Happy Diwali!

The Diwali season this year has got to be special. In fact, a more special one to all the country men; for, we had more to cheer about and celebrate than just the festivities, colors and the brilliant display of rockets that illuminate the night skies – a much more sophisticated, technologically advanced rocket that carried a billion hopes to the moon. Yes, am talking about the Chandrayaan-I mission.

May be, it is not unprecedented endeavor, and some have done it already. Nevertheless, it provides a launch-pad that would propel India onto the frontlines of space exploration. It is just a piece in the jigsaw puzzle. With the recently commissioned Deep Space Network, follow-up missions like Chandrayaan-II and plans to put man in space by 2015, it would be more than a journey. And, it is your prerogative to be proud.

But then, isn’t India more about exploring the Inner Space? The rich and diverse spiritual heritage that has passed on from generations has been the guiding light to the rest of the world. A spiritual superpower status that it commanded, it was (and still is) the torch-bearer to a serious seeker. The magnetic spell still remains, as even today seekers from the west are drawn to the shores of this country to acquire the wisdom and experience the healing touch that it has to offer.

Amidst the clamor of modernization, we are probably sidelining this gift that has been conferred upon us. May be, it is time to recognize that we should not overlook our strengths in order to acquire newer capabilities. With an unusual surge of optimism, I would say, we can do better in both these worlds. I hope I would live long enough to see that day!

The natural process of how this universe came into existence is probably the most fascinating and beautiful event that has ever happened or could ever happen. This is no exaggeration, by any stretch of imagination. It turns out to be obvious if we are to analyze its structural organization.

The whole of this material creation can be split into finer and finer elementary particles, until they cannot be divided anymore. These elements are commonly referred to as the fundamental particles. (Arguably, these are indivisible - only until a finer particle is discovered by the scientific community). These particles combine to form sub-atomic particles (like the proton and neutron); in turn, they combine to form atoms; atoms into molecules. Further, molecules combine to form more complicated structures, complex enough to sustain and support life.

It is not the fundamental particle itself, but the combination of these in varying numbers that conjures up the magic of creation. It is the number of these subatomic particles that impart a set of properties to any given substance – for example, an atom containing an electron and a proton makes a Hydrogen atom while twelve of them make a Carbon atom; they have drastically different properties. Now, the magic is that you can combine these sub-atomic particles in varying permutations and combinations to conjure up such a vast variety of materials – wood, iron, water etc.

At a much higher level of complexity, esoteric combinations of these molecules result in amino acids, proteins, DNA, mitochondria, nucleus, and the cell. Cells are the simplest of life forms; and yet they are made of very complex molecules. So sublime is the divine design of this Nature. Clearly, these fundamental particles form the basic ingredients of the cosmic recipe – illustrating the heights of reusability.

Strikingly similar is our approach to design of systems – be it software systems or otherwise. No matter how big and complex a problem is human beings have mastered the art of dividing the problem in smaller problems until they become solvable, thereby creating reusable solutions. Finer the granularity of the division, more flexible is the design.

It is only likely that mankind has imbibed the knowledge of creating complex systems by combining simpler elements through observing nature. Given the variety and diversity of this creation, it is only obvious that such an ‘Atomic Architecture’ is the best possible design that can be successfully applied to any discipline.