VIRTUALLY REAL

I must be fortunate enough to live in this century where the legends of science, technology, and arts have contributed so much to society and where zest to invent things never ends. A modern invention that's completely out of imagination is Virtual Reality(VR).

Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to interact with 3D worlds. 

By simulating as many senses as possible, such as vision, hearing, touch, even smell, the computer is transformed into a gatekeeper to this artificial world. The only limits to near-real VR experiences are the availability of content and cheap computing power. This invention is indeed bliss for mankind, whenever I peep through VR, I personify myself into the shoes of actors and feel alive.

But this VR  often reminds me of the "Virtually true" a chapter that I had in my 9th grade, which begins with a boy named Michael who comes across an article in the newspaper about a “Miracle Recovery.” The article is about a boy whose condition was critical but he still recovers from the coma. Michael remembers that the boy who was cited in the newspaper was, in fact, Sebastian Shultz who he had happened to meet a few weeks ago while playing.

It all got started during the Computer Fair, when Michael’s father who was nutty about computers, gifted him a new computer that was preloaded with games. When he starts playing the game ‘Wild West’, he gets challenged by “Black-eyed Jed” to a duel when becomes a Sheriff. He then meets a Second Sheriff whom he was asked to go with. Sadly, the Second Sheriff happens to get shot by the villains and the game soon ends. Later, he gets a printout that reads “I‘m Sebastian Shultz, try playing Dragon Quest”.

In the game Dragon Quest, his mission is to save Princess Aurora from the wicked dragon. He gets the help of the second knight who is none other than Sebastian. Sebastian was killed later on in the game. The game ends but his printer displays a message that asks him not to give up and try playing “Jailbreak.”

In the game Jail Break, his task was to escape along with the prisoner, and he somehow knew it was Sebastian again. They eventually broke out of jail and ran to the roof as doors shut behind them. Then the helicopter arrived as they reached the roof and they got into the helicopter. When they have taken off, Sebastian fell off the helicopter, and then the game ended. Michael played the game many times later but he never got a print after that.

Then one fine day, his printer displays a message that tells him that the helicopter was a better choice, so try your luck at playing “War Zone”. Sebastian also promised not to trouble him again if this did not work out.

Michael jumped into the game right away. He found himself in a city that is scarred by battle wounds. He knew that his job was to save Sebastian. They ran together towards an abandoned jeep that they managed to find amidst the rubble. Then, they went towards a helicopter as a tank followed them. As soon as it came to their view, Sebastian stopped the car. 

Michael jumped into the helicopter when the jeep went into a spin. Sebastian could not get into the helicopter at that point. Michael patiently waited and shouted at him to come into the helicopter but Sebastian does not budge. A few moments later, Sebastian was thrown into the helicopter when the tank collides with the jeep. They flew into clouds and the game ended, saving him. When Michael removes his visor, he realizes that he has got the Higher Score.

The narrator now wants to cross-check the details. He gets out of the train and tries to get some details on the internet. He finds out what he was looking for. It seems that during the time of the accident, Sebastian was on his laptop and was playing one of the psycho-drive games that the narrator had purchased.

The narrator later understands that Sebastian’s memory had got stored on the disk because the computer had saved Sebastian’s memory when he had banged his head during the accident. But it’s interesting to know how it ended up in the narrator’s computer. 

This puzzle also gets solved later because the narrator gets to know that when Sebastian was in the hospital, someone had stolen his games and sold them and it was the narrator who had ended up buying them. There is also a message from Sebastian that says, “DEAR MICHAEL, THANK YOU. I'm NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED. BUT YOU SAVED MY LIFE. LET’S MEET UP SOON, CHEERS. SEB. PL. KEEP THE GAMES. YOU’VE EARNED THEM”.
  
The only difference I found was I never received a message so far as Michael did.

SR-71 : The Blackbird

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
                               —President John F. Kennedy

The truth is a strange thing. You can try to suppress it, but it will always find its way to the surface, sometimes our little minds cannot comprehend;

"We’re eyeball to eyeball…and I think the other fellow just blinked.”
—Secretary of State, Dean Rusk to NSA, McGeorge Bundy

With tensions rising in the Cold War, the most important thing for both sides was a fail-proof reconnaissance method to collect as much information as possible and maintain as much stealth as possible. By the latter half of the 1950s, the RADARs and anti-aircraft missiles were already integrated into the Air-Defense systems of both the countries, making it very difficult to launch air reconnaissance missions. 

In 1962, a USAF U-2 aircraft was shot down by Russian SAM(Surface to Air Missile) over Soviet territory. Situations like these gave rise to the need for an aircraft capable of out-flying missiles and out-heighten the anti-aircraft artillery and RADAR. This Herculean task was assigned to the Lockheed Martin Corporation’s clandestine division, Skunk Works, headed by a genius Design Engineer, Clarence L. Kelly Johnson.

Design

The initial design proposed a new high speed, high altitude, reconnaissance aircraft, to be capable of avoiding interceptors and missiles, centered on a design propelled by liquid hydrogen. This proved to be impracticable because of considerable fuel consumption. Lockheed then reconfigured the design for conventional fuels. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), already flying the Lockheed U-2, issued a production contract for an aircraft designated the A-12. 

The A-12 was designed to cruise at Mach 3.2 and fly well above 18,288 m (60,000 feet).

Titanium Skin

Flying at more than three times the speed of sound generates 316° C (600° F) temperatures on external surfaces due to air drag, which was enough to melt conventional aluminum airframes. The design team chose to make the jet's external skin of the Titanium alloy to which shielded the internal aluminum airframe.

Twin Engines

Two conventional, but very powerful, afterburning turbine engines, named Pratt & Whitney J-58,  propelled this remarkable aircraft. These power plants had to operate across a huge speed envelope in flight, from a takeoff speed of 334 kph (207 mph) to more than 3,540 kph (2,200 mph).

Special Color

The A-12s were to exhibit a low radar profile. This was achieved by carefully shaping the airframe to reflect as little transmitted radar energy (radio waves) as possible, and by application of special(black) paint designed to absorb, rather than reflect, those waves. And this peculiar black color gave rise to its name “The BlackBird”.

These A-12’s were upgraded by adding special reconnaissance equipment and designated as SR-71. The SR-71 was both longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit. The SR-71 was introduced to operational service in January 1966. These were very sophisticated crafts and required a lot of preparation. Pilots were trained specifically for this task.

Fun fact: The glass cover on the cockpit used to get so hot that pilots would warm their food by pressing against it.

The SR-71 still holds the world record for flying at a sustained altitude of 85,069 feet and reaching a top speed of 2,193.2 miles per hour, or Mach 3.3. 

SR-71s were decommissioned from active service in 1990. It was last flown by NASA in 1999. Now the remaining of the BlackBirds are enjoying their retirement, resting in museums.

Now answer me this:

“Keeping in mind the fact that SR-71 could easily fool the RADARs, do you think it would still be stealthy if launched today?”

Here are some references for a more detailed read:

1. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/setting-records-sr-71-blackbird
2. https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/sr-71-blackbird-spy-plane-design/index.html
3. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/history/blackbird.html

Into The Tunnel : II

Hey readers, if you have missed the first part of Into The Tunnel, please find it here:

Into The Tunnel : I

We hope you have a good read of the second part of Into The Tunnel;

Kili swung the sword cum stick like a warrior and there was a clanging sound of two swords, according to Kili and Fili. In reality, Kili's stick had struck an asteroid hard and was completely destroyed. Thankfully his hand was intact. 

Kili on realizing that his sword just disappeared, went mad and started reciting some peculiar chants in Khuzud (dwarf language). 

Fili thought his brother was suffering from mental illness, and he needs his help.  What can he do in such a situation when they are not aware of their whereabouts? Amidst such a situation, their only escapade would be magic. Somehow get off this swing, and return home. The fondness of a weird swing was sucked by the vacuum. Frustrated and annoyed Fili accompanied Kili to recite chants in Khuzud. 

Those were not some normal chants, they were exceptionally potent, for they had originated along with the creation of this Universe. The energy they had in them could transform even the smallest atoms to gargantuan galaxies. 

As they continued with their intonation, the magnetic field of the earth started aligning such that, the hollow corridor of disastrous impressions again emerged along with the landmass and there was no void in between. 

Fili and Kili on feeling the ground under their feet had stopped reciting and came to their senses. On realizing they were not on that horrific swing anymore, all their plans to conquer the skies, oceans, and clouds were shattered. 

They then journeyed back to the distant and cabbalistic lands of dwarfs, under the stars and above the oceans.

Switched Reluctance Motors: A Sustainable Approach

"The need for efficient and sustainable energy solutions while cutting off carbon emissions continues to grow, as our world sees the negative impact of its lack of consideration for the environment has had."

What if we could save millions of dollars of manufactures along with slashing the carbon emissions to almost it's half. Here's a solution that modern technology has gifted with recent advancements " switched reluctance motor (SRM) ".

Since these past 100 years, the traction motor technologies have progressed from dc motors, induction motors, and lately, to permanent magnet (PM) motors.

Although high-performance PMs provide high efficiency and high torque density, they are unsustainable because of the scarcity of rare-earth materials they rely on. 

So besides the need to further reduce CO2 emissions from hybrid vehicles, there is a requirement to eliminate the use of rare earth elements also.

Turntide is a company focused on meeting this need with an electric, smart motor design that has the potential to reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions by more than 25%.

Ryan Morris, Turntide's executive chairman, said, "What intrigued me at first was that this thing is actually the simplest mechanical electric motor that can be made, but you need electronics and software that are precisely shaping the current that goes into that motor."

As a new speed control system, the SRM drive system is being integrated with power electronic technology, computer control technology, and microelectronics technology.

Working of a Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) 

SRMs operate by switching currents in the stator windings in response to changes in the magnetic circuit formed by the rotor and stator. The stator contains windings, but the rotor is simply made of steel that is shaped into salient poles, with no windings or magnets. 

There are fewer poles on the rotor than on the stator. When the rotor and stator poles are out of alignment, the magnetic circuit between them has a high reluctance. 

The basic principle behind its working is that the magnetic flux has a tendency to flow through the lowest reluctance path, therefore the rotor always tends to align along the minimum reluctance path, which means when stator phase winding A is energized, the rotor aligns along with this phase. As soon as the rotor align along with the A phase, B phase must be energized and A phase must be de-energized if clockwise rotor rotation is required.

What makes it more efficient than other motors? 

Unlike standard induction motors, an SRM has no rotor bars and therefore, no torque-producing current flow in the rotor. Also since they have rotors with no magnets or windings, they have lower inertia and can, therefore, achieve higher accelerations and speeds than PM motors.

Because of its simplified design, and the fewer parts required for it, estimates show that SRMs could cost up to 11% less than standard motors.

Forces from a magnetic field on the rotor's iron can be up to 10 times stronger than those created by current-carrying conductors. This means that these motors could be much more affordable and efficient than standard motors.

It's quite evident now that Turntide's model has the potential to become the world's most efficient electric motor. The company hopes to scale its model globally. Their model can replace motors of all sizes and is applicable in a variety of industries, but Turntide is focusing first on introducing it into buildings and agriculture.

As explained by Morris, "Replacing the motors, just in (U.S.) buildings, would be the carbon equivalent of giving the world a brand new Amazon rainforest."

While SRMs can have very high power density at low cost, they have had issues with high torque ripple when operated at low speed, and the acoustic noise caused by torque ripple.

Now answer this: "Which company has been providing high precision drive systems (motors) to NASA for their Mars rover projects ?"

And do not forget to share this article with others.

Here are the references from where you can learn more about SRMs :

1.   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214993715000032
2.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched_reluctance_motor
3.   https://turntide.com/technology/

Into The Tunnel : I

"It's great."
"Told you, it is."

Kili and Fili were swinging a swing. Not just a normal one, but an inconceivable one. It was more of a tunnel than a swing. It was dug from North pole to South pole! So when the buddies went in from the North pole, they were thrown briskly to the South pole and beyond (till the gravitational pull of the Earth could hold them), then again back to the North pole, went a little farther, and they were swinging constantly. Initially, they enjoyed, but then they started feeling nauseated. They wanted to get off of this peculiar thing. But they couldn't do anything.

Then Kili realized he and Fili had kept some tablets, what exactly it was, they didn't know. He called Fili and told him to take the tablets. They both did that, and after that, they felt even more nauseated for a while but then everything became slow. 

They were moving slowly, they could now see butterflies moving from one asteroid to another. Even the stardust far beyond seemed to come closer to them, the blistering hot core felt like a chilled snowstorm. Both of them felt relaxed. They had even started playing with rocks. They kept on laughing constantly, for no reason. 

I think you must have got it by now, they were hallucinating!

Amidst such chaos, they had thoughts of conquering the entire universe. Kili said to Fili, " The oceans are mine, you keep the clouds."

Fili said, "I will keep the clouds along with the landmass."

Kili agitated on the thought of his friend keeping two things leaving him with only one. He thought of murdering his twin in the swing and left him there. He had a stick which according to him was a sword. He held it in his hand like a warrior, swung it hard and………

To be continued

Brainwave Authentication: An Impenetrable Security System

We humans have been taking security measures from an incredibly long time, right from hiding precious things in deep and dark caverns to encrypting data using ridiculously difficult passwords. The most widely used security system, i.e.​ Username and Password​ system has now been proved weak due to lack of efficacy. 

In recent years, Biometric Authentication ​​methods have been receiving a lot of attention. The design of the biometric system requires human biological physical characteristics such as fingerprints, ear, face, and palmprint, etc. The general problems of these characteristics are its easy acquisition process therefore the numbers of attack vectors are associated with them. To reduce the chances of attacks in authentication systems research has taken the direction to Brainwaves​ based authentication systems.

In Brainwaves authentication systems​​, the idea is for a person to authenticate their identity with electroencephalogram (EEG) readings. For example, instead of demanding a passcode, a computer could display a series of words on a screen and measure the user’s response via an EEG headset. EEG signatures are unique and are more complex than a standard password, making them difficult to hack.

EEG is the electrical activity of the brain which is recorded by measuring the voltage fluctuations on the scalp surface with the simple placement of the electrodes on the skin. The electrical activities and brain signals are different for each person and cannot be faked or duplicated. Hence Electroencephalogram (EEG)​ graphs are unique for each individual, and it looks like this:

  

Inside one’s mind:

When a person looks at a photograph or hears a piece of music, the brain responds in ways that can be measured with electrical sensors. Researchers discovered that every person’s brain responds differently to an external stimulus, which means even if two people look at the same photograph, the readings of their brain activity will be different. This presents an opportunity to generate a unique combination that can serve as a password, which is obtained from what we call as brainwaves.

Brainwaves are oscillating electrical voltages in the brain measuring just a few millionths of a volt. Frequency band states; Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta have certain characteristics defying specific mind states like concentrated, anxious, relaxing or freaking out, focused, or sleepy.

Datasets obtained could include EEG signals recorded for different people with different mental tasks. These tasks may include: letter or math-related tasks, visual counting, looking at some photographs, etc. and while the brain is performing them the EEG signals are recorded.

The accuracy for this kind of system is 95% at present and research is at full swing to increase the accuracy to more than 99% and find a cheaper and more reliable implementation technique. While fingerprints can be copied very easily, copying EEG is a Herculean task making it practically impossible to breach through this system.

There have been various patents for EEG authentication model, but this model is in the initial phase of development and hence there are many issues which need to be tackled, like, EEG is a graphical representation of electric signals emerging from brain, so if a person is very happy or is very sad performing a behavioral activity or task in an emergency will result in a change in the brain signals due to emotional stress and so his EEG might be a bit different, same is the case if a person is on some sedating drug, alcohol, etc.

Now here’s a challenge for you:
  
What happens if a person is asleep and is dreaming, would he unknowingly give away his security codes?  

And, do not forget to share this article with others. Follow this link​ to find a working model.

Refer to the following articles for more:

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8776850

https://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~chuang/passthoughts/

Insights of Nuclear Devastations

As every year, we have chosen our vacation spot to be Delhi and Haryana. I am being more desperate to visit the country's capital, the glory of Mughals, but more than this I had cravings to relish the traditional Punjabi food.

Ahh! It was a very long journey straight from Mumbai to Chandigarh. I was blown by the beauty of nature, undoubtedly it's a bliss to be on this land. Travelled a lot in Chandigarh and Haridwar. Now it's time to visit Kurukshetra. 

Although I'm not excited to visit holy places, I thought I can prove no nuclear weapons were used in the 18days fight, so known as Kurukshetra. We first visited Kurukshetra panorama and Science centre, where I was amazed and at the same moment astonished to see the proof that justifies a nuclear war. 

Did our old precursors have very trend-setting innovation matching the atomic abilities of today? Then a guide briefed us saying," There is proof from remnants in India supporting that guarantee. There are additionally antiquated fantasies, which depict scenes coordinating our cutting edge comprehension of nuclear fighting".

Although writings from a great many years prior appear to contain what could be deciphered as precise portrayals of atomic blasts, practically identical to the one in Nagasaki in World War II. Taking the incomparable Sanskrit epic from India called the Mahabharata. 

It recounts fate and devastation that Kurukshetra has caused in 18 days battle, with entries that appear to precisely portray the impacts and repercussions of an atomic war. Enormous blasts “more brilliant than a thousand suns” were recorded, just as cadavers consumed to the point that they were unrecognizable. 

There were likewise numerous different sections fitting the cutting edge portrayal of an atomic assault. As indicated by this legend, the individuals who endure the disaster lost their hair and fingernails a short time later, while nourishment supplies were polluted—this all matches our comprehension of the impacts of radiation harming and radioactive defilement in the fallout of a nuclear blast. 

A study says few plant specimens can be grown in the native soil of this place because of the nuclear devastations that occurred. It remains as a probability to certain researchers (who are now and again disparaged) that human advancements could have existed far back ever, which were similarly as cutting edge than our progress today. I wonder how people in ancient times managed to develop such hazardous weapons. 

As usually the myths and holistic people come in between supporting the past happenings as a bliss of Lord Krishna, while the other group says that both science and myths are together. Later on, the walls of the Science center displayed Astras were also used for defensive purposes similar to a Tesla Shield which is used to destroy the enemy Astra coming towards it. 

The modern "Tesla shield" discharges electrical energy and any incoming physical object which hits the shell receives an enormous discharge of that energy and instantly vaporizes. It can also be compared to the anti-missile air defense system of modern times. India has a Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) named Astra. 

Astra is designed to be capable of engaging targets at varying ranges and altitudes allowing for engagement of both short-range targets (up to 20 km) and long-range targets (up to 80 km) using alternative propulsion modes and the missile is technologically more sophisticated than the nuclear-capable Agni missile series of strategic ballistic missiles. 

Weapons used in MahabharataAstras like Brahmashira, Brahmasthra, Pasupatasthra, Vaishnavasthra, Narayana Astra, Agneyasthra, Vayavasthra, Nagasthra, Vajrasthra, Varunasthra, etc. were used in Mahabharata along with positive indications of the use of Nuclear weapons, otherwise, how could the war cause the death of around 1.5 billion people in a matter of 18 days. 

Later the tourist guide informed us about the studies that were taking place on soils of Kurukshetra by DRDO people and geologists, analyzing the chemicals that have been used in these Astras and constantly endeavouring to find traces of new elements. 

So finally an end was put to my foolishness that all nuclear discoveries that caused huge explosions and devastations were actually initiated from my land rather from Hiroshima Nagasaki.

INTEL 4004 : The Era of Revolution

“The greatest growling engine of change - technology and what’s fueling it is the majestic human mind!”

Back in 1947, when the transistor was invented, who would have ever thought that later after certain advancements, 2300 transistors could possibly be used in small single-integrated circuits, the first microprocessors as small as a little fingernail ( delivering the same computing power as the first electronic computer built in 1946, which filled an entire room ).

What opened the door for the first microprocessors, then, was the application of MOS integrated circuits to computing. In the early 1970s, the introduction of large scale integration (LSI)-which made it possible to embed thousands of transistors, diodes, and resistors onto a Silicon chip led to the development of the microprocessor. Designers were working to integrate the CPU functions of a computer onto a handful of such chips, called microprocessor unit (MPU) chipsets.

"If you are going to put a few thousand dollars worth of memory [in a computer], wouldn't it make more sense to spend $500 for a processor built out of small- or medium- scale electronics and have 100 times the performance,” said Ted Hoff who together with the co-inventors Mazor and Faggin at Intel Corporation came up with the idea of the design for the microprocessor.

The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, released in 1971. The 4004 was the first such logic circuit integrated into one chip using the MOS (metal–oxide–semiconductor) silicon gate technology (SGT). 

Let's begin with the history behind this first-ever commercially produced microprocessor. There was a time when computers were still rare and calculators were commonly used. In fact, it was a calculator project that turned into a milestone in the history of computing technology.

Busicom, a Japanese calculator company, had designed its own special-purpose LSI chipset to be used in a 141-PF calculator. But it's design used serial read-write memories which made it too complex since these serial memories required more components, and would consequently use about 40 pins ( a packaging standard different from Intel's 16-pin standard). In 1969 Busicom approached Intel Corporation to develop its design for the custom chips for production.

So, Intel proposed to develop a new design that could be produced with standard 16-pin DIP packaging and hence would have a reduced instruction set. This newly proposed design included a set of four chips known as the MCS-4 which included: the central processing unit (CPU) chip - 4004 chip, along with a supporting ROM chip, a RAM chip, and shift register chips for the input/output port.

When Busicom gave exclusive rights to Intel, it began marketing the chip to other manufacturers in 1971.

The 4004 a four-bit processor had a major  limitation that it was capable of only 24, or 16, distinct combinations, or “words.” To distinguish the 26 letters of the alphabet and up to six punctuation symbols, the computer had to combine two four-bit words.

The 4004, was followed by the first-ever 8-bit microprocessor, the 3,500 transistor 8008 (and the 4040, a revised and improved 4004). 


The 4004 marked the beginning of Intel’s rise to global prominence in the processor industry. Intel’s first microprocessor; its invention, introduction, and lasting influence had a great turn around in the advancement of computing technology and has now influenced the whole modern computer world.

Now answer this: 

"What was the early numbering scheme used by Intel for its integrated circuits before the Intel 4004 was named so, breaking away from the Intel's early numbering scheme? "

And yes! Do not forget to share this article with others and to know the whole story behind the advent of microprocessors and the later advancements followed by the invention of the 4004, refer to the links below.

Here are the references where you can learn more:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_4004
2. https://www.intel.in/content/www/in/en/history/museum-story-of-intel-4004.html
3. https://hackaday.com/2018/01/29/inventing-the-microprocessor-the-intel-4004/

Mysterious Magnetic Hill

Ladakh, the very word creates a portrayal of mysterious lands, snow peaks, and the constant efforts put by the soldiers at the border. This is undoubted, heaven on the earth. 

I was deputed as Colonel in Ladakh, earlier I worked at Sikkim and Leh also, but it was in winters and the prevailing temperatures of the place that always cause frigidness, never soothed me and never gave an opportunity to rejoice the glory of nature. 

Now this being summer, I am all excited to serve my duties, rejoicing the fairyland. As usual, I have chosen my bullet for travel. Centuries ago Shah Jahan said that if there is a paradise on earth then it’s in Kashmir. 

To that, I say that he did not visit Ladakh or would certainly have changed his opinion. Or maybe he did and included Ladakh as well when he said the word “Kashmir”. 

Out of the several enchanting places in Ladakh, there is one place that has mystified people for long and continues to do so. It is a small stretch of road located about 30 kilometers from Leh towards Kargil and known as Magnetic Hill of Ladakh. 

I was appalled by the stories people were narrating about the hill. I thought I should first visit this place and the rest after duty, as I have a couple of days to report. I found out the location of this acclivity.  On this particular part of the Srinagar – Leh highway, I saw a road ahead going uphill.

I turned off the engine and had let my vehicle stand in neutral so that I click some selfies and was vetting the behavior of hill. I was amazed to observe, my bike slowly started moving and as far as I know, it was going up by a speed of 20 kmph on its own. 

My co-passengers on the hill, the folks in a Safari brought it to a complete halt but moments later their TATA Safari; a vehicle completely loaded with luggage and passengers; still slowly gained momentum. 

I started being inquisitive and began digging the science behind this phenomenon and when started enquiring about people, there are a few different theories behind it. As per the most common theory, it was believed to be at work behind this mysterious phenomenon is a magnetic force so strong that it can pull cars uphill.

It is so notorious that even the airplanes that fly over this region increase their altitude to avoid magnetic interference. Some people are not aware of the mystery of the magnetic hill in Ladakh and just pass through here. 

I started speaking with the locals about the hill, villagers, in particular, they told me a different version of the story. As per them, here once lied a pathway that led straight to heaven. 

People who were deserving of it would automatically get pulled up; however, the undeserving ones could never make it up the path; no matter how hard they tried. For them, this entire concept and area are supernatural. 

Alas! For every scientific phenomenon, their lives a story indulging the superstitious beliefs. Later, after doing a lot of work, I came across a concept of optical illusion in neuroscience; which in layman’s language means that you either see something that is not there at all, or you see things differently than how they physically are. 

Out of the numerous optical illusions recorded, there is one of Gravity Hill; which means that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Why it appears that way can be attributed to the obstructed horizon, either completely or mostly. Our eyes and minds are used to using the horizon as a reliable reference; to be able to tell if a particular slope is straight or if there is a slant. 

Without the horizon, we will not be able to tell for sure. The same concept works in aviation as well. Pilots up in the sky cannot see the horizon; and if it weren’t for the electronic equipment and gadgets; they would never be able to tell if the plane is flying straight, upwards, or downwards. 

This same concept applies to our Magnetic Hill in Ladakh. This is purely a natural optical effect caused by the specific layout of hills that obstruct the horizon. 

That short stretch of the road that appears to be uphill, as a matter of fact, is downhill; and this is the reason why cars slowly gain momentum. 

The hills in front of your eyes at this stretch are naturally laid out in such a manner that they will deceive your mind, and lead it to believe that you are going up. Since your eyes cannot clearly see the horizon, there is no way for your mind to contradict.