Writer & Geek

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Writer & Geek episodes

April 08, 2018039 - Why do the continents move
Continental Drift
The idea first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596 and also by Francis Bacon in 1620 mostly due to the apparent similarities in the outlines of the continents. This was the period when maps were surfacing and gave a clearer view of continents.

Alfred Wegener further developed it in 1912. Stated the continents are moving away from poles due to the bulge towards the equator. Though these forces exist, they are too weak to push the continental plates.

Wagner suggested that continents once were together and then they started moving apart.

Supercontinent was called Pangaea which meant entire Earth during the Permian period around 240 million years ago.
Tharp-Hezeen Map
In 1977, Marie Tharp and Bruce Hazeen along with artist Heinrich Berann produced the first World Ocean Floor Panorama.

Tharp worked out of Lamont Geological Observatory at Columbia University.

Started using sonar pings to gather data from ocean floor since 1952 to map the ocean floor.

Discovered the rift valley down the centre of Atlantic Ocean.

The rift extended for more than 40,000 miles and was a proof for the theory of continental drift, which was unpopular in the US at the time.

The existence of the rift confirmed in 1959 by Jacques Costeau in New York where he screened a film of the rift valley that he had filmed.

Tharp’s hand-drawn diagrams encouraged scientists from US, UK, Canada and other nations to write papers on plate tectonics.

NatGeo didn’t care about a project to bring all the maps together so they sought help from US Naval Research.

Hazeen died in 1977 and rest of the mapping project was never completed.

Only 10-15% of the entire ocean has been mapped and Tharp-Hazeen maps are still relevant.
Evidence:
Apparent fit of continents

Fossil Correlation:
Mesasaurus: fossils are found only in the easter coast of South America and Western Coast of Africa

Cynognathus: fossils found across Africa and South America

Lystrosaurus: fossil across Africa, India and Antartica

Glossopteris: fossil across all the southern part of continents including South India.

Rocks Correlation
Mountain ranges in the eastern US and Western Europe match up

Paleo Climate data:
Glacial striations.

Bituminous coal: Made from compacted plant remains. Forms only in the tropical climate.

Could not explain what caused the drift.
Plate Tectonics
Mid 1900s, built on Wegner’s theory

The lithosphere is broken up into seven very large continental and ocean-sized plates, six or seven medium-sized regional plates, and several small ones. They move relative to each other.

Plates float on asthenosphere beneath the Mantle which comes under the crust.

Continental crust is made of Granite and is thicker and less denser about 2.7 g per cubic cm. Typically upto 40km thick.

Oceanic crust is thin and dense made of Basalt.

The crust sits on top of Mantle, very rich in Magnesium and iron bearing silicate minerals.

Crust and Mantle make up lithosphere. This floats on asthenosphere.

Asthenosphere moves due to convection.

Boundary between crust and mantle is called Mohorovičić discontinuity or Moho after Andrija Mohorovičić. These are defined by seismic studies.

Lithosphere includes crust and uppper mantle just below Moho.

Heat below the surface causes mantle to lose its rigidity around 100km below the surface. This is the begining of Asthenosphere.

At 2900km mantle gives way to outer core and at 5100km, inner core starts.

Inner core is further divided into Outer-Inner Core (OIC) and Inner-Inner Core (IIC) distiguished by their North-South and East-West polarity of iron crystals respectively.

Earthquakes and volcanoes happen in the region where plates meet, called fault lines.
What happens at the plate boundaries?
Divergent Margins: Plates moving apart at divergent plate boundary releases pressure which melts the Mantle underneath. Magma created as a result of this moves upwards and cools just below the surface creating new crust. Hence these are also called constructive margins.

Continental Rifting: Magma rising up causes the lithosphere to stretch and lift up. This results in rift on the surface of continents. The rift continues until the crust become thin and a new ocean is formed. The rising magma cools down and since it is basalting, forms the basin for the new ocean.

Seafloor Spreading: As magma keeps rising, the sea floor starts to spread. New rocks are created on the ocean floor and hence the age of rocks on the seabed are much less than that found on continents.

Convegent Margin: Since Earth has a finite surface area, the creation of new crust is balanced out by destructive plate margins or Convergent Margins where the crust sinks into the mantle. When two plates meet, the older one usually subducts below the younger warmer plate. If the convergence happens between oceanic and continental plates, the continental plate being less denser and hence more bouyant, stays on top and the oceanic plate subducts beneath. This results on continental crusts being preserved and oceanic crust being regenerated every few million years. Hence the fossils of deep sea creatures are sometimes found on the surface of continents. When the collision happens between two continental plates, results in the creation of mountain ranges like the Himalayas which formed when the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate and eliminated the ocean in between.

Subduction Zones: Subduction happens when lithosphere of around 100km thickness decends into the mantle. This creates earthquake zones along the zone called the Wadati-Benioff zone. Places like Japan lie on these zones and are prone to earthquakes.

Transform boundary: plates slide against one another. Earthquakes happen here. San Andreas fault in California.

Convergent boundaries: Plates collide.
Subduction zone: Continental crust collides with oceanic crust resulting in the sinking of oceaning crust beneath continental crust da ue to the higher density of oceanic crust and results in melting of the crust and forms active volcanoes. This results in earthquakes, volcanoes and deep trenches. Andes mountains.

Island Arc: Oceanic crust with Oceanic crust. One of the crust sinks, normally the older rock. Results in volcanoes, trenches.

Collision zone: Continental to continentalThe The . Himalayas.
The - Island of Cyprus formed athe t boundary of African and Eurasian plates.

Divergent boundaries: Plates move away from each other.
On land: Rift zone, rock is ripped apart and normally found in the ocean and particularly in East Africa. Active volcanoes and minor earthquakes.

Mid ocean: Creates alternating bands of magnetism because of change in Earth’s magentism which is a proof for divergance. Mid Atlantic ridge is an example.

Iceland is geologically active mainly due to being on the divergent plates.

Image: pixabay
22 min
April 01, 2018 038: Beer Talk: Facebook, Google And Online Privacy
How safe is your data? How are you being tracked, we ramble about that in the pilot of beer-talk
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20 min
April 01, 2018 038 - Beer Talk: Facebook, Google and online privacy
Facebook, Google and privacy
In this pilot episode of “Beer-Talk” - a short conversation on current affairs and/or life topics, Vishnu and Shankar discuss online privacy and why Vishnu deleted his Facebook account.
The tweet being discussed:
Want to freak yourself out? I'm gonna show just how much of your information the likes of Facebook and Google store about you without you even realising it
— Dylan Curran (@iamdylancurran) March 24, 2018
20 min
March 25, 2018 037: The Race To The South Pole
A look into the famous race to South Pole by a Norweigian and a Brit
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
55 min
March 25, 2018037 - The Race to the South Pole
The Race to the South Pole
Expedition Number One:
Leader: Roald Amundsen

Expedition Name: Amundsen’s South Pole Expedition

Reached on 14 December, 1911
Expedition Number Two:
Leader: Robert Falcon Scott

Expedition Name: Terra Nova Expedition

Reached on 17 January, 1912
Amundsen’s South Pole expedition (1910-1912)
###Key people: (Total 19)
Thorvald Nilsen, a navigator who would be second-in-command

Hjalmar Fredrik Gjertsen, expedition doctor

Kristian Prestrud, a naval officer

Oscar Wisting, a naval gunner/amateur veterinarian*

Olav Bjaaland, a champion skier who was a skilled carpenter and ski-maker*

Helmer Hanssen, a skilled dog driver*

Sverre Hassel, a skilled dog driver*

Adolf Lindstrøm, the cook
Timeline:
Had planned for a North Pole expedition

Obtained Fridtjof Nansen’s polar exploration ship, Fram

Plan disrupted in 1909 when rival explorers, Frederick Cook and Robert E. Peary each claimed to have reached the North Pole

He changed his focus to South Pole

Uncertain whether he would get the support, he kept the plan to himself up to a month after leaving for the expedition

June 1910 - Set out for the expedition with the crew thinking they are embarking on an Arctic drift

Reveals the plan to go to Antarctica when Fram left the last port Madeira

Telegrams Scott of his intentions to travel south

Framheim, the Antarctic Base, at Bay of Whales on the Great Ice Barrier

Near disaster false start in August - September (8 September)

Proper start in 19 October, 1911

Use of sledge dogs for trouble free travel

Discovery of Axel Heiberg Glacier, first exploration of King Edward VII Land

Reached South Pole on 15 December, 1911

Reached back at Farheim on 25 January, 1912

Total 52 sledge dogs, 11 survived the expedition

The expedition took 99 days and 3,440 km journey
Terra Nova Expedition (1910-1913)
Key People (Total 65)
Edgar Evans, second-in-command

Harry Pennell, navigator

George Murray Levick, skiing expert

Edward L Atkinson, skiing expert

Henry Robertson Bowers*

Lawrence Oates, an army captain*

Edgar Evans, Antarctic veteran*

Edward Wilson, chief scientist*

George Simpson, meteorologist

Herbert Ponting, photographer
Timeline:
15 June, 1910 - Terra Nova sailed from Cardiff, Wales

Scott tied up with expedition business, joined Terra Nova in South Africa after catching a faster passenger liner

Leaves the ship in Melbourne for further business, receives letter from Amundsen

Rejoined the ship in New Zealand with additional supplies

Met with heavy storms and loss of supplies in the Sea

January 1911 - Built a base at Cape Evans (named after Scott’s second-in-command)

Campbell’s Eastern party to explore King Edward VII Land, meets Amundsen’s party

January 1911 - Start of Depot laying with the One Ton Depay laid 48 kilometers short of its intended location

1911 winter - Hut was separated using packing cases for “officers” and “men”

09 February, 1911 - Campbell’s party became the Northern party and set up camp at Robertson Bay (They could not carry out experiments as per the plan and returned to base came in September 1912)

Wester Parties - Conducted two geological expeditions

Journey to Cape Crozier in the winter to secure eggs of emperor penguin and to experiment with food rations and equipment before the polar journey

13 September, 1911 - South polar journey plans revealed

24 October, 1911 - The Motor Party left the base

01 November, 1911 - Scott and his party left the base

21 November, 1911 - Scott’s party caught up with the Motor party

03 January, 1912 - Scott chose his party of five (instead of four) - Scott, Wilson, Oates, Bowers and Edgar Evans

09 January, 1912 - Passed Shackleton’s furthest point

16 January, 1912 - Saw Amundsen’s black flag

17 January, 1912 - Reached South Pole (Scott’s entry - “The Pole. Yes, but under very different circumstances from those expected … Great God! This is an awful place and terrible enough for us to have laboured to it without the reward of priority. Well, it is something to have got here”)

18 January, 1912 - Finds Amundsen’s tent, supplies and letter stating they had reached on 16 December, 1911

Returning homewards - Edgar Evans suffering and Lawrence Oates severe frostbite

17 February, 1912 - Edgar Evans dies due to head injuries, frostbite and a hand injury which failed to heal

Reached the meet point, but could not find the dog teams, temperature dropped sharply, and the fuel supplies were meagre

Low temperature and radiation caused poor surface to pull the sledge, lack of wind made the temperatures even worse, and Oates frostbite reduced the daily average of distance covered to three to five miles down from fifteen

10 March, 1912 - It became evident that the dog teams where not coming

Oates sacrifices himself by walking out of his tent towards his death. Last words, “I am just going outside and may be some time.”

20 March, 1912 - Reached 11 miles near to the One Ton Depot but a blizzard stopped them in their tracks

29 March, 1912 - Presumed date of their death and Scott’s last entry - “Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity but I do not think I can write more. R. Scott. Last entry. For God’s sake look after our people.”

29 October 1912 - Search party sent to find Scott

12 November 1912 - The tent containing Scott, Wilson, and Bowers found 11 miles south of One Ton Depot

10 February, 1913 - Edward Atkinson and Lieutenant Harry Pennell reached the ports of New Zealand and relayed a message about the fate of Scott’s party.
Aftermath
Scott hailed a tragic hero which overshadowed Amundsen’s achievements

Critics questioned the leadership abilities of Scott

The fate of the group said to be the result of many “ifs” with the weather playing the major part
Notes
Asterisk (*) next to names means those who reached the South Pole

Amundsen received help at Argentina from Peter “Don Pedro” Christophersen, a Norwegian expatriate whose brother was Norway’s Minister in Buenos Aires

The Musafir Stories Episode mentionedin the beginning: TMS Specials - Conquering Mt. Everest with Satyarup Siddhanta
Pixabay
55 min
March 18, 2018 036: Blockchain Primer
A simplified view into the mysterious blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrency
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
42 min
March 18, 2018036 - Blockchain Primer
The Blockchain Funda
According to Hubspot research, one of the most confusing emerging technology.

Blockchain is a digital method of economic transaction record-keeping – also known as a ledger.

Security keeps it differentiated from other technologies. Records are kept open within a network but no one can edit or delete.

It is like a database that can be updated only through solving a complex mathematical problem.

The chain is linked through hash from the previous block and the chain continues to the hash from the genesis block which happens to be the first block in the entire chain.

Designed to be resistant to modification especially backdating or other tampering with the timestamps and other details in a financial transaction.

Latest fad in the tech industry.

Described back in 1991 to timestamp digital documents.

Used in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto to create cryptocurrency called Bitcoin.

Each block contains data, hash of the block and the hash of the previous block.
Bitcoin:
On 9 Jan, 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto announced the release of bitcoin as a peer to peer, completely de-centralised network with no server or central authority.

The idea was to eliminate any middle-man agents like banks or other agencies in the digital transactions.

In a centralised network, the server keeps a record of all the transactions and validates them. In a decentralised network, every entity on the network does the job of comparing and then validating the authenticity of the transaction.

Every peer keeps a list of the transactions to ensure all the future transactions are valid.

Basically cryptocurrency is an entry in a database which can be changed only under specific conditions. Which is true in case of a bank transaction as well.

Cryptocurrency usually consists of a network of peers and every peer has a complete history of all transactions ever happened and hence the balance of every account.

A transaction file is signed by individual private key and published in the network. The authenticity of the transaction is confirmed by miners.

Bitcoin file size grew to 20GB in 2014 and is currently over 100GB in size.
Miners:
Miners confirm the legitimacy of the transactions and broadcast that to the network. Once a miner confirms, the transaction gets added to the blockchain in all the peers.

Miners get paid back in the cryptocurrency for this. In case of Bitcoin, the miners earn a specific amount of Bitcoin for validating a transaction.

To be a miner, some amount of computing power has to be invested into finding the hash to connect the block to the chain.

Miners compete to solve a series of cryptographic puzzles and as a reward, they are allowed to add a transaction to the coinbase which is the valid way of creating bitcoins.

Bitcoins are created only when miners solve a puzzle. The difficulty of puzzle increases the computing power required to solve the puzzle and this results in only a specific amount of currency being created in a given amount of time.
Mining
Bitcoin mining requires a computer and a special software. Miners use the computing power of their systems to compete with other miners to solve a series of complex puzzles.

Every ten minutes, miners try to solve a block that has the latest transaction data in it using cryptographic hash functions.

Computer warehouses have been set up to create a business out of bitcoin mining.

There is a minimum difficulty level set for the hash for the miners to solve. If the incoming hash does not qualify for that level of difficulty, an arbitrary string called nonce is added to the hash and the new string is re-hashed to create a new hash and this new hash is compared to see if it conforms to the difficulty level expected. If not, the nonce is changed and the process is repeated until the required difficulty is attained.

Once required difficulty is attained, block it added to the blockchain and the ledger is updated. The miners are then rewarded using Bitcoins.
Why cryptocurrency:
Irreversible: Once a transaction is made, it is irreversible by anyone. There is no way you can dispute a transaction and get the money back.

Anonymous: Transactions and accounts are not usually connected to real-world entities. Transaction flow can be analysed by not necessarily the identity of the users.

Speed: The transactions are almost instantaneous irrespective of the location of the users.

Security: Since cryptography is extensively used in cryptocurrency, it is secure. Cryptocurrency can be sent only using the owners private key.

No middle-man: No permission is required to use cryptocurrency. There is no middle-man. Anyone can send or receive.
Hash
Hash is a method of taking an input string and encoding it to and output of fixed length. A hashing algorithm is used for this conversion. In case of Bitcoin, SHA-256 is used for hashing.

The fixed length of output helps in saving data that might otherwise be of considerable size.

Hashes remain the same irrespective of the number of times the data is passed through the algorithm.

Hashes cannot be converted back to its inputs but can be identified by comparing the data after hashing the possible values again.

Brute forcing becomes virtually impossible due to the sheer number of tries that is required. For a 128 bit hash, it will take anywhere between 1 and 2128-1 tries. That means an average of 2127 tries which is a huge number.

Any change in the input will reflect in the hash.

Collision resistance determines the chances of two different inputs producing the same hash. MD5’s (128-bit hash) collision resistance was broken after 221 hashes and SHA 1 (160-bit hash) was broken after 261 hashes. SHA 256 is used by bitcoin and Keccak 256 is produced by Etherium.

The blockchain is a linked list of data and it’s associated hash pointer which points to the hash of the previous block and hence forming a block.

So if an intruder changes data, the resulting hash changes drastically and will no longer have its pointer point to the previous block. This way the blockchain remain immutable (unchangeable).
Pixabay
42 min
March 11, 2018035 - The Match Fixing Scandal of 2000
The Match Fixing Scandal of 2000
Summary
1996 - Mohd. Azharuddin introduced Hansie Cronje to Mukesh Gupta - a bookie.

1996 Kanpur test - final day fixing - $30,000 - Mukesh Gupta Scorecard

$50,000 for team information, weather forecats and pitch report

Fixed matches: 1999-2000 Ind vs SA ODI Series - Results

Hansie Cronje, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje, Henry Williams, and Pieter Strydom said to be involved in fixing the matches

5th ODI - Gibbs asked to score less than 50 and Williams asked to give more than 50 runs - $15,000 (Cronje - $140,000) Scorecard

Gibbs scored 74 and Williams gets injured in his second over
How did it begin?
As per The New York Times, “The scandal began in India in 1997 when (Manoj) Prabhakar wrote, in a signed article in a Delhi-based magazine, that he was offered 2.5 million rupees ($53,000/Rs.25,00,000) by a teammate to underperform in a match against Pakistan in 1994.”
Further Reading
Timeline
April 7, 2000 - Delhi police charge Cronje with fixing after transcripts of his conversation with a bookie, Sanjay Chawla.

April 9 - Cronje denies the allegations

April 11 - SA board sacks Cronje for giving forecast information for $10,000 to $15,000

April 12 - Centurion test (Eng vs SA) investigated Scorecard Further Reading

April 20 - Umpires Cyril Mitchley and Rudi Koertzen approached and they say they were approached to influence games for money at different points in their career

April 28 - Indian government submits the case to the CBI

The King Commission set up by South Africa to investigate into the matter.

June 7 - The King Commission gets a lead on a match against Pakistan in 1994-95, where Cronje was paid $250,000 to throw away an ODI.

June 8 - Gibbs confesses, breaking the foundation of Cronje’s claims.

June 9 - Nicky Boje shocked and rubbishes the claim - Henry Williams confesses - Peter Strydom confesses to being approached to play badly in a Test in February

June 10 - Cronje offered immunity for full disclosure

June 13 - Kallis corroborates with Boucher and Klusener about Cronje offering three players money for fixing the second test in Mumbai

June 15 - Cronje confesses to taking around $100,000 from bookers since 1996 and that he was introduced to them by Azharuddin. Azar rubbishes the allegation.

June 23 - Cronje breaks down and confesses everything during the three-day cross-examination held by the King Commission. He said, “My great passion for the game and for my team-mates’ was matched by an unfortunate love of money”.

June 26 - Cronje begs for forgiveness

July 20 - Income tax raid on Indian coach and former players Kapil Dev, former players Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia and Nikhil Chopra.

August 28 - Gibbs and Williams banned for 6 months. Strydom acquitted of conspiring in the Centurion match.

September 12 - Kapil Dev resigns as Indian coach

October 11 - Life ban for Cronje

October 31 - Mukesh Gupta names Brian Lara, Dean Jones, Alec Stewart, Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Martin Crowe and Saleem Malik to be involved in match-fixing. But investigation leads to no solid evidence.

November 27 - Nayan Mongia found not guilty. Azhar found guilty of match-fixing. Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Sharma and former Indian team physio Ali Irani are found guilty of having links with the bookies.

December 5 - Azhar, Sharma banned for life. Jadeja banned for 5 years (overturned in 2003). Prabhakar and Irani banned from having official positions with the cricket team.

October 12, 2006 - Gibbs questioned by Delhi police. He says Derek Crookes is involved in the scandal as well. Crookes denies the allegations as he is already cleared by The King Commission.

July 22, 2013 - Delhi police finally files the FIR for the case.
Allegedly fixed matches:
4th Match, Wills World Series at Kanpur, Oct 30, 1994 - Scorecard Video

3rd Final, Silver Jubilee Independence Cup at Dhaka, Jan 18, 1998 - Scorecard Video
Further Reading
How the match-fixing drama unfolded
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13
Pixabay
42 min
March 11, 2018 035: The Match Fixing Scandal Of 2000
A deeper look into the involvement of Indian and South African players in the match-fixing scandal of 2000
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
42 min
March 04, 2018034 - Life as a comic with Rupen Paul
Interview with a comic: Rupen Paul
Note from Shankar
Music was the reason why I acquainted with Rupen back in 2010 at Christ University. We were part of two college bands namely Zilch and Raaga. The acquaintance grew into friendship over the course of our college life, though our musical dreams died. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
He is an aspiring stand up comedian who is sure to have his own Netflix special in the near future. So, tune in and get to know about the journey of one of the funniest comic Bangalore has ever seen.
Mentions
Click on the timestamps below to jump straight to the section being discussed.
00:33: Introduction

06:25: Working 9-5

10:30: Why music is harder than stand up

11:11: Rupen’s journey from a computer grad to a standup comedian. The moment of revelation in Goa.

16:44: Christite who inspired Rupen

18:44: Getting into standup and the initial struggles

27:34: The thought process of coming up with a joke

33:17: Getting paid through stand up. How the negotiation works. Why does the freelance community needs a union? How can one person can screw things for the others? Why do people need to be assertive?

41:00: Why should you learn to work under someone and as a team?

44:13: People underestimating the concept of time and its effects. The importance of embracing the struggle (sufferings).

49:03: Rupen’s bad standup experiences

52:12: The joy in standup comedy and the responsibility it brings to the table.

53:23: Difference between a good show and a bad show. Difference between standup and music. And another bad experience.

58:21: Convincing parents, future plans

59:56: Rupen’s standup influences

01:01:32: Next gig on March 24th, Rangoli Arts Centre. Tickets up on BookMyShow

01:03:14: A little bit about Rupen’s upcoming podcast - Right Room Podcast
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1 hr 7 min