How far can we go—in science, mathematics, technology, medicine, the arts, even politics? Can our efforts in these fields advance indefinitely? Or will they eventually bump into limits? I have a weakness for such impossibly grand questions, and so, I was happy to discover, does the British physicist David Deutsch.

Mr. Deutsch has earned notice for his vigorous advocacy of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics—the idea that, although we see a particle follow only one path in our world, it actually follows all possible paths in other universes.

Mr. Deutsch touches on this and other esoteric concepts in “The Beginning of Infinity,” but his book is animated by an ambition much greater than defending a particular theory. Mr. Deutsch wants us to share his radically optimistic vision of humanity’s future, one in which progress continues forever.

I’m not a fan of “multiverse” theories, which I think of as science fiction with equations. And Mr. Deutsch knocks my 1996 book, “The End of Science,” for proposing that the glory days of science—especially pure science, the effort to map out and understand reality—may be over.

Mr. Deutsch equates my thesis with “dogmatism, stagnation and tyranny,” all of which, for the record, I oppose. But he makes the case for infinite progress with such passion, imagination and quirky brilliance that I couldn’t help enjoying his argument. More often than not I found myself agreeing with him—or at least hoping that he is right.

Mr. Deutsch notes that for most of history—apart from a few shining exceptions, such as Athens in the time of Pericles—knowledge scarcely evolved. Conformity reigned, and innovation was suppressed. But several centuries ago, Enlightenment figures such as Galileo, Newton and Voltaire helped propagate a powerful way of solving problems: propose an explanation of reality, test it and criticize it, pose a new and improved explanation, test and criticize that one, and so on.

Through this process we began to accumulate insight into nature, an achievement embodied by the scientific and industrial revolutions. We also advanced in the political realm, replacing archaic forms of governance with more just, representational systems.

The greatest threat to continued progress, Mr. Deutsch contends, is our belief that we can achieve—or, worse, have already achieved—ultimate solutions. We must accept that we are fallible, he says, and hence that our knowledge is tentative and improvable no matter how definitive it may seem at the moment.

He rejects end-points of all kinds, whether a “theory of everything” that answers every scientific riddle, a work of art so exquisite that it cannot be surpassed or even the Buddhist version of Enlightenment, a state of unsurpassable spiritual grace.

If we acknowledge our imperfections, Mr. Deutsch observes, then, paradoxically, there is no problem that we cannot tackle. Death, for instance. Or the apparent incompatibility between the two pillars of modern physics, quantum theory and general relativity.

Or global warming, which Mr. Deutsch believes we can overcome through innovation rather than drastic cutbacks in consumption. He gores the sacred cow of “sustainability”: Societies are healthiest, he declares, not when they achieve equilibrium but when they are rapidly evolving.

Making the case for science’s open-endedness, Mr. Deutsch mounts a compelling challenge to scientific reductionism, which explains all phenomena in terms of their physical components. Yes, atomic theory, chemistry and genetics have worked spectacularly well at explaining many features of nature. But small-scale processes, the author notes, spawn so-called emergent phenomena that require understanding on their own terms.

Bodies give rise to minds, which in turn give rise to ideas, which have no specific physical properties but can nonetheless influence human behaviour in profound ways, as the Enlightenment itself demonstrates.

Mr. Deutsch’s emphasis on the nonmaterial qualities of the mind dovetails with his insistence that progress stems, above all, from human creativity. Although we are subject to the laws of nature, he says, we can control our destiny through our own free choices.

This might not seem like a terribly controversial claim, but many leading scientists—from Albert Einstein and Francis Crick to Stephen Hawking—have argued that free will is an illusion, because our “choices” are pre-determined by physical processes beyond our conscious control. I am heartened that Mr. Deutsch resists this appalling scientific determinism.

“The Beginning of Infinity” is, as Mr. Deutsch’s own argument would stipulate, imperfect. He rejects appeals to authority but constantly defers to the philosopher Karl Popper, who can be a weirdly dogmatic opponent of dogmatism. And Mr. Deutsch’s optimism sometimes resembles that of a man standing on a mountaintop, high above the problems afflicting us ordinary folk in the lowlands.

Physics, for example, has stalled not for lack of a can-do spirit, as the author implies, but for mundane reasons: Society is reluctant to build the gigantic, expensive accelerators that might help physicists forge past current theories. It is true that neuroscience has the potential to yield discoveries of revolutionary import, but neuroscientists have yet to crack the code of the brain, which becomes more dauntingly complex as we learn more about it.

So when it comes to science it is easy to see limits where Mr. Deutsch sees boundless opportunities. But he has persuaded me that we can solve many of our problems as long as we don’t assume that we know more than we do. And, given a choice, why not choose hope?

Perfume

Perfume plays a vital role, it act as a feel good factor that instantly lifts one’s state of mind.Since the beginning of time, perfume has been used for its fragrance, helping to neutralize body odors and ensuring that you smell good all day long.

Usually, perfumes describe odours from flowers or certain other things that belongs to the nature.For instance, A pine-scented perfume has a much stronger or heavier scent. Lilac scent is very close to perfume, but it has a more neutral connotation, making it more applicable.

For centuries, vanilla has been used as a natural aphrodisiac. It is no surprise, then, that men find it pleasing to smell in women.One major myth is that only costly perfumes are effective, but the truth is that it depends on who uses it.For some people it may last longer whereas in others it may last only for a while.It has nothing to do with the perfume.The secret lies in choosing right perfume that serves best for us.

Knowing the fragrance :

According to Dr. Hirsch, “Sweet and tasty scents are familiar to Women.If you are looking for a perfume that lasts longer, then undoubtedly you can go for perfumes made with musk, vanilla or amber. Musk, a fixative in perfumery is one of the most expensive animal products in the world.It is obtained from the musk pod, a gland in the abdomen of the male musk deer that inhabits a pouch, or sac, under the skin.Fresh musk is semiliquid, but dries to a grainy powder which compared with woodsy and earthy smells.It is said to smell like a baby’s skin.

An ambergris is a fossilized whale’s faeces that is often described as being musky and having a sweet earthy aroma or a mossy smell reminiscent of soil near a forest.Initially, ambergris has a marine, faecal smell. It ages to acquire a sweet, earthy scent similar to rubbing alcohol without the vaporous astringency.

How to choose the right perfume?

It might be slightly complicated, but it is worth the effort.With respect to time, the fragrance that linger on after the application of a perfume, can be divided into three categories as top, intermediate and base.Perfume notes are ingredients that make up a fragrance.

The top note of a scent represents the very first impression. Generally, the lightest note of all which is recognised immediately upon application of a perfume. The most common scents include citrus, light fruits and herbs.In perfumery, intermediate notes are generally pleasant and well-rounded with a blend of floral and fruity tones; sometimes spiced with hints of woodiness.

It is said to be the heart of the fragrance, and lasts longer than top notes.Base notes appear while the top notes have evaporated and mix with the heart notes to create a complete fragrance picture. Typically cedar wood, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, and musk are the most common base notes.

FRESH FRAGRANCES: Characterised by freshness and lightness, this group of scents is commonly known by their citrus or green notes. Often made from lemon, orange and bergamot; then accented with herbal tones to revive the senses.These perfumes evoke the senses for that jolt of crispness. Wear them on brunch dates or when you kick back by the pool.These include citrus, water, green and fruity flavours.

EARTHY & WOODY FRAGRANCES: Wild aromatic perfumes are often light in top notes, but filled with deep notes of patchouli, sandalwood, and oak moss to provide an air of sophistication and luxury. When evening comes, this strong, opulent scent will accent your date-night outfit.A scent with wood notes including cedar wood, oak moss and sandalwood. Woody notes are built upon a base of bark and moss, conjuring images of winding forest trails.

WARM & SPICY FRAGRANCES: This decadent blend features an earthy, animalistic base scent such as musk or ambergris, frequently combined with warm notes such as amber.Make an entrance at dinner with a perfume that is bold yet mysterious.

FLORAL FRAGRANCES: From a lone flower petal to a bouquet of flowers, floral scents are made for girly girls . They can be single notes, but usually blend the fragrances of various flowers such as lavender, rose, violet and jasmine to create a classy fragrance with a feminine appeal.When you want to leave a lasting impression, spritz on these light and slightly sweet scents.

How to Make the perfume Last Longer ?

While every perfume evaporates after few hours, few hacks can help you to retain the smell longer.

-Use petroleum jelly as a base for perfume, as it makes the perfume adhere to your skin.
-When you spray fragrance on your body immediately after a bath, your pores will be opened and your skin will be warm, allowing the perfume to absorb into your body.
-The scented area should be rubbed to reactivate the fragrance after a few hours.
-It is best to apply perfume directly to pulse points such as the wrists, navel, and collarbones in order to make it last longer.

Things to remember while choosing a perfume:

• If you are unsure about a fragrance, don’t commit until you have smelled the base notes.
• Whenever possible, mix and match your perfumes from different families. You should always change your perfume according to the seasons.
• Choose your perfume with patience, as it is going to travel with you for a long period of time.
• When we go on a perfume shopping spree in the evening, our sense of smell is sharper, since the air at that time is warmer and we are more able to smell the scents.
• Do not spray the perfume directly on your skin without first spraying on a card and smelling it. After ten minutes, smell it again and only spray on your skin if you find it appealing.

Things to avoid while choosing perfume :

• Try not to test out too many perfumes at once. Make a few visits to the perfume counter, sniff the jars of coffee beans on the counter, and then take another whiff. This allows your nose to breathe, clearing the olfactory perception s between the tests of different perfumes.
• It is important to consider your skin type as well before choosing a perfume. Perfumes dissipate faster on drier skin tones, so a perfume oil with higher concentrations will have a greater impact.
• When you smell a perfume on others, there’s a possibility that it won’t smell right on you. Perfumes come alive after mixing with your body heat and pheromones. That’s why every fragrance will smell differently on each person.

What is Bilingual Method ?

Bilingual method is one of the newest method. where two languages are used one is the mother tongue of the students and the other is the target language (English). Mother tongue is used in the class to achieve the target language. This method is the midway approach of grammar translation method and direct method.

Bilingual Method is one of many teaching methods of English language.C.J Dodson had invented this method of teaching Foreign language   in 1967. Schools use this method where two languages i.e. the mother tongue and target language are used. In this method, teachers use the mother tongue to achieve the target language ( here it is English) .

The method is based on the principles of similarities and differences which is found between the two languages. These may be of situation, sounds, vocabulary, structure etc. If the learner/the teacher understands these differences, the learning of the target language is facilitated considerably.

When the child is learning his mother tongue, he becomes acquainted with the situations and picks up the language easily and correctly. While learning the foreign language, the teacher can create same situations again in order to make the child learn the foreign language.

Difference between Bilingual and Direct Method?

Direct Method is used in majority of English Medium schools and Bilingual method is used in majority of regional language medium schools.In Bilingual method of teaching English the teacher used both language English as well as mother tongue.

Science behind bilingual method

The advocates of bilingual method believe that it is merely wastage of time as there is duplicity of the same thing. We suggest you that you can utilise the saved time for giving practice in sentence pattern.

In this method, importance is given to the mother tongue and its culture. Thus it does not lead to substitution of one means of communication for another. This method of language learning ensures accessibility. When students start learning a language using this method, they find a level of familiarity.

Bilingual methods of teaching English

The history of language teaching in India has a long tradition background. The key part of learning procedure was attributed through memorization of vocabulary and translation of sentences. In India the ancient languages like Pali and Sanskrit were taught through the practice of memorization of texts, in this 20th century there should be a remarkable changes in language teaching.

The term bilingual education is stated to using of two or more languages in the classroom atmosphere for the better understanding. It is the process of teaching the target language through mother tongue of the student. Since English is not a medium of instructions in schools and colleges in India, Indian students can’t practice and perform their English pronunciation.

Even during in English classes most of the teachers teach English without providing students for proper practice in speaking because they are not well prepared enough to give practice it especially in rural engineering colleges in India. This paper focuses on teaching English through mother tongue for engineers with reference to the Indian context.

Advantages of Bilingual Method

1. The teacher is able to teach English to the entire satisfaction of the students.

2. The students are also able to understand English well.

3. Right use of mother tongue by the teacher does not spoil the environment of teaching English. It just helps in teaching English better.

4. This method helps in developing fluency in spoken English.

5. Bilingual Method also helps in giving proper training for different skills namely listening, speaking, reading and writing.

6. The use of mother tongue saves a lot time and makes learning easier. Complex things can be easily explained in the mother tongue.

Disadvantages of Bilingual Method

1. Using this method, the teacher teaches English through English language  and sometimes he uses his mother tongue and this practice diverts the attention of the students.

2. Sometimes it happens that the teacher of English language may not be good in both the languages. He doesn’t get perfection in any of the languages as his labor is also distributed between the two languages.

3. The use of mother tongue while teaching English language may spoil the continuity and fluency of the language.

4. It is the possibility that a few students in the class may be more attentive to mother tongue sounds and less attentive to English Sounds. As a result their pronunciation may become defective.

Positive psychology is a branch of psychology focused on the character strengths and behaviour that allow individuals to build a life of meaning and purpose—to move beyond surviving to flourishing. Theorists and researchers in the field have sought to identify the elements of a good life. They have also proposed and tested practices for improving life satisfaction and well-being.

The Basics of Positive Psychology

Positive psychology emphasizes meaning and deep satisfaction, not just on fleeting happiness.Martin Seligman, often regarded as the father of positive psychology, has described multiple visions of what it means to live happily, including the Pleasant Life , the Good Life , and the Meaningful Life.

Positive psychologists have explored a range of experiences and behaviours involved in different versions of positive living, including specific positive emotions, “flow” states, and sense of meaning or purpose.

While there is plenty of overlap, positive psychology has been described as different from other areas of psychology due to its primary interest in identifying and building mental assests , as opposed to addressing weaknesses and problems. 

TECHNIQUES USED IN POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Positive psychotherapy is the application of positive psychology principles in a professional therapeutic setting. It is based on the concept that happiness may be broken down into three more manageable components:

• Positive emotion
• Engagement
• Meaning

The exercises used in positive psychotherapy are designed to enhance one or more of these components in a person’s life.

Some of the techniques used in this form of therapy involve examining the activities of the person in therapy. In therapy, the positive implications of each activity are explored.Therapists may, with the consent of the person receiving therapy, beep the individual to remind them to record their experiences.

These records are expanded upon when a person adds daily entries to describe the details of the past day. They are then evaluated with long-term appraisals. These methods are often referred to as short-term sampling.

People in therapy are also often encouraged to keep a gratitude journal. This record is a reminder of the positive events and accomplishments of each day. The practice may help offset rumination on things that did not go according to plan. 

How to apply positive psychology?

Identifying one’s character strengths (such as courage, humanity, or justice) is considered an important step on the road to the good and meaningful life envisioned by positive psychologists. There are also positive psychology practices one can try at home to promote well-being.

For instance, gratitude exercises have been studied by psychologists as a way to increase happiness over time. Just what the name sounds like, these involve such simple actions as writing down each day three things for which one is grateful.

Although the focus of positive psychology is on happiness and fulfillment, it is important to understand that this does not mean people are advised to push away their negative emotions altogether. People who are flourishing make room in their lives for such inevitable states of mind.

Benefits of positive psychology

Practices associated with positive psychology such as gratitude interventions can boost social and emotional well-being.

Positive psychology has also led to explorations of how developing certain character strengths, positive emotions like awe, and other qualities, such as a sense of meaning and purpose in life, might contribute to positive life outcomes.

Measures of meaning in life have been found to relate to other positive life outcomes. For example, a study shows that the older adults who consider their lives worthwhile tend to have better physical and mental health.

How did Positive Psychology evolve?

Many psychologists admit that we have little knowledge of what makes life worth living or of how normal people flourish under usual, rather than extreme, conditions. In fact, we often have little more to say about the good life than self-help gurus. But shouldn’t we know better?

The Western world has long overgrown the rationale for an exclusively disease model of psychology. Perhaps now is the time to readdress the balance by using psychology resources to learn about normal and flourishing lives, rather than lives that are in need of help.

Perhaps now is the time to gather knowledge about strengths and talents, high achievement (in every sense of this word), the best ways and means of self-improvement, fulfilling work and relationships, and a great art of ordinary living carried out in every corner of the planet. This is the rationale behind the creation of positive psychology.

What is Procrastination ?

Procrastination is one of the main barriers blocking you from getting up, making the right decisions and living the dream life you’ve thought of.

Recent studies have shown that people regret more the things they haven’t done than the things they have done. In addition, feelings of regret and guilt resulting from missed opportunities tend to stay with people much longer.

Sometimes all our opportunities seem to be on our fingertips, but we can’t seem to reach them. When you procrastinate, you waste time that you could be investing in something meaningful.If you can overcome this fierce enemy, you will be able to accomplish more and in doing so better utilise the potential that life has to offer.

We are aware that the world today is conducive to procrastinating and learning how to overcome, it is, therefore, one of the most important skills you can learn.

Why do people procrastinate?

Willpower is often perceived to be the leading cause of procrastination, but it is mainly our intrinsic motivation that helps us to overcome the habit of putting things off on daily basis.

_{Decision Paralysis}

Despite having so many opportunities, modern society worships individual liberty under the belief that the more free people are, the happier they will be. But then why aren’t people today significantly happier than they were decades ago?

In the midst of more freedom to decide our own future and act in accordance with our desires, we’ve become confused about what matters most, what is crucial and what isn’t, as well as the right and wrong things to do, and have therefore been demotivated to act at all.

_{Ignoring the value of time}

Our time on Earth is limited and finite and, unfortunately, we will all die at some point. For these reasons, time is the most valuable asset you have. It isn’t money; like money, you can borrow money, save money, or earn more.Each minute that is wasted can never be brought back.

A second wasted on waste is lost forever. Realising that life is finite leads to people managing their time more carefully. They reflect on how they would like to spend the remaining time of their lives.

_{Lack of self-discipline}

Self-discipline or self-control is a moment when you give yourself orders, but you’re having a hard time following them. It is not the cause of procrastination, but it is an important component.

Discipline requires the right kind of motivation and a commitment to maintaining and adopting positive habits.

How to stop Procrastinating ?

If you do not integrate the information you learn about self-discipline, motivation, planning, and time management into your daily routine, your habits, and your thinking patterns, it will be just a piece of useless information.

_{Personal Vision}

The personal vision is one of the core tools, it helps you understand your skills and priorities, and by creating one, you will never feel lost in what is it that you want to do with your life. The personal vision as well helps you to focus your effort on the right activities and set priorities to avoid continually switching between actions. Understand what motivates you, and you will be able to maintain your discipline and make the most out of each day.

_{To-Do list}

Long to-do lists tend to pile on, and this leads to procrastination. Seeing the long list of tasks can frustrate us so much that we have tendencies to give up on them completely. The To-Do Today method is there to help you get the most important and urgent tasks done every day, while also helping you prioritize the work on your schedule and limit new tasks. With its help, you will be able to manage much more in a day, with less stress and tiredness.

_{Habit list}

Learning new habits is one of the basic elements of personal development. If we make a habit of doing something, its implementation requires less mental energy to do it. Learning new habits is, therefore, very important. But there are several myths about what is working and what is not in learning new habits. The Habit-list is based on scientific research about proper planning, learning habits, and its tracking, which then motivates us even further.

_{Meeting with oneself}

This tool will help to guide you through your own “Meeting With Yourself” a time allocated just for you! During your meetings, you can focus on long-term planning and the overall retrospective of your personal growth. It is designed to make you ask yourself how far you have moved forward recently. To consider which direction you would like to head in life and to think about what you can improve even further.

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A collection of 14 mini-stories and a short play based on the idea of haunting. Sometimes it has to do with ghostly phenomena, and sometimes with psychological phenomena that are more primal. The stories drift to us from different eras, past and present, but they all share a central theme: they all center around a troubled person. For example, Gaston, a French child who lost his parents just a few weeks earlier, witnesses an odd event on the beach.

A woman travels to a French castle with an appointment with her past in the inevitably touching but beautiful Red Letter Day. The Duet runs the risk of being completely different, drawing the viewer into a fascinating dialogue and then hitting a stinging note at the end. 

There are different lengths of stories, from the 36 pages of The Ship of the Dead (lights on for that one!) to the captivating 3-pager Why Yew Trees Live So Long. Yet the length does not matter because we’re drawn into the moment, and, in my case, the book is consumed in its entirety.

As silly as it sounds after saying that, I began reading The Mistletoe Bride with trepidation and anticipation. You see, I devoured Kate’s Languedoc Trilogy (Sepulchre, Labyrinth, Citadel) and am in awe of what she’s capable of spinning out to such lengths while weaving such an intriguing storyline.

Kate has proven to be an exemplar when it comes to writing long stories, but short stories are a different discipline altogether. No worries – these stories are not only enthralling, but they’re also more poignant than scary, so cowardly readers are not ostracized.

All of these plays have been published before since some of the plays have appeared in periodicals over the years, and Syrinx at the end has become a classic for American Drama. 
Nevertheless, Kate has tweaked and rewritten some of the originals as the first collection of the stories. In some cases, she has even rewritten the originals in a way that she is happier with at this juncture of her career.

A fascinating aspect of these stories is that we can actually trace the author’s inspiration from these stories. In The Yellow Scarf, for example, not only do strange things happen to a woman wandering around a castle, but we also see the roots of the time travel ideas that will later appear in the novel.
 The Drowned Village shows her love for French folklore, a love that was also evident in her later works, and in The Princess Alice, one of my favourites, she combines real history with what-ifs.

As part of Kate’s personal notes, she explains the origin of every story as she pre-empts or posts-scripts it. This is especially effective with the title story, a version of which we’ve all heard before (i.e. a game of hide-and-seek gone haywire).It is, however, Kate’s explanation of where and how the story originated that adds a fresh flavour to the tale.

As well as providing information on the author’s family members, the notes also inform us about Aunt Margaret, the first woman ordained in her diocese.As a result, Kate credits her own creative process to these people, showing us someone whose success did not eradicate humility or gratitude; a thought that is as comforting as curling up with these short stories before bedtime, as soon as children have gone to bed. 

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