https://www.facebook.com/MIndmagazineMensa/
editors Chennai
Nishanti Sudhakar
Bengaluru
Kiran K
Hyderabad
Abhishek N
Mumbai
Saurabh Garg
Pune
Siddesh Dubal
Kolkata
Vasudha Verma
Delhi
Kajal Gupta
Special editorial support by Shreya Singhal, Mensa Delhi
On the cover Comet Neowise by Rupesh Sangoi Mensa Mumbai
Template & magazine design by Shreya Singhal, Mensa Delhi
Disclaimer All contents in this magazine are opinions of the individual authors and contributors. Neither Mensa India, the society, its office bearers nor the editors are responsible for any content or views expressed.
July-August 2020
cover story Comet Neowise, the spectacular comet of year 2020 gave an unannounced visit in March when it was discovered. The comet with two distinct tails, one ion and another dust tail, was a visual delight for Astro photographers around the world. Mumbai with its monsoon season missed the visual sight but got a day or two of clear nights when the comet could be sighted. I clicked this on the night of 26th July from Mumbai using a 350mm refractor and ZWO ASI294MC Pro Astro camera. The image is a stacked picture of around 80 frames. It shows the two tails clearly, one bluish ion tail and the other a brownish dust tail. The comet’s coma is green due to diatomic carbon.
The Photographer Rupesh Sangoi Mensa Mumbai Rupesh is an engineer and runs a software firm in Mumbai. Astronomy is his hobby. He lives in suburban Mumbai where he gets a clearer view of the sky in comparison to the city side. At times he ventures out into the outskirts to get better and clearer photographs of planets.
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From the Editor Hello Mensans, Once again, Mumbai Mensa holds the fort of being the chapter sending the most submissions to our bi-monthly. I had to in fact disregard the deadline on a submission so as to try and include other chapters in the edition. In this issue, my personal favourite is the real-life experience of retrograde amnesia and shortterm memory loss by Mahesh Vaze from Mensa Mumbai chapter. It reminded me of a movie I had watched a few years back on the same subject. The low budget Tamil dark comedy film turned into a cult and was released in several Indian languages. If you happen to get a subtitled version of the film ‘Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom’, it is worth a watch. The cover photo is by Rupesh Sangoi, one of the most ardent astronomy enthusiasts of Mensa India. Coming to the MWJ section, there are details of how you can join the new online community for Mensa International. Please keep sending your contributions of whatever nature - articles, quizzes, puzzles, crosswords, photographs, poems and anything that you wish to be published in the forthcoming issues of MInd. Send in your articles and contributions in plain text format and pictures in high resolution .jpg format to: editor@mensaindia.org Krishnan V. Iyer Editor-in-chief, MInd
Contents Cover Story From the Editor 1. Crossword 2. Lensa - Photographs by Mensans 3. Art & Design 4. Investing & Finance 5. Writings & Meanderings 6. Sports & Fitness 7. Tribal Mensa 8. Pages from Mensa World Journal
(ii) (iii) 6 8 12 16 23 31 34 37
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Crossword
July-August 2020
Across
Down
1. Information Technology. 3. A rhythmic dance with Spanish and African elements. 6. Color associated with royalty, luxury and power. 9. Being one more than sixty. 10. (A voice) rough and low in pitch. 12. Magnificent and imposing in appearance, size or style. 13. Provide with a name or nickname. 14. None 16. A collection of works of art for public display. 18 .A roll of tobacco. 19. Electronic money transfer. 21. The basic unit of money in Morocco. 23. As soon as possible. 25. An addition that extends a main building. 27. A person who is one-eighth black. 29. A written agreement between two sovereigns. 30. KNO3 (mineral form). 31. In the near future.
2. An emperor of Russia before 1917. 4. The Air force of the USA. 5. A camp follower. 6. Small piano. 7. Web-footed. 8. Discharge; as of heat or radiation. 10. Robust and uninhibited. 11. Old fashioned. 15. A foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body. 17. An easygoing and agreeable person. 20. A residential part of town away from the central commercial district. 21. Possible to do. 22. A substantial increase over a relatively short period of time. 24. The ultimate principle of the universe. 26. U.S. sports channel. 28. Ladies finger.
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Rashmi Garg Mensa Delhi
Solution to previous issue’s crossword
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lensa
PhotographS BY MENSANS The photographer Chirag Parmar Mensa Mumbai
A marketing ninja, an author, and a proud member of Mensa India, he started his professional career in the 6th grade when he picked acting as a full-time career along with his education and since then he has climbed up the ladder in terms of skills, knowledge, and expertise. He is currently a marketing specialist for a SaaS tech company called LitmusWorld. Before this, he was an executive at Zycus. He also coheads the social media team for the ‘specially-abled’ welfare cell of one of the leading political parties in India (pro-bono). He is an MBA in marketing (bronze medallist) and an engineer in electronics (batch topper). He has 11 certifications in marketing from organizations like Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, HubSpot among many others. He has recently published his first book on corporate politics called ‘Corporate MITRON - The Art of Corporate Politics’. On a personal and professional front, he is a staunch believer of the fact that there are no traffic jams along the extra mile.
Clicked by Chirag Parmar
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Clicked by Chirag Parmar
July-August 2020
Clicked by Chirag Parmar
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ART & DESIGN
ARTWORKS BY MENSANS
Rising Mountains Needhi Nikhil Gandhi, Mensa Pune
July-August 2020
G o G re e n Needhi Nikhil Gandhi, Mensa Pune
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N a t u re U n l o c k i n g i n L o c k d o w n Needhi Nikhil Gandhi, Mensa Pune
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Va s e
Handmade Flowers
Needhi Nikhil Gandhi, Mensa Pune
Needhi Nikhil Gandhi, Mensa Pune
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investing & finance
Will ESG Investing Become The New Normal? Covid 19 has disrupted the lives of many, from -rich to poor -- developing to developed economies. As the pandemic intensifies, more & more companies are under scrutiny for their decisions that will affect their employees, vendors, customers, society and other stakeholders. Further, with GDP growth across the world going down to “sub zero”, the focus now for the companies is on having a sustainable business continuity plan rather than just focusing on financial profits. Should we have acted in a more responsible manner? Isn’t there a need for greater accountability (in the way we function) towards the environment, society and in the way we govern? These have become the key themes in every human mind. Thus, in such a scenario, when the non-financial parameters like climate change, sustainable farming / mining, privacy & data security, health and safety of employees, greater regulatory security are the issues that have come to the fore and are seriously under consideration by corporates and governments across the world - the questions that cross my mind are: Can the same focus of sustainability be replicated in the way we invest? Is it possible to look for investments beyond just economic returns?
ESG Investing -- The Concept The acronym ESG stands for Environment, Social and Governance and ESG investing follows the
criteria for investing in a socially conscious manner which is an amalgamation of economic returns, social good, influence and impact i.e. a balance between financial and non-financial parameters (rather than pure financial returns in traditional investments) of a company and brings in an aspect of being a responsible investor. The concept of ESG investing is founded on the view that the effective management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues is not only the right thing to do, but is also fundamental in creating long-term value. Responsible investors believe that companies that are successful in avoiding ESG risks while capturing ESG opportunities will outperform over the longer term. Typical ESG risks encompass the following issues: • Environmental issues include pollution of land, air and water, eco-efficiency, waste management, natural resource scarcity and climate change. • Social issues encompass the health and safety, labour conditions and human rights of employees and those in supply chains. It also includes treating customers and communities fairly. • Governance in this context is generally held to encompass the governance of environmental and social issue management and issues related to business ethics and transparency.
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Origin & History of ESG Investing Investing responsibly dates back as far as investing itself, when the Methodists and religious heads clearly laid out guidelines for their followers as to the types of companies they should invest in - the best example being Shariah compliant investment funds. In the modern times, the concept of responsible investing became more formalised with the advent of the mutual fund industry in the 1960’s. With the growth of the mutual fund industry (1970’s to 2000’s), the collective unit holders realised their power to control corporate behaviour and thus, the popular opinion for investing responsibly gained ground. The birth of ESG investing dates back to 2004 when the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan invited a group of 50 CEOs of major global financial institutions (representing 12 countries) to join the process for developing the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI). These principles are based on the notion that environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, such as climate change and human rights, can affect the performance of investment portfolios positively and should therefore be considered alongside more traditional financial factors, so as investors properly fulfil their fiduciary duty. The term ESG investing was coined a year later (2005) with the launch of the report “Who Cares Wins”. According to the 2018 Report (latest available) by Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA) -- total assets under management under ESG-based Investments globally were US $30.7 tn. with Europe (being pioneer in ESG Investing) leading with a share of 52.6% in total ESG investing followed by Australia / New Zealand @ 50.6%, Canada @ 37.8%
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and US @ 21.6%. Asia’s share in ESG investing stands at 0.8% with India’s share at a minuscule of 0.1%.
ESG Investing - The Indian Context ESG based investing is a new concept and at a nascent stage in India. According to a report by GSIA (2018), about 41 global Environment & Social (E&S) funds have invested about US $15 bn in Indian equities. Another 95 global socially responsible funds have invested in Indian companies, a total corpus of about US$ 25 bn.
Index
Launch Year
S&P BSE Carbonex
2012
S&P BSE Greenex
2012
S&P BSE 100 ESG Index
2017
Nifty 100 ESG Index
2018
Nifty 100 Enhanced ESG Index
2018
Source: BSE, NSE
The Indian mutual fund industry (quick to capitalise on ESG theme) has rolled out new funds for investors. Currently, there are three funds following the ESG investment strategy in India:
Mutual Fund
AUM
as on 30th April ‘20 (Rs. Cr)
SBI Magnum Equity ESG Quantum India ESG Equity Axis ESG
2,324.01 14.15 1,587.84
Source: Association of Mutual Funds, India
Further, the fund houses - ICICI Prudential, DSP, Aditya Birla, Kotak Mutual Fund and BNP Paribas India have filed draft offer documents (for ESGbased funds) with SEBI and are awaiting approval.
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ESG initiatives and reporting standards -- Indian corporates on a strong footing Among the corporates globally, The Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Standards (GRI) is considered as the benchmark of highest standards for reporting the impact on the economy, environment and society by any organisation. In India, sustainability practices & philanthropy have been carried out by major Indian corporates since ages (mostly as a custom), however there has not been any practice of formally reporting the same. In August 2012, India’s securities regulator SEBI issued Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR) norms for the Top 100 listed entities (extended to include Top 500 listed corporates in 2015) thereby stipulating non-financial reporting by corporate India across economic, environmental & social factors. The reporting requirement is in line with the “National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environment & Economic Responsibilities of Business (NVG’s) notified by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, GOI, 2011. ESG investing has found strong ground worldwide, particularly with the formulation of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 by the United Nations as a basis for achieving sustainable development. The common global minimum program under the SDG’s (to be achieved by 2030) is an attempt to (a) raise the quality of life across the planet, (b) to limit the risks to the environment; and (c) to support a more equitable socio-economic system. In India, Niti Aayog (Apex Planning Body of India) has finetuned these SDG’s according to the Indian realities and constructed a Sustainable Development
Framework (SDF) for 2018-22 in sync with the UN SDG’s. Secondly, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Act passed under the Companies Act, 2013, wherein corporates falling under the criteria (revenues > Rs. 1,000 crore; PAT > Rs. 5 crore; net worth > Rs. 500 crore) have to compulsorily donate 2% of average of last 3 years profit towards CSR (Social Cause) is a major tool for enhancing social cause by the corporates. Many of the corporates have successfully blended SDG’s objectives and CSR initiatives with their business strategy for meeting up with the Social (S) of the ESG compliance. On the governance front, a lot of steps have been taken by the Indian government since the establishment of SEBI (1995) so as to bring in fair governance practices into play amongst corporates. Good amount of focus has been laid on corporate boards, auditor accountability, enhanced disclosures and shareholder involvement in key decisionmaking. The landmark development with regards to corporate governance has been the introduction of Companies Act 2013 (established stringent requirements of Independent Directors). Further, committee reports like the whistleblower mechanism; insolvency and bankruptcy code; adoption of Ind-AS (India-Accounting Standards providing structural shift in reporting norms to global standards) - have enhanced the corporate governance standards in India. The Government has formulated many regulations and offered incentives so as to bring in the systems and compliance on the environmental front be it -- the introduction of Bharat Stage VI Standards (pollution emissions); Fame II scheme for the adoption of electric vehicles; urea subsidy; renewable
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energy subsidies; Paris Agreement among others. Thus, good progress has been done by the government on the legislation and policy front for the promotion of ESG compliance and practice amongst the Indian corporates.
Conclusion Thus, we see: 1. ESG investing typically moves from a predominantly profit-only motive towards the one that is more responsible and sustainable thus capable of averting risks & providing long-term returns. 2. ESG investing does provide a great opportunity for value creation viz. clean energy, green environment, healthy & safe working conditions, happy employees & community, transparent and ethical business dealings resulting in improved productivity and increased brand loyalty. Investments, traditionally, have always been a trade-off between minimising risks & maximising returns. However, investing in ESG conscious companies additionally provides longevity & sustainability to the investment and life in general.
The author Manish Balwani Mensa Mumbai Manish Balwani, (having been an equity research analyst for over decade & half in Indian stock markets) is the founder, managing partner of Value Creation Catalyst Services LLP. The firm provides business facilitation services to startups, MSME’s and social businesses (including CSR project management).
Further, ESG investing has established it’s presence in India with three domestic mutual funds already operational and more funds awaiting SEBI approval. Thus, having experienced a prolonged lockdown (a centenarian phenomenon experienced the world over), where discussions hover around bringing in sustainability to every aspect of human life - a question, I leave for my readers, - Will ESG investing become the new normal? The article is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an investment advice.
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Recent Universal Basic Income Experiment - Finland Introduction Over the past few decades, there have been numerous efforts to alleviate global poverty. Among the ideas that came up to eradicate poverty was one of government giving out unconditional money to society’s poor members. It is from this analogy that universal basic income (UBI) was born. UBI is a governmental program meant to inject a guaranteed and unconditional amount of money to its citizens. Its main objective is to solve the problem of members of the society, who are lacking enough to live on, by providing them with money that is equal to the cost of living. This essay will discuss the recent UBI experiment in Finland.
Implementation of UBI experiment in Finland Finland was the first European country to implement a government-backed UBI program. The program commenced from the start of January 2017 to the end of December 2018. Two thousand unemployed citizens of Finland were selected randomly. They were given a monthly sum of €560 irrespective of whether they made any other sources of income or were willingly looking for jobs (Hiilamo, 2020). The program was run by a Finnish governmental organization called Social Insurance Institution (Kela). The basic income beneficiaries were chosen from a random sample of persons who had received unemployment benefits from Kela in 2016. Meanwhile, control group for the
experiment comprised of persons who had received unemployment benefits from Kela but were not part of the experiment in 2016.
The main objective was to improve the social security system in Finland in alignment with changes in open labor market. Evaluation of experiment was conducted through four main stages: • analysis of register data, • survey study (interviewing of 81 beneficiaries), • a media survey, and • poll
Results of the UBI experiment UBI experiment’s initial findings portrayed mixed results, posing more questions about whether the program works or not. It targeted to observe the effects basic income will have on the beneficiaries’
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Source: Kela (Finnish Govt. agency)
employment, income, and welfare status. Preliminary data is based on the first year of the experiment. Ohto Kanninen, an economic research coordinator, pointed out that in the first year of the experiment, UBI beneficiaries did not gain better chances than the control group in securing employment. Ohto’s views can be proved right by statistics that indicate that beneficiaries of basic income only had a mean of a half day’s more in jobs than the control group: • The beneficiaries had slightly more average days of 49.64 days in employment during the year compared to 49.25 days for the control group (Kela & Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, 2019). • About 43.70% of the beneficiaries of basic income had income from self-employment compared to 42.85% of the control group. The average income from self-employment for the beneficiaries of basic income (€4,230) was less by
21 euros than the earnings by the control group (€4,251). • The experiment also produced variations based on well-being of participants of the experiment. Beneficiaries of basic income assessed their wellbeing as better than the control group did. They assessed themselves as having less depression, stress, loneliness, and being more financially secure (Santens, 2019): • 55% of the beneficiaries of basic income assessed themselves as being very healthy compared to 46% of the control group. • 5% of the control group were under immense stress compared to 17% of the beneficiaries of basic income (Kela & Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, 2019). The beneficiaries of basic income were confident of securing jobs while also feeling that there was less corruption when acquiring social security benefits.
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Limitations The UBI program results have so far been inadequate in stating whether basic income is viable. It has created a stalemate of the irreconcilable views of supporters and critics of UBI. The program also has some flaws in its design. It only majors on unemployed persons while disregarding how similar basic income would affect other groups of people to work (Martinelli, 2019). The experiment offered minimum payment, forcing many of the participants to seek more unemployment benefits. It also did not include effects of tax changes implemented to pay for the program.
Conclusion The UBI program in Finland is the first of its kind in a developed nation. It has garnered international interest and has set the stage for other nations to experiment on it. UBI clearly has positive effects on people’s standards of living by influencing their economic status. In a world filled with bureaucracy, UBI is a great idea that can be implemented to improve the conditions of selected strata of society. The results of this experiment are only preliminary. Further research is expected to conducted in the coming months to study the success of the experiment.
End Notes 1. Hiilamo, H. (2020, May 22). Heikki Hiilamo: “Disappointing results from the Finnish basic income experiment”. University of Helsinki. https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/nordic-welfarenews/heikki-hiilamo-disappointing-results-fromthe-finnish-basic-income-experiment 2. Kela, & Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. (2019, February 8). Preliminary results of the basic income experiment: Self-perceived wellbeing improved, during the first year no effects on employment. kela.en.
https://www.kela.fi/web/en/news-archive/-/ asset_publisher/lN08GY2nIrZo/content/ preliminary-results-of-the-basic-incomeexperiment-self-perceived-wellbeing-improvedduring-the-first-year-no-effects-on-employment 3. Martinelli, L. (2019, February 21). Basic income: World’s first national experiment in Finland shows only modest benefits. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/basic-incomeworlds-first-national-experiment-in-finlandshows-only-modest-benefits-111391 4. Santens, S. (2019, October 5). What is there to learn from Finland’s basic income experiment? Did it succeed or fail? Medium. https://medium.com/basic-income/what-isthere-to-learn-from-finlands-basic-incomeexperiment-did-it-succeed-or-fail-54b8e5051f60
The Author Sahil Jain Mensa Delhi Sahil is a Management Consultant with Deloitte India in Gurugram, where he works on development and strategy consulting projects. He enjoys reading on topics related to data science, public policy, health and nutrition. He is an avid sports enthusiast and has been a national level armwrestler. A consultant by day and a reader by night, he is loathe to discuss himself in the third person, but can be persuaded to do so from time to time. You can find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahil-jain-2279458b/
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writings & meanderings
the song eternal There is always music Playing in the woods It’s the Jungle itself Humming to its moods
The author Ujjwal Rane Mensa Mumbai
Quieten the mind’s chatter And then before long You’ll hear the stirring Followed by the song It is not your realm It’s not man’s domain Only as witness You can there remain Surrender to that lure By following your heart And you’ll hear the piper As you become its part!
Ujjwal Rane believes “teaching kids yields the best returns because they teach you lot more in return”
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Losing My mind! 20 years ago, when I was 15 kg lighter and a residential student in B-school, I started playing badminton with some seriousness. The court used to be open 24/7 and all one needed was a partner. The shuttles were bought by the institute, but the supply was parsimonious and had to be supplemented by private purchases. I liked the game and was ready to play any time of the day if a partner was available. Word got around and there would be a knock on my hostel door at odd hours with invites for a game. I never refused. Once I started working in Mumbai, I was not privileged enough to have regular access to a baddie court. So when my complex recently converted one of the stilt areas into a suboptimal badminton court, I was overjoyed. I started working on my rusty game by coaching my 12-year-old son to start with and occasionally fellow residents. This went on for a week or two till the day I got lucky. A fellow resident whom I had known for a decade -Mr B- wanted to swing the racket too. And for the first time in decades I ‘played’ badminton.
B, a fit sporty man used to play badminton at university level. No good sportsperson wants to play regularly with a player several notches below him in competence. But B’s heart was filled with Bhadralok kindness and we started playing every day. I would be out of breath in 10 minutes, substitute myself with my son and get back on after being convinced that I’d avoided a heart attack for now. B essentially became a pro bono coach for both me and my son. My game started improving and so did my ambition. I wanted to retrieve the shuttle from locations that were -till last week- too far to reach. With ambitions come risks. Last Friday, it had been raining and the court - which is floored with rough Kota stone - was slippery. On one of my retrieval missions I fell on my back, hurt my neck a bit and banged my head hard on the floor. I also lost my mind. I have no recollection of the next two hours, and the neurologist’s opinion is that I may never get those memories back. What I am describing below are witness’ accounts of what happened. I sat on the side, B came around and
asked me ‘are you alright partner?’ I said yes. He accompanied me to my flat carrying the racquets and dropped me home. This must have been around 9.30 PM. I iced the sizeable bump on the back of my head. And then, the fun started. Rakhee my wife had surrogated for a barber and trimmed my hair during the lockdown. While I was feeling my bump, I asked her why my hair was so short. She told me that I had requested for it. Apparently puzzled, I asked her why. She said “because of the lockdown.” So I asked her “What lockdown?” She answered “because of the coronavirus”. I asked her “What coronavirus?” It was at this point that she got alarmed (She in fact says that I asked the same set of questions nearly 50 times that night). My 7-year-old (or almost 8 as she insists) kid corroborated my wife’s statement. It was allegedly straight out of a movie - Memento or Ghajini, both of which I haven’t seen. Rakhee grew concerned and
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called the neighbourhood GP, who did not answer the call. Then she called up my cousin in Delhi who is a radiologist and our go-to person for medical advice. Dr Vaze insisted that I needed to be taken to the nearest hospital for a CT scan. I live in a complex with more than 500 families of people who are successful in various walks of life (I am the exception here). As luck would have it, one of the best neurologists in Mumbai also lives here. Rakhee called him and he had the same advice as also that after the CT scan I would have to be admitted in hospital and kept under observation for 24 hours. He asked whether he should check for availability of beds in Jaslok hospital - he was attached there. (Now this was really a concern in these COVID times, as Mumbai’s hospitals are full up and getting a bed is quite difficult otherwise). Rakhee said yes. Since I had to be admitted, Rakhee next called up my sister who lives 20 km away. She initially thought that she was being pranked (as I said, this did sound straight out of a movie). My brother-in-law, who was busy imbibing an evening drink, immediately put it aside and was soon driving fast towards our
place. He says the speed was on account of the emergency, though sis believes otherwise. Dr Wadia called back and said Jaslok hospital had one bed available. He asked if he should come over and Rakhee, feeling relieved requested him to do so. At this point Mr B also called and asked if he should come to our flat. Rakhee assented. Both of them arrived at our flat together. This must have been around 10.30 PM. I have a vague recollection of Dr Wadia leaving our house, everything else that occurred is lost. The first thing the doc did was tell my kids to go into the bedroom. He then put me through a lengthy set of questions like the names of my kids, dogs etc. He also made me do some arithmetic calculations and walk in a straight line. I could answer it all, except for the time element – I could not remember the day, date, year, season, the lockdown, anything. Something was definitely off. Dr W also checked again about the bed availability in Jaslok– there was one in the intermediate ICU. An explanation about this: Currently all patients being admitted are put in an intermediate ICU to start with. Once the COVID test comes
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negative, they are shifted to the ‘safer’ part of the hospital. As Dr. Wadia was leaving, my sister and her husband arrived. I discussed my hair situation with her, was surprised by the fact that she had turned up so late in the evening and addressed her with a nickname my father used for her. All this was done repetitively. I was mildly amused by the suggestion that I needed to be hospitalised. Sister insisted that we take a cab to the hospital. But B, the ever kind friend offered to drive. He went downstairs to get ready. Meanwhile, I insisted on taking a bath as I was sweaty from playing badminton. (Dr. W said it was okay, as long as someone was with me and the door was unlocked). So Rakhee was with me, post which I had a quick dinner which I recollect (paneer with chapati). The bath memories are unclear. Throughout I kept badgering R for an explanation about the state of my hair. My daughter was amused but son was nervous and scared. In hindsight, I am perplexed by my obsession with hair. At about 12:30 am, four of us - me, B, sis, R - left for the
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hospital. My brother-in-law stayed behind to look after the kids and our dogs. The hospital allowed only me and R in. R was made to sit on a chair outside the casualty area, while I was put on a wheelchair and taken to a hold area of some kind and given a bed. A nurse came and inserted a butterfly needle in my left arm for future use. After an uncertain length of time, I was wheeled into the radiology department for a CT scan. This was at around 2 am. Through the loud noise of the machine I heard ‘sar mein kuch nahi hai’ (there is nothing in the head). This elated me, despite the obviously mixed message of the claim. By now I was well enough to understand that he meant I had no blood clot or injury. They also took a CT of my lungs to see if I have Covid. There was nothing there too. When I was wheeled back to the holding area, I realised that my pockets were empty; I had no cellphone on me. The mind was coming back. Rakhee gave me my mobile phone and a charger before busying herself with the admission formalities. Everything is online these days. Somebody called her and she had to WhatsApp my ID proof and transfer some money to Jaslok Hospital’s bank account. Mr B
had another adventure. The car had been driven after a long time and refused to start on the way back. He had to look for people to push his car in the middle of the night. It was 4.00 am by the time sis, R and B reached back. Meanwhile, I was wheeled into an elevator and to an ICU on the 14th floor. The ICU was busy and noisy despite it being 3.00 am. Multiple nurses in identical PPEs were going about their business with a sense of urgency. I was given a pair of hospital clothes to change into and attached to a monitor with multiple set of wires. A questionnaire was administered probing into preexisting conditions. Despite not being a diabetic, my sugar level was measured. Once the process was over, I settled into the bed. Immediately I wanted to relieve myself. The nurse called an attendant -all of them are called mama- who helped me get off the bed. He pulled the curtains around the bed to provide some privacy. I refused his help with taking my pyjamas off and despite the awkwardness of the situation managed to pee 200 ml - everything is measured and recorded in an ICU. It showed 3.30 am in the wall clock opposite my bed. Sleeping was going to be a challenge with the noise, the light and headache.
I asked a nurse to give me a mild sedative. An injection was given through the IV which helped me sleep for 90 minutes. One of the wires attached to the monitor had a blood-pressure measuring contraption at the other end - wrapped around my right arm. It woke me up periodically as it took a reading. Soon it was 6.00 am and a nurse gave me a wipe down with wet tissues on the upper body. At this point, I tried to remember whether I had taken a bath the previous evening but could not be sure. Mama helped me pass urine; 300 ml. I had another bout of fitful sleep till 8.00 am. I now wanted to take a dump. Spoke to a nurse and tried to explain to her that since I was physically fit, I could visit a nearby toilet. She told me that there was no toilet nearby but whenever I needed, the mama would help me with a bed pan. The thought of shitting in a pan disgusted me and I gave up the idea. After another round of dozing, it was 10.00 am and I was very hungry. I asked a nurse for breakfast. Most of the other occupants of the ICU were much older and had many tubes connected to them. I reckoned they were getting their meals through the tubes. The breakfast arrived in 20 minutes. Sevaiya
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upma and two slices of bread with butter. It was the tastiest breakfast that I could remember. After a cup of tea, the discomfort started. I really needed to empty my bowels. I called for mama with some trepidation. He came with a wheel chair, pulled the curtains around the bed and lifted the cushion. I was impressed. Voila! There was now a chamber pot right next to my bed. I sat on the throne and started looking at the mobile out of habit. A few pushes and the job was done. There was no tissue or water around. mama was standing behind. He asked me if I was done. I nodded. He asked me to get up from the seat without standing up. As I did so, he wiped my behind with cotton dipped in some disinfectant. He did a thorough job while speaking to me to put me at ease. I felt gratitude towards him that words cannot express. Instinctively, I reached for my wallet; I wasn’t carrying one. I sat on the bed and mama took the chair away. Does one tip the attending staff in the hospital? I remember doing it in the past but it is unusual. Many minor services are routinely punctuated with tips, why not the services in the hospital? Mama had helped me through one of the most delicate few minutes of my life and yet my gratitude did not translate into a gratuity for him. And because of
the PPE, I couldn’t even see the face of my benefactor. I was feeling rather well by now, so gave up on the idea of sleeping and started observing the action around. The PPEs really make life difficult for medical staff. Despite the ACs being on full blast, they sweat inside the plastic and have fogged glasses. There were quite a few pedestal fans around to give them some relief in between their tasks. And yet they carried on professionally. Both my kids were born in Jaslok. I have visited it on other occasions too. My experience with the staff has always been remarkably pleasant. I called R to inform her that my memory was back. I clearly remembered that I have three wives, two kids and one dog. She filled me in with the previous evening’s events. A nurse came to take my swab for Covid test. It is an unpleasant business. Two swabs are taken – one through the mouth and another through the nose, both of which cause irritation at the back of one’s throat. The process got over quickly leaving behind an urge to scratch one’s throat. Dr Wadia -sheathed in PPEcame around for my checkup. He administered a few tests to check my mental acuity. I tried to
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answer as fast as possible to prove to myself that my mind was back. He was visibly happy with the results. Before he left, he came close to me; I wanted to shake hands with him but was unsure whether it was ‘allowed’ in the current circumstances. I was ‘normal’ now and mindful of the extraordinary sequence of events in the recent past. What a scare Rakhee would have been through! Finding out that her spouse had ‘completely’ lost his mind must have been tough on her. And yet she took multiple level-headed steps to recover from the situation. I felt cheerful that I had no physical/mental injury carried over from the fall. But soon darker speculations took over. What would have been my state of mind if what happened was on account of a brawl of some kind? The mental scar would be much longer lasting than the physical symptoms. What turns an accident into a psychological trauma? Why should events preceding an injury decide the nature of after-effects? Would I be narrating my experience if a blow to my head by an attacker had caused the symptoms? Unlikely. It would then be a shame to hide forever rather than an anecdote to relate at parties.
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The Covid test came negative and I was shifted to a room in the nonCovid section of the hospital. It was deserted. The virus scare is keeping patients away from hospitals it seems. I was free to move about in the room and visit the toilet on my own. The sense of freedom was intoxicating. I celebrated by taking a long bath and changing my clothes. I was discharged in the afternoon the next day. It was Rakhee’s birthday and I was back when the homemade cheesecake was cut. Kids were happy to see me but surprisingly, none of my three dogs showed enthusiasm. That is a memory I would not mind losing. I am a member of a quizzing group and we had a Zoom/Whatsapp quiz session at 5.00 pm that day. My
mind was fit and fine and our team was the leader in the first round which concluded that day. Rakhee insisted that I was sharper than usual. Was I? I have done many 10-day Vipassana courses. Immediately after each course, my psyche is calm and uncluttered for a few days. Post discharge from the hospital, my state of mind was similar. R said I was lucky. I was, in more ways than she could imagine. I was lucky that my spouse had the presence of mind to manage the situation. I was lucky that my sister and brother-in-law came rushing to help on a short notice. I was lucky to have neighbours like Mr. B and Dr. W who helped me at such odd hours. I was lucky to live
in a city with easy access to high class medical facilities. I was lucky to have a CT scan taken within 3 hours of my fall and most of all lucky that the CT scan showed no blood-clots/injuries. Given the life I have lived, I can’t claim any past credit on my Karma account that might have helped; so was luckier that an overdraft was allowed by my account manager. It’s been a week since the fall and the normal me is back. I am irritable as well as irritating now. And next week, I plan to take on Mr B once again.
The author Mahesh Vaze Mensa Mumbai
Mahesh Vaze is a computer science engineer from MANIT and MBA from IIM Lucknow. He used to be a CFA charterholder, but stopped paying his dues after he quit his job. He worked in various stock market jobs after MBA, the last of which was with Blackstone India. He quit a decade ago to write a novel. It has been published recently. The novel, Yayaati – a story of experiments with truth, is a 21st century take on a character from Mahabharat. His other interests are travelling, photography, bird-watching and trekking.
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How You Drive Is A Measure Of Your True Character We have all heard the phrase that says “a man is known by the company he keeps”. However, there is an even easier way to know a man’s (or woman’s) true worth. If someone tells you that you are disorganised in your thinking, a scoff-law, callous, uncaring of your safety and that of others, inconsiderate, unwise, short-sighted, disorganized, immature and untrustworthy, you would perhaps be offended and vehemently deny these allegations. However, please review how you drive and see if any of these adjectives apply to you, because your real character is seen unmasked in your behaviour on the road. Though only one or two traits are mentioned in each para, many qualities overlap in different behaviour patterns below:
Scofflaw At night you come to a red traffic light. If you drive through, it tells the world that you think you are free to use your discretion to
decide if, in your opinion, the law is not to be obeyed.
Short-sighted and Unreliable Do you ignore laws such as wearing seatbelts in cars or helmets in two-wheelers? If shows others that you do not care about your life and limb and cannot be relied upon to take care of anyone else. It also shows that you are not really intelligent enough to understand the consequences of your actions.
Inconsiderate By the time you reach the traffic light, it has become red. You drive through the red light, bumper to bumper with the car ahead of you, as if you are attached to it. What it says about your character is this: “Breaking the law is OK if it is a borderline case. It does not matter to you that you are taking up the right of someone else to cross when his light is green. Others do not need consideration. The same thing is obvious when you turn without giving a signal.
Unwise & untrustworthy You come to a red light and the traffic from other sides has still not reached the intersection. When you speed through the red light, it tells the world that you are willing to take risks without thinking of the consequences. Potentially risking your life for 45 seconds of your time also tells others that you are not very wise and cannot be trusted.
Selfish You want to stop to go into a temple or shop “just for a minute”. Do you take care to park your car properly or do you just stop haphazardly since it is for such a short period? If it is the latter, it says, you are not bothered about other people. You are a selfish person.
Self-centered & Thoughtless You are at a traffic light with a large number of cars and the light is red. There is no road divider. Do you barge ahead into the incoming lane or you keep behind
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other cars in a long queue? If you go into the incoming lane, potentially blocking the incoming traffic when the light turns green, it tells us that you are highly self-centred and unwise. Saving a few seconds to snarl up the traffic for everyone else is ‘normal’ behaviour for you.
Foolish Do you stop and look before entering the main road from a side road, or do you just keep driving at the same speed? If you keep going on without stopping and checking incoming traffic, it tells others that you are foolish and cannot be trusted with anyone’s safety.
Poor planner, no foresight When you have to turn right at a crossing, do you plan ahead and
remain in the right lane or do you cut across the traffic at the last minute? If you do the latter, you show a lack of foresight and an inability to think ahead. You tell the world that you are poor at planning.
Immature When you have to turn right at a T-junction, do you start turning right the moment your turn is in sight or do you wait till you reach the turn, stop and check the incoming traffic before turning? If you do the latter, you are telling the world that you are unable to think like a mature adult.
Disorganised Do you believe in lane driving or do you treat the lines on the road casually? By not adhering to lane driving you show that our
mindset is not organized and you prefer chaos to orderliness.
Unsafe Do you drive on the wrong side on a one-way road? By doing so you show the world that you are a law-breaker and uncaring of your safety and that of others.
Immature & Impatient You are waiting behind two or three cars at a red light. If you start blowing the horn as soon as the light turns green you show that you are immature and impatient. The next time you drive, do keep the above in mind and remember that your mindset is naked for all to see in your driving behaviour, regardless of how nice a person you believe you are.
Kishore Asthana President, Mensa Project Dhruv Former President, Mensa India
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sports & fitness
why yoga Originating in India, yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices. The main purpose is to create harmony in the body and mind and is a way of controlling all the systems in play in daily life (physical, social, environmental, etc.). As explained by Manoj Sharma (MBBS, PhD), yoga is “a systematic practice of physical exercise, breath control, relaxation, diet control, and positive thinking and meditation. The practice entails low-impact physical activity, postures (called asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), relaxation, and meditation�. Yoga is a way of being one with your mind and body and guides us to be present and aware in everyday life. It teaches us to stay calm and often provides a new way of looking at life, teaching
to appreciate all that is around, people and nature. Yoga helps find balance and is more than just a few movements; for many, it is a way of life, and we should all try to make it so.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Many see yoga as a form of exercise or just some stretches, and though that is partially true, there is so much more that is often unheard of. It is not only what you do on the yoga mat, but also the teachings that you implement in daily life, that really transforms our lives and gives us the mental, as well as physical and spiritual, calmness that we all look for in life.
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Below are a few, out of the many, benefits of yoga. They are why yoga should be practiced frequently and why it should be implemented into our daily lives:
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7. 8.
Improves Flexibility Increases muscle strength Perfects posture Betters bone, muscle, and overall health Helps you focus and concentrate Proven to make you happier and calmer Improves lung function Helps with sleep
The above benefits, which are only a few out of the many to be experienced, are listed to show how valuable yoga can be for our overall health and well-being. With the large number of different types and forms of yoga, it allows anyone, from beginners to athletes, to start and implement it in their lives. So, to everyone who reads this, try to do so. Try to make yoga a way of life to reap the benefits and really live life to the fullest.
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Yoga for our Youth Yoga as many people know has tremendous benefits and is known to help us stay fit, relaxed, and happy. When looking at trends in the popularity of yoga, we see that over 80% of the practitioners are aged 30 years or older. The practice of this sport starts for many when they encounter stress in their work or personal lives or after an injury or health issue that needs correction. It is very common that a person begins their journey with meditation and yoga only after they encounter a stressful situation in their life. However, it can often be hard because it takes time to learn and understand the practices so only starting when a situation
comes up is not ideal. Let’s instead consider a situation where a person has already practiced yoga for a while, for a few months or even years. In this situation, the person would be able to cope a lot better by staying calm and stress-free during difficult life situations because yoga and meditation would have already been a part of their life and there is no time wasted on learning. Additionally with more experience, the effectiveness of the practice will be greater, further reducing the stress. In our rapidly evolving world with more and more expectations from the youth as well as pressure, many end up leading stressful, unhealthy and unstable lives. It is essential
that we start our journey with yoga, meditation, and mindfulness as early as possible. Our youth should be mindful of their lives and bodies. They should try to make yoga a part of their lives so that they can remain calm when things get difficult and stressful, whether it is at school or in their personal lives. The frequent practice of yoga can help live life to the fullest and if our youth can start early it can help them throughout their lives by preparing them to handle tough times while also improving their overall fitness and bodily functions. As explained by Marsha Wenig, “when children learn techniques for self-health, relaxation, and
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inner fulfillment, they can navigate life’s challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical activity that’s noncompetitive.” There are a multitude of benefits that can enhance the lives of children not just in the present but in the future as well.
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Physically, flexibility, strength, and coordination are highly improved. Furthermore, focus, concentration, balance and relaxation are also ameliorated. In the process, children are able to feel the joy of exercise, connect with their inner self, and learn to be one with nature. This is why I believe that yoga should become a part of daily life for our leaders of tomorrow.
Rohan Mehta Mensa Mumbai (Winner of Belgium’s chapter of “My Life My Yoga” contest - youth )
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TRIBAL MENSA
Tribal mensa nurturing program Keeping in Touch In any other normal academic year, Identification and Nurturing Activities of Tribal Mensa Nurturing Program (TMNP) would be carried out in full swing with the TMNP team meeting all the students on a periodic basis. The Covid- 19 Health risks as well as the Lockdown have made it impossible to meet everyone. Hence TMNP has started conducting regular
online group meetings with the underprivileged gifted students via WhatsApp, Zoom and other social media platforms. The focus of these discussions is to ensure the physical, emotional, financial and academic well-being of the student. In addition, the TMNP team is endeavoring to help them out with any study material that they require so that the students appearing for their
12th standard exams are not affected adversely. All of this will ensure that the nurturing journey of the various students in the giftedness nurturing program stays unhindered even in these times of crisis.
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Online Self-Sustaining Program As the health and economic impact of the Covid 19 pandemic continues to rage on, TMNP is adapting itself further to a model that will allow the nurturing of underprivileged gifted by being self-sustainable. To facilitate this, in addition to introducing the online international IQ test, TMNP has developed two unique online assessments namely the Panchakosha Assessment and the Tri-Shakti Assessment. The Panchakosha assessment is based on ‘Panchakosha
Nurturing model’. This model has been derived from ‘Taittriya Upanishada’ of Yajurveda. According to this model, the human soul is provided a fivesheath body to attain its goal of life. These five sheaths are namely ‘Annamaya Kosha’ is (physical body), ‘Pranamaya Kosha’ is (subtle body), ‘Manomaya Kosha’ means (mind body), ‘Vidnyanamaya Kosha’ means (Intellect body), and ‘Anandmaya Kosha’ is (bliss body). This is the world’s first assessment based on
Panchakosha philosophy, where you can check your status of Panchakosha development. This assessment is ideal for students of any age.
The TriShakti Assessment Is your performance getting low, in your studies or at work? Let’s know the reason why… According to ancient Vedic philosophy, three energies are required to perform any action or
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work. The three energies are: 1. Iccha Shakti. To have desire: one should first desire for the action or work 2. Jnana Shakti. Knowledge: one should have knowledge of the action or work 3. Kriya Shakti. Methodology of action: one should know the methodology to execute the action. Here, in the Trishakti assessment you will find the reasons of ‘why you are not able to study well?’, ‘What are the constraints in doing
study?’ etc. that would help in finding solutions for your better performance. This assessment is ideal for 10 to 18 years of age. Everyone with an access to the internet is welcome to log on and take the test. 125 minutes and 50 minutes of your time for the Panchakosha assessment and Trishakti assessment at the price of Rs 500 for each assessment, will help TMNP in its journey towards being sustainable and to conduct nurturing activities free of cost for the underprivileged gifted
children. Your contribution in this manner will help the underprivileged gifted as well as give you the chance to test your status and development using these unique assessments. Head on over to www.tribalmensa. org today to give the online assessments today. Team TMNP is coming up with many more initiatives in the coming days. I am sure I have all of your support in this endeavour.
The author Akshay Kulkarni Principal Investigator, Tribal Mensa Nurturing Program Akshay Kulkarni is working with Tribal Mensa Nurturing Program for the past 5 years. He is involved in various activities of Tribal Mensa Nurturing program such as identification, nurturing programs, counselling sessions, and content development. Tribal Mensa Nurturing Program is an initiative working to identify and nurture gifted children among underprivileged populations in India. TMNP team believes that there is a strong need to
recognize gifted youth, as their accomplishments, potential, capacity to lead, their concerns about the world and ability to think creatively are in fact national assets. Once identified through Mensa India IQ tests, these children are nurtured through a series of non-academic workshops designed to ensure holistic learning and development of the child’s body, mind and brain. Team members make two trips a month to each school that we work with
and conduct nurturing activities based on the ‘Pancha Kosha’ Model of Human Development which is derived from ancient Indian texts. Each student receives a “Nurturing Kit” which contains activity books and games that challenge the child’s intelligence. Individual counselling, assessments and teacher training programs are conducted to increase the effectiveness of the Gifted program.
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Announcements
Notice Inviting Nominations for the International Election 2021 In accordance with Article X of the Constitution of Mensa, the International Election Committee (IEC) invites registration of Candidates and nominations for the following internationally elected offices: INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMAN INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR-ADMINISTRATION INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR-DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL TREASURER
Registration of Candidates Candidates for the 2021 Election must personally register their interest in being nominated for a specific position, and must secure at least one nomination to be permitted to stand in the election. Eligible members may register their interest in being nominated by completing the Registration Form and submitting their documentation. Eligibility criteria and instructions for registration may be obtained from the IEC at iec@mensa.org The closing date for registration of Candidates is 23:59 UTC 4th January 2021.
Nomination Process After registration closes, the candidates seeking nomination will be verified by the IEC. After the verification process has been completed, a list of all candidates available for nomination will be published in appropriate channels and available via email from the IEC at iec@mensa.org. Nominations may be lodged for any or all positions by National Mensa Groups or by petition from members. The closing date for all nominations is 23:59 UTC 1 February 2021.
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Instructions for submission of nominations can be obtained from the IEC at iec@ mensa.org
Nomination by National Mensa Committees National Mensa Committees may nominate a registered candidate or a slate of candidates for any or all offices by submitting the name(s) of such registered candidate(s). A national Mensa group may nominate more than one individual for each office. Instructions for the Nomination process will be provided to National Mensa Committees with the list of verified Candidates.
Nomination by members Members may nominate a registered potential candidate or a slate of candidates for any or all offices by submitting: 1. the name(s) of such registered candidate(s); 2. a petition signed by at least 100 members who are in good standing as of January 1st, 2021; 3. verification of such good standing. Contact the IEC at iec@mensa.org for all enquiries regarding the election including registration and nomination. If a communication requires confidentiality use the address iec-chair@mensa.org
July-August 2020
Notice of International Referendum Election 2020 In accordance with IBD decisions resulting in ASIEs 20-08 and 20-09, there is to be a referendum submitted to the worldwide membership in 2020. Because the outcome of the referendum may affect who is able to stand in the international election to be held in 2021, it is essential that the referendum is conducted as soon as is practicable. The referendum rules require two months’ notice of the referendum and it has therefore been decided that voting in the referendum will begin on 1 November 2020 and close 15 days’ later, on 15 November 2020. The referendum texts will be sent to national Mensas for distribution to members and sent to Direct International Members by email, together with detailed instructions about the ballot process. The primary means of voting in this election is expected to be electronic. There will be two means for members to have their entitlement to vote electronically registered with the election agency so that they will be provided with the votekey by which to vote: either by the national Mensa submitting the membership list in encrypted form to the election agency directly, or by members being registered on the Mensa International website (www.mensa.org). If the latter, members must be registered on the website by 23.59 hours UTC on 1 October 2020. It is important that those members check that their email address on the website is current. The full referendum rules will be sent to national Mensas and available on the Mensa International website. Please contact the Constitutional Ballot Committee cbc@mensa.org for all enquiries regarding the referendum process or for clarification of the rules.
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PAGES FROM MENSA WORLD JOURNAL
Mensa International Limited is a company registered in England and Wales under registration number 00848100. Mensa’s registered office is Slate Barn, Church Lane, Caythorpe, NG32 3EL, United Kingdom MWJ Editor: Ms Kate Nacard 407/23 Corunna Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048 Australia mwjeditor@mensa.org T: +61 402152858
July-August 2020
from the excomm... Under siege
As the novel coronavirus has swept around the world in the past months, almost no National Mensa has been spared. As I am writing this, Mensa is still feeling the effects of the pandemic, and as much as we would like to focus on other things, there is just no escape from this alldominating topic. As one of the first steps, starting in March, many National Mensas suspended their local events and test sessions, either because their government demanded it or because it seemed the right thing to do. Today, events and testing efforts have been resumed in some countries, albeit with limits on the number of participants and appropriate safety measures.
Several Annual Gatherings, notably American Mensa’s AG in July and the EMAG in August, had to be cancelled or postponed by a full year, respectively, when it became clear that there was no way of holding these gatherings. Some of the smaller Mensas moved their Annual Gathering to a later date in the year in the hope that the situation will have improved by then. In the case of Japan, a particular problem arose. Mensa Japan held an election in January. Their constitution demands that any election result must be approved at the following general assembly (GA), and only if the result is approved there, will power be transferred to the newly elected committee. This GA was originally planned for March, but then had to be cancelled. Without a GA the elected committee could not assume office. Postponing the GA to November, which was suggested by some members, was seen by others as an excessive delay. In the end, Mensa Japan decided to hold a virtual GA in May, using the Zoom webinar system for more than 500 attendees. My thanks
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, August, 2020, issue 091, Editor Kate Nacard
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go to former chairman Yoshiyuki Takano for successfully managing this GA and to Kiyotaka Miyano, the new chairman, for his patience during the turbulent months leading to the GA. One open question for Mensa International is whether the 2020 IBD meeting in Montenegro can take place in October as planned or will have to be held as a virtual meeting as well. Fortunately, Montenegro has handled the crisis exceptionally well, so hosting the meeting will probably not be a problem. It is much more questionable whether all delegates will be allowed to travel there. We might have to go for a mix of real-life and virtual gathering.
Another question that worries some National Mensas is how many members will let their memberships lapse, when Mensa cannot offer any major events in the near future. Actually I doubt that many will. Being a member of Mensa is not only about access to events, after all. It is about being part of a community. And this is highly valuable, particularly now, even if we are limited to local events and to our online platforms for a while. This pandemic too shall pass, and we will meet again. Floreat Mensa! Mark Dettinger Director Smaller National Mensas DSNM-mil@mensa.org
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, August, 2020, issue 091, Editor Kate Nacard
July-August 2020
What’s in the mwj this month? • Mensa International’s Workplace initiative is thriving; updates on p02! • Kishore Asthana is concerned about what his young granddaughter will have to learn in her lifetime and more importantly, what he hopes she won’t ‘unlearn’. Have a look at his thoughts on p04. • In an interesting and thoughtprovoking article, young Australian member, 16-year old Samuel Bevacqua, puts forth his theory of how COVID-19 has exposed the flaws of capitalism (p06). • Our member profile for this month is Italian member, Andrea Docimo. Andrea is a gifted musician, was an outstanding Maths and Physics student and has now turned to journalism specialising in restaurant/ food reviews (p07). • On p08, Inham Hassen alerts us to a medical study that may put an
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end to the age-old debate regarding anaesthetics and consciousness. It’s never too late to lace up some sneakers and work up a sweat for brain health according to a recent study! Find out more on p09. Scientists now believe that plate tectonics originated a billion years before previously estimated. Our science guru tells us more (p10) DSNM director, Mark Dettinger, gives us a window into how Mensa is faring under the COVID-19 siege (p3) And on a lighter note, Therese’s Teasers are here for all you crypticpuzzle-lovers on p12!
Download or read at www.mensa.org Kate Nacard Editor Mensa World Journal
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, August, 2020, issue 091, Editor Kate Nacard
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Members | Volunteers | Groups | Chat | Intelligence
Join the new online community for Mensa International As of June, 430 members have joined and it’s growing fast. Workplace by Facebook is a service for companies and organisations – a top-notch social network entirely to ourselves, Mensa members only. Find like-minded people from all over the world to engage with. No subject too deep, no joke too high-brow. You’ll want to download the (free) mobile Workplace app to stay up to date. Join groups that you like, or start one of your own. Here’s a small selection of existing groups: Education & Career, Books, Investments, Movies&Series, Anime, Chess, Equestrians, Languages, Puzzles, Philosophy, Gifted Children, Cats, Photography, Linux, Latinoamérica, Martial arts, and much more. The biggest group, Mensa World, is for everything related to intelligence and Mensa.
To sign up, you need a Mensa.org e-mail address: firstname.lastname@member. mensa.org. You get one for free at www.mensa.org/ user/vanity-email. If you use that address when you register, you are automatically recognized as a Mensa member. Easy! Join here: https://mensainternational. workplace.com/ By the way – did you know Mensa’s International Board of Directors has been using Workplace since December? Follow their ongoing public sessions on Workplace and learn more of the governance of the world’s largest high IQ society. Welcome! The Mensa Workplace Team
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, August, 2020, issue 091, Editor Kate Nacard
July-August 2020
Cover photo
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mensa Belgium, like many member groups around the world, has been holding Zoom meetings. This screenshot is of a virtual lecture followed by a cocktail party held on June 3. Alice Fourez, a clinical psychologist and local manager in Liege for Mensa Belgium, gave a lecture based on current scientific knowledge regarding the correlation between high IQ and high potential. Cocktails were enjoyed after a question-and-answer session. Thank you, Thierry Marchand for the photo!
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, August, 2020, issue 091, Editor Kate Nacard
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from the excomm... Mensa in Lockdown
Ireland meant no in-person interaction among Mensa members. Many meetings, events and get-togethers, large and small, usually take place every month, organized by our tireless volunteers.
As I pen this, my country, and my national Mensa group, are cautiously emerging from the most radical curtailment, in my lifetime, of what we considered only a few months ago to be ‘normal’ society. In last month’s Mensa World Journal, the Director-SNM described how Mensa groups across the world have been coping with the coronavirus pandemic. British Mensa, like so many others, has also had to find a new way of working. There have been downsides, of course. The months of lockdowns in Britain and
Casualties included the Irish and Scottish annual gatherings, as well as the main British Mensa AG and our flagship Mensa at Cambridge and Thinks @ Oxford. The closing of our administrative office has stopped us issuing printed newsletters for our SIGs. No test sessions have been held, so we have had very few new members to welcome. There have, however, been benefits as well. The British Mensa office staff have all been working from home, and have continued to provide an excellent service for our members. British Mensa has tended to do rather less online than more recently founded Mensa groups, and we have now been forced to re-evaluate this approach. Members have pulled together to find innovative ways of keeping in touch, and there has been an explosion of virtual chat drop-ins, quizzes, murder
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, September, 2020, issue 092, Editor Kate Nacard
July-August 2020
mysteries, science lectures and general entertainment. Irish Mensa replaced its annual gathering with a whole weekend of virtual events, with guests from countries including America, Germany and Mexico joining via video. Many of our regular activities have been relocated online. The Board has been holding its meetings via Zoom for some time, and this year’s regional officers’ and editors’ conferences took place in the virtual world. This is also the case for our games competitions, including Brain of Mensa, and the 2020 Young Mensans’ Future Paths conference, our popular event for aspiring Oxbridge students. Our Annual General Meeting, a requirement under UK company law, is likely to be a blend of online and (a small number of ) in-person attendees. Moving events online has the major advantage that members in more remote locations, who might struggle to get to a regular meeting, can participate. Mensans have also been reaching out to the wider community. A team of Irish members set up an online school to keep some bright sparks busy while schools were closed, and our gifted child consultant has been offering advice to parents who might feel overwhelmed at the thought of teaching their children at home. A new service, managed by our Research Officer, has debuted in the Mensa Wellness section of the British Mensa website, to share information to help members look after their and their
families’ physical and mental wellbeing. I’ve been proud to see how our members have reacted to the upheaval caused by coronavirus and I’m sure this has been repeated in groups worldwide. Looking forward, but still on topic, I’d like to recommend next year’s Mensa at Cambridge, which has already been scheduled for September 2-5, 2021, with an outstanding panel of presenters. The topic, The Skills Crisis, is highly relevant to what we all hope will be our postpandemic world. Coronavirus arguably represents the largest quake to the world economy, with serious physical and mental health and other societal issues to be addressed, since the Second World War, and skills are key to our recovery. So what is the future going to look like, both for Mensa and for society as a whole? It’s a topic which has been exhaustively and passionately debated in our various online forums. Mensans are, in my experience, an optimistic bunch of people, and I hope we’re right to be. Will home working become the norm wherever possible? Will less polluting travel leading to a greener planet? Will people desert the big cities? Is this our opportunity to review our priorities and reset society in accordance with them? Discuss. Chris Leek Chairman, British Mensa
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, September, 2020, issue 092, Editor Kate Nacard
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MInd - The Mensa India Magazine
What’s in the mwj this month? • Congratulations to all the Mensa International Scholarship winners, 2020. See p2 for details. • Find out how Google Translate, or even custom-built machine translation engines tailored to specific companies, measure up against human translation, on p4. • Haiku and Mensa limericks are two of the many hundreds of entries in the MWJ Poetry competition 2020. You’ll find these on pp2 and 5. The MWJ International Poet, 2020, will be announced in the December issue! • Advik Unni, a young Mensan from Dubai sees a positive consequence - geophysical pluses - from the COVID-19 pandemic, on p6. • Can you imagine a couple sailing alone through often dangerous territories, spanning 20 countries in three years? Meet our intrepid duo from the USA on p7.
• I think we can all agree that COVID-19 is possibly the single largest pandemic of our generation. • Features Editor Inham Hassen sums up some of the ingenious solutions to overcome some of the key problems faced by society, on p8. • Did you know that birds have four colour sensors instead of three, and one of them is in the ultraviolet range? Our science guru tells us more on p10. • And for all you puzzle-solvers, Therese’s Teasers are here as usual on p12! Download or read at www.mensa.org Kate Nacard Editor Mensa World Journal
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, September, 2020, issue 092, Editor Kate Nacard
July-August 2020
Mensa Foundation Scholarship Winners 2020 The Mensa Foundation is proud to announce its 2020 Mensa International Scholarship Winners: • US$3,000 International Scholarship Niki Stypidou, Mensa Greece • US$1,000 International Scholarship Simon Hai Yang, Mensa Germany • US$1,000 International Scholarship Aisha Safia Jamal, Mensa India • US$1,000 International Scholarship Tadija Miletic, Mensa Serbia • US$1,000 Ed Vincent Scholarship Viola Taubmann, Mensa Germany Scholarship monies are funded by Mensa International and a kind donation from Mensa Switzerland allowed this year’s normal US$2,000 prize to be increased to US$3,000. Any Mensans, and Mensa groups, are welcome to donate money to the Mensa Foundation towards increasing the value of future international scholarships.
Any non-American Mensa student pursuing university studies is eligible to apply for these scholarships each year. Details can be found at https://www.mensafoundation.org/whatwe-do/scholarships/ I would like to thank the international Mensa judging panel. Our 2020 judges are Elissa Rudolph (American Mensa) Cadu Fonseca (Mensa Brazil), Ann Rootkin (British Mensa), Delma Murray (Mensa Canada), Andreas Athanasakis (Mensa Greece), Zabeda Abdul Hamid (Mensa Malaysia), Cinthia Reyes (Mensa Mexico), Willem Bouwens (Mensa Netherlands), Jacek Cywinski (Mensa New Zealand), Aleksandra Borovic (Mensa Serbia). Vicki Herd Chair of International Scholarship Program Chair of Ed Vincent Scholarship Program
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, September, 2020, issue 092, Editor Kate Nacard
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