Allah doesn't create anything useless: Algae Tech

Fossil fuels, as per technologists, will end in near future. What do we do? Search for sustainable alternative field. You must be familiar with this phrase. Although the problem of environment can be discussed separately, but we hear engineers leading the movement, perhaps without philosophical insights from Islam. Just thinking that by reversing our "bad engineering" into good can transform the situation, notes Dr. Hossein Nasr, is a naive idea. Thinking that by turning to alternative energies can help us out without changing industrialist, consumer mind-set might the biggest mistake we make.

Nonetheless - this isn't topic of the post, but i couldn't help not making a comment - i've an afterthought to share. Look at this picture of Algae below.You must have seen this on walls and on ground. I noticed it from childhood and could never appreciate its worth. i thought, what a useless is that! It sort of irritated me. But, that's where lines are drawn between ignorant and knowledgeable.

This semester, while trying to pursue a technology business idea, i stumbled across an unknown PhD level research going on in my own university in the field of bio-tech. Ms. Someone (i forgot her name) is PhD candidate in the field of bio-tech, who also teaches at my university. She is working on Alage. She has set-up a pilot project, after successful tesing of Alagae's capability of producing bio-diesel - as a direct competitor of fossil fuels, to commercialize the Algae fuel and its by-products.

Although she says it'll take a decade, but the by-products are so overwhelming in quality and importance that it'll come in market.

New Website of ESEF Launched

Its the third website design for ESEF, Elementary Society to Excel in Future, Pakistan. This is run by high school toppers, established back in 2008. Right now, the founders and executive members are largely studying in engineering, medical and business schools. Their activity has been focused helping juniors climb the ladder of getting into university. They're working on intellectual grounds to construct exemplary learning institutions of future to reconstruct Islamic identity in muslims.

I was talking about its new website: http://www.esefpakistan.com/

Its more visual and graphic this time, and more pleasant to look it. This is where we interact with juniors and help them out, and debate about perennial and temporary issues of Muslims. Hope it will reach out to as many juniors...

A Blasphemious Statement by Tea Ad

My blood is furious and restless after what i heard in an ad about tea and family women. Ad of Tea Max (by Haleeb) proclaims: "Even Khan's wife couldn't add taste to his tea..." Now you can presume that all the world of taste was in darkness and misery until our dear Tea Max Knight came to rescue Khan Sahib from the negativities of tasteless tea.

By now you'd have pin-pointed the blasphemy, better than Pak Army pinpointing firing choppers near its war academy. Its the women of home that add taste to anything! I heard Shaykh Hamza complain about the hasteness with which professional cooks cook meals and tea in hotels, comparing it with the sweetness and taste added to food and tea by her wife!

The statement in that ad is anti-social, wide off mark and a typical lie perpetrated by mindless advertisers who detach themselves from factual truths.

Halal search engine

Telegraph wrote a technology news back in September 2009 about a search engine for Muslims, www.imhalal.com. I used it once and liked it. It filters those websites having explicit content which is not allowed for a Muslim to see. In fact i believe this search engine is useful for whole humanity. Everyone in a society is a victim of pornography - from children to married husbands. When i think of my own kids, i fear about having free access to internet, cause school children are introduced to these things in an early tender age of 10, or may be below.

The article explains how it works, but the problem is that i tried to open it, and i cannot... Nonetheless, i'll try it later in some other browser. Back in 2009 it Muslim founders hoped that this will become homepage of every Muslim. i remember getting smses about this. i was excited. i read some posts online by modernized muslims "condemning" this blasphemy of having halal search engine - another case study of inferiority complexes we've developed or to put in other words, completely blind intellects. The search engine may need lots of improvements - they're in contact with Islamic scholars to decide about what to show, what not to, but that's the case with all businesses. Whenever Google launches some product, they launch beta version. I remember Marissa, one of its elite employees, recalling having received around 500 feedback comments the very next day they launched one of their products!

Helping students get into top universities

My father has given this task to create an academy in my home city for intermediate/high school students preparing for undergrad med and engineering and other schools. i'm thinking of creating an opprotunity for those students who're in those schools teach remotely through Skype or something during evening. Many students want to devote time freely for this... Nonetheless, i've to talk to them and see if its feasible for them... Couple with this computerized tests which students can practice online, for this i'll have to see technology penetration... A place where students can collaborate real time, and take lectures at home...

Why i didn't & don't like Mondays

:D this research has something cool to say. i receive a daily stat from Harvard Business blog. Following is its copy:

Stress Hormone is Higher on Monday Mornings

"Levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to increased blood pressure and weakened immune responses, are higher in white-collar workers' saliva on Monday mornings than on Sunday mornings, says a study led by Jason Devereux of University College London. Cortisol levels in 77 people employed in health care, government, technology, and consulting averaged 16.80 nanomoles per liter on Sunday mornings, but 22.52 nanomoles per liter on Monday mornings. The higher levels of secretion may be in anticipation of a stressful day at work, the researchers say."

Source: An exploratory study to assess the impact of work demands and the anticipation of work on awakening via saliva cortisol

My Entrepreneurial Venture: Long way to go

We've planted a seed of a start-up. We wish it goes a long way. i wanna talk about elements of success and appreciate how "smarter our parents" - in fact smartest!

Its all about perseverance some say. Our professor talked about Pakistani businesses. He said that they are not doing any thing brilliant - making fans, constructing houses, etc. Yet making a fortune. They do things consistently over a number of years. Now a days we've this trend where people do one thing, then leave it and move on. When you meet them after 20-30 years, they're still saying, "Ah, i'm going to do something great soon." It never happens, because perseverance is not a part of such entrepreneurs.

As i reflect on our juice cafe. i've been exposed to things related to this business - customer perceptions about food brands, having just-in-time production system, food hygiene & other bio-tech problems, accounting systems for such a business, etc. I've opportunities to grow. I'd better grow in this sector than haphazardly starting another. i can diversify and move to other food and drink items; its essence remains the same. What i can leverage over the number of years by having a staying power, i'm more likely to do innovations and remain more competitive than a start-up.

But that does not mean i cannot or should not start other businesses if i can. The example that i'd give also explains how smarts our parents are, who're doing businesses or remained part of markets over decades. My father today discussed with me the idea of exporting straws produced as by-products from crops such as wheat. He made an accurate calculation of investment and found that one can make 200% profit by collecting this waste which many people here burn (hence increasing its price), making its batches and storing to wait for the time of export. He is mashaAllah already into many diverse markets. One of my friend's father also has done so many things which are herculean. He made that point.

Faith is dynamic

i's coming to after namaz from an adjacent block and found my friend - an MS computer science student at FAST - was coming out of mosque. i stopped and joined him on his way to his home. He talked about his transformation into a pious person. "I never imagined going to mosque for prayers few years back! It wasn't just possible to imagine. Now, here i'm." SubhanAllah! "But sometimes it happens," he continued, "that you cannot concentrate in namaz. You're indulged in studies and during prayer, you're reminded of going back to work. We've to strike a balance between both worlds - this world & deeds of the next. You see, Hazrat Umar (r.a.) said that faith doesn't remain constant and fixed. It has its own highs and lows. Sometimes you're up, sometimes down. May this struggle never end. There's a prayer in Qur'an, probably in Surah Al-e-Imran, in which we pray God not to take back guidance once it has entered our hearts. I make this prayer everytime i say my prayers. May this noor never be taken back from us..." Aameen...

I said to him, "So this means we shouldn't get despair and hopeless." Exactly! That's the whole point," he replied. This was a lesson that came at the right for me. I forgot of this! I started to despair that my condition cannot change and be as same as it was couple of years back... Hope has been revived in my heart of transformation and consistency in eemaan... InshaAllah

Trade Ethics

I with my college friends have started a small business in university to learn ground truths. I saw the application of Islamic ethics of trade, and why evil is the opposite. Whatever code of ethics has been made by Islam, it is to benefit humans, both as entrepreneurs and consumers. For instance, telling the people right information was not being encouraged by some of us who are running the firm. They're reluctant and fear short-term losses. But, that's only hiding our own shortcomings. What if consumers come to know about the fact that strawberries are not being added to the drink, but some powder form of it! They'll spread bad word about it. But above all, the best way to implement these codes may not be policing firms but inner consciousness in humans.

Doctors' Strike in Pakistan: Historical Precedents

I've been given some articles about global strikes made by doctors in different parts of world, so as to link it with the current strike that took place in Punjab of Pakistan. This strike was made by all of 11,000 of junior government doctors who're working 90 hours per week and paid less than well off chefs, police Constables, or even teachers in many schools. Also, i'm studying the ethical question related to a doctor protesting, abandoning his patients, which is portrayed or is perceived by general community as horrifying and unimaginable. I'd only request ourselves to put ourselves in doctors' shoes, and see how things go about.

Following are some of the global strikes which have striking similarities with Punjab strike that i'm studying currently

- A decade of conflict and strikes by Malta Doctors & Medical Students
- European Doctors Migrate & Protest against Low Pay & Poor Working Conditions

Moreover, i've been given journal articles on the ethical question of doctors protesting. Will update more when i finish reading stuff.