Simon Singh...

It was science lecture time again here in Seattle. This time it was Simon Singh (famous for his book and award-winning video on Fermat's Last Theorem and it's proof). He talked mainly about the Big Bang Theory. However he did touch upon other topics such as some famous pseudo-scientific ones - like the Codes imbedded in the Bible and (guess-what) theory of Intelligent Design (no, not again!).

Once when I told a senior colleague of mine that there is this phenomenon (in a way similar to deja vu) wherein you first come across something (usually a new concept, news) and then that keeps coming back to you again and again in some form or fashion. My colleague, who is also trained in psychology, retorted that it is not that it keeps coming back due to some mysterious intervention of God, but just that you start noticing it more and more. He also said it is a well-researched and documented aspect of psychology.

Back to the lecture, it was short but very interesting. He seemed to be a funny guy (with a funny hairstyle) and his lecture was full of little experiments that made you laugh and think. There were only about 25 people in the audience and I thought a lecture of this sort would have interested high-school students and the like, if only they knew about it. It was simple, yet thought provoking. And yes, he came across as a very simple man too.