Are we getting smarter?

There are many commercials these days which claim how they and their employees are making this planet smarter which in theory also cascade to the inhabitants of this planet. If not all at least humans. After all all these smarter applications are being consumed by humans. One will hear from so many who interacts with kids that they were no close to this generation of kids in their childhood. So what exactly is this fuss about smartness? Is it intrinsic to our evolution? ! Not sure. They say we should question everything and you are sure to come out with more enlightenment.

Lets question then!
Are we really getting smart or is this smartness really smart in making us dumb?

Lets see some examples.

One of booster of your acumen is your memory. If you remember more things you will apply them more often which in turn will make you more smart. Aren't we getting use to remember lesser and lesser things. I know many who don't even know their parents phone number and turn to cellphone address book to dig it out. There are many who depend on social networking sites to remember people.

If you are good with numbers then your are bound to be called smart. And you will feel a sense of pride doing it in anywhere. How often do we try to calculate? Even to calculate 10% of 150 we take out our calculator which these days is available in its ubiquitous avatar everywhere in watches, cellphones and computers. The local kirana-wallah uses his calculator to calculate how much is 12+7. This was not the case so common with our parents generation. When i see with my father calculating orally i feel impressed and ashamed too. He can put a banker to shame and he is not engineer.

These days we don't even remember directions. We forget them so often. We always looks for online maps or mobile navigator. Asking someone for some address or directions is slowly becoming a bad manner.

One can figure out numerous flimsy tasks which we as humans could do so but now we trust machines. One will argue that these machines are also being made by humans. True. The question is not about human ability but about relying too much on them for triviality. Perhaps some smarter people making these smart applications are making rest of the people dumb but they can't be blamed. And certainly i don't wish to become smarter.

Nationalization of Bombay..err,sorry mumbai

Shiv Sena says, "Mumbai is for Maharashtrians".

MNS says, "Mumbai is for Marathi Manoos".

RSS says, "Mumbai is for all Indians".

Rahul Gandhi says, "Mumbai was saved by NSG commandos belonging to Bihar and UP when 26/11 took place".

Hello whats going on?

I say Bombay is for the whole world. Please come and enrich it, but don't spoil it.

Aren't we living in age of globalization which we supports open heartedly by taking all those outsourced jobs. Then why this hypocrisy within India?

They say today Earth is a single village. Friedman says World is Flat. Then why are we digging the land of Bombay? More than half of foreign people coming to India land here. Its India's face, why create a island out of it?

They say people from north india are taking up top jobs meant for local guys. Common there is something called meritocracy apart from democracy. All high class jobs required the best available talent irrespective of geography.

They say small sector jobs of local industries should be for local people because one need local skills such as language to do it. I agree. But if someone from other part of the world is able to get it then doesn't it show that the outside person has embraced the local culture about which local people should feel proud of.

All this is so petty. Do we require it? NO. Then why is it happening? There is something called Indian politics. HELL.

P.S. I am ready to replace 'Bombay' with 'Mumbai' anywhere above without any condition :) Afterall Whats in a name?