Engineering Poetry Quotes

“Silicon Psychos (The Sonnet)

If we cared more about the hard problem of real inhumanity,
And less about the fictitious hard problem of consciousness,
We'd have filled the world with human consciousness already,
Instead of still fighting for basic rights against base biases.
What kind of a moron goes walkabout when their home is on fire,
What kind of a moron abandons the living chasing life on silicon!
We really gotta take a hard look at our habits and priorities,
Dreaming is good, but dream devoid of life is but degeneration.
Chimps driving teslas are still chimps no matter the demagoguery,
All intelligence is disgrace if it's unaware of human condition.
A heartless organism living on silicon is no different,
From a heartless organism living in a carbon based human.
Be it crucifix or code, in savage hands every tool is weapon.
The wise use AI to design prosthetics, savages for transhumanism.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Corazon Calamidad: Obedient to None, Oppressive to None

“Terraforming is easy,
Eraforming not so much.
Coding is easy,
Kindling not so much.

Soldering is easy,
Shouldering not so much.
Rocket science is easy,
Reform science not so much.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Amantes Assemble: 100 Sonnets of Servant Sultans

“In front of the radioactivity of mind,
Radioactivity of matter turns dim.
In front of the joules of a just heart,
A billion ohms of hate become nil.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Divane Dynamite: Only truth in the cosmos is love

“Evolution & Electronics (The Sonnet)

I know electronic circuitry like the back of my hand,
Yet it's the human mind that fascinates me most immensely.
Fascination in electronics lies in new design possibility,
Whereas the mind is the breeding ground of all possibility.
Our engineering is puny compared to that of Mother Nature,
Each day a new mystery unfolds in the vast organic kingdom.
Our puny electronics work based on cold 'n rigid computation,
Evolution of life in nature is predicated on plastic mutation.
That's why we must never disregard nature blinded by arrogance,
We may have conquered nature's mercy but we're still subordinate.
The moment a lifeform starts to vilify the womb whence it came,
With a single blow creator nature can flatten all our obstinance.
Foster humility and wisdom, before going nuts about technology.
Don't end up yet another fancy stain upon the honor of humanity.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Corazon Calamidad: Obedient to None, Oppressive to None

“Ethics & Prototypes (The Sonnet)

Take morality out of science and,
All you've left is one big conspiracy theory.
Abundance of facts doesn't make something right,
If it has no regard for the supreme fact of humanity.
Just because we can innovate, doesn't mean we should,
Science can no more be measured by the query of could.
In future we'll be able to pre-edit a newborn baby,
But just because we could, doesn't mean we should.
Only a true scientist will realize the truth in this,
A mind that can look past the pomp into the purpose,
While counterfeit tech giants try to turn the world,
Into a giant lifeless robot made of bolts and nuts.
So better keep radical designs hidden from public eyes.
Some prototypes must never ever be commercialized.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Esperanza Impossible: 100 Sonnets of Ethics, Engineering & Existence

“More to Technology (The Sonnet)

Some prototypes must never be commercialized,
Not till we learn to look beyond monetary value.
Write some fiction instead without revealing schematics,
If you want the possibility to survive through.
Technology is a stupidly predictable phenomenon,
What one person can imagine another can rig together.
All it takes is an infinite supply of persistence,
Voila - fiction of today turns reality centuries later!
So I say again, ask the question of "should" not "could",
If you want some tech to bring light not silent regress.
Because once you put the schematics out into the world,
All your brilliance will fall short to undo the damage.
There's more to technology than startups 'n entrepreneurship.
Power without responsibility causes disparity not uplift.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Esperanza Impossible: 100 Sonnets of Ethics, Engineering & Existence

“In a world full of greedy edisons, be a humble Tesla,
Time remembers no oligarch kindly no matter the status.
Only innovators who get engraved in people's heart,
Are the ones who innovate with a humane purpose.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Corazon Calamidad: Obedient to None, Oppressive to None

“Humanitarian Engineer (The Sonnet)

The burning scent of molten solder
is just as intoxicating to me
as the musky scent of soil drenched
in the first downpour of monsoon.

In the right human hands, a soldering iron
can solder the cracks in accessibility,
while in the hands of just clever apes,
soldering iron cooks up circuits of privilege,
while burning down the bridges of equality.

Any engineer can tell the voltage
of a battery from taste, but only
a humane engineer knows how to put
each volt and amp to humanitarian use.
The burnt fingertips count for something,
only when your innovation is catalyst for good.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Neurosonnets: The Naskar Art of Neuroscience