The Nano, Ang Lee and the 100$ laptop

What does the first in common with the other two?

If look at how the western media sees them you can actually understand the negative response to Tata’a new car.

Ang Lee is the greatest among contemporary directors. If you look at Quentin Tarantino and Steven Sodeberg, their work has had its ups and down but Ang Lee has shifted genres and surprised us with each new film. His Crouching Tiger is the highest grosser for a Non English film even today. And yet no one would venture to say that he is the best. Simply because he is not white. (Remember the time when Martin Crowe was the best “white” batsman when Dilip Vengsarkar was burning the cricket pitches in the late 80’s.)

So one reaction to the Nano is to show that its not a big deal. Since it has not come out from the western world it is not good. The Economist describes it in very strange words "a product of impatience and chutpah". Not world class. Or innovative.

The other reaction is a naive one that is formed without an understanding of the world. Like the initial reactions to the 100$ laptop. When first announced the western press went about declaring that it was one of the best ideas to come out in recent times. Not realizing that most schools in developing countries do not even have access to libraries or blackboards. Some do not even have teachers. In such a situation it does not make sense to invest in laptops. India and Thailand rejected the idea and never joined the program. Now of course Intel has dropped out of the project and the laptop costs closer to 200$. (If only they had convinced China. They could have made it for 75$ !!!! with "original" Microsoft software)

Look at some of the reactions to Nano which actually achieved its goals in terms of costs and emissions laws. The Newsweek is quick to blame it for a new source of pollution. What new source of pollution? The car runs on petrol which was an idea that came from the Western world. Thomas (The World is Flat) Friedman says that the Nano "highly retrograde initiative from a country capable of incredible innovation". Obviously the world can only remain flat till India and China product cheap legal copies of western products or remain back end offices for big Western corporates.

Yes there are several problems with a cheaper car but one must remember that in the future the Nano might have affordable environment friendly technology. In any case given the present level of research it is easier to convert a smaller car to run on electricity than a large one. Already Tata is looking at a car that has no emissions !!!! Wake up GM and Toyota...

Instead of looking at this as an opportunity to engage other organizations in India and China to find innovative solutions to transport and the environment, the Western world has reacted in a way which shows they are scared of such invention coming out of this art of the world.

Thanks to G for pointing out the news about Tata and the Air Car.

Old is gold?

Shoba Narayan writes in the Mint on the virtues of the fountain pen. She defends them claiming that “Ballpoint pens…. lack history”. Later she says when she opens a fountain pen and writes, it connects her back to the Romans and Chinese.

My memories of the fountain pen are inky fingers and stains on the shirt pocket. I stopped using them as soon as our teachers allowed us to switch to ball point pens. What is this about us that we are always willing to cling onto things that have become outdated?

The idea that a technology with history must be preserved is a tricky one. For a 70 year old an Ambassador may have historical importance but for a 15 year old the Maruti might carry memories 40 years later. However an Ambassador is not a useful car today just as the Maruti will not be 20 years later.

As a filmmaker I have often debated the relevance of film over video and now digital technology. In film school we used to argue that something shot on 35mm film looks “more real”. According to this theory video and digital technologies do not have that kind of an effect. However, the latest films shot on digital video are coming closer to the 35mm effect. Kids today have grown up on a diet of digital images do not even think that film is “better” than video.

The other argument is to do with audio systems. I used to have a LP player with a decent LP collection. Again I resisted switching to a digital (CD) player for a long time thinking that LP gives a “better” sound. But the Bose CD player I have now gives the best sound output I have heard in a long time.

When new technologies replace older ones they are generally an improvement on them.

All progress (and technology) may not be good but every technology may also not be worth preserving.