Feynman, Community College Students and Probability

(Students frequently rise to the challenge when teachers raise the bar. Give them something to stretch their minds with and students will embrace it with vigor and purpose.

Elementary statistics is a transfer course at California’s community colleges for the CSU/UC systems. A major part of this course is probability, the workhorse of statistics. What if community college students were asked to read Richard Feynman’s lecture on probability? What would they make of it? Richard Feynman (1918-1988) won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1965 for his seminal contributions to quantum electrodynamics. He is celebrated for his physical insights and for his ability to clarify complex concepts for the general audience. His fame grew when he gave a series of lectures on physics at the California Institute of Technology for undergraduates from 1961-1963 that became the three-volume “The Feynman Lectures on Physics.” More than four decades later, the “Red Books” are still being read and still continue to inspire. The lectures are now available online. His lecture on probability challenged several community college students who found it fascinating and engrossing.)

Josh found the discussion on the uncertainty principle most interesting, Nature is probabilistic rather than deterministic, reasons enough for Josh to focus on mastering probability. Feynman says that “the ideas of probability are certainly useful in describing the behavior of the 10²² or so molecules in a sample of a gas, for it is clearly impractical even to attempt to write down the position or velocity of each molecule.” Hence his conclusion: “We now believe that the ideas of probability are essential to a description of atomic happenings,” and “our most precise description of nature must be in terms of probabilities.” Most statistics texts introduce probability through flipping coins or rolling dice that leaves students cold. For Josh, a connection between probability and nature at its most fundamental level is a compelling argument for understanding and working with probability.

Reese found the lecture interesting but hard to follow. He gets it, though, when Feynman says that probability can be used to make better guesses. Hilda agrees but found the deterministic/probabilistic contrast confusing. The random walk idea went over her head but she was pleased when Feynman acknowledged his own uncertainty “when he states that his theory can change with future knowledge.”

For Yikal, Feynman’s simple questions invoking probability were the lecture’s most memorable features.  “What is the chance of rain for today? This is basically asking, what is the probability that it will rain today? This helps us see whether we should take an umbrella or not. If the probability is too low, then umbrella won’t be necessary. Feynman’s conclusion: almost every choice we make is based on probability.” Also, “we can never be 100% certain that something will happen. And sometimes we know that something will happen but we just don’t know when it will happen. Every choice we make is based on the probability of the benefits and the chances that something good could come out of that system. For instance we are not 100% sure that we will get a good job based on our career but we go to school to be educated because there is a good chance of getting the job if we have degree.”

Kerlyn found Feynman’s focus on the connection between chance, different types of probability and nature most fascinating. She had vaguely heard about the Heisenberg uncertainty principle before but explained in the context of probability made the principle real for her. “If we try to ‘pin down’ a particle to a specific place, it will go faster. But if it is forced to go slow, it will spread out. Our most precise description of nature is in terms of probabilities.”

Kyle summarizes his understanding of Feynman’s lecture by quoting from it: “There are many different types of probability, such as independent, mutually exclusive, non-mutually exclusive, conditional probability and inverse probability. The uncertainty principle describes an inherent fuzziness that must exist in any attempt to describe nature. Our most precise description of nature must be in terms of probabilities. In the early days of the development of quantum mechanics, Einstein was quite worried about this problem. He used to shake his head and say, ‘But surely God does not throw dice in determining how electrons should go!’ He worried about that problem for a long time and he probably never really reconciled himself to the fact that this is the best description of nature that one can give. There are still one or two physicists who are working on the problem who have an intuitive conviction that it is possible somehow to describe the world in a different way and that all of this uncertainty about the way things are can be removed. No one has yet been successful.” For both Kerlyn and Kyle, this means that the last word on the subject is perhaps yet to be written, which is what makes the quest for knowledge so profoundly satisfying.

Jennifer found the connection between probability and chemistry in Feynman’s lecture compelling. She also made connection with she learned in her statistics class, that “regarding probability density, the area under the curve, known as the bell-curve, is equal to 1. Standard deviation is the variation from the mean.” To visually imagine standard deviation, Feynman illustrates the motion of a molecule. He describes an occurrence when ‘an organic compound’ is released from a bottle in a room. This organic compound then evaporates in the air, and the particles spread throughout, thus resulting in standard deviation.

For Aisa, a clear, declarative sentence like, “There are good guesses and there are bad guesses. The theory of probability is a system for making better guesses,” is as powerful an introduction to probability as anyone can think of. She finds Feynman’s ability to place probability in a unique perspective the main draw of the lecture. “It makes readers think of probability not just as a sort of math problem but something that happens in the real world. Feynman puts thinking and logic into a different realm, and that applies to his lecture on probability as well. He shows how probability is subjective. The answer may not always be what you hope for or want. Still, it is better to be probabilistic and realize that probability is a game of chances. I think this type of mind frame will help people think of probability in a different way.”

Sabrina’s understanding of probability grew when she worked through Feynman’s explanation of the binomial probability by breaking down the outcomes of flipping a coin and identifying some of the rules of the binomial model, such as, the observations must be repeatable, and the repeated observations must be equivalent. “He makes it clear that the observations are estimates of what will occur. The same reasoning can be generalized to any situations where there are different, but equally likely possible results of an observation. This of course makes perfect sense especially keeping randomness in mind. Feynman includes a fascinating graph that represents the idea that with an increase of number of tosses, the closer ‘the tendency is for the fraction of heads to approach 0.5, as compared to a smaller number of tosses where the fluctuation of deviation might be greater.’ Feynman then connects the ideas of the coin toss to random walk and motions of atoms in a gas. This is what I found most fascinating: How Feynman can take a simple concept and connect it to something like the motions of atoms in a gas. We should see more connections in our studies, whether within disciplines or between disciplines. That will motivate students far more than treating subjects as if they were disconnected from each other.”

Transforming San Jose Sharks into a Winning Team

If courage is indeed grace under pressure, as Hemingway said, the San Jose Sharks are probably the greatest bunch of cowards in the National Hockey League (NHL) history. They led the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 and then blew the following 4 games to exit the 2014 conference quarterfinals. The Sharks share this ignominy (blowing a 3-0 lead) with just 3 other teams in NHL’s 97-year playoff history: Toronto defeated Detroit in the Cup finals in 1942, N.Y. Islanders defeated Pittsburgh in the 1975 Quarterfinals, Philadelphia defeated Boston in the Conference semifinals in 2010.

Ever since the Sharks began playing in 1991, the team has brought nothing but heartbreak for its loyal fans. In regular season, the team comes across as a legitimate contender for the ice hockey crown but when the playoffs are underway, something goes awry and the team folds. Any bite they may have exhibited before the playoffs degenerates into the kind of submission that can put a weasel to shame.

The question now is: How to rescue the City of San Jose from the pitiful clutch of the current team?

Here are some suggestions from a long-suffering fan:

First, Coach Todd McLellan has to go. The mediocrity of this man is breathtaking. Bereft of any insight and creativity, Mr. Todd has been coasting from day one of his term that began in 2008. He cannot inspire and he cannot lead and his understanding of the game and of other teams is subpar at best. Doug Wilson, the General Manager, must also be shown the door. As long as this Todd-Doug un-dynamic duo hangs around, the Sharks will falter and fall.

Next, Sharks must say adieu to Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The best days of these veterans are far, far behind. Sure, there are occasional flashes of the brilliance of their yesteryears but now, at 34, both players have become a monumental burden for the franchise. In January this year, both Thornton ($6.75 million per season) and Marleau ($6.66 million per season) signed three-year contract extensions. The Sharks must find a way to dissolve these contracts. Otherwise, the franchise may forget about any Stanley Cup hope in the next three years.

There is a reason why these aging players want to continue with the Sharks: The franchise has made it too easy for them! They are coddled and treated like superstars when they are no longer even stars. As long as they continue with the Sharks, no younger player can bloom and take charge. It has become almost a cliché to say that the Sharks lack the killer instinct that is the hallmark of a championship club.

Players like Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture are not the players, good as they are, who can lead the Sharks to a Stanley Cup winner. That player isn’t playing for the Sharks yet but he is out there, a young and fierce contender who can energize his team to dominance. Sharks need a Mario Lemieux, a player who can single-handedly turn a game around and carry the burden of the entire team on his broad shoulders, shoulders that never sag under pressure.

Until that happens, San Jose will have to live with the pretensions of the current team. But San Jose doesn’t deserve this! It is the 10^th-largest city in the United States. Its population has just exceeded the 1-million mark, a milestone by any measure. It doesn’t live in the shadow of San Francisco. It is considered the heart of Silicon Valley. Why must this proud city put up with a second-rate hockey team when it has the resources to bring together the finest talents in the game?

The Sharks can with the Stanley Cup but only if the current team is dismantled and a younger and hungrier team is assembled with an eye toward the future. It may take 10 years but that’s the price people of San Jose must pay if they want the nucleus of a winning team to begin forming now. The alternative is too bleak and pitiful to imagine.

An American Ambassador Speaks of an Educational Revolution in Bangladesh

Dan Mozena, the American ambassador to Bangladesh, recently visited Silicon Valley in California to address the local diaspora on the importance of universal education in Bangladesh. The town-hall meeting was organized by Agami, a non-profit organization working to promote education for under-privileged children of Bangladesh.

“Lack of education is the biggest impediment to progress in Bangladesh,” said the ambassador to the gathering of over 100 Bangladeshi-Americans. “There has certainly been progress. Enrollment in primary schools is high. More girls than boys attend schools. The flip side is that by the third grade, 30% of the students drop out. At the grade 5 level, many students still cannot read, write or work with numbers.”

Dan Mozena, U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh,
addressing Bangladeshi-Americans in Silicon Valley, California, on March 23, 2014.
The event was organized by Agami, a Bay Area-based non-profit organization.

The ambassador emphasized the need for an educational revolution in Bangladesh, similar to the agricultural revolution that has made the country self-sufficient in rice and is expected to make Bangladesh self-sufficient in food within a decade. “Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world (160 million people in a land the size of Iowa), with the exception of city-state Singapore. For Bangladesh to become self-sufficient in food is nothing less than a miracle. Bangladeshis are among the most energetic, dynamic, creative, entrepreneurial and resilient people in the world. But it will take quality education to unleash all that potential,” observed the ambassador.

One of Bangladesh’s strength is its manpower, which the country exports to build other countries. “But this manpower is mostly unskilled labor, people carrying bricks on their head,” said the ambassador. What Bangladesh needs is to export skilled and semi-skilled labor. Bangladesh should send doctors and nurses and engineers to build the Middle East and South Asia, and, of course, use the talent of its people to build Bangladesh itself.”

Ambassador Mozena’s passion for Bangladesh is palpable. He has launched a massive outreach program throughout the country to bring the gifts of reading and writing to millions of kids. There are “American Corners” in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and Chittagong, with similar centers also planned for Barisal and Mymensingh. These “Corners” provide basic reference materials on the United States, Internet terminals, video viewing facilities, and English-language tapes, as well as guidebooks for students wanting to study at American universities.
“Currently, only 3,348 Bangladeshi students study in America. But there are 10,000 Nepalese students in America now. (Nepal has a population of about 28 million!) This is ridiculous,” said the ambassador. “I want to increase the number ten-fold, to 33,480. That’s what it should be for Bangladesh.”

Under Mozena's watch, the number of Bangladeshi students admitted to American Universities has gone up by 15-17% in the last 2 years. But it can be more, much more. Many potential students fall under the clutches of so-called facilitators, scammers by any other name, who extort money from them in return for filling out application forms that they claim will guarantee visas. “But our staff can smell these fraudulent applications from two blocks away, as soon as the students get down from their rickshaws! Is it any wonder their applications are marked with a ‘Denied?’”, asked the ambassador. “The steps for what students need to do, and what not to do, to get visas are clearly explained in the American Corners. If they had been honest, instead of playing games, they would have gotten their visas. These facilitators, whose fraud is off the charts, have destroyed, and continue to destroy, many valid applicants.”

The ambassador touched on the Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) Center for Public Service and the Arts (formerly United States Information Services or USIS) in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, located in a neighborhood that is home to 70,000 students. The EMK Center is a non-partisan platform where the youth can come together for open dialogue, responsible activism, individual and artistic expression, and personal and professional development.

He also focused on the Water and Sanitation Hygiene Program (WASH) that his office has launched in Bangladesh to ensure that school students, particularly girls, have access to clean, separate and secure toilets. A terrible and tragic fact about Bangladesh is that many girls are forced to drop out of school only because they do not have access to clean bathrooms and toilets. This can take a heavy toll on their health, especially during their menses. “It costs no more than a couple of thousand dollars to provide sanitary and hygienic facilities in any school to enable girls to stay and complete their education. My staff and I are funding such projects in Barisal, Mymensingh and other divisions.” The ambassador lauded Agami for working tirelessly to promote and fund such projects throughout Bangladesh.

Professor Nasreen Rahim of Evergreen Valley College (EVC) in San Jose, CA, is working with the International Student Program to provide online General Education (GE) classes to students in Bangladesh. The idea is that if students can complete these low-cost online community college courses, they have an excellent chance of transferring to American universities. She is also developing an online Teacher-Certificate program that can potentially evolve into a Bachelor’s Degree in the future.

Ambassador Mozena vigorously approved of the idea. “Many Bangladeshis think only of Harvard when they consider studying in America. But there are many other excellent educational institutions in America. Besides, Harvard or other ivy-league schools may not be a good fit for many Bangladeshis. For them, community colleges may be the best choice!” He exhorted Professor Nasreen to pursue her project with passion and patience until she succeeds.

Dan Mozena was born and raised on a family dairy farm in northeast Iowa and spent the first two decades of his life milking cows and doing the daily chores of a typical family farm. He began his schooling in a one-room country school with a total student population of 12 spread over eight grades. He graduated from Iowa State University in Political Science and History and later from graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in Public Administration and Political Science. His diplomatic postings took him to New Delhi, Lusaka, Kinshasa, Angola and other parts of the world.

Mozena’s farm experience instilled in him the importance of straight talk and hard work. His early schooling taught him the value of quality education as the key to a meaningful life. His experience in Peace Corps and in developing countries as a diplomat convinced him that ordinary people are capable of performing extraordinary deeds.

He has brought all these qualities to bear on his role and responsibility as the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, a post he has held since November of 2011. He believes in the strategic importance of Bangladesh as a moderate, tolerant and secular democracy. Although obstacles remain, such as corruption, violence, political instability and the tendency of the government to remain a prisoner of the past, allowing other nations to surge ahead while it stumbles and falls, ambassador Mozena is convinced that through hard work, innovation and creativity, combined with the impetus provided by America’s soft power, Bangladeshis can transform their country into a beacon for other nations to follow. He urged his audience to visit http://www.LiftBangla.org to see how they can combine their considerable experience, expertise and resources to launch innovative programs on nutrition, healthcare, education and other worthy projects in Bangladesh.


Ambassador Mozena’s message came through loud and clear for the Bangladeshi diaspora of California’s Silicon Valley. They were sufficiently energized by his inspiring words and example to commit to several educational and healthcare projects to empower the marginalized and the under-served segment of the Bangladeshi population.

Student Perspectives on Improving Education

(Every year, foundations, think tanks and various other organizations produce lengthy papers detailing what‘s wrong with the state of education in our public schools and colleges, and what can be done to improve it. Yet nothing happens. Billions of dollars are spent on technology but the scores don't budge, and the same (if not more) percentage of students continue to drop out of school or take forever to graduate. The tomes that the education experts and the educational-industrial complex produce to rectify public education have one thing in common: they rarely reflect what the students themselves think! It is as if they are convinced that students aren’t capable of analyzing what’s wrong with education, yet the pundits are full of suggestions as to how to foster critical thinking among them. The irony is obvious to everyone except to the tome producers! This is the second and final article in a series on what students think is wrong with our educational system and the meaningful and practical steps that can be taken to improve it. You can read the first part here.)

Jamie believes that what ails higher education in America is the high cost of tuition. If students can be stress-free and debt-free, their interest in mastering the subjects, and hence their scores and graduation rates, will rise. Tying learning outcomes to real-world standards and offering year-round classes will also help.

Deisy thinks that investing huge sums of money on educational technology has not matched the expectations of its proponents. Laying off teachers while installing the latest gadgets in classrooms to “improve and enhance” education has set education back. Online classes are not as effective as regular classes. In fact, for many students, online classes do not work at all. As Deisy sees it, we need to get back to the basics. While technology can help, schools should invest more on hiring good and inspiring teachers and less on hiring managers and administrators. We all lose if schools are treated as businesses. Education may have a business part to it but it can at best be secondary. As long as we focus on the true purpose of schools and colleges, which is to educate and help students develop critical thinking skills, they will do well. “If, instead, all we focus on is “innovation” through technology, there will hardly be any progress.”

Michael sees textbooks as a barrier to higher education, both in costs and content. “I have compared our community college books to texts used at San Jose State University, and they are very different in rigor and complexity. I believe community colleges don't prepare you enough for state universities. For example, most community college students don't realize how much harder universities are,  that they will have to adjust so rapidly. This leads to students failing and wasting money on units that are not completed.”

Danilo Guasticci Rahim 1. I believe that there are many things about the educational system that are very beneficial and helpful to the learning experience. However, there are many things that could be changed about it. A big thing that I have noticed that

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Keenan is reluctant to blame teachers alone for what is wrong with our education. Most teachers are dedicated, selfless souls who contribute much to shaping minds but are poorly compensated in return. Unless students take responsibility for their own learning and motivate themselves, not much will change. “I take responsibility for my life. It saddens me to see that many of my friends look for excuses when their results do not match their expectations. Hard work and good study habits are critical.”

Eduardo doesn’t agree with the pessimistic view many hold about the American education system. “I believe our education system is outstanding compared to other countries because it gives us a lot of opportunities and a lot of financial help if we need it. There’s always a way or another in which you could receive a decent education. I have had access to good education and have received help when I needed it. Thanks to our system, I am well on my way to becoming the first person in my family to go to college and have a good carrier.”

Krithika feels that more money should be spent to increase the number of certain classes offered per semester. “Almost every semester of my community college career, I have been faced with the dilemma of filled classes, and have had to delay taking the classes until the following semester. Important classes such as the biology, physics and chemistry classes are offered every semester but each is offered only one class per semester. This is frustrating because the classes get quickly filled and there is a restriction of only about 35 students, so those who did not get the classes that semester need to wait to take it in the future. Lack of more classes forces students to extend their education at community colleges to more than two years. This creates a cyclical effect where students who have more units in a college get priority during registration and often fill up classes so that incoming students are forced to wait.”

For Gurleen, the real problem is that schools have become a chore for many, a boring place where nothing of importance happens and time and money are wasted. She is baffled by this mindset. “School is where you get to expand your mind, where you are inspired to become life-long learners. After all, education is a journey, not a destination. If we can encourage kids at a young age to love school, then they will be more willing to go to college. In community colleges, things are a little different. Students have many choices but they also are beginning to confront the harsh realities of life. The coursework itself is not challenging, but balancing work and school is. I know that over the years I’ve had to put school on the back-burner because medical expenses, bills, work, family life had gotten to be too much. I know this is the case with many of my peers. Unfortunately, not all teachers and colleges are accepting of that. Instead of making life easier for students, who have to juggle responsibilities, they make it harder. In 2011 I was rear-ended driving to school. The accident left me out of school for 3 weeks. I was given Fs for all my classes that semester because it was too late to drop the classes. Instead of helping me and allowing me to get Ws, the college ruined my academic history. After I recovered, I went to talk to a counselor who told me my major, nursing, was too impacted and that I should just drop out of school for a while. It is never acceptable to tell students to drop out of school, particularly when they have to miss classes due to medical reasons. Counselors nowadays are asked to see 600 students or so per semester. Because of this, they can only see students for no more than 15 minutes. If teachers, counselors and administrators become more understanding of what students have to go through day in and day out, things will improve. The graduation rate will go up significantly.”

For Garcia, the real problem lies with parents who force their children to enroll in colleges even when they are not ready, either emotionally or intellectually. “Success in community colleges is largely based on independence and determination. Students with these skills tend to be the most successful. If a student doesn’t have these traits, he or she should do something else, either a job or some kind of internship, where these skills can be developed.”

Maybelle believes that peer-to-peer transfer of knowledge is the key to success for community college students. “Students who are good with a subject should help those lagging behind. Teachers can help set up blogs or social media to facilitate these types of interaction for their classes. In this age of social media, learning from peers can really advance education and increase graduation rates.”

As Emily sees it, one of the most frustrating things in college is trying to get the classes you need. “One of the best things colleges could do would be to cut down general ed requirements. Many of these requirements are unnecessary and pre-historic. They have no relevance in the lives of students. That way we could get our degrees in two years and move on with our lives. The other thing that must be addressed is student loans. Student loans are out of control. The cost of tuition has gotten so high that many students cannot even think of attending college. My parents are well-off, but since they had to put my sister, and now me, through college, they are just about broke. College education should not be so expensive.”

For Courtney, education will improve only if the attitude of people in charge of education – teachers, counselors, deans, administrators – changes for the better. The number of caring and competent teachers and counselors are too few. Unless they learn how to address the needs of students in a caring and professional way, as opposed to indulging in favoritism and carelessness, very little in education will improve.

Danilo finds the whole system of teacher evaluation deeply flawed. “Some of my teachers in high school were flat out horrendous because they were not evaluated properly or often enough. I would end up getting discouraged because I believed my teachers were not doing a good job teaching and I wasn't learning as much as I should. It was very frustrating.” Danilo wants a more rigorous system of teacher evaluation. Even more, he wants colleges to act on the evaluations. He feels that the evaluations are only for show, just going through the motion, that colleges are not sincere about removing teachers who aren’t doing their job. “We have to remove incompetent teachers from our schools and colleges and hire the best possible teachers, irrespective of age, experience or gender. If we do that, education will progress by leaps and bounds.”

Ares believes that if teachers become more active with students, education will become more meaningful. This includes more group work assignments and informing students about their progress every week, so that remedial actions can be taken when necessary. Teachers should walk around the classroom after assigning problems and see how the students are doing, helping where help is required. Teachers should also encourage students who are ahead help struggling students. This empowers students and promotes learning. Unfortunately far too few teachers do this. They just lecture and then leave. Teachers need to become more conscientious about their responsibilities and keep up with all the new tools and techniques of teaching that have proven to work.

Christy thinks that technology can be a good educational tool but the way it is used now does more harm than good. “Everything has become so internet-based that professors have lost touch with their students and their academic goals. Teachers have started viewing their actions in the classroom as a “job”\ rather than a passion. They no longer interact or connect with their pupils. However, learning is a two-way street between the teacher and the student. Great teachers make learning a joy but unfortunately there are too few of them. Colleges should hire the best teachers because a single bad teacher can easily ruin lives. Perhaps when colleges are hiring teachers, they should include one or two student representatives to interview the teacher as well.”

Thanking God at the Oscars

To speak of God without irony is foreign to Hollywood. It is simply not done, particularly if you carry your fan base in your heart and want to come across as a suave sophisticate to a significant portion of humankind.

Which is why Matthew McConaughey’s Best Actor Oscar acceptance speech Sunday night stands out for its outrageous courage and candor.

“First off, I want to thank God, because that’s who I look up to,” said the 44-year-old “Dallas Buyer’s Club” actor. “He’s graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand. He has shown me that it’s a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late (British actor) Charlie Laughton, ‘When you got God you got a friend and that friend is you.’”

Strident atheists may have left McConaughey alone had the actor not included the words “… it’s a scientific fact …” in his speech. But they must be fuming (evidenced by the uproar in the Twitter-world) because the actor invoked God and science in the four sentences he said to millions of viewers with what certainly came across as heart-felt conviction.

But what exactly did the actor mean when he said, “gratitude reciprocates?”

Unless the actor himself explains, I think what he meant was that if you are grateful to God, particularly for all the undeserved blessings of life, He will give you riches (not merely wealth) beyond imagination. Not only can you not imagine them, you cannot even comprehend the direction or the source from which they will come.

As for quoting Charles Laughton (1899-1962), whose movies include “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Witness for Prosecution”, the idea here (I think) is that if you trust in God, you become comfortable in your own skin. You learn to trust yourself and your instincts. You become self-aware and your capacity for empathy increases. No matter what befalls you, good or bad, you recognize that you are being tested in some way, and so you do not become arrogant or fall into despair.

It takes guts to do what McConaughey did on the 2014 Oscar night in front of a world-wide audience of millions and for that, we say “Amen.”

Don't be a Slave to Intellectual Technologies

Nicholas Carr created a stir with his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” in the 2008 July/August issue of The Atlantic magazine. That was almost six years ago, surely equivalent to several decades in the frenzied pace of the Internet era.

The article morphed into a book called “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.” It was selected as one of the two books by ‘Silicon Valley Reads 2014’, a community engagement program (from January to March, with over 100+ events) that asks everyone in California’s Santa Clara County to read, think and discuss important cultural shifts occurring in our lives.


Carr’s provocative question is whether searching and surfing the Net is rewiring our neural circuitry to the extent that we no longer know how to read a book deeply as we leapfrog from one hyperlink to another. Do our smartphones, iPads and social media help or hinder our connection to the written word? Is there such a thing as too much information?


As part of the Reads program, Carr spoke on these urgent issues at the Evergreen Public Library in San Jose, California, on March 1, to an engrossed audience. Technologies we use today are not the usual labor-saving devices, said Carr. They are, rather, intellectual technologies we use to think with and express ourselves. They have an effect on shaping our thoughts, much like maps and clocks did centuries ago. Cartography was not merely the use of maps but different ways of thinking of places and events far beyond what our senses told us. The mechanical clock changed our sense of time, from natural, cyclical flows to measurable, discrete units of seconds and minutes. It made possible the scientific method.


As Carr explained, today's digital tools have unleashed a new intellectual ethic not associated with older technologies: They encourage us to think in certain ways but equally tellingly, prevent us from thinking in other, and often more creative, ways. 

We carry our smartphones and tablets with us all day long. They intrude into everything we do. Without our even being aware of it, they condition us to juggle fast-paced information continuously, limiting our attention spans to no more than 10 seconds. We are after the gist and not any type of deep engagement with what we consume on the Net. Add up all the emails and texts and Facebook and Twitter alerts every day and soon we find ourselves in a permanent state of distraction. We don’t need to go after any information because information is constantly streaming into our gadgets. We have become slaves to our gadgets, bending our habits to their dictates, always multitasking just to stay afloat on the ever-changing ocean of information.


This is a problem because, as Carr sees it, it keeps us from thinking that requires attention for an extended period of time. Our working memory gets overloaded while our long-term memory atrophies. They key to knowledge is associations and connections between facts, information and insights. Without sustained attention and concentration, no deep connection and associations can form in our minds. No reflective and contemplative thoughts are possible when we are connected to our ‘always-on’ gadgets more or less 24/7.

Nicholas Carr speaking at the Evergreen Public Library on March 1, 2014,
as part of the Silicon Valley Reads 2014 program.

The danger, Carr warned, is that our malleable brain adjusts to this new reality. It is less able to focus as it awaits the stimulus of new information every few seconds. This troubling shift means that we are less able to distinguish the important from the trivial. Carr quoted from David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement address at Kenyon College: “Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience.”


We have allowed technology to control our mind, Carr said, and so we are in danger of not knowing how to think. We indulge in superficial thinking and stay away from deep thinking because that requires effort and demand attention.

Companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter have financial stakes in keeping us distracted. The more we jump from one unit of information to another every few seconds, the more these companies can target us with advertisements and the more money they end up making. It requires guts to resist their titillation but unless we make a conscious effort to do so, our slavery to our gadgets and to the Net will permanently change our thought processes for the worse.

Win it for Your Little Sister, Phil Kessel!

There is no other way to put it: This heart-breaker has to be avenged.

The American women’s hockey team was seconds away from its first Olympic gold medal at Sochi when the unthinkable happened. 

Behind 2-0 in the third period, the Canadians equalized with 55 seconds to go in regulation time and then went on to win 3-2 in overtime.

Did the Americans take their feet off the pedal when leading their perennial rivals by 2 goals in the third period?

Who can say?

The only thing now that can set the hockey world right is for the U.S. men to beat the Canadians when they meet on February 21 at Sochi.

It is only the semifinal match but for all practical purposes, it is also the only game in town. The Americans will undoubtedly want to erase the memory of their own heartbreaking loss to Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, but they owe it even more to the U.S. women’s hockey team whose valiant effort only netted it a silver medal when it should clearly have been gold.

The Americans can do it. In Vancouver four years ago, they let Canadian superstar Sidney Crosby skate freely to perform his wizardry. Crosby’s overtime goal beat the American’s 3-2. The irony is uncanny!

But as the Finns have shown in Sochi, Crosby can be stifled with tight checking. He can lose his rhythm and make erratic passes if deprived of room to maneuver. The Americans need to study the Finland-Canada game (won by Canada but could have gone Finland’s way too) to take the wind out of Crosby’s sail.

Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel and company can bring it home for America.

For Phil, there is the additional motivation: his sister, Amanda Kessel, is a star player for the U.S. team that lost to Canada.

Phil has been on a roll at Sochi, emerging as the most creative and productive member of Team USA. He scored a hat trick against Slovenia and created most of the chances that led to goals for his team.

Does anyone need to remind Phil Kessel that he has to win this one for his little sister?

I am going out on a limb, with a saw no less, and predicting that the score will again be 3-2 at the Sochi semifinal, but this time in America’s favor.

(February 23, 2014) There is no other way to put it indeed! As I saw off that limb and fall 50 feet from the tree, with not even a bronze for Team USA men at Sochi, the only thought that will go through my mind is: Why can't Ice Hockey Teams USA (men and women) be more like Women's Soccer Team USA? By the way, does it hurt when you land on hard ground from the top of  a tree after surrendering to gravity?

Of Love and Stars

“Winter’s Tale” is as real a fable and fairy tale as you can expect to see on screen. Based on the 1983 bestseller by Mark Helprin, the movie may disappoint fans of the book with its earnestness but in its own way conveys the miracle and mystery of life, veiled and unveiled.

“There is a world behind the world where we are all connected by light.” “Inside each of us is a miracle … time and distance can be conquered by love … the eternal conflict between good and evil is not fought with great armies but one life at a time.” If you are a connoisseur of aphorisms, “Winter’s Tale” (no connection to Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale) is a goldmine.

The real question is: Do the insights match the incidents? To a large extent they do, even if the serious sometimes descends into the sappy.

Peter Lake (Colin Farrell, whose flapping hairdo can be unnerving at times) literally floated ashore in New York harbor as a baby. He has been trained as a thief by the demonic Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe). Lake, however, has run afoul of Soames who is bent on terminating him. Just when he is about to meet his fate, an angelic white horse rescues Lake, leaving Pearly in foaming rage.

Lake is a slave to his habit and continues to steal. Just before dawn one day, he is nudged by the magical horse to check out a palatial home. Entering it, he hears a girl playing Brahms. He is spellbound by her beauty and her free spirit. Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay) is wasting away with tuberculosis and has only a few months to live. “Please don’t steal anything,” she implores Lake after being startled by him in the empty house. Her family had gone off to spend winter (it is, after all, a Winter's Tale) in a mansion by a fabled lake.

So begins a mystical romance. But Pearly and his minions (The Short Tails) are not far behind. As Pearly closes in on Lake and Penn, Horse rescues the pair and flies off (yes, it can fly) to the “Lake of the Coheeries” beyond the frozen Hudson. Beverly communes with the stars and names them to her enchanted lover: Castor, Pollux, Perseus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Pleiades, Cassiopeia. She tells him she will become one of them after she dies. Lake will have none of it. Love can conquer all, even time and distance, he declares.

But there is no resisting death. Beverly succumbs to consumption, leaving a grief-stricken Lake to wonder about life’s meaning.

Soon thereafter, Pearly corners Lake and sends him into a watery grave.

Decades later, Lake emerges from the harbor with no memory of who he is and what he is supposed to do, other than to experience a gnawing feeling that “what we are meant for may yet be achieved.” He hadn't aged a bit (along with Pearly and his gang) while the rest of the world had moved on.

The horse reappears. Another battle between good and evil ensues. This time it is Pearly Soames who is dispatched by Peter Lake with help from his winged guardian. Beverly shines as the brightest star in the winter sky, or so Lake believes. His task on earth is done and he is ready to unite with his beloved. The horse flies off into its heavenly pasture and something like that happens also to Lake.

It is easy to mock “Winter’s Tale” for its easy sentimentality but if you want to enjoy the movie, you have to let the mysterious and the wondrous take over your logical mind. You will be rewarded if you do. Every time you look up at the night sky, you may see the stars with fresh eyes. You may even feel a stirring of ancient and timeless love that transcends space and time. Just like Peter Lake.

From Sochi, with Daring, Durability and Love

The opening ceremony of the 22^nd Winter Olympics at Sochi contained the usual sparkle and technical wonders we have to come to expect from such quadrennial events. But there was also the sense that Russia was straining to impress the world with its culture and history. The operative word is “straining” because, by any criterion, Russia has given the world much in the Sciences and the Arts and every field in between.  Still, subtlety in suggesting greatness goes further and deeper than loudly advertising the facts.

No matter. For several hours on Friday, February 7, we forgot problems and found solace in the soaring pageantry of humans and the human spirit. Viewers in America (though not in Russia) saw the fifth snowflake refusing to form the Olympic Ring but that malfunction made the ceremony touching and strangely redeeming. Flawless can seem impersonal and intimidating. A small flaw only accentuates the nobility of the human enterprise.

One inclusion in the names of Russians who made lasting contributions to the Arts and the Sciences that viewers witnessed in the opening minutes of the opening ceremony was Nabokov. In some of the reactionary literary circles of Russia, Vladimir Nabokov was often depicted as a decadent writer. For the writer who asserted, “There is no science without fancy and no art without fact,” inclusion with Dostoevsky and Chekhov was a welcome sign of acceptance for the author of Lolita and Pale Fire.

In the first two days of the 18-day competition, there have already been stirring stories of daring and age-defying feats.

First came the breakthrough for the go-for-broke 20-year-old American Sage Kotsenburg. Snowboarding is certainly not for the faint of heart. Just watching those impossible doodles and twizzles in the air can make one dizzy. Kotsenburg was the underdog to Norway’s Staale Sandbech (silver) and Canada’s Mark McMorris (bronze). But one thing he had over his competitors was his creativity. Translation: Do something impossible or something you never tried before to differentiate yourself from the rest. After all, what have you to lose, other than a slot on the podium?

And that’s what the “sage” did. Kotsenburg executed what is called a “1620 Japan Air Mute Grab” while grabbing the back of his snowboard, a trick he never even tried in practice. What does “1620” mean? That’s 4 ½ complete spins. Each complete spin is 360⁰.  4 ½ times 360 is … that’s right, 1620. As for Japan and Air Mute and Grab … really, who cares, other than to know that maybe just 3 or 4 out of the world’s population of 7 billion can even attempt it!

But that wasn’t all. Three months ago, Kotsenburg invented a jump that he called “Holy Crail.” (Good grief, this guy also has a sense of humor!) “I had no idea I’d do it until three minutes before I jumped,” he said.

So it happened that the first gold medal of the Sochi Olympics was won by a free spirit (Kotsenburg was chewing gum during his breathtaking aerial wizardry) who believed in himself and who dared the impossible. Sure, he could have landed on his back and broken his ribs. His courage could have been his undoing. But he reached for the stars and became a star himself along the way.

The other who captured the imagination was Norway’s Einar Bjoerndalen who won the biathlon 10-kilometer sprint. This was his 7^th Olympic gold medal. He began competing in the Olympics in Lillehammer (1994) and kept at it at in Nagano (1998), Salt Lake City (2002), Turin (2006), Vancouver (2010) and now, Sochi. Together with his 4 Olympic silver medals and 1 bronze medal, his haul comes to 12, equaling his fellow countryman Bjoern Daehlie’s record. Einar can overtake Daehlie’s record as Norway is the favorite in both the men’s and the mixed relay competition.

As if that was not enough, Einar has also become the oldest Winter Olympic individual gold medalist at 40!

There will certainly be more stirring and stunning stories of will power and athletic brilliance coming out of the Sochi Olympics but we already have two athletes whose feats of daring and durability will continue to inspire us long after the Olympic flame is extinguished.

The Enduring Mystery of Bird Migration

The lakes of Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh, about 20 miles from the capital city of Dhaka, are a haven for migratory birds during winter. Over 60 species of birds arrive from the cold Himalayan regions, and from even as far away as Siberia, to spend the winter in the temperate, food-rich lakes, canals and wetlands of Bangladesh, before flying off to Sri Lanka, Indonesia and China. They include several species of ducks, lesser and greater whistling teals, cotton geese, pochards, darters, pintail ducks and herons.

In recent years, however, the number and species of birds migrating to Bangladesh has sharply declined. Ornithologists blame global warming for the decline. The snowy Himalayan regions are not as inhospitably cold as before. Even Siberia is experiencing milder and shorter winters. Add to that local over-fishing, poaching and pesticide-laden runoffs, and it is clear why the lakes of Jahangirnagar University are not as alive with the chirping and the whoosh of the ‘guest birds’ as it was only a few years ago.

Still, the sight of migratory birds, fewer though they may be, is stunning. One minute they are resting gracefully on sandbars, surrounded by bright water lilies, and suddenly, inexplicably, they take to the wings, flying in a synchronized, parabolic arc until they spiral onto the sandbars, each bird returning (so it would seem) to the same spot. Striking in their dimpled reflections, the ducks and their cousins look purposefully to the right or left, waiting perhaps for that mysterious signal, flowing in from somewhere, to lift off into the misty, morning air again.

Across the lake, amid marsh grass, walk the great blue herons, looking for prey, as if also in prayer, patience personified.

Bird migration is one of the enduring mysteries of nature. We may keep adding to our knowledge of how birds steer themselves by starlight and how their internal magnets interact with the earth’s magnetic field but after their long-distance flights are exactly mapped and the science of migration is understood to the last detail, the intangible wonder of it will continue to fascinate us for as long as we share this planet with our avian friends. 

A 2014 Resolution

The irony of our time is that we have tuned out the real world by surrendering our mind and  heart to the virtual world.

I see the signs everywhere: in parks overflowing with birdsong, visitors wearing ear buds and headphones to keep nature at bay; at street corners, in malls, movies, restaurants, board rooms and even at funerals, digital diehards creating selfies, talking to their smartphones, checking email, posting on social media and sending out the obligatory tweet.

The digital revolution is irreversible. Its benefits are innumerable. There is no returning to the pastoral gentility of yesteryear, which we gave up anyway during the Industrial revolution over three centuries ago.

No, the real issue is one of balance. Will we constantly be in the thrall of our always-on devices, or will we also set aside time for what makes us human - family, friends, community, memory, beauty, secrets, hope, love, longing?

Our gadgets are increasingly taking over our lives, shaping us more than our designers are able to shape them. They do everything for us, except those things we really need to do, such as visiting a sick relative in the hospital or looking at people when they are talking to us, instead of reading incoming texts. Immersed in our customized cocoons, we discard our manners and trample on the sensibilities of others as if they did not exist.

Given that the tablets, smartphones and iPods (coming soon to a store near you: wearable computers in watches and glasses) will only get smarter, how do we keep them from turning our lives into one giant mobile app?

It’s not going to be easy. It will require a certain discipline of the mind that many of us may already have given up on, what with the need to constantly check email or be lulled by the insidious charm of the Facebook “Like.”

But it can be done.

People who were addicted to the virtual world, with all its frivolities and inanities, gradually weaned themselves off their self-absorption and narcissism by not plugging in at certain times of day, as when they were with family and loved ones. They recognized their digital dependence as an addiction because that’s what it was, and so treated it as such. Some simply unplugged their devices during weekends, and although resisting the temptation to take “just a peek” proved painful, they were able to conquer their demons. It’s not as if they turned into Luddites. Far from it. They continue to use their devices but with moderation, knowing that a time-sink can swallow them (as it has so many) if they are not careful. These “recovering digital addicts” speak with reverence of the freedom that is now theirs and the urgency of time, and of the fleeting life, that animates their waking moments.

Another way to overcome the ceaseless siren song of the virtual world is to renew one’s acquaintance with nature.

“The world is too much with us,” lamented Wordsworth, and that was at the dawn of the 19^th Century when the poet felt people had lost their connection to the natural world because of their abnormal attachment to materialism! “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:/Little we see in nature that is ours/…/For this, for everything, we are out of tune.”

It’s time to tune in to what matters, what gives life its beauty and its mystery. Next time we go for a walk in the woods or a stroll by the shore, let’s make sure we have left behind our electronic devices and the flickering screens. Let’s open our eyes and ears to take in the sights and sounds of the singing sparrow or the sonorous surf, the graceful arc of a falling leaf or the hypnotic ebb and flow of tides.

George Mallory climbed Mount Everest because it was there. We browse the Internet because it is everywhere. But while the formidable challenge of the Himalayas remains undiminished, accessing the Internet gets easier by the minute. We will soon probably connect to the Cloud with a blink or a wink.

But that’s no reason why we should let technology strip us of our sense of wonder and all the emotions that make us human.

So here’s a New Year’s Resolution to consider: “I will use technology but I will not allow technology to use me. I will not let the digital deluge drown me. Instead, I will strive for a life of balance and purpose, seek renewal from nature, and be content with what I have and not covet what I don’t.”

Put PISA Tests in Perspective

The latest test results of Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), administered by The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), are out and for the alarmists of America, the sky continues its free fall. Indifferent parents, incompetent teachers and irresponsible students collude within a toxic culture that values entertainment over education by several orders of magnitude. Is it any wonder, they ask, that our teens fare so poorly compared to their international peers in math, science and reading? End of discussion.

It is time to put an end to the alarmist, some would say nihilistic, reactions to PISA tests, or for that matter, to any standardized tests.

But first, the facts.

Source: www.yahoo.com

PISA tests are given every 3 years. The latest results reflect the test given in 2012 to 65 countries - 34 OECD countries and 31 partner countries. A total of 510,000 students, mostly 15-year-olds, participated. American teens ranked 26^th in math, 21^st in science and 17^th in reading among 34 developed countries. Specifically, out of a possible 600 points, American student scored 481 in math, 497 in science and 498 in reading.

In all categories, students from the Chinese region of Shanghai topped the list, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, South Korea, Macau, Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

There is no denying that American students have never done well compared to their top-performing peers in PISA tests. But how strongly does the PISA results correlate with a nation’s future, with its creativity and innovation?

Statistically it is possible to show some type of correlation between any two sets of numerical data. The correlation may be weak, medium or strong. It may also be bogus or genuine.

In the case of standardized tests, particularly at the international level, the correlation surely reveals something but not to the extent that our grim pseudo-analyst-pundits claim. PISA tests are not all multiple-choice, fact-driven exams. They include questions that require free-form answers and the ability to apply word problems to real-world situations. 

From that perspective, the poor showing of our teens is troubling. They have fallen short and will continue to fall short academically unless they take ownership of their learning. However, help is on the way in the form of student-centered Common Core Curriculum (CCC), which all the states, except Virginia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas and Alaska, have adopted. The curriculum focuses on critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills and starts from the 2014-2015 academic year.

We will, of course, have to wait for several years before the results of CCC are in but there is no doubt that it represents a step in the right direction for America’s K-12, and by extension, community college, students.

But we must be wary of seeing too much in the results of standardized tests even after students have had several years of experience with CCC. We must be cautious in drawing sweeping lessons from any test. Creativity and innovation occur at the confluence of myriad factors that include culture, freedom, ability to challenge authority, and dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Besides, top-performing Asian countries are known for teaching to the test and for their extensive programs of after-school tutoring. Very high scores in a test like PISA may simply mean that the students have mastered the art (or science) of acing the test, nothing more and nothing less. Their goal is not to become independent thinkers but to become excellent test takers. A Hong Kong educator puts it bluntly: “This after-school education is my world. I am one of the thousands of tutors helping Hong Kong students achieve high test scores. To me, the recent test results were no surprise: Of course East Asian kids test well. They are tested every day, even when they are sick. Our children sit for lengthy, rigorous and confusing examinations, starting at age 6. Weekends, summers and holiday breaks are golden opportunities to catch up on some R&R — review and revision, that is. But the thing about testing is that it creates excellent followers, not leaders. Doing well on tests requires constant test prep. Granted, when it comes to buckling down and cramming for hours on end, Asians kids will beat their U.S. counterparts to a pulp. But give them a task that is not testable or not directly related to school, ask them to do something not for their college application but for themselves, and they’ll draw a blank.”

Americana kids reading this cannot afford to feel smug. (We must also not ignore the fact that many of them are taught to the test as well.) They need to recognize that a creative and fulfilling life demands the kind of rigor and aptitude they have generally failed to show so far.


At the same time, Americans must also realize that teachers are at the heart of our K-12 system. Unless teachers are accorded the respect they deserve in our society (as they are in Finland, Singapore and other top-performing nations), with salaries consistent with their calling (meaning that their salaries be on a par with what lawyers, doctors, engineers and entertainers earn), we will only be paying lip service to improving the dismal showings of our teens while the alarmists continue their perennial lament of threatening clouds darkening our nation's future.

Nelson Mandela and the Power of Forgiveness

On 12 June 1964, Nelson Mandela, age 46, was sentenced to life for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow South Africa’s apartheid government. On February 11, 1990, prisoner number 46664, who would not let despair dictate his soul, walked out from the Victor Verster Prison into the bright sunshine of freedom.

Mandela was first imprisoned in Pretoria and later taken to Robben Island, an infamous penitentiary near Cape Town that had previously been a leper colony. He stayed there for a few weeks, then taken back to Pretoria where he was charged in the Rivonia trial, from which he was sent to Robben Island for life. He spent a total of 27 years behind bars.

The world has paused to remember this iconic figure who breathed his last at age 95 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mandela’s timeline is etched in the memory of multitudes but even those not aware of the milestones of his life saw in him a revolutionary and a visionary the likes of whom we are unlikely to see again.

His ‘I am Prepared to Die’ speech, delivered from the dock during the Rivonia Trial, Pretoria Supreme Court, on 20 April, 1964, will always serve as an inspiration to freedom fighters everywhere.

Of all the traits that defined Mandela, perhaps the two most remarkable were his humility and his willingness to forgive.

“I am not a saint,” Mandela often told his admirers, “unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

Here was a man who had attained the moral high ground through superhuman courage and patience in the face of evil, yet who could resist the seductive pull of arrogance. He was aware of his flaws and frailties, some of which his countrymen were to witness during the five years (1994-1999) he was the President of South Africa, such as charges of cronyism and selling out the liberation struggle to white interests.

But Mandela’s rare gift was that he never lost sight of his goal: democracy, equality and the rule of law for blacks, whites, Afrikaners and every other race in his tormented country. He could do it because he had the humility to know that it was not about him but about South Africa and its people. The source of his humility sprang from a combination of high purpose, generosity of spirit, strength of character, grace and daring, a combination tragically absent in any of today’s leaders anywhere.

Mandela’s inclination for reconciliation over revenge marked him even more as the definitive moral leader of our time. Half-a-century of inhuman apartheid had stoked the flames of revenge among his dispossessed, nameless, faceless, vote-less people. A blood-bath between blacks and whites in South Africa seemed inevitable. But Mandela would have none of it. "Great anger and violence can never build a nation,” he declared. “We are striving to proceed in a manner and towards a result, which will ensure that all our people, both black and white, emerge as victors.”  And, "Reconciliation means working together to correct the legacy of past injustice.” And again, (from his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, 1995), "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner."

This, from a man who was forced to toil day after day in a limestone quarry without sunglasses under a merciless sun that destroyed his tear ducts and, for years, robbed him even of his ability to cry!

Freed after 27 years, only a Mandela could say with conviction that he bore no ill will toward his white Afrikaner jailers.

Ever the humble man, Mandela pointed out during an interview that “I am not the only one who did not want revenge. Almost all my colleagues in prison did not want revenge, because there is no time to do anything else except to try and save your people.”

For many, Nelson Mandela became a revered and iconic figure only after his story of sacrifice and magnanimity became widely known. For decades during the cold war, however, American presidents backed apartheid as a vital front in the war against communism. In 1981, President Reagan went so far as to call South Africa’s diabolical regime “essential to the free world.” Both Reagan and Margaret Thatcher labeled Mandela’s African National Congress Party a terrorist group. In 1985, then-Congressman Dick Cheney voted against a resolution urging that Mandela be released from jail. When, in 2004, Mandela criticized George Bush for launching the Iraq War, (just as Martin Luther King had criticized Lyndon Johnson for the Vietnam War in 1965), he was denounced by some in the mainstream media for his “vicious anti-Americanism” and for his “longstanding support for terrorists.”

But when President Clinton visited South Africa in March of 1998, he told Mandela in a joint session of parliament in Cape Town that "For millions of Americans, South Africa's story is embodied by your heroic sacrifice and breathtaking walk out of the darkness and into the glorious light."

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Madiba) went for the stars. Not for him petty fights and small dreams. “There is no passion to be found playing small,” he said, “in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” His definition of a life of purpose: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” As viewers saw in the 2009 movie “Invictus,” he had the courage to surprise his adversaries with restraint and generosity.

This fierce yet gentle freedom fighter has now made his final walk to eternal freedom. And we are the poorer for it.