Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: Why Your Kids Are Smarter Than You

ENTROPY

I love telling stories to put across a point

Do you wonder why the younger generation is always smarter than the older generation...?

Why are your kids always smarter than you...?

It has all go to do with the concept of ENTROPY

What is Entropy...?

Well – I will not delve into the complicated depths of Information Theory – or Thermodynamics – to try and explain the meaning of Entropy.

Long ago – I taught Electronics and Communication Engineering and Information Technology at the Post-Graduate Master's (ME/M.Tech.) Level – and – in order to explain the concept of Entropy – I narrated this simple story about a Hat-Seller and his encounter with some Monkeys

THE MONKEYS AND THE HAT SELLER
A Teaching Story
Retold By
VIKRAM KARVE

Once upon a time there was a young hat seller who used to roam around the country from town to town – selling hats for a living.

Yes – he was a hat-seller – and – he sold hats for a living.

On one summer afternoon – while travelling from one town to another – he felt very exhausted.

He was so tired that he decided to take a nap in the forest.

He found a mango tree – with lots of branches – and cool shade.

Placing his bag of hats beside him – the hat seller went to sleep.

When he woke up after a refreshing nap – he found that there were no hats in his bag.

Bewildered – he exclaimed to himself:

“What bad luck. Of all the people – why did the thieves have to rob me...?”

Suddenly he looked up – and – he noticed that the mango tree was full of monkeys – wearing all his colourful hats.

He could not believe his eyes.

Yes – all the monkeys were wearing his hats.

He yelled at the monkeys.

The monkeys screamed back at him.

He made faces at the monkeys.

In response – the monkeys made the same funny faces back at him.

He threw a stone at the monkeys.

In response – the monkeys showered him with raw mangoes.

“Oh my God – how do I get my hats back...?” the hat seller wondered.

He pondered for some time – but he could not find a solution to his predicament.

Finding no answer – he got so frustrated – that he took off his own hat – and he threw the hat on the ground.

To his surprise – all the monkeys also threw their hats to the ground.

The hat seller did not waste a second.

He hurriedly collected all the hats – and he went on his way to the next town.

50 years later – the grandson of the same hat-seller was passing through the same jungle.

The grandson had continued the family business of selling hats.

After walking all afternoon – he was very fatigued and tired.

He found a nice mango tree with lots of branches and cool shade.

So – he decided to rest a while – and soon was fast asleep.

A few hours later – when he woke up – he realized that all the hats from his bag had vanished.

He started searching for the missing hats.

Then he looked up.

To his surprise he found some monkeys sitting on the mango tree wearing his hats.

Yes – the monkeys were wearing all his colourful hats.

At first – he was confused.

He was at a loss not knowing what to do.

Suddenly – he remembered the story his grandfather used to tell him – about the monkeys and the hats.

“I know how to fool these monkeys...” he said to himself, “I will make them imitate me – and very soon – I will get all my hats back.”

He waved at the monkeys – and the monkeys waved back at him.

He blew his nose – and the monkeys blew their noses.

He started dancing – and the monkeys also danced.

He pulled his ears – and the monkeys pulled their ears.

He raised his hands – and the monkeys raised their hands.

Then – he threw his hat on the ground – expecting all the monkeys to do likewise.

Yes – he expected the monkeys to imitate him and throw the hats on the ground (like his grandfather had told him)

But instead – one monkey jumped down from the mango tree.

The monkey walked up to him.

Then – looking into the young man’s eyes – the monkey said:

“Do you think that only you had a grandfather...?”

_______

ENTROPY

Had a laugh...?

Liked the story...?

Now – Dear Reader – you please tell me:

What is the meaning of Entropy...?

Still clueless...?

Read the story once more.

In fact – keep reading the story again and again – till comprehension dawns on you.

It is simple.

This story emphasizes the importance of “continual learning”.

Unless you keep continuously learning – you will soon become obsolescent – and soon – you will be rendered obsolete.

This is especially important for senior citizens like me – who have to keep learning new things – especially with the advent of information technology, internet, online processing, social media etc – and as and when new gadgets are introduced like PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones etc.

Just imagine – if we “Old Fogeys” had stopped learning – if we had not kept abreast of the latest technologies/techniques – we would have become “antiquated relics” – as the world would have moved ahead at a rapid pace.

The only way to defeat entropy is to keep learning.

Entropy is a measure of uncertainty – of ignorance – and if you don't keep learning – your entropy will keep increasing – and you will become more and more clueless – relative to your outside world.

That is what a law of thermodynamics says – isn’t it:

“THE ENTROPY OF THE UNIVERSE KEEPS INCREASING...”

So – Dear Reader – remember the story of the Monkeys and the Hat-Seller – and keep learning – and have a nice “entropy-free” life.

___________

VIKRAM KARVE

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Disclaimer:

1. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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