Verbōsum Corpus

Shalini Verma writes about the intersection of technology, business, society and the planet. She tries to make complex concepts and technologies more accessible for her readers. Her writings have been published in the Khaleej Times, Forbes Middle East, The Quint, and Alma. Shalini is building a sustainable life at Vermitas, which she draws upon in her writing. She has also written a self-help book, Pole Pole Kilimanjaro: A Little Extraordinary in an Ordinary Woman’s Life.

This is a collection of some of her recently published work in print and online.

Pole Pole Kilimanjaro: A Little Extraordinary in an Ordinary Woman’s Life

This is a story about an amateur climber’s maiden mountain climb. Her husband enlisted her by adding her to the WhatsApp group of wanderlust stricken friends who were planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. The climb started off as an irreverent adventure filled with lighthearted moments, personal quirks, team bonhomie, but unfolded into a gripping tale of human endeavour, endurance and will power.

The book explores the quintessential battle of freewill and destiny, as climbers pit themselves against a daunting mountain. The climb proved to be much more than the milestone of 5,895 meters Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL). At that height, the uncluttered truth about life’s simplicity and ingenuity became evident. At the critical hours of the summit climb, technique took a back seat and the mind took complete charge.

The book takes you through the turbulent and blurry mind of an amateur climber combating Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS), as she made her life choices, drew motivation from within and without, and wagered almost everything to get to the summit.

Click here to get the book on Amazon.

Technology

What the Matrix tells us about the Metaverse

Much ado about NFTs and how they could disrupt the status quo

Much ado about NFTs and how they could disrupt the status quo

The Metaverse will be everything we ever imagined in our games, books, and movies, where reality...

Much ado about NFTs and how they could disrupt the status quo

Much ado about NFTs and how they could disrupt the status quo

Much ado about NFTs and how they could disrupt the status quo

Trading could be in millions of dollars and the secondary market could be extremely volatile.

Why I disagree with Elon Musk’s prediction on language

Much ado about NFTs and how they could disrupt the status quo

Why I disagree with Elon Musk’s prediction on language

The mere insinuation that a brain chip could make language obsolete cannot be ignored.

Can artificial intelligence emulate brain?

Can artificial intelligence emulate brain?

Why I disagree with Elon Musk’s prediction on language

AI is architected along the lines of the human brain, to simulate the workings of neurons.

Big Tech faces less room to manoeuvre

Can artificial intelligence emulate brain?

Big Tech faces less room to manoeuvre

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has been at the epicentre of the recent antitrust storm.

Use science to reinvent destiny

Can artificial intelligence emulate brain?

Big Tech faces less room to manoeuvre

This journey began in 2014 when the UAE government set up the National Science, Technology and Innovation Committee and announced its interplanetary aspirations.

Why the Facial Recognition problem has not been completely solved

Why the Facial Recognition problem has not been completely solved

Why the Facial Recognition problem has not been completely solved

Building rich representations for accurate facial recognition has been a tough going.

GPT-3 shows us how far AI has travelled

Why the Facial Recognition problem has not been completely solved

Why the Facial Recognition problem has not been completely solved

For decades, researchers have been trying to break down our natural language for the benefit of our machines.

In pursuit of happiness on social media

Why the Facial Recognition problem has not been completely solved

In pursuit of happiness on social media

I got a snapshot of the darkness within social media. The mass provocation feels like organised crime or some brazen form of online guerrilla warfare.

Can AI save my couch?

Web1 to Web3: There's nothing permanent about the Internet

In pursuit of happiness on social media

The devices and intelligent apps will take quick decisions based on what they learn from their immediate surroundings.

Web1 to Web3: There's nothing permanent about the Internet

Web1 to Web3: There's nothing permanent about the Internet

Web1 to Web3: There's nothing permanent about the Internet

There will never be a perfectly balanced Internet, as finally it will be about who controls what.

Removing bias from AI is not all that easy

Web1 to Web3: There's nothing permanent about the Internet

Web1 to Web3: There's nothing permanent about the Internet

Even synthetic datasets that companies create artificially inherit the skewed worldview of real-world datasets.

Sustainability

Why drones should learn from nature

Recycle plastics for a cleaner environment and circular economy

Recycle plastics for a cleaner environment and circular economy

Human-created technology is nascent compared to the millions of years of slow incremental innovation by nature

Recycle plastics for a cleaner environment and circular economy

Recycle plastics for a cleaner environment and circular economy

Recycle plastics for a cleaner environment and circular economy

For effective recycling, segregation of plastic material according to their properties or resin material needs to be science-based

AI must join forces with materials science to save the planet

Recycle plastics for a cleaner environment and circular economy

AI must join forces with materials science to save the planet

Nature is hardly able to regenerate, being weighed down by the burdensome waste. We therefore need to act now.

Why plastic packaging will see big innovation

Planet needs circular economy. Are businesses listening?

AI must join forces with materials science to save the planet

Innovation in plastic waste management is not just about scientific inventions but also about improvements in the logistics process

Pandemic & circular economy

Planet needs circular economy. Are businesses listening?

Planet needs circular economy. Are businesses listening?

The costs associated with environmental degradation and resource depletion can derail the most turbo-charged linear economies.

Planet needs circular economy. Are businesses listening?

Planet needs circular economy. Are businesses listening?

Planet needs circular economy. Are businesses listening?

Some industry verticals have an influential customer segment that advocates affirmative action against climate change. They buy brands that behave responsibly and are vocal about their choices.

The future of farming will have a platform approach

The future of farming will have a platform approach

The future of farming will have a platform approach

Our burgeoning population will not stop eating anytime soon. So, agriculture boasts of an endless supply of customers that even the likes of Facebook cannot have.

Of being fashion-conscious and eco-friendly

The future of farming will have a platform approach

The future of farming will have a platform approach

The fashion industry is contributing between 8-10 per cent of the carbon emissions every year

Drive to a cleaner future gets a push

The future of farming will have a platform approach

Drive to a cleaner future gets a push

Battery Day has significance because we have a clear timeframe for a global shift to electric vehicles

Business

Elon Musk makes you think like a genius

UAE-India innovation bubble boosts startup ecosystem

Innovation is putting creativity to work

Elon has broken every conventional rule of the 'how-to-be-a-successful-CEO' manual

Innovation is putting creativity to work

UAE-India innovation bubble boosts startup ecosystem

Innovation is putting creativity to work

So far human ingenuity is valued, but in future machines will also join in.

UAE-India innovation bubble boosts startup ecosystem

UAE-India innovation bubble boosts startup ecosystem

UAE-India innovation bubble boosts startup ecosystem

Startups that will thrive in this evolving ecosystem will become the ecosystem, thus fuelling the two economies

Women leaders click with emotional intelligence

Women leaders click with emotional intelligence

UAE-India innovation bubble boosts startup ecosystem

They are no longer shy about putting to use feminine qualities at work, and creating their own style

Buying land on the moon may not be a bad idea

Women leaders click with emotional intelligence

Buying land on the moon may not be a bad idea

It would be wise to have a plan B, should earth become the target of a massive asteroid collision or irreversible climate malfunction.

Thinking digital is the best bet for business

Women leaders click with emotional intelligence

Buying land on the moon may not be a bad idea

Food companies are exploring subscription-based shopping solutions for busy young professionals. Even government is offering subscription-based services delivery.

Life

The age of doubt is upon us, yet again

Zoom meetings work but where's the warmth?

The age of doubt is upon us, yet again

As the virus reaches the hard-to-reach countries, the world is in a turmoil.

The rise and fall of my baking spree

Zoom meetings work but where's the warmth?

The age of doubt is upon us, yet again

Zoom meetings work but where's the warmth?

Zoom meetings work but where's the warmth?

There's much to learn from the Scottish way of life

We were always ready for such video calls. But we never thought that a part of our lives would move to this virtual world in such an inimitable way.

There's much to learn from the Scottish way of life

Death is not the same in 2020, it has chosen to become aloof

There's much to learn from the Scottish way of life

Medieval castles and churches sit effortlessly near a Starbucks and a dog cemetery.

Death is not the same in 2020, it has chosen to become aloof

Death is not the same in 2020, it has chosen to become aloof

Death is not the same in 2020, it has chosen to become aloof

There is no consensus on death, but there is always a final send-off for the deceased.

An invitation to the troll army

Death is not the same in 2020, it has chosen to become aloof

Death is not the same in 2020, it has chosen to become aloof

“So, when my husband tweeted ‘J for Judiciary, J for Joke’, he was promptly chastised by a quick-witted troll, “A for Ashir, A for A**h*le.”