​By the 1950s, the US and Soviets had nuclear armaments, giving birth to the concept of “mutually assured destruction,” which prevented worst-case scenarios from arising. As the Americans and Soviets took opposing positions in the Korean War, supplying and funding the North and South, respectively, Albert Wohlstetter termed the situation a “delicate balance of terror." Neither Khruschev nor Eisenhower (and ultimately Kennedy) crossed the threshold of direct warfare, as that would lead to the "destruction of humanity.”

Parity between the two sides had benefits. It developed from World War II, via espionage. The Manhattan Project is the perfect example of this. Launched in the early 1940s, the project involved enriched uranium and plutonium production at Oak Ridge and Hanford facilities, and bomb design and testing at Los Alamos in the remote desert of New Mexico. Under Robert Oppenheimer's direction, the Trinity test on July 16, 1945, 210 miles southeast of Los Alamos, confirmed the new atomic bomb’s effectiveness. The orange and yellow fireball released rose into a mushroom cloud, instantly turning the desert "from darkness to brilliant sunshine.” This test led to the eventual deployment of a uranium bomb, Little Boy, on Hiroshima on August 6th and a plutonium bomb, Fat Man, on Nagasaki.

While the use of nuclear weapons came as a surprise to many, the US had informed the Soviet Union leadership less than two weeks beforehand. This represented a marked change of policy. The late President Franklin Roosevelt had pursued a strategy of keeping America’s atomic project secret from the USSR. With Roosevelt’s death in 1945, the incoming president, Harry Truman, decided to inform Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin of America’s new capabilities at the Allied meeting in Potsdam, Germany.

The meeting focused on designing a co-occupation by the Allies and Soviets of a defeated Germany. They had floated a similar arrangement in the Pacific theater, with Stalin indicating that the USSR planned to become involved in Asian policymaking and exert regional control. US policymakers believed that Truman, through informing Stalin of America’s nuclear capabilities and demonstrating the bombs in action, pushed through Soviet concessions in Asia and even Europe while bringing about Japan’s surrender.

On the evening of July 24, 1945, Truman casually approached his Soviet counterpart and said, without an interpreter, that the US possessed a "new weapon of unusual destructive force." As Truman recounted, Stalin hoped they would use the weapon against Japan. Others present had differing narratives: the British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden heard only “thank you” from Stalin. At the same time, the Soviet interpreter described the Soviet Premier as simply nodding his head and saying nothing.

The meeting accomplished two things - the US informed the Soviets of their new weaponry non-confrontationally, without framing it as a threat. Second, it gave Stalin the opportunity for a composed and unflustered reply, indicating that core Soviet positions and policies remained unchanged.

Years later, it became clear that Stalin had a sound reason for his measured response. Russian intelligence had known about the Manhattan Project and atomic progress through espionage since the autumn of 1941. Indeed, the USSR was not far behind in its quest to achieve nuclear weapons of its own as a forward projection and balance against the US.

​Johannes Kepler's Somnium, written in 1608 and published posthumously in 1634, is often credited as the first work of science fiction. Over the following centuries, science fiction has spawned countless literary and film subgenres, including cyberpunk and space opera. During the development of the genre, numerous science fiction creators have accurately predicted technological advances and trends, sometimes decades before they appeared in the real world.

Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Minority Report, based on the 1956 Philip K. Dick novella The Minority Report, depicts a future society where technology allows law enforcement professionals to arrest criminals before they commit crimes. The film explores a variety of related technologies, such as advertising products and services to individual customers. Protagonist John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, is surrounded by advertising campaigns. Ads cater to his specific interests and refer to him by name. At the time, the targeted advertising did not exist.

Today, targeted advertising is a core strategy for many companies, though they have not reached the precision or omnipresence shown in Minority Report. Targeted advertising analyzes past behavior, such as Internet search history and spending patterns, and presents ads to which the consumer is most likely to respond. This contrasts with blanket advertising, which presents all audiences with the same marketing materials.

Targeted advertising emerged within a few years of the Minority Report film. There was a far larger gap between the fictional technology in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and tablet devices. The film explores a variety of technologies and gadgets, though few have materialized in any significant way. The major exception is the tablet computer. Astronauts in the film frequently use devices called newspads that function as tablet computers and allow the characters to watch live television broadcasts. Perhaps more uncanny is the timing: Kubrick's film, is set just nine years before the first iPad became commercially available. The connection between 2001: A Space Odyssey and modern tablets is no coincidence. During a 2011 court case between Samsung and Apple, the former cited Kubrick's film and newspads "prior art," negating Apple's design patent claim on the iPad.

Total Recall, another film based on Philip K. Dick fiction, involves diverse speculative technologies, including a self-driving taxi. In 1990, the scene was far removed from reality, but in 2025, various automobile manufacturers offer varying degrees of self-driving cars, including those that can parallel park with no human intervention. Fully self-driving vehicles are not yet available, though this technology is not far from reaching mainstream consumers.

Finally, in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick conceived of technology that would one day become ubiquitous. The book was adapted as the 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner. During several scenes in the movie, Harrison Ford's character Rick Deckard communicates with others using a video phone. Despite hitting theaters when cell phone technology was in its infancy, Ridley Scott and his design team produced videophones and services that closely resemble those offered today by Skype, Messenger, and Facetime.

​Cricket combines strategy, skill, and tradition. Two eleven-player teams play on an oval field with a 22-yard pitch. One team tries to score more runs than the other, while the other tries to limit runs and dismiss hitters.

The game commences with a coin toss between the captains to determine which team will bat or field first. The batting team hits and runs between the wickets or to the boundary to score runs. Fielding teams bowl batters out, catch the ball before it hits the ground, or execute run-outs to stop runs.

Each team bats and fields in designated innings in a cricket match. Formats give different experiences because of their structure and innings count. Test cricket, the most extended format, stresses endurance and strategic depth, with two innings for each team over five days. With 50 overs per side, one-day ODIs combine aggression and tactics. Twenty20 (T20) cricket, the shortest official format, thrills modern viewers with the fast pace. Each team has 20 overs. Bowlers make six legal deliveries every over, the standard play unit in all formats.

The cricket field has strategic segments, with specific positions assigned to fielders. Slips, gully, point, cover, mid-off, mid-on, square leg, and fine leg serve different tactical goals. Captains modify outfield placements based on batter patterns and bowling strategy, which can affect game dynamics.

Scoring in cricket involves accumulating runs through various means. After striking the ball, batters can go between the wickets, strike the boundary for four runs, or clear the boundary for six runs. Umpires award extra runs for fielding errors such as wides, no-balls, and leg-byes.

Dismissals, or 'wickets,' are crucial in limiting the batting side's score. There are various standard dismissing methods. Strikes to the stumps bowl a batter. Fielders catch balls before they hit the ground. Batsmen block balls heading for the stumps, resulting in LBW. A run-out occurs when a fielder removes the bails before the hitter reaches the crease. While outside the crease, the wicketkeeper removes the bails, stumping the batsman.

Bowling is a pivotal aspect of cricket. Bowlers deliver the ball overarm to the batsman. Fast bowling uses speed, while spin bowling uses finger or wrist action to spin the ball and deviate it when it bounces. Bowling style can affect the batter's skill and game tempo.

The wicketkeeper's role remains specialized and vital. The wicketkeeper stands behind the stumps at the batsman’s end, catching missed deliveries, executing stumpings, and assisting in run-outs. This position demands sharp reflexes, agility, and keen observation.

Umpires ensure fair play and enforce cricket's rules, making key decisions on dismissals, boundary calls, and deliveries. Two on-field umpires monitor the game, while a third assists with video reviews in higher-level matches. The Decision Review System (DRS) lets teams challenge calls using slow-motion replays and ball tracking, improving accuracy and fairness.

Cricket uses jargon, including 'duck' (a batsman going out without scoring), 'googly' (a deceptive spin delivery), and 'maiden over' (an over with no runs). Knowing this terminology improves one's viewing and understanding of the sport.

Beyond the basic rules and structures, cricket embodies a culture of sportsmanship and tradition. The game emphasizes respect and integrity, as shown by 'walking,' where a batsman accepts dismissal without waiting for the umpire and the post-match handshake. Cricket's unwritten rules make it unique and global.

Engaging with cricket offers insights into a sport that seamlessly blends physical prowess with strategic acumen. Whether played or watched, cricket transcends cultures and generations. Its timeless appeal and shifting formats draw new and seasoned fans to its vast tapestry.

​Tamil speakers make up a sizable portion of the Indian population, with an early 21st-century census placing their number at around 69 million. Tamil culture is most concentrated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and has a sizable influence in other southern states and territories such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, and Telangana. The northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka have around 3 million Tamil speakers, many of whom have centuries of history on the island. Malaysia has about 2 million Tamil speakers, many of whose families originally came to the country in the 19th century to work on British plantations. Myanmar has about 1 million Tamils, many of whom can trace their origins to the migration of merchants and traders from Tamil Nadu during British rule.

A locus of Tamil culture, Tamil Nadu spans 50,200 square miles and, historically, was predominantly agricultural. River deltas yield rich alluvial soil suitable for many crops, with central, southeastern, and west-central regions most suited for cotton growing. The state has around 15 percent of forest, with subalpine flora found in the Western Ghats and northern and central district hills. More recently, the industrial and services sectors have grown to become more significant contributors to the state’s GDP.

While predominantly Hindu, Tamil people have a variety of belief systems, most notably Christianity, Islam, and Jainism. With a relatively cosmopolitan worldview and inclusive political structure, Tamil Nadu has made strides in integrating minorities into a power-sharing structure, especially when compared to other parts of the country.

One of the defining political aspects of Tamil life from the mid-20th century was the Dravidian self-respect movement. Spread via the three main Dravidian platforms, the Dravida Kazhagam (DK), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK), the movement focuses on dismantling caste hierarchy and emphasizing values of self-respect. Its proponents seek to ensure that lower caste people have greater access to education and sought-after government jobs. This has led to progressive reform: the state now reserves about 69% of educational seats for those within “oppressed castes,” and admission standards have changed, including the elimination of the Tamil Nadu Professional Courses Entrance Exam in 2006 based on the belief that students from privileged urban backgrounds have an unfair advantage.

A key tenet of the movement has been fostering and reclaiming Tamil language use in various civic arenas. When India became independent and Hindi was proposed as a ‘national’ language, over 60% of Indians did not speak Hindi. Leaders in Tamil Nadu threatened secession and so, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru assured the Tamils, and other linguistic groups, that the country would respect the sovereignty of their languages.

Despite this “Nehru Assurance,” certain non-South India based dominant political parties and organizations have long advocated the universal adoption of the Hindi language and its customs. In the process, quasi-colonialist methods of homogenizing Indian identity have sometimes been employed, engendering a strong pushback from academics, politicians, professionals, and ordinary people passionate about preserving India’s rich linguistic diversity (including Tamil) and the multitude of perspectives and traditions that come with it.

​The undercover operations of Soviet spies during the Manhattan Project significantly impacted the trajectory of the Cold War. They enabled the USSR to develop nuclear capabilities rapidly and achieve parity with the United States. Therefore, it is worth investigating the extent to which Soviet espionage efforts facilitated this achievement.

The discovery of nuclear fission by German scientists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman in 1938 set the stage for the development of atomic weapons. By 1941, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had approved the Manhattan Project in response to warnings from scientists like Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard about the potential for devastating new weapons. Around the same time, Soviet intelligence became aware of the U.S. efforts, leading to Premier Stalin sanctioning Operation ENORMOZ, which aimed to infiltrate the Manhattan Project.

According to the Rosenberg trial transcript, published by the United States National Archives, key Soviet spies, including Klaus Fuchs and the Rosenbergs, played crucial roles in relaying critical information. Fuchs provided detailed reports on the development of the atomic bomb, while David Greenglass, a machinist at the Manhattan Project, passed on sketches and handwritten notes through Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. These efforts ensured the Soviet Union had access to vital information about the U.S. atomic program.

Soviet espionage had a profound impact on the arms race, accelerating the Soviet atomic project in two main ways. Firstly, it alerted the USSR to the feasibility and progress of the U.S. atomic bomb, prompting Stalin to allocate resources to the Soviet project earlier than he might have otherwise. Secondly, the information obtained through espionage drastically reduced the time required for Soviet scientists to develop their atomic bomb.

According to David Holloway, a historian with expertise in Soviet atomic archives and other historians like Michael Schwartz, without espionage, the Soviet Union would not have been able to begin its atomic project as early or complete it as quickly. The espionage provided a roadmap for Soviet scientists, allowing them to replicate U.S. successes while avoiding the same failures. This saved considerable time and resources, enabling the USSR to test its first atomic bomb in 1949, just four years after the U.S. successfully conducted the Trinity test in 1945.

The rapid development of Soviet nuclear capabilities had significant implications for the international balance of power. At the Potsdam Conference, U.S. President Harry Truman informed Stalin of the U.S.'s new weapon, hoping to leverage it in post-war negotiations. However, Stalin's awareness of the Soviet Union's progress, thanks to espionage, allowed him to remain firm in his negotiations. Furthermore, the concept of mutually assured destruction, which emerged from both superpowers possessing atomic weapons, played a crucial role in preventing direct conflict during the Cold War.

The arms race extends beyond the development of atomic bombs to include hydrogen bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and other advanced delivery systems. As a result, the competition prompted rapid technological advancements and significant military expenditures on both sides. While the United States initially held a technological edge, Soviet espionage continued to play a role in closing the gap, a good example is the Soviet Union's successful test of its hydrogen bomb in 1953, just a year after the United States.

​One philosophical question worth pondering is whether some things are unknowable. By definition, that which is unknowable is almost impossible to be known. Various means of knowing and understanding, embodied in sensory perception, reason, and memory, are inaccessible if a thing is unknowable. Whether something is unknowable is also firmly rooted in the present, as we cannot predict whether that which is unknowable will remain so in the future. At some point, it might become perceived and, thus, in a fundamental sense, known.

A core question concerning the unknowable is how we can know that it exists with certainty. If we cannot know something, doesn't that mean it also may not exist? Answering this requires an analysis of the various modes of knowledge and knowing. This starts with the "what if" formulation when looking to the past and pondering past decisions and life routes not taken.

Let's examine a college graduate with dual majors in economics and engineering. After graduating, the student receives an internship offer from an engineering firm but does not receive a similar one from an economics organization. The student thus pursues the engineering opportunity. This leads to a lengthy career in engineering that ultimately defines other aspects of his life. Looking back at this signal event and the internship offer, that person might logically ask: What if an engineering internship had not been available to me? Similarly, he might ask: what if an economics internship had become available to me? How would this have affected my life to come? Such "what if" formulations prompt a process of self-reflection that does not ultimately lead to any concrete conclusion. The answer is unknowable, and trying to answer is, in and of itself, an act of futility.

Extrapolating what would have happened with an alternate past as the basis is impossible. This has to do with the complexity of reconstructing a past situation at a time distant from the present and determining what would have happened had one's decision been different. It's not only that it's impossible to return to one's past sense of self and knowledge and the motivating factors of a specific moment in time. There are also external factors to consider, including the actions of other stakeholders and events beyond one's control. With each action affecting others, the ultimate way reality would have progressed is unknowable. Thus, memory and imagination cannot provide an accurate or reliable answer about a life not lived.

However, as an act of creative imagination and moving outside of one's current reality, the "what if" question has value. It also provides an example of something that could have existed (has the potentiality for existence) yet is unknowable.

Another analogy that helps us conceptualize the unknowable is the black hole. The gravitational pull of a black hole is so intense that nothing, not even light, may escape it. Even a nearly indestructible machine outfitted with the latest data-receiving and transmitting sensors would not survive the journey into a black hole. Thus, its findings would never be communicated to the outside world. 

Despite a black hole being an unknowable phenomenon, scientists have developed a theory of relativity that seeks to explain it. Because these laws of physics have proved correct outside of the black hole, we apply the same laws to the black hole and believe we understand what's inside. While the theory may prove incorrect, there is also a good chance that the theory holds. Given such a situation, the interior of a black hole exists and will always remain unknowable, no matter how well we know the forces around it. Therefore, some things that exist in the real world and can be comprehended and theorized about are also unknowable.