Most of you probably know that I am not a very good writer. However, I have not realized it yet, and maybe I never will. Now, an interesting question arises: By what yardstick does one measure the ability of a writer, and more importantly, who is a good writer? Isn’t it a matter of perspective?

I ‘grade’ a writer based on two important criteria.

One: A writer’s work should be on a topic that is interesting to both the reader and the writer himself.

Two: A writer’s work should generally not be time specific. In other words, if I were to read this piece after ten years, it should still make sense.

I recently happened to come across an old piece of mine when I was sifting the spam from the regular mails in my inbox. Only when I saw that article did I remember that I had actually written such an article. It was written when I was in my twelfth grade. Most of my friends would call me ‘Relativity’ because I was obsessed with the Theory of Relativity and would expatiate for hours on the theory and its philosophical implications. This led me to write a small article on the theory’s ability to predict the future. This was purely a logic-driven article and had no mathematical backing whatsoever.

Anyway, when I read that article again after nearly four years, I laughed like never before! At that point of time, I realized that I had failed to meet both criteria (specified above). Even after that, I didn’t realize my folly. I still believe I am a good writer (sarcasm intended).

I now know what my mistakes were. I had used too many technical terms and more importantly, I was never terse. I will include excerpts from that article here so that you can also take a look. I am sure you would agree with me that my writing at that point of time was imbecilic, to say the least. You don’t have to read through the entire article to arrive at this conclusion!

The worst part is that I had emailed this article to thirty odd friends of mine. Needless to say, the reception was lukewarm, if I may exaggerate. Excerpts from the original article titled “Relativistic Perceptions”

Warning: From this point onward, reading isn’t mandatory and you have only yourself to blame if your brain is addled. 🙂

RELATIVISTIC PERCEPTIONS

“I assure you that this article has nothing to do with complex differential equations, tensors or advanced quantum theory. It may be seemingly astrological, but one can call it scientific astrology. The objective is to effectively combine relativity and future, i.e. prophesying the future using the postulates of the General Theory of Relativity. ”

I go on for another two paragraphs about velocity, frames of reference and the laws of physics.

“Consider the diagram below.

The diagram can be divided into four parts, or rather four regions, viz.

The part above P, below P,  P , and the region surrounding the cone.

Region 1 is called the future light cone of an event. P is the present. 2 is the past light cone. 3 is the region outside the light cone. Now, a future light cone is the set of all events that are going to happen in the future (of P).

Similarly, a past light cone is the set of all events in the past of P.

Now, according to general relativity, region 1 depends fully on P. What one does in the present will definitely have an impact on the future. Similarly, deeds in the past would have had an impact on the future.

This philosophical idea was not new to the world in 1905, but relativity was the first theory to explain it scientifically.

Therefore, if one knows what is happening at some particular time in the region within the past light cone, once can predict what will happen at P, the present and in the future.

Invariably, these predictions are never accurate. The Law of Nature prevails.

If one can go back in time, the role of nature and destiny is lost. But, even if one can’t predict exactly when trouble is approaching, he can easily know the time when his life would be ominous, at least with three-fourth accuracy. Another postulate of the theory says that time is different for different observers.

One can’t know the events that had happened before his time. The fact that what one does now will impact the future is appealing and reiterates righteousness.

All events happening in the universe are interwoven into the fabric of space-time and when one does something, it leaves an impression on the fabric. The future is altered. Life is changed.

Finally the concept of ‘absolute relativity’ shall be dealt with. The word by itself is oxymoronic. An ‘absolute’ entity is one that does not depend upon anything else,

Relative to Mr. X, you may be a good person. But, relative to Mr. Y, you may be worse. Relativity abolishes the concept of absoluteness.

Nothing can be considered as absolute in the universe, except maybe the theory itself.

Hence, one can conclude that life is absolutely relative and highly uncertain. ”

I have only one question that I would like to ask myself I ever go back in time. “What on earth were you thinking?”

I know I haven’t been concise in this post either. I will try next time!