I'm writing this from the comfort of my cluttered living room, surrounded by stacks of dusty books and "Amul I Love You Dark Chocolate" wrappers – yes, I bought them all for myself. My name is Prabhat, aka "Lazy Scientist" – a nickname I've earned for my tendency to spend more time reading and thinking about the universe than actually doing anything productive. Like getting out of bed, or showering (today was a record 3 days). My personal motto? "A clean room is a myth perpetuated by crazy people."
As I sat on my worn-out couch, nursing a steaming cup of chiya, I stumbled upon a concept that made my mind do the cha-cha-slide: the action of light . According to this mind-bending idea, light doesn't just travel in straight lines or follow a single path. No, no – it's like my life: unpredictable and prone to taking detours. Like when I tried to cook pasta, but ended up burning the cooking pot.
Light takes every possible path, exploring an infinite number of possibilities before converging on the one we perceive as reality. Nature, in its infinite wisdom, selects the most efficient and easiest route for light to travel. And that, folks, is where it gets interesting. Or should I say, mind-blowingly fascinating? Because now I'm questioning everything, including my ability to boil water.
As I pondered this concept, I realized that it applies to everything: every event, every decision, every outcome. They're all the result of an infinite number of possibilities converging on one. It's like a cosmic game of chance, where the universe plays the role of a benevolent gambler, always ensuring the best possible outcome. Unless you're me, in which case it's just a crapshoot.
I scribbled away in my journal, trying to wrap my head around this idea. The times I didn't get into university? Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, allowing me to pursue my true passion: eating local Aalu Chips and watching cartoons on Disney+ (specifically, Phineas and Ferb – who needs Mickey Mouse when you have Perry the Platypus, am I right?). The times I failed at relationships or jobs? Perhaps those were mere detours on the path to where I'm meant to be – i.e., the corner of my home office room, surrounded by papers, books,
As a kid, I used to dream about winning the Nobel Prize in Physics. Yeah, it's a long shot, but someone has to be the first Nepali Nobel laureate. But as I grew older, I realized that my true passion lay elsewhere – in words, in stories, in the way language can weave a spell around us. Maybe, just maybe, my future lies not in solving quantum mechanics but in crafting sentences that dance on the page.
The thought sent a thrill through me. What if I could win the Nobel Prize in Literature instead? Or better yet, what if I won both – the Physics and Literature prizes? Stranger things have happened... although I'm not sure what those things are.
My dreams of winning a Nobel Prize may still be on life support, but my passion for learning refuses to die. And as I looked at the books stacked around me – everything from Hawking's A Brief History of Time to the ancient wisdom of the Vedas and Upanisads (which have had a significant impact on Nepali culture) – I realized that maybe, just maybe, I'll achieve something incredible in this lifetime. If only I could finish writing this book... or my thesis... or any sentence for that matter.
After all, as the multiverse would have it, every possibility is already out there, waiting to be explored. And who knows? Perhaps my non-linear path through life has been preparing me for this moment. The universe, after all, is full of surprises – and by "surprises," I mean endless keema noodle deliveries from Foodmandu.
So, I'll keep reading, writing, and wondering – because in a multiverse of possibilities, the only constant is the thrill of the unknown... and my mom's nagging about when I'm going to get a real job.