Feature

Shadow of Psychics

Subir Das

“GIVE me freedom, Give me fire, Give me reason, Take me higher.”- the song for 'World Cup Football 2010' was the expression of both the reason and the vision of the celebration. “Give me reason”? Do we always search for reason? Perhaps no. Paul, the octopus widely famous for its psychic power, is the burning proof of that.

The German octopus that was made to predict the results of eight matches of the world cup is now quite a familiar figure, no less than the soccer stars, all over the world. The unprecedented event hardly gives us any reason. Or, the reason is undetected because the ground of possibilities is eclipsed by the glamour of Paul having psychic powers. What are those possibilities?

If a parakeet from Singapore, a dolphin from Argentina and an octopus from Germany are made to predict the results of the World Cup matches, one arrow will be probable to hit bull's eye. As Paul made a quantum leap forward in predicting match results, the hunt for psychic animals or people will continue. An initiative may also be taken to make a zoo for psychic animals.

Supernatural explanations always have magnetic power that attracts attention instantly. The relative positions of stars, fabled to have impact on our fate, are likely to bear the cipher of our destiny, though they can no way be linked to our fortune. And the process of deciphering requires some sort of psychic power that may be regarded a missing link between some mystic codes and our destiny.

Some lustrous stones such as emerald and sapphire are often believed, especially in the sub-continent of India, to have the power to change our fate. To my utter dismay, these stones are advertised on regular basis on television channels. Depending on stones is like consigning our lives to fate and nothing else.

The ancient teachings are often misunderstood as in some cases it is interpreted verbatim. The philosopher's stone, which is supposed to turn metals into gold, exists perhaps nowhere but in our mind. Let us discover it.

Showcasing the Reality: A Poster Competition in AIUB

THE Social Science Department of AIUB organised a poster competition highlighting contemporary Social Issues on 21-22 July. The programme was designed to generate awareness among the students about the social problems that apparently seem quite common in our society. Keeping this in mind, students of Social Science Department picked up few social problems like acid victims, street children, violence against women, eve teasing, poverty, bachelors' problem in Dhaka city, food waste, drug addiction, deforestation etc.

The programme was inaugurated by the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Dr. Tazul Islam in presence of all the participants, students, faculty members, executives and staffs. At the end of the two daylong programme the participants were appreciated and awarded with certificates as recognition of their innovative efforts. Mentionable presence includes Dr. Tazul Islam, Dr. Charles C. Vilanueva, The Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, Prof. K. Fujita, Mr. Neaz Mazumder, faculty of the Department of Advertising and the faculty members of Social Science Dr. Buddhadev Biswas, Dr. Taufiqul Islam, Ms. Shaira Matin and Ms. Farhana Zaman. The programme was indeed an inspiring endeavor to move the future leaders to bring a halt to the existing social problems. Finally the programme ended up with the vision of organising 'Poster Competition: Phase 2' addressing the way out of these social issues.