Skip to main content

Ignorance and its perks.

Published on
When it comes to choosing an academic subject to write a book upon, the first advice I received from a Stanford Grad (On YouTube, of course!) was to choose something I was an expert on.
I have a lot of varying interests but I barely know in depth about any of them. But having an unembellished past has one advantage. When your past doesn't dictate your choices, you are free to explore and your future holds infinite possibilities. 
Writing a book on an academic subject has long since been on my to do list. I spent the summer learning literary analysis and was planning to write an AP guide to analysing Pride and Prejudice. But I have shifted that project to next summer. 
Something cropped up my mind. An idea! I have lots of them floating around and some are too crazy and a long shot from my current capabilities. But I treasure then nonetheless. 
My idea is to write an interactive and introductory graphic book for Calculus for 11th graders. And I have just begun 11th grade. 
I am not a math whiz. I do not have Olympiads or research papers in my resume. But I do know math makes me happy (on most days) and solving a proof instills pride in me. 
I am also well aware of my determination which borders on stubbornness when I wrap my head around a project.
I may not have mastered differentiation or limits, but I have dealt with more failures, both personal and academic, than I care to count. In a room of intellectuals, I am not afraid to question the most basic principles, even if I am ridiculed. The truly intelligent and wise person will not bash me for curiosity. 
When you make it to the PCM section in 11th grade (Physics, Chemistry and Maths, which are the core engineering subjects), you are surrounded with many pseudo intellectuals who in peer pressure boast of a swelling knowledge than their receptiveness would allow. It is up to you to sift through the empty shells to find an oyster or give up the conquest and savor solitude. I chose the latter and am proud to say that I gave up before I fully tried.
My ignorance makes me unique. It means I have an empty cup of knowledge which I can fill with anything of my choice. It makes me feel better than to have a set of beliefs that do not serve me. I was in that position a few weeks ago and have been constantly learning and unlearning. It is a symbiotic process.

Labels:

Popular

My TKS Application journey

Published on
My journey  I applied for The Knowledge Society in February 2022. Initially, I had opened an application but then decided not to go for it, thinking that I wasn't smart enough to get in. Mia Nguyễn was my application advisor who mailed me about my incomplete application, asking me if there was anything I needed help with. There were few interview slots remaining and she asked if they should close my application. I opened her mail and began typing an apology letter, telling her that I would not be applying. As I finished the letter, my finger hovered over the send button. I sighed, selected my mail and pressed backspace. What was the harm in trying? I typed out a quick message, asking her to hold my slot. I opened MS Word and started on the essays I needed and stayed up all night, only to submit them a few hours before the deadline.  In late April, I was accepted into the 10 month Global Virtual Program as a TKS Innovator with considerable financial aid. Unfortunately, my finan...
Read more

The summer of the beautiful white horse: Analysis, Summary and Theme

Published on
The summer of the beautiful white horse. : An Analysis  This short story written by William Saroyan is part of the CBSE Class 11 Snapshots NCERT Syllabus. While high school students would certainly benefit from the articles, literary enthusiasts are encouraged to join the discussion of how the author uses diction, literary terms and tone to portray the meaning of through the text.   Nostalgia marks the tone of narrator in the opening line of the sentence, reminiscing over how the world used to be magnificent and delightful. The sentence “life was still a delightful and mysterious dream” aptly describes how the narrator perceived the world as a nine year old. The theme of exaggeration and awe is repeatedly seen throughout the story through the character of uncle Khosrove and the narrator’s admiration of the horse. So awe stricken was Aram that he could not believe his eyes when his “crazy” cousin Mourad brought a beautiful white horse outside the window of his room around daybr...
Read more

How do animal cells move? | Motor proteins and cytoskeleton in cellular biology

Published on
Cells move around the body using cellular extensions of the plasma membrane like cilia and flagellum. They take the help of fibres outside the cell to provide anchorage. These extensions are made of microtubules, sliding against each other to produce a back and forth motion. These microtubules are a part of the cytoskeleton which will be discussed shortly. Within the cells, motor proteins attach to the receptors on organelles and use their ‘feet’ to ‘walk’ them along the fibers of cytoskeleton to their required location. Source: Campbell Biology, 12th edition  These motor proteins consume ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) which is the source of energy at the cellular level. It is the energy currency of the cell as it provides readily releasable energy due to breaking of bonds between second and third phosphate groups. Now that we have understood the mechanism for cell locomotion, let’s understand more about the cytoskeleton and how its elements aid in the process. Exis...
Read more