Fieldnotes

personal blog of Disha Kuzhively

Open-World vs. Linear Games

Games can be thought of as belonging to two broad categories: open-world and linear. Club penguin and GTA: san andreas are examples of open-world, and half-life 2, age of empires (aoe) (when you play it offline on campaign mode) are examples of linear games. In linear games you get to plan ahead, save coins/lives/points/gems/wood whatever to...

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Poster for the Women of Mathematics exhibition.

Against the Lone Genius

The stereotypical image of a mathematician is that of an old man sitting alone in a room, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, papers strewn across the table, and perhaps a blackboard filled with equations. The reality could hardly be farther from this image. The bookshelves and chalkboards and papers all around bit is still true to an...

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In Todos Cuentan I wrote some axioms that have been a useful foundation for my educational and outreach efforts. I also find them far from perfect, a constant work in progress, as any work of this sort must be. I'll post some slightly updated ones: Axiom 1. Mathematical potential is equally present in different groups, irrespective of geographic, demographic, and economic boundaries. Axiom 2. Everyone can have joyful, meaningful, and empowering mathematical experiences. Axiom 3. Mathematics is a powerful, malleable tool that can be shaped and used differently by various communities to serve their needs. Axiom 4. Every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. These statements should not sound revolutionary, but considering the current practices of the mathematical society, they are a pressing call to action.

The House on Mango Street

Sandra Cisneros’s House on Mango Street is like one of those good assorted chocolate boxes. Each unique, each better than the other ones in the box. Every time I am given one...

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hand holding a copy of the house on the mango street by sandra cisneros

If You Allow Them

Trees can grow up to be really large if you allow them. The kind of trees I draw are these gigantic, grand old trees. Trees with trunks as wide as a Syntex tank and taller than a four-storey building. I see trees like these only in old campuses and botanical gardens. These are not the kind...

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rain tree as seen from the balcony of the second floor of a building

The Sound of the Washing Machine in the Background

It is a Saturday evening. I just returned from work. I have work tomorrow, but I decided to watch a Korean movie because there is a bottle of soju in my fridge. I ordered bulgogi, kimchi, and sticky rice.

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bulgogi, kimchi, and sticky rice with 20th century girl playing in the background

Compass, Straightedge, and Code

I have been playing with tiles again. TeX tiles. The projects page on my website shows a different tiling each time you reload the page.

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A Shawarma, a Beer, and a Memory

This was written with Yama Budo. This color makes me want to write. I should buy a bottle of Yama Budo. Maybe I should sample other colors that Pilot’s Iroshizuku series has? They are so good with this one surely they have crafted the other ones just as well.

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The Gamma Detector Array

Sick, Stuck, and Thinking

Writing requires sitting down. Reading a math research paper also requires sitting down. This probably explains why I haven’t managed to do either in the past several months.

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Tile(root(2),1) because why not

Train, Hair, and Dental Care

I can read on a flight but not on a train. I can’t type what is on my mind; I have to write it down. Too many thoughts make me feel constipated mentally. I am travelling on the Vande Bharat for the first time. It’s a bit more congested compared to the Shatabdi. I prefer the...

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notebook, pen, and kami placed on a flight seat tray, and a water bottle in the seat pouch.

I Want To Write

I want to write. I want to publish the drafts without worrying about angering people, without worrying about the angry people hurting my career. What’s the worst that can happen? I will lose my job and have no ‘monthly income’. I shouldn’t be scared of that. My friend once pointed out that if that’s my bottom,...

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The egos of people in positions of power are so fragile and threatened by something as small as a tweet of a person who has barely 36 views.

Unblocking The Writing Blog

Experiencing writer’s block is similar to having constipation. Like constipation, it’s frustrating, and you find yourself constantly struggling to overcome it. Indeed, it is not the lack of ideas; it is often because you have too many ideas in your head, much like having too much shit in your tummy when you are constipated.

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