with zero luggage, zero reservations, and zero plans. They want to test a simple question: what happens when you welcome the unknown instead of attempting to control it?

Donning a single green dress and a small purse with her toothbrush and credit card, Clara travels through eight countries in three weeks. Along the way, Clara ruminates on the challenges of traveling unencumbered, while realizing when it comes to falling in love, you can never really leave your baggage behind.

Experiences over Things – Because Experience is the best Teacher

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“Buy experiences, not things. Spending on experiences makes people happier than spending on things. Things get broken and go out of style. Experiences get better every time you talk about them.” – Jean Chatzky

When I was younger, I wanted the best of everything – be it clothes, skincare, holidays and material things. But as I grow older, material things are slowly losing the importance they once had. When the urge to fill cupboards reduced, the urge to experience started increasing.

I also find that this is something that younger people do more than us. It is perhaps something to do with a scarcity of resources. Growing up in a middle class regulated India, we were hard-pressed to have enough money for a lot of material things and a lot of things that today would seem normal, even in India used to be considered luxury items. But today’s children have grown up with a lot of things we considered a luxury. For example, BB & GG took their first overseas trip and plane ride when they were slightly over a year old while I must have taken my first domestic plane ride when I was about 10-11 years old and my first overseas trip only in my twenties!

For today’s generation who are digital natives, they only know a world where the largest retail store doesn’t own any items aka Amazon, the biggest transportation service doesn’t own any vehicles, Uber, and the most popular hotel chain doesn’t own any hotels aka AirBnB. In a world where jobs are not stable and freelancing and being a digital nomad is slowly becoming a thing, it is no wonder that they prefer to have fewer possessions and more experiences.

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So what makes some people choose experiences over things? And while reading up about this issue, I realised that there are many people like me, whole encompass the spectrum of people of all ages, who are starting to opting out of accumulating things and exploring experiences instead.

Experiences result in greater happiness: According to research, experiences result in longer-lasting happiness than material possessions. Humans quickly adapt to their external surroundings and as a result, the happiness provided by new material possessions is short-lived. Over time, people’s satisfaction with the things they buy decreases, whereas their satisfaction with experiences over time increases.

Experiences provide better memories: We usually look back on memories and these memories, especially if they are associated with our loved ones provide us with years of pleasant memories and bring a warm smile in our hearts when we think about them. Does something you own bring that smile to your face? Maybe, but memory will always trump a physical thing.

Experiences result in less clutter: Most physical possessions eventually become a burden on our lives. They take up physical space in our homes and mental space in our minds. They require care, attention, maintenance, organization. Experiences, on the other hand, are accompanied with little to no physical baggage. All you need to do to go back to a memory is to close your eyes and think about that time, there’s no need to clutter up your homes, which are getting smaller, especially in crowded cities like Singapore.

Experiences provide greater opportunity to connect with other people: When we experience things with others because we enjoy time together with people we love and are comfortable with, we can connect with them on a level that spending that time and money on things just can’t do.

Experiences result in greater mindfulness: In a 2010 research, it was concluded that a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. And the greater a person’s ability to stay present in a given moment, the greater happiness they experience during and after. Experiences provide a greater opportunity and this regard.

Experiences result in less comparison with others: In a materialistic society, we are always comparing ourselves with others and if we have a bigger house or more possessions, we are supposed to more successful compared to whom we are comparing ourselves with. But how do you compare experiences? There’s no standard template with which you can do that. An experience that is very important to one will have no value to another and so everyone’s experience is unique and special.

Experiences let you grow as an individual: When you experience and learn different things, you can view the world differently. Experiences make you more emphatic and make an individual a better person overall.

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So let’s start gathering more experiences to experience the various facets of life to live a more enriched and fulfilling life. While material things may bring fleeting moments of joy, but are separate from the individual. Experiences, on the other hand, live with an individual for a long time, maybe even their own life and become intrinsically entwined with the individual. And at the end of the day, we are the total sum of all our experiences.

In My Hands Today…

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A Bit of a Stretch – Chris Atkins

Where can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes? Which British education system struggles with 50% illiteracy? Where do teetotal Muslims attend AA meetings? Where is it easier to get ‘spice’ than paracetamol? Where does self-harm barely raise an eyebrow?

Welcome to Her Majesty’s Prison Service, a creaking and surreal world that has been left to rot for decades in the shadows of polite society. Like most people, documentary-maker Chris Atkins didn’t spend much time thinking about prisons. But after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film, he was sent down for five years. His new home would be HMP Wandsworth, one of the oldest, largest, and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe.

Horrifying, moving, and darkly funny, this is the unvarnished depiction of what he found. With a cast of characters ranging from wily drug dealers to corrupt screws to senior officials bent on endless (and fruitless) reform, this is the reality behind the locked gates. Full of incredible and hilarious stories, A Bit of a Stretch reveals the true scale of our prison crisis and why it is costing us all.