How to loose to win ?

A friend put forward an article of TOI ( Times Personal 14th Jun 2005)in front of me,and I was taken aback by the things it said.

" Two games guaranteed to make a player lose all his money,will generate a winning streak if played alternately "

Yeah thats Porrondo's theory (actually a part of game theory) that advocates that just like -ve no. multiplied by -ve number yields a + ve number, similarly two negative situations in real life result into + ve outcome.

How? Dr. Juan Pondorro ,Spanish physicist experimented with ratchets (that allow movement in one direction and block in other) and coins to illustrate this theory in real life.He came to conclusion that two losing games could combine to increase one's wealth.

Though game theory is attracting a lot of research these days but what most people are after is that can it be put to use in everyday life? Though the article says that the principal has proven to work in life based situations.Still a lot is left to imagination and research.Some research areas include economics,population genetics,control theory,gene dynamics and DNA.

There are mixed opinions when it comes to applying game theory in stock market. Some say stock market is too complex while on the other hand the article talks of display by Dr. Sergei Maslov at Beekhaven National Laoratory in NY,of simultaneously sharing of capital between two losing stock portfolios by an investor would increase capital rather than decrease.

So guys gear up to devise failing strategies if u want to pass in exams or say win a game.Perhaps i can ask for greater number of bugs in my code so that i get best quality grading for my code.

Whatever that meant .....one thing is for sure....given this theory works.....losing will become desirous for those who aspire to win.

"Five point someone " experience

I've always said i had great college life.Enjoyed every moment of it.The days went past in such a manner that they could be truely termed as Days of our lives(just in the same way Joey says that in FRIENDS).

Had a similar mesmerizing experience last week....Just caught up with this book " Five point someone : What not to do in IIT " by Chetan Bhagat.Title does sound confuzing ...thats bcoz we r not IITans.But as one turns the pages one is made familiar to these terms in typical college lingo.As the title itself indicates, the book is indeed about the things one must avoid in IIT (or any Engg. college for that matter),But personally i feel there is no sense in college life if it
is devoid of masti.The characters taken are quiet realistic and the portarayal is lively.

Perfect enough as the reader starts turning the pages he is introduced to ragging scenes in the hostel just the same way any new enterant to the college is treated.From there onwards we are taken to all the hostels,classes,exams and most importantly....there is a a girlfriend angle too as
there always is one or other way in every collegers life.I have been to IIT-Delhi once and can tell u yeah...all whats in book is quiet believable. The book does talk of the
pressur and tensions of being an IITan,but sure thats either too much of pressure or little less for the boys to go about their own ways.Theres no stopping for these guys.....

In all its a perfect recipe of a Happ book and a must read for all those who want to refresh their college memories(esp engg. guys).

Me , Myself and My Creativity

Creativity ? Who's genius at that?

Ad maker Prasoon Joshi on being asked by Times Of India in an interview "What is your worst nightmare?"replied...."When everyone becomes creative....". Either he meant that he would loose his job then...or he tried to emphasize on the fact that not everyone can be creative.Now
Prasoon heads McCann Erickson and with a proven record of super ad campaigns, everyone knows about him as creative genius...he has no reason to feel insecure about his job.But surely at a post like his its rather consuming job when he has to choose between creative and non-creative people.Most importantly , he has to see which ad campaign would work for the client.

Strange is the world of creativity ,theres no perfect definition to it.Am i creative? i tried to figure out....poor....was wrong on all fronts.This year has seen so many ads make waves.....i liked the latest TATA Indica V2 ad ....the "must be true" one . And then last year there were the orange , colgate and so many brilliant ones.Pepsi's oye bubly is making rounds as ringtone, such has been popularity of these campigns.But ask experts about prospects of all ads this year at Cannes and they paint a gloomy picture.Still they are kind enough to say that some ads were quiet eciative ....like the Air India ad. Yes the same one in which the captain is tought dining manners by his little daughter in the same flight he is supposed to monitor.....saying AI lets your heart fly.What was that???....i didnt get it.Air India ad never figured in my favourites....nor was favourite of anyone i knew.in fact none of my favourite ads were included in probables list.This rocked me ......as i was once on the path of making a foray in this industry on the sheer confidence that i am creative and can handle the challenges of promotion and advertising.

I believe Prosoon was pointing to similar situation where one with his imagination and faith on his rather sense of creativity that is otherwise fruitless for the campaign, challenges the one who can really deliver and there ensues a clash of abstract concepts.

Not that everytime i was wrong ........When asked in an interview.....my favourite 5 ads....whatever i replied ...3 figured in top 5 ads that
year.So u see i did have an eye for them....but again the reason i cited for those three to be my favourite was too vague for the ones with creative eye.

An eye for Ad sense is something i always thought i had......Now a days i feel i am yet to figure out Me , Myself and My Creativity

Tech school ratings on B school patterns

i Have seen numerous B school rankings ,most following road to big bucks. Placement package holds key to good ranks here.These rankings and surveys have long created buzz for these schools and kind of race amongst schools to come up with better figures every year topping the previous quotes.Since then has been a trend to enquire about average and highest salary before knowing the fundamental features of a B school.

Quote an article in economic times " Tech schools that will help u earn big bucks " talks about a IDC-Nasscom-Data Quest Survey which will be held every year from now onwards to rate the Tech schools .The high point of this survey is that it will take into account placement as an important parameter.So now onwards number of zeroes in average and highest pay package will hold a key to good ranking of the institutes.Is that a good news? Its best known fact that IIT's along with the latest enterant IIT-G and numerous other old inst. like BITS , Pilani have always been the most reputed schools.And even today the intellectual capitals of these inst. is uncomparable.With growing number of schools in private category backed by some business heavyweights ,it is possible some good oldies will lose in the money race.The article talks of some new enterants that have taken place of the old ones.

Seriously IIT-G and BITS,Pilani losing out in the race ,one for its geographical locaton and other for its pay package is surprising.If this is the way.....i guess Colleges from Madhya Pradesh,Bihar, Orissa will never match the luckluster of Metros and though reputed i doubt they ever match the creations of education entrepreneurs.

Need is take up these surveys at regional level ,keeping in mind the restrictions poised by the regional enterance exams in appearing at All India level.For instance , think about a student from Indore who has to appear for MP PET,lands up in outsider quota ( 10-15% seats only) in other states, has JEE as only fair option(with no regional quota) at All India level.Imagine him going trough this survey only to find that after some of the IITs come X no. of schools from Mumbai,Pune,Delhi,Chandigarh (where he already didnt have any chance due to regional quotas) and then somewhere down the line after the various family owned institution ,would be elated to find MANIT , Bhopal and SGSITS, Indore.All this because they could not manage a pay package of 4+.

Great idea to tell this guy that the only chance u had was indeed a reputed old institution may be best in the region but far down the ranks.And the best ones he hasnt heared of and even if he did , he wouldnt have possibly made it to it.And one or two year olds have matured more than the shenanigans in the short run.

Dear survey wallas at least first take a look at the pitch before throwing ball.