Interesting documentary aboout Qu'ran

Quite interesting documentary, worth seeing.


excerpts: contrary to belief of Muslims the Qu'ran may have been changed and its script today are not exactly what originally anticipated. German scientists have done detailed study on the origin of Qu'ran.

and if you get a chance take a look at this clip taken from Iran. It has nothing to do with the above documentary. It is about what police are doing to young women in Iran!

A key fact: Present yourself well!

This past weekend, I was in Vancouver attended the Canadian Society of Biomechanics 2012 conference. It was quite interesting to see that Canada is a leading power in biomechanics. With so many research going on in biomechanics, motor control, muscle-motor, injury biomechanics and many more areas. However, one thing many admitted was despite such celebrity and leading roles in the world, there is lack of industry or if there is any they are in dieing condition. To summarize that the research being done at the University does not translate to industrial product in many occasion, unless it is bought by American or Europeans.
I don't want to talk about that particular problem of what should be done to get Canadian industries going or even how to increase federal and provincial funding that are already flattening in biomedical engineering since 2009 and the trend seems to be staying with us.
I would like to dedicate this write up to popular culture and the use of those notions in a presentation and specifically in biomechanics presentations. There were 6 keynote speakers for four days conference and two of them were intended for the public forum. The speakers were from broad spectrum, but one of which I thought might be the least important was Professor E. Paul Zehr , the Director of Centre for Biomedical Research at the University of Victoria, BC, Canada.
He gave a talk that was quite impressive in my opinion. I quite enjoyed the fact that how you could relate many aspects of what you may have enjoyed in your childhood to do and relate those to the science that we study.
He stated that he always wondered if there was possibility to become one of the superheros comics that he has been reading. His love for marshal arts and as he joked to be at the level of his older brother made him to learn marshal arts and then he started to wonder how can someone be as fast as those marshal arts performers and apply the fastest and strongest punch,h for example.
He well described his intention from early research work. Thus, further his love of the comic books and marshal arts combined to ask "is it possible to be someone similar to Batman or Iron-man" using today's technology or even what we know using many hints that he found in the comic books. He related his love for comic strips of batman and beautifully and how he simply encouraged him to shape his work.
What was amazing that he is full professor and seems to be quite young.
I think his study was quite sample but then he put them in great context which made you to follow his work.
So, I think in comparison to other presenters I came to a conclusion, the key is how to say things and how to your present them. That has a huge influence.

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I have received the following response from Radius to my short essay above. As any newspaper does the response to an article must be put up to the same place, I have added that here. I may later answer to it, if I get time:) . Before anything, many can disagree with my posts:) that is where you discuss things!

Dear Alireza, Today I have to tell you that I disagree with your post about the importance of self-presentation. I have certain objections that in the long term a poor publicity is a major factor if real values will be recognised. I know we are living in a world where publicity, advertisement, media-coverage are all big factors in the economy. But come on, lets take cars as an example: Fiat or General Motors dont do worse TV spots than BMW or Audi. In fact FIAT or Renault/Peugot are sometimes much more creative in their advertisment campaigns than Mercedes Benz or BMW. Anyhow, FIAT and the Renault are considered less reliable cars. In fact the most presticious cars (Porsche, Mazzarati, Aston Martin) dont do TV ads at all. And still everybody knows that they are the top of engineering. You can take computers or mobile devises the same: Blackberry had adverts in all the business journals and newspapers (FT, NYT, Wallstreet Journal, Harold Tribune etc.), when Samsung was still a no-name, cheap korean cell-phone maker. But within 2 years, their high quality and innovation standard set the benchmark of mobile communication, whereas the former leaders Blackberry or Nokia are struggeling to survive. What I want to say, that on the long run it is quality that matters, not presentation. And in science, i.e. the field where you and me are working, it is the same. The real big names, the real ground-breaking discoveries all came from places and from people which were not heavily promoted or in the news-papers head-lines. In genetics, it was Greg Ventor (from Celera Genomics Inc.) and Francis Collins (from the US Human Genome Project) who made it couple of years ago to the cover pages of Times Magazin and Newsweek. But not because they did a great discovery, but merely because they were able to organize this hugh effort of sequencing the human genome in a multi-national approach and spending several 100 millions of public spending for this. Of course it hit the major news, it made them famous, but both of them agree that it was not a big intellectual achievement, rather an organisational and political challenge.
Having the choice, I much more appreciate people for what they have done (technical inventions, arts, music or scientific achievements), than what they did to become famous. I recently (while helping the kids of a colleague of mine with some maths) found that one of my most favorite ancient Iranian poets/philosophers (Omar Al-Khayyam) was in fact also one of the most gifted mathematicians at the turn of the millenium. He invented what in the west is called "Pascal's triangle". Obviously, he did not made a lot of publicity around it, he did not even thought about calling it Al-Khayyoums triangle. But it was him, whom we have to thank for this, and for some of the most enchanting and brilliant poetic miniatures. Here again you clearly see that on the long term, mankind will always remember peoples real achivements, not neccesarrily they self-promotion.

An example that is more relevant to our times (in particular now that we have to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the Teheran's student liberation movement) is the case of the assasinated Neda Agha-Soltan. Her picture went around the world, and she will always remain the symbol of the braveness of the young Iranians in their battle for freedom and civil rights. But another girl, who shared with Neda not more than a very similar name ("Neda Soltani") now jumped on the band-waggon and exploited a confusion about her Facebook name and the name of the 2009 political victim Neda Agha-Soltan. The second (false) Neda now wrote a book about the confusion of the two names, how she was later mis-identified, how her photos were shown even in some news-papers (claiming that this is Neda, the murdered young girl from Tehrans Karekar-Boulevard. Finally, the wrong Neda Soltani exploits this wrong identity. She is travelling around Germany at the moment and promotes her book and fills the lecture halls. And she even dares to give the impression that the 2009 students movement were only a misled minority and that the current government is liberal and tolerant and democratic.
(read more about this at the website http://iranbato.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/ein-bild-und-seine-verlogene-geschichte/)

I mean here again you can see how someone tries to overcome the reality by strong publicity and self-advertisement. It might work for a while, before people realize that there is very little real value behind this.

Dear Radius, 

Thank you for your long essay. I agree with some points and of course I disagree with some other points.

Let me clarify this, The GM Mazda or Kia cars have advertisements have poorly been done when you compare them to BMW, Mercedes, AUDI, Infinity or even VW. So, I have been always more impressed by advertisements done by better car companies. 
I never intended to underestimate creative works. I personally didn't know Prof. Zehr  and his work. What I meant to say was if you present well no matter what you will be regarded well. 
Let's take a look at what you write, two guys went on the Times magazine cover because they were able to mobilize and organize some work that people previously had done. 
That was exactly my point. No matter what you have done, if you fail to present well, it may be not highly regarded work by many (of course experts will understand). My point was as much as we spend time doing novel research, it may be necessary to organize and re-organize those findings to get something even better in comparison to the past findings.
Therefore, the political context is also another aspect. I think Ms. Soltani has mentioned that her name/photo were taken wrongly by some people and she was afraid of the things may happen to her due to the fact that regime of Iran may think she is the same person or etc. However, I can see how with this fact in mind and she has decided to leave Iran for the same reason described can start to promote the Iran regime is liberal or tolerant. I wonder how come she has left Iran, though. 
So, all and all, I did not mean you should advertise yourself, however, I think you can publicize your work and present it in a manner that is highly regarded. :) Thanks for reading.   

Mano Gonjishkaye khaoneh!

I went towards the window in Jam hospital in my room, the lights went off! The red alarm could be heard from the nursing station. Bombardment had just started. I had recently an eye surgery on my right eye and could not see well on that eye. However, the other eye was fine. I saw series of anti-aircraft missiles lit the sky. The nurse stop by my door instructing me to return to bed or get a way from the window. As any 6 years of age may do, ignoring the command of an adult, I ignore it. I heard a few explosion in the far distances and the whole thing was finished in less than 3 to 5 min. I went to bed, didn't feel sleeping. Now I heard another song from the nursing station: The house birds and I are used to seeing you (Mano gonjishkeye khoneh didanet baramon adatemoneh)... It has always been your name the onset and the end of all of sentences ( hamisheh Esme to Bodeh avalo akhare harfa)... and again The house birds and I are used to seeing you (Mano gonjishkeye khoneh didanet baramon adatemoneh), for the sake of seeing you, we shall fly out from the nest ( be havaye didane to par migirim az to loneh).... My sister used to love him, and since I wished to be different I tried to say I didn't like Googoosh. Now, I am a big fan, though. The last part of song, flying out from the nest kept repeating in my ear, I should fly away. Yesterday, I came across a new version of Man o gojishkaye khoneh of Ms. Googoosh with flamenco guitar of Babak Amini and Googoosh mesmerizing voice. Now, rather than the last part, the part of "your name..." keeps playing in my ears! Enjoy!

The lasting effects on us!

Who does not know this! The effect of a music, a traumatic event or a happy moment due to a celebration. No matter what happens throughout our life, we tend to remember those days and events along with whatever has happened along side of those occasions. When I first arrived in Canada, as a individual who was fascinated with radio programs back in Iran, I used to listen to different radio stations for receiving my share of music or news. I started to search for a radio station that will satisfy my anxious spirit! I was hoping to find something similar to the "night road" program in Iran which had a narrative program along with music and latest news. I was looking for a radio that could provide me with programs that feeds me with information of the current events as well as songs that affect my ears in a positive context! After a few changes in frequencies of the radio I owned, I came across CBC radio station on FM 99.1. People who know me are aware of the fact that I am a morning person. Therefore, I get up early. After finding CBC radio 1, I ended up listening to the Metro Morning program with the voice of Matt Galloway. For the past 19 years, I admit that I have been listening to the Matt's voice regardless of location and time. That is including when I first had moved to London, ON, for my Masters, then later when I was working in Kitchener, ON, and later when I had moved to Vancouver, B.C. or Now even in Europe! Everywhere across the globe, whenever I get a chance I ended up listening to the program of Metro Morning. I think Matt Galloway warmth and unbiased voice has left a lasting effect on my soul which no other radio commentator has ever had. Having said that, I always wonder how many parents underestimate the effect of their actions and the words on their children. The children need a nurturing and loving family with freedom that flourish their development. I have come across many parents (including mine) who always complain they have been such a great parents why children are still acting selfishly! It makes me wonder how short of memory they have. They usually forget the tension they had created in front of the child. Once such a environment is maintained, they (children) tend to choose their own way become aggressive and abusive. Parents who don't realize this is their own product of lackluster when the child was young. Parents tend to blame the child and create larger conflict which in turn will have a lasting psychological effect on child's spirit and his/her behavior in the society and towards others. Not to mention psychological aspects of the child is effected and disturbed in such a way that s/he may not be as successful as one may have imagined. In closing, I wish to remind that if we state any sentence any statement, we should be cautious of its lasting effect. Our voices reverberate everywhere in the world that internet has become a tool to transfer information and the voice that it caries with it. *I just thought of this essay last night before going to bed! I spent about 5 min. to write it! Today, I saw so many mistakes in it that I got disappointed with myself:-). I have revised it, now I spent about 10 min on it, though:)

Why BBC is the British Bull Shit Broadcast company!

I don't understand that with so much knowledge the British government claims to have why they still call Persian Gulf, the Gulf!! Take a look at this page of BBC. I would like to call UK from now on USA the second! what is wrong with that? As long as as they call Persian Gulf, the Gulf to my eyes UK is USA the second! So, that is for now! If I were the BBC Persian, I would have also protest to this historical fact and perhaps made some statement that the USA the second learns some lessons. but then their income is from BBC, they will never do that!

Earth Day!

What have we done to earth. We have populated the world with human. Destroy the inhabitant of the animals and tried very nicely clear cut the forests to establish human communities. What else? there are more, we have created trash everywhere we go, feel that streets and cities are the place that are the best place. Not knowing that if there is not any trash collection or food deliveries out and in to the city there will be no clean city. Today was Earth day! The google logo has changed to reflect this very important statement. I indicate this is a statement, because until there is no awareness around the globe, this is no real movement and it is just a statement. So, having said that let's consider this fact that we are responsible for earth the only planet as far as we know that we can freely live on it. The question is when we should move towards sustainable energies like wind and sun? today, tomorrow, when it is cheap? when do we get rid of energies like nuclear and oil which may poplut our planet in any matter of time. I just took the questionnaire about how large of the global hectares it takes to support my foodprint and it turn out I need about 4.9 global hectares to support my life style!! Check out the webpage for Earth Day 2012. Please think locally, act globally! don't trash on street. Try to turn off any extra lights. I know in North America and specifically in USA, they are wasting tons of energy, but then do your portion and save the earth for our future! :-) thanks tribute to earth by late Michael Jackson!

A review: Honeymoon in Tehran by Azadeh Moaveni

I just finished the book called Honeymoon in Tehran by Azadeh Moaveni. The book is recommended to the readers if you just want to get very glimpse of Iranian women jealousy towards one another for finding a partner! Of course, I am little exaggerating. But the truth being told, this book has nothing new except for what Azadeh likes and dislikes. If you are interested to know. There ware a few discrepancies in the book when a Friend of Arash (the husband will be) whose name is Houshang is picked up on the way to Aghed (marriage notary) to go along with Arash and Azadeh as a witness to their wedding, then he describes hiring process of his niece in Iran Air company. Surprisingly, he says that the interviewer asks her about religious process in Islam when a person becomes dead. The young niece states that Iran Air must be concern with safety and emergency process and many other things related to that rather than the process of death and  burying! Someone should tell Azadeh khanom this joke told aomng the Iranians for many years and I doubt it that it is still practiced even in 2006. Many in Iran have told a version of this joke. It is a popular one, though.
The second one is that Arash Zeini has returned to Iran from Germany to promote and develop Farsi-open source software! Ok, Is this guy a software engineer? you may ask! The answer appears in the end of the book. nope, The answer is. According to the author he has studied Theology! Say what? Religious study? Apparently, the gentlemen is still studying PhD and translates one of the old Persian books. According to wife (Azadeh) who says oh, going to London is good for Arash who already applied for a PhD and learning a couple of old Iranian languages must not be difficult to continue his Theology study what he has studied in Germany! So, this gentlemen with a theology knowledge runs his textile company of his father (according to the author after unsuccessfully attempting to run open-source software he starts to work with his father who owned a reputable bed-sheet manufacture and textile company) that is the best and the most honest company in Iran! good stuff! I make no comment about being honest, I consider it, yes! However, the gentlemen with theology degree is in his father company running it smoothly. Would like to know what had been his function in the company. May be advertising division!
and one last note for the time being but not the least. Ms. Moaveni goes to interview Sonbol the only female driver (excuse me, there was no better name to nick Ms. Laleh Sadiggi). Ms Moaveni describes her as superficial, who has done nose and lip job and wants to get Arash attention. or Trying hard to win Arash khan heart. Then, contrary to Laleh, the author is deep and understanding of many subjects who makes tons of connection with Arash in no time due to all these great qualities she has but are indescribable:)! oh please, I love Iranian women impression of the world! when they fight for a men.
I may add more later!
Let me be fair, the book gives slightly of what really has happened since Ahmadi Nedjad has come to power after Mr. Khatami. Perhaps, worth reading if you borrow it from the local library:-).

Back to write more: One paragraph captured my eye and I liked it was when the author and Arash driving to Imam Khomaeini International Airport (IKIA) to travel to Dubai for a few days of get a way. Apparently, she tells Arash, imagine the second I in IKIA is replaced by an E. and we were going to shop at an IKEA. IKEA would have been more beneficial for Iranian people and may have done a lot more good for Iranians rather than IKIA. A smart statement. 

Is Italy really in Europe?

It has been a little over 7 months that I have come to Bologna, Italy. Let me start by saying that I am quite impressed with the food and gastronomic science local people have. The food is delicious and I can't deny that. The lunch with my colleagues is the highlights of the day. and on average people are warmer than Northern countries. However, there are many other aspects that it makes you wonder if you are really in Europe or not! paper work is tremendously harsh work here! I went to pension office of Bologna more than 5 times to tell them look can you make me a file!! This was something I have had never seen before! In one occasion, the lady who worked in INPS office when I got in the front of the queue and told her my problem, "I hate working with computer", she said. I asked excuse me?! Could you check if my file is already there. She just simply ignored me, said she doesn't feel to work. Other issues is pollution and buses! First of all the city center is quite polluted and unbelievably unclean. The buses smell exhaust and gasoline if you pass the mid of the bus. The bus appearance and cleanness is also quite low. It looks they have never been cleaned and washed! There are usually many secretary and office people who work duplicate jobs. But none can do the job! Things get complicated and out of order. The wall in Engineering department which was constructed perhaps during WWII has no covering and you can see bricks uncovered and there are walls covered with half cement. There is not enough space for students to sit in the class. I have seen them standing out side of class listening to the lectures. This is considering the number of professors and researchers in a small department of engineering is pretty large by their counterpart in North America. Today, I went to get an appointment for glaucoma specialist. I am given an appointment for mid of November 2012!! They say, if I wish to see a specialist momentarily, I simply can pay and get a private one! So, add to these interesting observations that I have to run around find my own place to live in! So much of work!

War? Sanction? Tehran people are worrying!

I just got a phone call from a friend of mine who lives in Tehran. He was telling me that people worry about the sanctions. Apparently, shops have been emptied from many items and foods. He said people shop like there is a war tomorrow! So, things do not look very calm in Iran as the government reflects. We shall see how things will progress.

I am Jealous, is there any problem!

I wished I could return to Iran and work there. There is this Arab guy who has studied and received a PhD from the University of Concordia. His title is assistant professor at the University of Amman, Jourdan! He has done a short post-doc there and now he travels in different laboratory to publish collaborative work. However, he is considered a prof. from the University of Amman! We have so many talented people across the globe and yet none of them can get cross appointment to any university in Iran since we might be considered the outsider or don't comply with theological rules in Iran. So, I am Jealous, Jealous of all those can do business with their homeland and enjoy many opportunities that may exist in their origin country or their new country! Hope I will see that day!

Simin and Nader Separation won Golden Globe 2012!

Perhaps, this is memorable time for Iranian cultural and theatrical people. I watched the movie about a few months ago on internet and I told myself, I shall watch the first half and an hour and get some sleep after that. However, I stayed up to watch the entire 2 hours movie. I was quite moved as I think the topic was quite tangible across human societies.
People have talked about Asghar Farhadi, director, and his great screen play. However, I think one of the best performer who has not be praised enough is Leila Hatami. She by her performance was leading the entire script to where it had to go. She was the leading actress and the best performer of the entire crew.
My hat off to her and of course Shahab Hosseini who plays a radical believer with mass of money and cultural problems, his performance should not be ignored, either.

A behind the scene of the movie:

Reviving my weblog!

It has been more than 10 month that I have shut down this weblog. Now, I am intending to write more. However, I am still busy as then, but I would like to update this weblog as far as 3 time of a week.
This weblog needs resuscitation, mouth to mouth resuscitation. Let's see how things will work out!

water sprinkling and water game by Iranian young and they get arrested for!!!

I have not been writing for a while as I am busy with many work related events in my life.
I just read and saw some of the photos of young boys and girls in Tehran, Iran who gather in one of the Tehran Parks to use water guns and water bottle to sprinkle and wet one another! Just an enjoyment event for young people. What happened next??! Iran moral police have arrested many young people for jeopardizing rule of law and Islamic moral code!!!!
I am quite sad:(((
more can be read here, in Persian
I feel sad to see in 21 century there are government that are suppressing young based on unfounded rules!
Sad

Working at Orthopaedic Injury Biomechanics Group

For the past three months, I have been working at OIBG at Vancouver General Hospital. It has been an invaluable experience for someone like me. Coming from computational dynamic modeling my knowledge was well in use in this research centre.
I have been working on Pro-Neck_Tor helmet which is a novel helmet designed to reduce neck injuries to lower neck due to head-first impact.
I have used MSC.ADAMS to develop a dynamic neck model. A hybrid III head and helmet with special slot to let the head follow a trajectory has been integrated to the model as shown in the video. The helmet allows the torso trajectory to continue along the path prescribed reducing torso momentum on the lower neck; therefore registering lower neck resultant forces. Here, I have uploaded the animation on the youtube.

Retinal detachment!

It has been a long time since I have written here. but then I may say I have an excuse.
About almost little longer than 5 weeks ago, I had sudden retinal detachment of my right eye.
I woke up on April 17 around 5:00 am noticing that 1/4 of my vision is gone. Similar to hanging the black curtain on that region. So, I went to to emergency department. It took them about an hour to call me in for an observation. The residence was an Iranian girl who was on rotation. I had to explain to her that is important to call upon an ophthalmologist on call. After explaining to her about 2 times telling her, I had surgery recently and intra-ocular implant, she called upon her emergency chief. The guy even didn't bother to talk to me. He picked up the phone and called uupon the specialist. The residence returned to the room and said that the specialist has said I go get some brakfast and she will come by 1:00 pm. I was startling and upset. I ran to the chief emergency resident telling him, look if I lose my vision by then, I take you responsible.
So, he called the ophthalmologist on call again and she replied, she will come around 10:00 am.
Exactly at 10:00 am, the resident arrived and we went together to eye care building (apparently since most eye surgeries are day-in based, there is no ophthalmologist department in the hospitals, there are separate clinics which most of the works are done there.). She did and ultra-sound and confirmed my suspicious, it was detachment. She quickly called the retinal specialist, who in one hour came in and send me to a ward to be waited for the immediate surgery. as my blindness was progressing, I asked what can be done, I was put on the clinic chair for 20 minutes upside down. Finally, I was taken to the surgery room and under general anesthesia, the surgery was performed.
I have to be thankful that my vision is not completely gone and could be saved. But I have tons of distortion in that eye. Things seems in an angle and many distortion.
I am told between 6 months to 2 years may take the recovers, but it may never be even cured.
The surgeons performed total vitrotoctomy inject a bubble instead of vitrious get. I have that get about 1 weeks and it was gone. I am still recoveing.
So, that has been the sotry for the time being.