Energy - the new buzz word for peddling scam

The concept of Energy is somewhat difficult to grasp. Unfortunately many people  consider energy to be some sort of magical substance that floats in the air. So we end up with all kind of pseudoscience: Chi energy, pranic chakras, positive energy, and so on forth.

A curious and very important idea on energy is the law of conservation of energy. According to the law of conservation of energy,” Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. One form of energy can be transferred to another”.  Scientists often have difficulty in explaining this idea. Here is an attempt by the famous physicists Richard Feynman

"There is a fact, or if you wish, a law, governing all natural phenomena that are known to date. There is no known exception to this law—it is exact so far as we know. The law is called the conservation of energy. It states that there is a certain quantity, which we call energy, that does not change in manifold changes which nature undergoes. That is a most abstract idea, because it is a mathematical principle; it says that there is a numerical quantity which does not change when something happens. It is not a description of a mechanism, or anything concrete; it is just a strange fact that we can calculate some number and when we finish watching nature go through her tricks and calculate the number again, it is the same" (The Feynman Lectures on Physics).

 I think I confused you more.

 Let me give an example that would hopefully clarify this.

 When I was around 15 years old, I ran a thought experiment. See the picture on the right-hand side.

Hypothetical energy generation

 Imagine a large reservoir with a turbine installed at the bottom. The water flows through the turbine which will produce electricity. Now I take this water to a tank and using the electricity produced from the turbine, I pump this water back to the reservoir. 

First how does the turbine rotate? i.e. where does it get is energy from? It comes from the column of water above the turbine. The water column is stationary but it still has a potential to produce energy- this we call it a potential energy (that is an energy trapped in a static mode). In this case, the source of the potential energy is gravity. The turbine rotates, thus transferring the potential energy to a kinetic energy (kinetic means something moving – non static). If I attach a motor (a copper coil and a magnetic core) to the rotating turbine this will start producing electricity. At this point, we have effectively converted the hydraulic (water) energy to electrical energy. We did not create the electrical energy, we simply transformed the potential hydraulic energy that existed.

 Let us say, I now take the water flowing out of the turbine into a tank and use a pump to pump the water back to the reservoir.

 Question 1:  Can I use the electricity produced by the turbine to pump water back to the reservoir? If I could do that then the system will run indefinitely forming a cycle.

 Think about this for a few minutes.

 Now if you concluded that this system will work, then my second question is this. Now I put a branch pipe out of the pump and feed the water tank in my house.

 Q2:  will the system still run? If so, I have got an infinite source of water supply to my tank without spending any money on electricity (the turbine produces electricity and the pump tops up the water to keep it going)- Do I now have a self-sustaining pumping system?

 If you have answered my first question correctly, then you will take even shorter time to answer the second questions.

 Unfortunately, the answer to both questions is a “no”. Our life will be very simple if either of them was the case, we don’t really need to worry about energy needs of current or the future.

 The problem with transforming energy is that whenever you transform an energy, some numerical amount of the energy will transform into other unusable form of energy, commonly referred as “energy loss” (which confuses even more). In the case of the turbine, some of the potential hydraulic energy will convert to friction/heat and noise(the form of energy that is not useful for us), and the remaining energy is transformed as electrical energy. Suppose we say the potential kinetic energy as E1 (don’t worry about the units) and the electrical energy as E2 then,

 
E1 = E2 + E_loss; where E_loss = heat, friction, sound etc.…
 
The ratio of E2/E1 is called the efficiency of the system. You cannot build any equipment to provide 100% efficiency.  Nature has decided to take back some!

In the same way when the electrical energy is converted back to a hydraulic energy at the pump, this energy (E3) will be less than E2. If we assume 90% efficiency for the turbine and 90% efficiency for the pump, then the net hydraulic energy available at the pump E3 will be only 81% of E1. So the first question is a no.

 If you understand this, you will know that the answer to the  second question is a "no". As there is going to be some energy required to fill up my tank, the mathematics won’t add up.

So as you can see all we do is transform energy from one form to another form and in that process we loose a portion of the original energy form into unusable forms (usually sound, light, friction, etc.). Nature provides us a range of energy sources that we can utilize such as wind, flowing rivers(hydraulic), sun (solar), waves, gravity, heat energy by burning coal, fossil fuels, chemical reactions, etc.

But the important thing to note is that the energy transformation needs to be facilitated by a device or equipment (turbine, solar panel etc.).

So what are things like Pranic energy, Chi energy, positive energy, karmic energy, etc.? So far we have no scientific evidence to suggest that such forms of energy exist.
  And even if we assume they exist, we still need to invent a device to transform (convert) it from the pranic natural occurring energy into something that we can use to heal your disease.  You cannot simply transform this pranic energy through magic into something else.

 Fist we need some evidence to see if it exists, second we need to figure out a way to measure the magnitude of this, then we need a device to covert it.

 So the idea that someone can heal you through thoughts does not come into even the slightest realm of science.
 
It is wishful thinking.

    

Holy Cow! How religion makes us Violant.

The evil Oonan (ஓனான் in Tamil)

My observation of religiously inspired violence goes back to my child hood memory of a group of Chameleon (Oonan) hunting boys. These boys would capture Chameleons and then torture them to death. It usually involves capturing a Chameleon using a noose tied to a string (just the way a cow boy would capture his cows). Once captured, the animal would be subjected to extreme form of torture until it dies. In one instance that I vaguely recall, the boys tied the captured Chameleon to a super explosive fire cracker that we called the atom bomb. After the loud explosion the animal’s carcass fell down in pieces.

  Reflecting back, I can’t believe how brutal it was, and I never understood why I was in the company of such kids displaying such brutal behavior.  Of course, when you are child, you are irrational and have difficulty in understanding the difference between right an wrong. Most of the boys grew out to be good citizens not indulging in any violence behaviour.

 But it raises an important question. So why were a group of young kids capturing Chameleons and torturing them?

 Because we were told that these Chameleons are evil.  The fable story (told by our parents) was that when God Ram was building a bridge to Srilanka to rescue his princess Sita, the Chameleons sided with the evil monster Ravana and refused to help.  The squirrels on the other hand helped God Rama build a bridge and so it got rewarded by a pat in the back by god Ram. (that apparently is the reason behind  line on the back of the squirrel).

Squirrel patted in the back by god Ram

 They therefore had a duty to protect the squirrel and kill the Chameleons!

 I don’t think the parents’ indented their bed time story to result in such brutal activities, but you can see how superstitious stories can produce unintended consequences. The story provided a justification for the brutal act, and it made us immune to guilt, shame or even empathy. During that time, the boys were fully convinced that they were carrying out their duty to god.

 Does that ring any bell to you? Does that explain why a certain group of young men strap themselves with explosives and are prepared to die? The fable stories of their religion convinces them to believe that they are simply carrying out their duty to fulfill their commitment to god. There is no sense of sympathy, empathy or afterthoughts towards the victims of their atrocity, nor there is any shame or guilt associated with this.

 Does that explain why a group of cow vigilantes killed a Muslim man in Dadri , India ( and other such brutalities of the cow protectors)?  The cow vigilantes are convinced they are carrying out their duty under their religion. Some fable religious story tells them that the cow is their mother and they have a duty to protect them. Even if it means killing the children of other human mothers!

When did I turn holy?

 Yes, of course a vast majority of us have grown up, with a level of maturity that we are not prepared to commit atrocities no matter what justification the mythological stories may provide, or no matter what our religious leaders say. Most of us are rationally thinking bunch that we start to ask questions, shake our heads and just don’t do such evil acts. However, we also never speak up against such atrocities nor we consider it to be our problem! Because no one wants to offend a religious faith even if that faith result in brutal killings.

 The problem is that the majority (the non violence folks) remain silent. Even the worst form of brutality is therefore not condemned in strongest tone because of the risk of offending a particular faith.

 We need acknowledge that fact that religion has this kind of magnetic effect on humans that it can easily brutalize them. When you start believing in something that has no rational or scientific basis, it creates a fragile state of mind. It is only a matter of personal mental stability that stops the person from reacting to external stimuli (a cartoon, an article, or a cow) and becoming a brutal monster. We see in our history, time and again, a substantially large number of people killed as a result of violence propagated in the name of the religion.

 In the aftermath of the partition of India, approximately half a million people died as a result of the Hindu Muslim violence. No natural calamity has ever broken that record. I am sure the people who were killing each other were fully convinced that they are carrying out their duty under the religion. Their state of mind is no different to the state of the mind of these young kids who were capturing and killing Chameleons.

 More people have died as a result of religious violence than all natural calamites put together.

 In other words, more people have died in the name of god than by god!

 We need to grow up and realize the religious text books are bed time stories cooked up by our ancestors. Some teach good moral, others are interesting fiction, but a large number of them are simply designed to keep the herd together. To stay together and protect the invisible deity, and for that, any act of violence is justified.

 As the saying goes “Without religion, god men will do good things and evil men will do evil things, but it takes religion for good men to do evil things”

The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016”-Why you should be concerned?

Maps of India – a brief history

Maps have been a source of political controversy in India dating back to the days of the British Empire. The legacy of development of Maps of India goes back to the days of the British Empire which commissioned the great trigonometric survey to map territories under their occupation.   Maps provided a strategic advantage in wars, especially at a time when other European powers were circling India for occupation. The British government therefore created a series of laws and regulations to restrict the production and dissemination (sharing) of maps. The Survey General of India, originally a military position, was created for this very reason. When India gained independence in 1947, it inherited much of the laws pertaining to the production, reproduction and dissemination of maps.   Since then, the Indian government has maintained this position, largely citing concerns with security and sovereignty.

An Example of a 1 in 1 million map of Perth, courtesy ICSM

This policy had been a major impediment to the scientific/engineering community. Detailed high quality mapping information is critical for Engineers, environmentalists / scientists, and restriction on this affects research. For example, the Open series maps currently produced by the Survey of India (SOI) is limited to a scale of 1in 1million which is hardly useful for any research or engineering propose. For example, in a map drawn to a scale of 1 in 1 million, 1 cm in the map will represent 10 km of actual land. This is too high level for a researcher involved in mapping a river flow or modeling traffic information.  (See picture for an example of map of this scale).  The SOI does have more detailed (up to 1: 25,000) but acquiring those maps is a complete bureaucratic nightmare. In addition, if you happen to live in areas classified as restricted zones (Andaman Islands for example) it will be next to impossible to get any mapping information.   The ministry of defense is extremely sensitive to the release of more detailed maps of the restricted zones which is understandable in the age of “paper maps”.   However in the digital age we need to seriously question the relevancy of these restrictions.

The digital age

With satellite imaging technology emerging in the 1990s, the art of map making moved to the sky. Satellite imagery along with the Global position System (GPS) equipment changed the dynamics of topographic survey and mapping.  Countries that have the capability to launch satellites (including India) have the eyes in the sky that allows them to peer into any part of the planet.  The American spy satellites, allegedly, can zoom in, and read number plates of cars.  Now the world is open from the sky! 

In India, ISRO became a pioneer in producing digital maps of India. The laws that existed at that time in India pertaining to maps did not address digital information so ISRO was able to get around it and produced fantastic maps useful for scientific purpose. Then Google entered the fray and became the leader in map making.

 Digital maps transformed our way of life, especially for scientists and engineers.  Digital maps form a key component of navigation; it is the lifeline of everything from Pizza delivery to mapping people affected by flood or forest fire.

Today, detailed and up to date information of every corner of the world is available at our finger tips. India’s digitized maps, that include the so called “sensitive information” is already out in the internet. The cat is out of the bag.    Gone are the days of guarded secrecy of the British Empire and strategic advantage of keeping maps a secret.

Google Map snapshot of IAF base in Carnicobar

The laws governing map making and distribution are therefore now outdated and redundant in the digital age.  For example, the Andaman and Nicobar islands is a part of the “restricted territory”. You could be arrested if you carry a map of these areas out of India. There are several military installations in those islands and you would think it would make sense to protect the locations, right? Except that, you can zoom into the Indian Air Force base in Car Nicobar Island in Google maps with extreme precision. So why stop a person carrying a 1 in a million scale map in which an entire city looks the size of a peanut, when someone can zoom in much closer via Google?

What is wrong with the current Geospatial information Bill?

Before we begin, let me put down a small disclosure. I am an engineer and I work with maps. I also deal with government regulations pertaining to engineering/environment. The review presented here are my concerns from an engineering point of view, and by no means a legal review.

Let us look at the key features of this proposed legislation here:

Acquisition of Geospatial Information of India: it reads “ no person shall acquire geospatial imagery or data including value addition of any part of India either through any space or aerial platforms such as satellite, aircrafts, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles or terrestrial vehicles, or any other means whatsoever” .

The definition of “Geospatial information”  is very broad in the Bill and it seems to include Ariel photographs.  

Furthermore, the Bill also extends to existing Geospatial information. People possessing Geospatial information (maps, aerial photos, etc.) are required to obtain permission from the proposed Security Vetting Authority (SVA) within one year from date the law comes into effect.  For example all Navigational equipments(GPS) contain map. So does that mean everyone who has a navigational equipment (GPS device) will need to apply for an approval with the SVA ?

Dissemination, Publication or Distribution of the Geospatial Information of India- in a nut shell, sharing of Geospatial information by any means, including the internet is prohibited.  Say, for example, if you took a picture of the Kannagi statue in Chennai from an aircraft and post it in your Facebook page, that would essentially contravene with the proposed law. This can result in fines and/or imprisonment for a period up to seven years. This has serious consequences for the academic community. Any report that contains mapping or aerial imagery will require permission from SVA (which can take up to three months). During the recent Chennai floods, some good hearted volunteers produced excellent maps of Chennai showing the areas that were under flood. Under the proposed law, you must first obtain permission from SVA (which can take up to 3 months and the floods would have receded by then!) before posting any Geospatial information!

Use of Geospatial Information of India outside India- you are not allowed to take any geospatial information outside India without prior permission from the Security Vetting Authority.

My response is:  why? And how is the government going to monitor and control this?

Outside India, this information is already widely available (my point about zooming into IAF airbase). In the old days, you can confiscate maps in the airport. The digital mapping information comes in various file formats which makes it nearly impossible for government officials to detect this.  Also any time you upload any information to the internet or the cloud, the information has technically gone outside India?

Wrong depiction of map of India etc.-“No person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India including international boundaries through internet platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form”.  This is the only part of the law that  make sense.

With the exception of this, all above clauses have no strategic value and should be discarded or rewritten. For example, how is the government going to enforce violations in cases, say , a teenage kid posting geospatial information (that could be an aerial photo)  in Facebook?.  Likely, the government will neither know about it nor will start legal proceedings. In reality, this law will be used for the convenience of the political establishment.

Interestingly, Section 1.1 of this law seems to imply that the law is only applicable in India and/or only applies to Indian citizens.  Technically a Pakistani citizen publishing maps of India is not breaking any law as long as it is done outside India.  From a national security point of view, this doesn’t make any sense.

Conclusion: with the exception of the law pertaining to wrong depiction of maps of India, other clauses are either unrealistic to enforce or create severe bureaucratic hurdles for small scale operators like auto rickshaws and cab services. This affects every citizen in India who relies on GPS and mapping data. Anyone who owns a GPS navigation equipment should pay attention to this law. The law should be rewritten to provide more clarity and minimize impact on academic research and small scale business organizations. 

I welcome any comments and corrections.

 I urge citizens to provide their feedback by sending an email to jsis@nic.in.