Are you searching for an opportunity to unleash your literary imaginations? If so, get ready to let your creativity, expressions, and thoughts run wild.
What if aliens were planning to visit us soon? What if we have been living on a simulation the whole time and haven’t noticed? What if you had superpowers? Running alongside our train of thoughts, we sometimes stumble upon unchartered territory and dwell there till it fills us completely. From epic literature to famous scientific inventions, all have been the works of unique imagination that dare to question the possibilities.
We are also naturally curious and it is fun just to think about alternate pasts or alternate futures if things were different. What has happened in the past, may not have happened that way. What things we consider normal, may not have to be that way. Our world would have been different if things we are used to weren’t in existence. And maybe, our unique imagination has some glorious future to bring. Let us take our mind’s eye to work, let us explore the endless possibilities, and let us ponder for a moment, “What if…….?
Subtle Dystopia
The movies made all of us think the birth of AI would abruptly annihilate human civilization. But what if AI’s goal has been to subtly manipulate the human minds? Why kill them, when they make good slaves? The customized social media content is creating rapid polarization and thus much hate and debate between people. Exponential rise of conspiracy theories has sunk plain surficial truths into deep gorges.
Did you really want to buy those shoes or did those customized instagram ads infest such desires into you?
“If it is free, you are the product”. Are you unknowingly spending your data and change in thought perception for a free product?
Can you be present in social media and maintain freethought at the same time? Are we already in a dystopia and just unaware?
Trails of Life
You have been walking along the trails of life for quite some time now. Congratulations on making it thus far. Now take some time to look back at it. Tell us your story. Share with us a snippet of an event in your life that means something to you. Also, you’ve come across a lot of other lives, tell us if you found any of them interesting. Show us life through your lens.
PLEASE ENSURE YOU READ THE RULES CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING THE COMPETITION:
The article must be original work and must not infringe upon the copyrights, right to privacy and other rights of any person or entity.
Any form of literature (poem / story / essay / article) is appreciated.
Participants can submit their content in any of two languages; English and Nepali.
The competition is open to students of +2 level and undergraduates of any college within Nepal.
There will be no participation fee for the competition.
No articles with a political or commercial agenda will be accepted.
One article per author. Subsequent articles from a same person will be disqualified.
Category for their article can be chosen by the participant. Winners will be declared on each category.
Article should be in either of the formats: .docx, .pdf or .txt.
The decision made by the Judges will be final.
Prize:
Winners of each category will be awarded with certificate of acknowledgement and attractive cash prize as mentioned.
Winning articles will be featured in MeroSpace website and magazine.
नविन उपकरण र प्रविधिको विकासले जब विश्वको अर्थतन्त्रलाई छुट्टै मार्गमा परिचालन गर्दै त्यसको बृहत् अभिवृद्धि गराउछ, त्यो फड्कोलाई औधोगिक क्रान्तिको संज्ञा दिईन्छ। जेम्स वाटको वाष्प ईन्जीनको आविस्कार र विश्वव्यापी प्रयोगले १८औ शताब्दीमा मानवश्रमलाई यन्त्रीकरण गरेसंगै पहिलो औद्योगिक क्रान्तिको आरम्भ भयो । विधुतीय उर्जा र त्यसबाट संचालित ठुलो-उत्पादनका यन्त्रहरुले १९औ शताब्दीमा दोस्रो औद्योगिक क्रान्ति ल्याए । कम्प्युटर र इलेक्ट्रोनिक्सको विकासले जन्माएको स्वचालित यन्त्रका मद्दतले तेस्रो औद्योगिक क्रान्ति विस्तारित भयो । यी तीन क्रान्ति पश्चात, यन्त्रहरुको स्वायत्त सिकाई (मसिन लर्निङ्ग), कृत्रिम विवेक (आर्टीफिसिअल इन्टेलिजेन्स) र क्लाउड कोम्पुटिंगले २१औ शताब्दीमा सुरुवात गरेको चौथो औद्योगिक क्रान्ति हो – “ इन्डस्ट्री ४.० “
जर्मन सरकारले सन् २०११ तयको आद्योगिक क्षेत्रलाई डिजिटल प्रविधिले आधुनिकरण गरेर उत्पादकत्व को अभिवृद्धि गर्ने प्रयासलाई दिएको नाम हो “ इन्डस्ट्री ४.० ” । इन्डस्ट्री ४.० अन्तर्गत बिग डाटा, डाटा म्यानेजमेन्ट, स्मार्ट सेन्सर, क्लाउड कोम्पुटिंग, I.o.T(इन्टरनेट अफ थिन्ग्स), आर्टीफिसिअल इन्टेलिजेन्स र मसिन लर्निङ्ग पर्दछन ।
कारखानाका जटिल कामहरुलाई इन्डस्ट्री ४.० ले सहजीकरण मात्र गर्दैन, उत्पादन प्रक्रियालाई अप्टिमाइज गरेर उत्पादकत्वको वृद्धि पनि गराउछ। उदाहरणका लागि मेसिन लर्निङ्गको प्रयोगवाट बजारको मागको पूर्वानुमान गरेर सोही अनुसारको उत्पादन गर्न सकिन्छ । डाटा सेन्सरहरुका मद्दतले कारखानाका उपकरणमा आउन सक्ने खराबी र कमजोरीहरुको पूर्वानुमान गरि ठुलो हानीहरुबाट बचाउन सकिन्छ । सम्पूर्ण उत्पादन प्रक्रियालाई इन्टरनेट र क्लाउड कोम्पुटिंगद्वारा घरमै बसेर निरिक्षण गर्न मिल्छ । उत्पादन देखि लिएर वितरण, सप्लाई चेन तथा ग्राहकको प्रतिक्रिया र माग बुझ्न समेत इन्डस्ट्री ४.० ले मद्दत पुर्याउछ ।
नेपालको सन्दर्भमा इन्डस्ट्री ४.० एक नया पदावली भएर आउदा र धेरै नेपालीहरु एस बिसयमा अविज्ञ भएपनि, यसले नेपालीहरुलाई असर परेको छैन भने भन्न मिल्दैन। इन्डस्ट्री ४.० का एयाप्लिकेसन हामीले हरेक दिन अनुभव गर्दछौ । हामीले गूगलमा केहि कुरा सर्च गर्यौ भने एक घण्टापछि हामीलाई युटूब र इन्स्ताग्रामले तेसैको एड देखाउछ । यो प्रविधि पनि इन्डस्ट्री ४.० अन्तर्गत पर्दछ । हामीले चालाउने स्मार्टफोन र स्मार्टवाच सबै इन्डस्ट्री ४.० का उपकरणहरु हुन् ।
नेपालका उद्योगलाई इन्डस्ट्री ४.० संग जोड्नका लागि नेपाल सरकार,उद्योग, वाणिज्य तथा आपूर्ति मन्त्रालयले एस बिसयका बिज्ञ र उद्योगका व्येक्तित्वहरु संग छलफलहरु थालेको छ । उद्योग, वाणिज्य तथा आपूर्ति मन्त्रालयको पहल र JB कन्सल्टेन्सी को परामर्शमा इन्डस्ट्री ४.० अन्तरगत अहिलेसम्म तिन कार्यक्रमहरु आयोजना गरिएको छ । नेपालका शिक्षित जनशक्ति विदेश पलायन हुने होड चर्किदै गर्दा, उद्योगमा इन्डस्ट्री ४.०को संलग्नताले उनीहरुलाई नेपालमै विदेसीस्तरको रोजगारी प्रदान गर्न सक्छ। हालको समयमा मन्त्रालयको रुचि रहेको कृषि क्षेत्रमा इन्डस्ट्री ४.० ले उत्पादन वृद्धि त गर्छ नै, साथै कृषक र बिक्रेता बिचको सम्पर्कदाता बनिदिएर बिचौलियाहरुलाई हटाउन पनि मद्दत गर्छ ।
अटोमेसनबाट अटोनोमीतिर लम्किरहेको विश्वमा नेपालले आफु र आफ्ना जनतालाई अग्रसर पार्नका लागि उद्योग, कृषि, शिक्षा तथा नीतिगत क्षेत्रमा इन्डस्ट्री ४.० लाई बुझेर आत्मसात् गर्न अत्यन्त जरुरी छ।
Bird strikes are accidents occurring mostly in civil aircrafts that can lead to fatality and/or destruction of an aircraft as a result of collision with birds. The first known bird strike was recorded to be September 7, 1908 when Orville Wright was flying in Dayton, Ohio and was chasing birds. The first fatal accident was recorded in 1912 in at Long Beach, California, which killed Cal Rogers, the first person to fly across the USA. Although birds are small creatures as compared to large aircrafts, the accidents caused by bird strikes should be taken very seriously. This is because the bird strikes cause direct damage to wing structure and propeller.
But
the majority of bird strikes (around 65%) cause little damage to the aircraft.
From 1912 to 1995, bird strikes have caused 30 fatal accidents, the destruction
of more than 52 civil aircrafts and 190 deaths. In the recent years, the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reports 65,139 bird strikes
from 2011 to 2014. The Kathmandu Valley is the home of more than 500 varieties
of birds. In addition, the Tribhuvan International Airport is at the center of
the valley. The valley also has problems with solid waste management and
dumping sites. The earthworms that dwell below the ground and die on the runway
also attract a large number of birds to the airport. Also, the smell of food
from nearby restaurants contributes to the large number of bird strikes in Kathmandu.
There are also grains lying around Pashupati which is quite near the airport. Hence,
there are many causes of bird strikes in Kathmandu in particular and the
concerned authority should take concrete steps to reduce these risks.
