Deep P. Pandya

Educational Background

During my schooling chemistry was initially my favorite subject. Later on, I found physics to be more interesting and when I reached higher secondary education, I realized that electronics and communication sounded mysterious!

I graduated in Mechanical Engineering during that era I developed a deep interest in engineering thermodynamics, heat transfer, refrigeration and fluid power engineering (Pumps, Compressors & Turbines).

I pursued Thermal Engineering in my postgraduate studies, where I could develop a moderate interest in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Computer

This is the dominant area in my life, primarily for which I have written this user profile page! You can read my detailed history of using computers on Unix & Linux Stack Exchange.

I find Richard Stallman's philosophy of the GNU project perfectly aligned with my values and beliefs. I strongly support the adoption and use of Libre/Free software in our daily computing, which is now becoming increasingly essential in the digital society where the freedom, non-dependency on unethical corporate and privacy are significant concerns.

I try to use only Libre/Free software wherever possible even with even moderate compromises. I switched to GNU/Linux from Windows in 2013. Since 2020, I have been using Debian GNU/Linux on my PC. You can read the list of software I use/recommend on my WordPress blog.

It may be worth recommending reading GNU/Linux Naming FAQ and How Liber/Free is different from the popular Open Source philosophy.

On my Android device, I have replaced many Google and other proprietary apps with Libre Apps, primarily from F-Droid and I will write a separate article on this later. recommended reading the article "Liberate Your Device" from FSF Europe.

I find BSD (which has its own kernel as well as user-land) interesting to try, although popular BSDs don't have a strict ethical philosophy like GNU. If I get enough time, I would like to try switching to a distribution being actively developed by GNU project itself, which is Guix System bringing you as close to GNU as possible!.

Today, efforts on liberating the hardware has also become a need because most of devices we use today are locked by the proprietary firmware and we have to run that proprietary firmware to use the hardware devices. Read my letter to the Debian developers regarding the issue of inclusion of the non-free-firmware!

Spirituality

Since childhood, I have been very curious about the root of existence, including the ultimate reality. When most of my questions remained unanswered or not satisfactorily addressed, I developed the impression that some elders or religious persons might know the answers but gradually I realized that no one has a complete knowledge about this, and I have to find it on my own. My grandfather's teaching/works and father's support inspired me to explore religion and spirituality. By by the end of 2015, I started reading extensively about the religion I belong to, the scriptures and the associated philosophies, using various encyclopedias including Wikipedia. I finally selected the principle Upanishads for reading. Quickly I completed reading all eleven of them and developed clearer vision of the roots.

I also joined Hinduism Stack Exchange for expert QA. You can read about my interests and the texts which I have read so far from my posts on meta.

Advaita Vedanta and Yoga Darshana remain my favorite topics of all times and I plan to complete reading the Nyaya Darshana soon. Read more about my collection.

Music

I enjoy listening to old Hindi cinema songs from the era of the 1940s-1970s which is also recognized as the Gold Era! Mukesh Chand Mathur is my favorite singer although I acknowledge the artistry of Rafi. Mukesh's voice is heart touching and soothing. I learned a bit about playing harmonium during Covid-19 and I occasionally try to grasp Taala and Raga.

Science

I’ve always been curious about science and enjoy exploring how things work. My father inspired and encouraged my interest from an early age, and as mentioned in the "Education Background" section, chemistry, physics, and electronics have always been my favorite subjects.

I’m especially fascinated by thermodynamics topics like gas laws, fluid behavior, energy interactions, refrigeration, and thermodynamic cycles always capture my attention.

My father also introduced me to electron orbits and space, which sparked my lifelong interest in astronomy. I find space exploration endlessly exciting, and I often watch shows like How the Universe Works to keep up with new discoveries.

By the late 2020s, I became more interested in quantum physics, recognizing it as one of the most rapidly developing fields. Although it’s mathematically challenging, I enjoy understanding its key ideas. Recently, I’ve been fascinated by how scientists are linking particle physics with mysterious space phenomena and I think they’re heading in the right direction!

Quantum and particle physics, along with space exploration, will always remain among my favorite topics to explore and discuss.