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If ...

If only I would have studied computer science in college I would have earned twice as much as I am earning today. If Modi would have been born in the era of Nehru, India would have been a developed country today. If Hitler would have died in the assassination attempt there would have been no holocaust. If Kennedy wouldn't have been shot then America would have seen far more development. If I would have brought that stock 5 years ago for $10,000, I would have been a millionaire today. If ... How many times you have come across similar phrases? Sometimes you would have felt that you have let a huge opportunity pass right under your nose. Or maybe if you'd have done things differently you would have been in better circumstance than what you are in now. There is a possibility that it would have come true exactly as you have predicted. But there is a much larger probability that it would not have happened exactly the way you would have thought it will. There are two probl...
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The Scale Problem

Someone asked me a logical question in a party - Suppose you are able to fold a newspaper 100 times , how much thick would that bundle be? He also dropped us a hint - remember, each time you fold it, it doubles in thickness - so answer judiciously. Assume for now that in fact you can fold it 100 times without running out of paper. Of course we cannot work out without a calculator. But remember, it is an exercise on how your brain comprehends such a problem. We were asked to take a guess. We did, but before you read any further - pause and think - What would your guess be? Some of us guessed that it would be as thick as a brick. One guy said 4 stories tall. Someone with a scientific outlook suggested that it might extend upto the sun from the earth, drawing many disdainful eyes. So, what was your guess? The way most people thought even after being given the hint, was that it would be 100 times (or 100x) the thickness of the newspaper. You might think that the claim that the thick...
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Why are unreachable grapes, sour?

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Why is it better to agree with your boss than to disagree? Why do testers make a lot of noise even for small defect? Why should you criticise a movie that you don't want to go? Why are unreachable grapes, sour? Why do bosses command rather than consult? Why should you openly ask for a raise or a promotion? Why should you always ask for a discount on a purchase? ........... and the list goes on. I am sure you might know the answer to all of these almost by intuition. There are many more simple scenarios that your brain automatically figures out. Actually all the questions above are similar and the answer to all of them are, well, kind of same. Before we move further, let us look at another scenario. Suppose you have a chocolate bar and two fighting kids. You have to divide the chocolate between them so that none of them accuse you of being biased. And yes, you do not have a tape or anyway to measure it. How would you divide to avoid being biased? Pause for a momen...
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