Fiya's Trivia

We're faced with so many adverse situations in our life. Some of us just sit back and curse, give up or blame fate or someone else. But there are some who take charge, see the opportunity in the problem and make the most of it. We will learn about a few such inspiring people who see prospects where others only see problems who turn adversity into opportunity.

We all dream almost everyday, but while dreaming, we don't really know it's a dream. Lucid dreams are those where you "know" that you are dreaming while you are asleep and dreaming! You're aware that the events flashing through your brain aren't really happening. But the dream feels vivid and real. You may even be able to control how the action unfolds, as if you're directing a movie in your sleep!

Most of us love reading superhero books and watching superhero movies. Many even secretly dream of having superpowers and saving the world! In this episode we learn about the history of super heroes, what qualities they have and why we love them. Hear about the super powers of Superman, Batman, Phantom, Spiderman, Hulk, Ironman, their backgrounds the costumes they wear and how they help the world around them. There are a few interesting Indian super heroes too. But superheroes make mistakes too and have their own flaws. That is what makes them so relatable. And if they can make mistakes, learn from them and get better, we can too. There is a bit of a super hero in each of us and we should strive to bring that out.

Our planet is bogged down by the weight of plastic we humans have used and discarded over generations. Plastic's wide range of unique properties has made it indispensable, but single use plastics account for 40% of the plastic made each year. And the amount of plastic made in the first 10 years of this century is more than what was produced in the entire last century, most of which is landfilled and will remain on earth for centuries. Plastics pollute soil water and air resulting in severe health impacts for all living species and is also a major cause for global warming. It is predicted that by 2050 the mass of plastic in the oceans will be more than the mass of fishes. Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year. The world is facing a plastic crisis and status quo is not an option. Say no to plastic!

I am an avid traveler, rather a travel addict! I have traveled extensively across the globe visiting 35 countries across 5 continents. In this episode I share interesting anecdotes and things that travel has taught me. The kindness of people, the wonder of nature the astuteness of the human mind that can be experienced in the magnificent man made monuments, the mind numbing cruelty of a dictator, art, music, food, culture, adventure, you name it. Travel gives you an opportunity to experience all this and more.

A big bang happened 13.8 billion years ago and that was the birth of our Universe which expanded from a dot to several billion kilometers in a few minutes! After 400 million years, the first stars and galaxies were formed. And about 4.6 billion years ago, our sun was born from the remnants of a supernova explosion of another star. and then all the planets and the solar system was formed. We also learn a lot of fun facts about the Sun.

When we think of people who have made a huge impact to the world, we often think of adults. But young people can - and often do - make a serious impact on the world. Greta Thunberg got worldwide attention with more than 2 million children following her footsteps at 15. She has appeared in Times magazine as person of the year and has motivated young people and even governments to take action to save the planet. Malala Yousafzai is a passionate advocate for women's right to education and is the youngest person in the world to receive the Nobel peace prize. Louis Braille, Geetanjali Rao, Marley Dias, Amika George have all made a huge positive change to the world. These are all common people who have achieved extra ordinary things because they were working on something they were passionate about and they were persistent. So go on, dream big and change the world!

In the thousands of years since civilization began, human beings have come up with thousands of different cultures and along with it, rituals and customs. And there are some weird and unusual customs and traditions in almost every part of the world. Like people throwing overripe tomatoes at each other in Spain, in Denmark people who are single at 25 get covered from head to tow in cinnamon, in Thailand they have a lavish buffet for monkeys, people in Nicaragua use their lips instead of fingers to point to things, when boys turn 13 in Amazon, they have to insert their hands in gloves filled with bullet ants that sting real bad. There are many more such weird and wonderful ways that people across the planet choose to celebrate.

In the last few decades, technology has seen an exponential growth. The number of new inventions is staggering and some of them seem almost like science fiction! Some of the technologies in the making that will make lives easier and change our world forever are - Flying Cars, Robot butlers and friends, 3D printed food, smart toilet that analyzes your poop, lab grown meat and dairy, energy storing bricks, artificial eyes, sweat powered watches and more. The future is coming, sooner than you think. In fact, we cannot think of life without technology these days. But overuse of technology is linked to declining mental health and social issues. So, is tech good or bad?

For more than 150 years, Tata group has been synonymous with India's nation building project venturing into automobiles, software, chemicals, steel, hotels, energy and many more. All of this was built by 3 key visionaries - Jamsetji, JRD and Ratan Tata. But what is more important is they did this with humanity philanthropy and ethics at its core. And 66% of the wealth of Tata group is held by Tata Trust, and the money is used for charity and philanthropy. Tatas have changed the lives of billions and continues to do so.