Spreading Positivity

  Is Convenience Making Us Less Capable? ... Science and technology have made a huge difference to our lives. Life has become easier, and we have facilities today that earlier we could not even imagine. But somewhere, we need to ask ourselves whether all this convenience is also affecting our ability to think, remember, explore and do things on our own. Earlier, when we travelled to a new place, we would explore it with our own knowledge, ask people for directions and discover things along the way. Today, GPS tells us every turn, the route to take and even how much time we will take to reach. It is certainly convenient, but sometimes going without complete knowledge and exploring a place has its own joy. There is something beautiful about discovering things ourselves instead of having every answer ready before we even begin. Even in hospitals, technology has transformed healthcare. We have advanced machines, monitors and equipment that help doctors diagnose and treat patients. Thes...

  Can Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Wisdom? ... It is often said that a loving heart holds the truest wisdom. But can Artificial Intelligence ever truly understand what a loving heart feels? Can technology replace human wisdom, emotions, empathy and the willingness to help someone in need? I recently experienced something that made me think deeply about this question. I had travelled out of town for a conference, and on my boarding pass it clearly mentioned Terminal 3 for departure at Delhi Airport and Terminal 2 for landing in Mumbai. Somehow, either because of my hurry or my own carelessness, I did not notice this important detail. When I was about to enter through Digi Yatra, I suddenly realised that I was at the wrong terminal. I had only about an hour left. I panicked and wondered, “What do I do now?” Just then, a taxi driver came towards me and noticed that I was anxious. He asked if he could help me. I said yes, but I needed to reach Terminal 3 very quickly. He took ...

  Drive Your Brain Before It Drives You ... It is said that it may not be easy and it might take sustained effort, but we have the ability to remodel our brains at any age, which helps us to function better. This is very much true. We work with paralytic patients who lose their speech and become paralysed in the physical movements of their hands and legs. If they are diagnosed well and receive the correct line of treatment, we see spontaneous recovery within 3 to 6 months. Those patients who have good willpower and positivity towards whatever has happened and what can be overcome are often able to recover and rewire their brain much faster. Those patients who look for pity and sympathy, start getting pampered by people around them, do not make efforts and give up, really take more time to recover. After some time, their recovery can reach a saturation point, and then it becomes difficult to rewire the brain. When I see faster rewiring of the brain in such patients, I feel that even...