WHY IS ISRAEL SO MUCH MORE INNOVATIVE THAN ITS NEIGHBOURS? ONE EXPLANATION

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From the BBC

The Dirty Secret of Success

We’re often reluctant to credit our good fortune purely to luck. We’d much rather put a material gain or positive outcome down to our brilliant intelligence, smarts, skills or hard work.

But if success is directly correlated to our ability, why do there seem to be so many rich people with mediocre talent? And why aren’t the smartest people in the world also the wealthiest?

A new paper authored by a team of Italian researchers, physicists Alessandro Pluchino and Andrea Raspisarda and economist Alessio Biondo, used a computer simulation of success defined by financial wealth to show that the most successful people in the world aren’t necessarily the most talented. They are the luckiest.

From Alessandro Puchino, one of the authors of the paper

“Were the most successful people also the most talented ones? That’s what we would expect… if we assume that we reward the most successful people because they are more talented or intelligent than other people, says physicist Pluchino.

“But we discovered that this is not the case. Instead, very often, the most successful people are moderately talented but very lucky.

“We discovered a strict correlation between luck and success. Encountering a series of lucky events was responsible for incredible success even if their individual talent was lower than super talented people.

“This is what we usually see around us in the real world. There are plenty of instances of people who we don’t consider particularly smart but in some way they reach a high level of wealth and success.”

Look at the people who have become Presidents or CEOs or started incredibly innovative companies (Facebook Google Amazon etc.), they are talented but there are hundreds of others equally talented in this world.

The incredible success story of the UBER ride share goes back to a rude Taxi driver in Paris who did not like the three Americans having fun and laughing after a night of partying in his taxi. The three Americans from SFO were friends were on the brink of launching something else but the rude Taxi driver of Paris reminded them that they needed polite drive share method and with Israeli technology (which is behind Google mapping as well) Uber was born.

Who has not heard of Sir Alexander Fleming and the discovery of Penicillin?

Israel is called the Start Up nation, with largest number of innovations coming out of a country so small in size and number and with incredibly limited finance and economical strain due to task of protecting its citizens from terrorists.

Why have not the Arab countries rich or poor, Libya or Egypt or Jordan or Saudi Arabia, Qatar or UAE come up with innovation, a fraction of what Israel has produced?

You cannot blame the Egyptians, whom I am sure are as talented as the Israelis or the Palestinians or Qataris for their lack of innovation.

There has to be something else?

I thought about this recently as I was being taken around a Start Up nurturing place in Haifa.

(IBM Haifa)

By exposing people to more fortunate events, you provide more opportunities for hidden talent to emerge in society - Andrea Raspisarda one of the authors of the paper

(Talent vs. Luck: the role of randomness in success and failure

Pluchino. A. E. Biondo, A. Rapisarda)

At this particular institution that I visited in the city of Haifa, young innovators were given the ecology (ambience, technical help, expert counseling and networking) for trying out their ideas.

“Expose yourself to as many casual interactions and opportunities as possible,” says Pluchino. “It’s also true that if you will still need luck.

“But you probably won’t find lucky opportunities if you stay locked in your room.”

Social geography of your birth, talent, exposure and luck (this in a large dollop).

Good Luck to Israel.

I missed my Iranian friends so much, the country I would like Israel to make connections with (in the region) is IRAN and perhaps with broad minded leaders (or becoming) like Prince Mohammed Bin Sultan of Saudi or Emir Tamim of Qatar.

ISRAEL IS THE WAY OF THE FUTURE NOT ONLY FOR HE MIDDLE EAST BUT THE ENTIRE WORLD 

Pioneering British chemist Sir William Henry Perkin (1838-1907), the man who discovered the first artificial clothing dye entirely by accident, was born 180 years ago today.

The anniversary of this eminent Victorian and scion of the Industrial Revolution is commemorated in today's Google Doodle.  12 March 2018

LAMENTO SOCIALISTA OF THE CUBANS IN CUBA

LAMENTO SOCIALISTA EN CUBA AND LAMENTO CAPITALISTA EN MIAMI. SAME PEOPLE, EL MISMO LAMENTO, SAME LAMENT ON TWO SHORES

This blog would consist of two parts

First Lamento Socialista Socialist Lament by Cubans in Cuba and the second part, Lamento Capitalista Capitalist Lament by Cubans in Miami

A young medical student from Moa in the eastern part of Cuba wrote an email to inform me that the state telephone company had an offer for phone and service (SIM) for those who residing outside Cuba to buy for Cubans. (She thought it was cheap!)  120 cuc or 140 usd, that would enable a Cuban to get a line (normally valued at 40 cuc) plus a Samsung phone (while the type was not specified, I can assure you it would be the one that one can pick up in Miami for about 40 usd. So why is this excitement about something intangible for Cubans? What is the purpose behind it?

I wrote back, first of all 140 usd as a gift is not cheap (plus a moral obligation to recharge at 25 dollars per month) for most outsiders, especially Cubans who are living in Miami (as you would see in the next part of this blog)

That made me think, what do the Cubans who live in the island consider cheap or expensive.

Fundamental categorization:

If they are paying for it, it is always expensive.

If they have pay in dollars (called CUC in Cuba) it is VERY expensive, as their salaries are in Cuban Pesos

If someone else is paying, it is considered definitely cheap. (Regardless of the price).

Cuba has very many economic necessities, mainly THINGS (no supermarkets, food and kitchen items not easily available and not always available), but it has an abundance of services which is offered free, which Cubans do not praise or bring into discourse.

Cubans will seldom talk about the services offered to them free of charge

Primarily health related, free medical and hospital care, and on recommendations, rest and recreations in spa like atmosphere at mountain or seaside resorts. I personally know of the world class attention received by my Cuban friends in the realm of Cardiovascular medicine (including angiogram within hours of first chest pain), Ophthalmological care (with the latest Laser reduction of eye size, with a month off to rest and recuperate), Gastroenterological (including endoscopy), Urological (excellent care in prevention and treatment of prostatic diseases) as well as Gynecological attention, with the whole person taken into account.

We, who are acquainted with the systems in poor or developing countries, know how little attention the general population receives especially when they do not have money to pay. In Cambodia, families loose their agricultural land when the breadwinner is diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, as it requires cash payment for tests and treatment, even in a country like Malaysia which is richer than many of the developing countries, the attention to the poor and especially the marginalized is extremely poor.

Why don’t the Cubans laud their system, appreciate it and sing praise? Because they have known only this system and are not aware of the capitalist system of health care in many poor, developing and rich countries. My Uber driver who took me to my sisters home on my arrival in Miami from Cuba, lamented that he cannot afford to buy the medications and that he waits for his family to send him medications from Cuba.

Studying to become a doctor is absolutely free in Cuba and many of the current medical students were they born in the USA wouldn’t have been able to dream about becoming doctors. Hundreds of intelligent students in most of Latin America, Africa and Asia cannot dream of becoming doctors because of the financial restrictions and the lack of access even to information on how to become a doctor. I know this first hand with my dealings in remote Brazil, Colombia among other countries.

It is not only Medical Education that is offered free, all education from Pre-K to the doctoral level is offered free and the talented ones take advantage of it. Those who throw away their chances of studying in Cuba are primarily engaged in contacts and businesses dealing with tourists, so an average tourist to Cuba will meet that segment of the population, which is not well educated, in general.

I reminded the medical student that medical students in other countries pay from 50 to 100 thousands of dollars to get a medical education. If she were born in the USA, she wouldn’t have been able to enter a medical school, even though she is a capable student. If you go to any of the Cuban restaurants you would meet at least one waitress who had studied medicine in Cuba and is in no position to continue here studies here. And there is a school in PR, which converts (like in Philippines), doctoral degrees into Nursing diplomas so that they can work within the health care system.

(there were two Omaha Indians visiting, and the party was in honour of my Cuban mother who had left to attend a function)

On a recent get together in my house in Havana, of the 15 guests present, there were 5 educated at the Doctoral level including one with both MD and PhD, as well as 4 with education at the Masters degree level and the rest all had attended universities for various disciplines: including Law, Gastronomy, Publishing, Medical laboratory, engineering, English language. Such a record is enviable in any country, especially in a country that is economically poor such as Cuba. Yet you will hear more complaints about the price of chicken than praise for the high quality of education, which fundamentally contributes to their well being, being able to participate in social and cultural events in this highly cultural country. All you hear is about the struggle, difficulties. But I have very seldom seen people as happy as the Cubans in the island who are chirpy, friendly, amicable, offering solidarity and relationship and helping one another.

Perhaps it is the lack of exposure to another world other than Cuba that gives rise to this dichotomy of experience and its descriptions.

The quantitatively minded people and the less educated (perhaps the same), tend to migrate and as you would read in the other blog, they tend to complain about the poor, struggling and difficult life they experience when they migrate.

And they have lost the best what CUBA can offer: the social support of the society and friends and family.

I am an Anthropologist, my thinking is very qualitative and people oriented and I am very content in La Habana.

When I left the country yesterday, I told the immigration officer who was a very young, pretty Cuban (of African ancestry).

I don’t want to leave, why don’t you take my passport and go

And she smiled and said

You like Cuba, don’t you?

First Meal in La Habana Shabbat Shalom

The first meal in La Habana

The outside world when wishing to criticize Cuba talk quantitatively about salaries etc, but never mention the quality of life here. Here I use the first meal in Havana at the home of my neighbours as a metaphor for life in Cuba compared to USA or Europe.

They had known that I was coming today and when I arrived at home, they had come to greet me and welcome me. Before leaving the lady said: Dinner tonight is at 8 pm.

If I did not have that invitation, if I were like a tourist to this country, I may have to go out and look for a place to eat, and of course it would cost money.

I went to the neighbours house at 8 pm. It was Shabbat so I had lit the candles and wished my family all over the world well.

The dinner was simple but ample by any standards: pollo al carbon, chicken cooked in a grill with carbon, they had made eggplants with a touch of vegetable masala as they know I like it, rice and extremely delicious black beans made savoury by some spices, and a simple salad of tomato and cabbage. I had taken down a bottle of sauvignon Blanc from Chile, which is always welcome at any dinner table.

We sat and ate and talked for about two hours. I am always overwhelmed by Cuban hospitality, which is much pro active and very considerate.

The next time you hear or discuss how little money Cubans make, please say to yourself, how may of my countrymen would pro actively take care of your needs: whether a meal of welcome, or transport or meeting you at the airport, or making sure that your fridge is full of essentials that you like: sparkling water, brown sugar, butter and eggs (which is rather hard to come by these days, after the hurricane season)

I am happy to be in Havana.

Tumultuous arrival in La Habana

Tumultuous arrival in La Habana

The flight from Miami was a short 40 minutes, the flight was full and I was happy to see a fair number of American tourists, they seem to be in a group and lot of returning Cubans/visiting Cubans. I had a pleasant chat with the flight attendant, a man, who had grave doubts about the directions of the airlines in America. Money for the Investors and for themselves is the motto of the management rather than comfort and service to the passengers. They fill each and every one seat in their planes; offer very little service, whether you are flying International Business Class or Domestic First Class.

I was quickly out of the door and the immigration official was pleasant and no questions asked, the same with incoming security. I had three pieces of cheddar cheese with me and I am glad they did not take it away as they were hard cheese rather than soft cheese? I have noticed that customs and immigration all have lost their threatening tones and have turned themselves into pleasant welcoming ambassadors for Cuba.

I waited for the bags to arrive and I was surprised that they were not marked with the usual A for Alimentation or X for electric but they did have a yellow line across, I did not know what it meant. I had already spoken to some friends at Customs and they assured me I would have no problems.

The chauffeur came in quickly and we were in the Vedado neighbourhood promptly.

Had a Mulata (espresso with condensed milk) and a small sandwich at David’s Café in front of the US Embassy, which now stands empty of any consular activities after the newer presidency of that country.

I wanted to unpack and soon there was a knock at the door and my neighbours, husband and wife, came bearing gifts, symbolically offerings that my good friend Castro of Baracoa had left me. He had been in town for the Book Fair where he presented his latest book of verse, magical realism was invented in Cuba and he is one of its descendants. He also had left me a diploma in which as The Spiritual Guardian of Baracoa has honoured me with Native Citizenship as an illustrious son of the town! I immediately called him and had a long conversation with him; he personifies what friendship means, a friendship, which has a strong-shared love for that city by the bay in the extreme orient of this island surrounded by mountains and rivers flowing through it. I felt so blessed with the gift of his friendship.

Thus began my re-entry to this island that I love. I am looking forward to a quiet time while I am here,

Two Omaha Indian friends will join me in two days time and I am looking forward to dinners with my professional colleagues.

As the Shabbat is arriving, I thought of this wandering but such fulfilling life for which I am grateful

Last Shabbat in Cochin India at the home of the Last Jew of Cochin, with special Cochini Malabari dishes prepared by his wife

The Shabbat before it was so lovely to hear the three young daughters of my younger brother recite the blessing over the candle in Haifa, Israel

The week before in Quiberon, Brittany in France

Miami, Florida

And the Shabbat before I was reciting the prayers along the Amazon River with keen attention by two of my Tikuna Indian friends.

Life is like that dear friends

Shabbat Shalom from Havana, Cuba.

THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP THAT KEEPS ON GIVING: MUNCHING OF KUALA LUMPUR AND SADHGURU

Mun Ching Yong has been a friend of mine for over a decade when we met on an Air Asia Flight to Siem Reap from Kuala Lumpur in February 2008. She had played hostess to a large number of my friends who had visited Cambodia for humanitarian purposes  and her House of Glass always reverberated with laughter of American Indians, Americans, Vietnames, Cambodians and many other nationalities.
She invited Vandana Yadav from Bombay to come and give us an introduction to Yoga and that is how I got interested in Yoga in 2009. Mun Ching later on became an excellent Yoga Instructor, with changes in her life and lifestyle, getting married to a similar soul from Portugal. Her latest gift to me is the introduction to Sadhguru whom she has been talking about and has been active as a volunteer in Sadhguru's organization.
For those who may not know Sadhguru, he is a mystic of enormous proportion and his influence is increasing all over the world, on ordinary people, leaders and movers and tech giants. Her versatility is beyond words. You can read his book, the latest one being The Inner Engineering to Joy, in which he guides you to Joy and not just happiness or contentment.
It is more than a coincidence that on our last meeting in KL, MCY gave me this book as a gift and I began reading it on my way to Cuba via India, France.
The effect was immediate. I remember getting off a delayed flight at the new Cochin International Airport and being transported in an Uber vehicle. Suddenly I had this sensation that every thing around me was exuding joy and that the driver, with an appropriately pleasant name of Lorance (his grandfather was given the name of Lawrence by the Britishers and it over the decades became Lorance),it was on 21 December 2017.
That feeling of elation has not left me and has been slowly increasing, and the by product was the day I spent at Marriott Marquis Hotel in Doha, a perfect harmonious day .
I am in Miami on my way home to La Habana, Cuba.
This morning, I decided to listen to the Isha Kriya practice and meditation. Being a medical scientist, I took my blood pressure before the meditation and afterwards and of course it should come as no surprise that the BP and pulse all came down.

this app can be downloaded and followed while doing the meditation. It was extraordinarily soothing to listen to Sadhguru's voice while meditating.

Systolic Blood Pressure  135 mm Hg  Diastolic Blood Pressure 83 mm Hg  and pulse rate of 61 per minute.
This after just 14 minutes of Isha Kriya just this morning.
Here are my blood pressures 

Just a short few minutes of meditation Isha Kriya brought down the Systolic BP by 11 points, Diastolic BP by 5 points and pulse rate by 1/min. if you are to compare the results of BP taken before i started preparing for meditation, the decrease for Systolic BP is 15, Diastolic BP is 6 and the pulse rate is 5 beats per minute down. 

I plan to do this twice a day, regardless of my travel schedule for the next 48 days and will let you know the changes in my BP, I am certain it would normalize to 120/70 mm hg, the pulse of 60 is very good, but lowering it by another 5 beats would provide the heart with some relief.

These reductions are even more valuable because they are not being done by medications.

Meditation and not Medications say this Specialist Physician to the Indigenous People and who has to protect his Cuban heart of enthusiasm, exuberance and excitement.

A sweet friend of mine, A from Anhui province in China sent this photo made to look like a portrait.

here is a video for those of you who wish to follow this simple meditation ..Enjoy and look after yourselves

and big Gracias y Obrigado to my good friend, Mun Ching Yong of Malaysia.