I am sitting here wondering what should be my dissertation topic for my PhD. I have myriads of ideas tossing and turning in my head. But I wanna get down to just one idea that will be worth examining not only for the mere sake of a degree but for the proper application of my idea in solving at least one problem facing mankind. It doesn't even have to address the problem in its entirety. I would be just happy to begin to address the problem whatever that may be. I don't want my hard work to be just another publication collecting dust in some attic or basement. One particular idea that did latch on to my mind as I was listening to NPR one evening while shaving was the story of a dying city in Germany amidst recession. Not too long ago I had visited a city in the State of Washington called Levenworth, if I remember the spelling correctly. No, it is not the Levenworth prison in California, where I believe a penetentiary of this name does exist. Or atleast that's what I know. Anyways, Levenworth is one such city whose livelihood or the economy so to speak once depended on the logging industry supported by networks of train that carried the logs out of the city. I don't quite remember the details from the plack that I had read at the visitor's site, but from what I do remember, the city's economy took a battering as the demand for the logging industry declined. After much thought some brilliant minds decided to revamp the city by modelling it after a German town in Bavaria. Thus the connection of my story of the dying city that I heard on the radio. After this renewed look given to the city, tourists started to pour in to visit the town. They would enjoy participating in various festivities arranged durin the day, drink at the taverns at night and stay over the inns and hotels at the site. Not bad for the locals who soon started to make an earning from this. So, my point is, if this can work for Levenworth, and I am sure I can find other examples, we can apply the same idea to other cities. They don't all necessarily have to converted into some theme towns after some European resorts. But there is got to be a way to invite outsiders to come in and spend their money which can breath fresh economic blood, bringing back any dying city to life....The rest I will talk in my dissertation if I ever work on this.. Of course the real work will be full of mathematical jargons if you care to read....

-Arif