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Do we perceive the real or what we desire to see? Two observers of the same event often recall differing details. Patanjali prescribed yoga to discipline the mind and dampen its wanderings, chittavritti nirodha; otherwise perception gets clouded by rationale, opposites, alternatives, sleep and memory. A well aware person’s brain emits clean theta waves that maintain long range temporal correlation, but the beta waves of people with confused identity lose such correlation due to interference with neural noise (Sci Rep 11, article number 422 (2021)). Sensors, used by scientists to extend their own, are cooled to reduce inherent noise. Touch, taste, smell, sound and sight are identified as the five physical senses, but the Gita teaches that the mind is the sixth sensor, indriyanam manashchasmi. So the conscious living mind cannot be completely stilled. This issue was thrust upon physicists as they explored the nanoworld of atomic interactions. Planck discerned light as a stream of discrete energy photons in 1900 to usher in the quantum era. Integers in the Balmer formula, for the wavelengths of light emitted by hydrogen atoms, arrived 15 years too early to be realized as quantic. Another 13 years passed before Bohr related it to quantized electronic momentum, which in turn was seen as a standing electron wave by de Broglie a decade later. The 2022 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to Alain Aspect (France), Anton Zeilinger (Austria) and John Clauser (USA) for experiments supporting quantum randomness over local reality. 

Wave-particle (or spirit-matter) duality of nature is not dialectical but complementary. Delayed choice experiments prove that the two apparitions cannot be seen simultaneously; a quantum immediately erases its wavy history for a particle detector, and vice-versa. Similar waves superpose to make bigger or smaller ones. This led Schrodinger to think of his cat in a live+dead superposed state until let out of the bag. Infinitely superposed general waves collapse randomly into one of the constituent eigenstates at detection. Einstein bemoaned how anyone can believe “that the Moon is not there when you are not looking at it.” Heisenberg’s limit on determinism required the product of uncertainties in conjugate variables like position and momentum to be greater than the Planck constant. A particle is located at best within the wavelength of light that bounces off it; more precision with shorter wavelength transfers higher momentum which becomes more uncertain. Wigner paradox, on seeing a quantum system differently than his friend, is under test. 

Einstein used quantum to explain many effects and got the Nobel Prize for photoelectricity. Skeptical of the randomness, he later declared “God does not play dice with the Universe,” and Bohr retorted, “Stop telling God what to do.” Einstein, with Podolsky and Rosen, proposed the EPR paradox in 1935 to precipitate the issue. A subatomic particle like neutral pion at rest can decay into a photon pair, or any other allowed particle-antiparticle, that fly off in opposite directions with opposite spins and other quantum numbers. Measuring the properties of one immediately tells of the distant partner. Such faster than light “spooky action at a distance” as Einstein called, violates causality that requires cause to precede effect. They thought it suggestive of hidden variables that would preserve local reality. Schrodinger conjoined the decay pair into an entangled state of highly correlated components. Bell proved a theorem requiring the correlation coefficient of measurements in a locally real hidden variable theory to be less than a certain value, while quantum randomness would make it greater.

Clauser modified Bell inequality in 1972 to make it measurable, entangled photons about six meters apart, measured a greater value to reject local realism, and lost his two dollar bet against quantum randomness. In the next decade, Aspect closed the unidirectional loophole of Clauser’s observation, with random directional views of entangled photons traversing through 12 meters. Can a hidden variable impose sequence on what appears random? Then Zeilinger, who had entangled photons about half a kilometer apart, devised a method in 2017 to use light emitted by stars hundreds of light years away to generate randomness. One could still argue that the randomness was wiped out by an encoding in the starlight, about an experiment to be performed by an unborn scientist. Every loophole cannot be closed but becomes ever more fantastic, setting quantum theory on a stronger base. A scientific theory has to remain continually verified by experiments to ever increasing precision till the present; a single contradiction turns it into fiction. 

Entanglement is used in teleportation to produce an exactly similar state elsewhere; but two identical states cannot co-exist, so the original has to be disentangled immediately; hence they can be used for unbreakable encryption in quantum networks. They are also the qubit of  quantum computers. Binary digits (bits) are stored in our classical computer as either of two states represented by 0 and 1. A qubit can store any of the infinitely different superpositions of its two states, all fractions from 0 to 1, making quantum computers many fold quicker. In a recent interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais (14 June 2023), Zeilinger says that a full quantum computer would require thousand qubits, and the present ones have just about 50. He thinks that quantum computers will enter cell phones in a hundred years. The Austrian Academy of Sciences entangled photons almost 250 km apart in an optical fiber, Max Planck Institute entangled a cluster of 14 photons, and the MIT atomic clock has been stabilized with entangled photons to lose less than one second in 150bn years. The whole Universe could be a single quantum state, entangled in a neural network (doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2020.525731) of the cosmic web that ensnares every mass to comprise the mind of nature. 

As any observation physically affects the observed, absolute reality is unknowable. A surrounding that adjusts to our sense of awareness tells that nature is intrinsically conscious. This possibility will be discussed in subsequent articles. 

The author is a professor of Physics

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is set to visit China later this month. It is reported that PM Dahal would emphasize an agreement on cross-border energy trade, construction of two cross-border transmission lines in Rasuwagadhi and Kimathanka border points, construction of trans-Himalayan roads and integrated check posts among others. If the visit brings back home a few major breakthroughs in arenas of energy trade and connectivity, PM Dahal’s visit could be considered successful.

There are, however, quite a few challenges in further deepening Nepal-China ties as new proclivities and patterns of China’s engagement with Nepal—mostly problematic—have emerged over the last decade. One small event in Bhaktapur district in July this year sheds light on China’s newfound engagement patterns.

In the event, two representatives of Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s International Liaison Department launched a project named “Silk Roadster” to mark the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The event was meaningful in three aspects—i) Silk Roadster is the latest one among quite a few initiatives announced over the decades and is reflective of China’s penchant for engaging with Nepal through new initiatives which are more often than not vaguely envisioned and fail to gain the necessary traction, ii) China’s proclivity to portray the success story of Nepal-China BRI agreement which in essence has remained in limbo for long and iii) China’s tendency to undertake bilateral relationship undermining standard diplomatic norms—mostly by prioritizing CCP’s party-to-party ties with the communist parties of Nepal.

Too many initiatives

Nepal had signed up for President Xi’s signature initiative BRI in May 2017. Both parties kept the MoU undisclosed for five years—and only when a Nepali media house released the full-text document in 2022, its contentious and vaguely defined provisions, such as the Free Trade Agreement and Policy Exchanges, drew scrutiny. In 2018, Nepal submitted a list of 35 projects to be executed under the initiative but upon China’s insistence the number was reduced to 16 and then to nine, finally. In Dec 2022, a Chinese expert team visited Nepal to initiate the Detailed Project Report of the Kathmandu-Kerung Railway—one among the nine proposed projects. Apart from this, there has been no concrete development—neither any provision is implemented nor any project under construction. Rather, Indian companies have bagged two of the proposed projects—Phukot Karnali Hydropower Project and Tamor Hydropower Project.

The main problem with Nepal-China BRI agreement remains the funding modality. While Nepal was already cognizant of the fact that BRI entailed loan components with a comparatively higher interest rate even while signing up for the initiative, no agreement was reached then. The Nepali Congress government formed in 2021 made it clear to China that Nepal simply cannot undertake BRI projects on commercial loans. That aside, starting from 2018, China’s lending spree also has taken a downturn due to its own economic slowdown. And the failure of some BRI projects across the globe have served as cautionary tales for countries like Nepal that are yet to enter the implementation phase of the BRI.

China has, however, gone to lengths in portraying the success story of the BRI in Nepal. In Dec 2022, just a day before the inauguration of the Pokhara International Airport (PIA), the Chinese Embassy in Nepal claimed PIA to be the flagship project under the initiative. The PIA was constructed with a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China, but it isn’t one among those nine proposed projects. And in July, the Silk Roadster platform was announced under the BRI framework focusing mainly on people-to-people exchanges in arenas like imparting training, building skills and providing scholarships.

Apart from the BRI, China has launched a few other initiatives. In 2022, China announced the Global Development Initiative (GDI) under which two projects are to be implemented in Nepal. The next is the Global Security Initiative (GSI). While China has been lobbying and pressuring political leaders, particularly the communists, to push Nepal into signing up for it, Nepal hasn’t done so as our foreign policy proscribes joining security or strategic alliances. However, former President Bidya Devi Bhandari had participated in the GSI event in 2022, despite repeated requests from the government to not do so. In 2023, China announced yet another initiative called the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), which is quite ambiguous in its conception and language. Nepal hasn’t joined GCI either but, in June 2023, a dragon boat race was carried out in Pokhara under this initiative.

China has sought to engage with Nepal via its many initiatives announced in the last few years but none have materialized yet. If anything, these initiatives—particularly the GSI and GCI—have created confusion and shifted focus from main priorities and issues of Nepal-China collaboration.

Party-to-party ties

The next pattern that has emerged over the years is China prioritizing party-to-party ties, particularly ties with the communist ones, which amounts to undermining standard diplomatic norms and procedures. Albeit nominal, the common ideological identity makes it easier for the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) to engage with the communist parties.

China had facilitated the communist collaboration and subsequent party merger in 2017, and so long as the Nepal Communist Party (now divided into CPN-UML and CPN Maoist Center) was in power, China’s influence over Nepal was quite high. In 2019, about 50 Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders provided training to more than 200 Nepal Communist Party leaders on “Xi Jinping Thought”—a blueprint for consolidating authoritarian power.  It was during NCP’s rule, in 2020, that Nepal voted for Beijing’s new security law for Hong Kong, introduced amidst the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The law had provisions of harsh penalties for vaguely defined political crimes. 

In 2020 itself, Nepal had defended Chinese policies in the western region of Xinjiang, at the UN General Assembly, despite reports that the state was subjecting the Uyghur Muslims community to systemic atrocities. During President Xi’s visit to Nepal in 2019, both sides had reportedly agreed to elevate the relationship to the “strategic level”—with neither side coming up with further clarification or justification regarding the use of the term “strategic”. 

China had perceived the split of NCP in 2021, and the subsequent parliamentary ratification of the US’ MCC as its influence over Nepal slipping away. China was then upbeat during the short-lived collaboration between the two main communist parties in forming a new government in 2022. These are just some cases in point—the pattern is all too clear.

China is a one-party state and the CPC itself is involved in China’s bilateral engagements. However, employing CPC’s party ties with the ideological counterparts in Nepal to push China’s interest is a challenge for a fledgling democracy like Nepal, which is yet to institutionalize democratic institutions, norms and procedures. China emphasizing ties with communist parties at the expense of other parties doesn’t even portend well for Sino-Nepal relationship as the communist and democratic forces command almost equal support of Nepal’s voting populace.

Conclusion

While Nepal can benefit a lot from collaboration with China, China’s push for multiple initiatives, and China’s emphasis for party-to-party ties along with a newfound penchant to interfere in Nepal’s internal affairs have come across as major challenges. China should now prioritize infrastructure projects, development assistance, and energy trade rather than seeking to push Nepal toward signing up for its many initiatives. 

It is also high time China acknowledged that it enjoys relatively favorable opinion amongst Nepal’s general public for a simple reason that, in the past, it had mostly refrained from directly interfering in our domestic affairs. On Nepal’s part, political parties should give up the tendency of employing bilateral relationships to their own advantage, and the government should negotiate toughly to safeguard our interests. PM Dahal’s upcoming visit is an opportune moment to do just that. The ball, however, is in China’s court—the trajectory of Nepal-China relationship is largely contingent on China’s approach, and its flexibility to address and accommodate our concerns.

The author is a research fellow at the Center for Social Inclusion and Federalism

They looked charismatic! One represented educated urban youth, the other represented a down-to-earth local passionate to bring a change. Their lifestyle and apolitical background ignited hopes in people. Balendra Shah and Harka Sampang were new faces in the old lot who did not promise to turn their cities into Switzerland or Singapore. Ultimately, they won the hearts and the votes of their supporters to become the mayors of Kathmandu and Dharan. And now, both are shooting themselves in their feet by weaponizing social media.

Balen Shah who rapped about the government’s malfunctions and shortsightedness in his songs was expected to be the savior of the capital city. His supporters believed that this structural engineer would indeed restructure the city.  There’s no denying that he has been effective in getting the daily waste out of Kathmandu, although challenges remain at the dumping site. His efforts to get pavements cleared have been successful in many areas of Kathmandu, although there are still roads with large potholes, and roadside vendors still complain of being displaced.

Balen has nevertheless enjoyed the fame of becoming a young mayor who comes from an ethnically diverse family and exhibits high regards to the local culture of the city. He has also tried to establish himself as the bold one. He canceled his trip to China recently after China used Nepal’s old map instead of the new one endorsed by the Parliament. He banned an Indian movie which reportedly contained controversial statements about Nepal’s history. Back in December last year, he said he rejected the US Ambassador’s proposal of financial support. These gestures are important indicators for the common Nepalis.

He has not spared Nepal’s Supreme Court either or Singhadurbar. And he uses social media to vent his anger bluntly. The recent post about a policeman performing his duty got him so furious that he threatened to burn down Singhadurbar. His staunch supporters expressed their solidarity and even offered to light the fire without questioning the reasons for the police stoppage. Some media confused people if they were doing journalism or sensationalizing the issue. One of the famous Nepali Facebook pages, Routine of Nepal Banda that had been Balen’s sincere supporter from the beginning posted the news of Balen becoming a father.

The hardcore fans then started blaming the police and the media for being insensitive toward Balen’s wife. The truth unfolded later and Mr Mayor removed his status. Did he need to become so impatient and blunt in the first place? He who decried political leaders’ highhandedness in his songs had become no different.

The Mayor of Dharan seems to be even more aggressive and arrogant. His choice of words are worse than Balen’s. One can easily see how obsessed he is with himself by looking at his social media posts. He has faced a lot of backlash on the comments he has made about people’s faith, which is why he has slightly softened his social media tone these days. What I fail to understand however is the amount of time he is spending on the plantation. There is no question that preserving greenery is vital, but it looks like he has taken it as an obsession. He must have other things to do. Since I am not from Dharan, I may not be able to comment on all his works but his social media definitely needs to be sensibly run.

Both Shah and Sampang are more popular than many other leaders. A huge population still thinks they will be able to change the face of their cities. What is alarming about both of them is the lack of respect for institutions and the selection of undiplomatic words.  Both the mayors should respect people’s faith in them and not turn the masses into mobs who are easily provoked by their social media posts. 

The dairy product butter remained controversial and bore a bad rap in the food world for ages. That drove people to a lot of head-scratching. Health magazines claimed eating butter for its high dietary fat ran the risk of jacking up cholesterol levels, leading to clogging of the arteries. 

Over the past two decades, people seemed misled by flawed verdicts by scientific research and medicine that health-conscious persons should avoid certain foods, like butter, clarified butter (ghee), coffee, and eggs, among many others, as they contain high cholesterol.

The media hype blew it out of proportion. More and more futuristic research and rigorous probes into the matter in the later years turned the tables, and high-fat foods considered detrimental to health made a convivial comeback.

“Eat butter,” declared the Time Magazine cover in June 2014. Likewise, the New York Times quoted: “Butter is Back.” The news created an uproar worldwide.  

There are no two ways: most adore butter for its rich flavor and creamy texture. For nearly all, a slice of bread on a breakfast table without a dab of butter is like a car without gas. And, when it comes to baking, it stays at the core of making cakes, pastries, loaves, you name it. 

Again, in roasting or air-frying delicacies like poultry, veggies, pasta dishes, and many more, butter is widely and liberally used. It also enhances the flavor of the food while sauteing, pan frying, grilling, searing, barbecuing, and more.

Busting the myths

So what’s the catch? Let’s dig into the healthy side of butter to get to the bottom of the controversy. Let’s take a look at the nutrition chart.

Based on one tablespoon:

• Calories: 102
• Total fat: 11.5 grams (approx: saturated 7.29gm, monounsaturated 2.99 gram, polyunsaturated 0.43 gm, and trans-fat 0.47gm) 
• Carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, and protein: 0 grams
• Vitamin A: 11 percent of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
• Vitamin E: Two percent of the RDI
• Vitamin B12: One percent of the RDI
• Vitamin K: One percent of the RDI
• Besides, butter is a source of calcium and Vitamin D. (Source: WebMD ). 

Whoa! The concentration of saturated fat and calories in butter appears high, but there is nothing to get alarmed about so soon. Let’s look at the break in the clouds and dig into its line-up of health benefits.  

It aids in the strengthening of bones. 

Butter carries crucial nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium, which are essential for bone growth, development, and strength. The calcium in butter also serves as a preventive measure against osteoporosis, when bone mineral density and bone mass decrease. 

It supports the eyes. 

Butter is high in beta carotene—a beneficial compound that your body converts into vitamin A, helping to slow the rate of vision loss or age-related angina pectoris and macular degeneration.

It can help cut down on the chances of cancer.

Scientific studies have also shown that regular beta-carotene-dense butter intake reduces lung and prostate cancer risks. It is an exceptional source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)—a fat present in meat and dairy products. 

There is more. Scientific lab reports have shown CLA, for its potential anti-cancer compounds, could help slow the growth of breast cancer and work against cancers of the colon, colorectal, stomach, and liver.  

It helps maintain skin health.

Studies have revealed eating butter for its vitamin E and A content keeps our skin healthier by fortifying it from UV sun rays, reducing inflammation, and speedy healing of skin irritants (inflammation) and superficial wounds. 

Controversy regarding CVD

Regarding cardiovascular health, butter, for its high saturated fat content, still seems to be hounded by anti-fat campaigners. In 2013, an article by Joanna Blythman in The Guardian wrote: A major review of scientific studies on fat, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that contrary to what scientists led us to believe, “there is no convincing evidence that saturated fat causes heart disease”. In particular, high-carbohydrate diets cause an increased risk of developing CVD (cardiovascular disease). 

In this context, a controversial British cardiologist, public health campaigner, and author, Aseem Malhotra, “challenged the orthodoxy that the consumption of foods containing saturated fat, such as butter and red meat, cause heart disease”. Relieved, the butter-loving Brits took a sigh of great relief.

Food manufacturers and processors worldwide—everything from low-calorie yogurt and pizza to breakfast cereals and ready meals—seemed set upon an anti-sat-fat campaign to woo the general public away from whole, natural foods, such as butter, which is only minimally processed as against considered a healthy substitute, margarine, which is highly processed. 

“This is about politics, not science,” responded Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University. 

“The article ‘Debunking food myths: Butter’ challenges misconceptions about butter’s health impact, highlighting its nutrient content, potential cancer-fighting properties (CLA), and contributions to bone, eye, and skin health. While concerns about saturated fat persist, moderation in butter consumption within a balanced diet—is recommended, emphasizing that enjoying butter in moderation is reasonable,” says Dr Denis Shrestha, Cardiologist/Physician, Advance Polyclinic, Panipokhari, Kathmandu.

As you can see, there are a lot of butter myths out there. However, don’t be naive; better take the long-standing misconception with a grain of salt; there’s less truth to them than they make tall claims. 

The American Heart Association recommends that less than seven percent of our daily calories come from saturated fat. You can eat about a tablespoon of butter daily to meet this goal while still having a nutritious diet.

Moderation is the crux. 

If you eat a moderate amount of butter, include a generous amount of fruits, vegetables, and beans in your meal plan to keep your heart healthy. Focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and fish. Albeit, only eating nutritious foods does not help. You have to stick to a daily regimen of exercise (jogging, walking, cycling, etc) to strike a balance. 

So, the bottom line is there is no need to avoid butter like the plague. Don’t go overboard or binge, either. Embrace moderation. Distinguished nutritionists, debunking the long-standing myth, argue it’s time to start thinking outside the box about eating butter without a feeling of guilt. 

Medically reviewed by Dr Denis Shrestha, Cardiologist, Consultant Physician, and Critical Care Specialist

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