Self Learning

Below is an outcome of discussions with a friend, Gautham Jegadeesan, and from tricklings imbibed from the School of ThinQ.

A small preamble: We all have been talking about goals of education, but as the Mohanans in the School of ThinQ, put it, it is important flesh it out in great detail. Below is an attempt on one strand of what we think education ought to do. 

A. A set of questions is given to students. The resources that will help the student find answer to  these questions are also provided. The students have to go through the resources and find the answer to the questions.  (Here, the student is expected to develop the ability to go through a given resource, assimilate the information provided in the resource and apply the knowledge to answer the questions provided. The outcomes these questions could test could include identification of the right resources, application, critical understanding etc.)

B. Questions are given to students. Resources not given, students have to find the resources and learn from them. (In addition to the outcomes of (A), here, the ability to identify relevant resources and learn from it is targeted.)

C. No resources or questions given – students identify resources by themselves and learn from it themselves and revise their understanding by themselves or from interactions with others.

While A & B can be called as guided self-learning, C may be called as independent learning.

(C) above is an ideal quality that we aspire for in any educated individual. However, the pre-requisite to undertaking (3) is

i.   Ability to identify and formulate clearly what one wants to learn

ii.  The mindset to persist and learn and

iii. Ability to engage in reflection and the mindset to revise/change understanding when presented with arguments/evidences to the contrary.

When we say the ability to learn, we may refer to it at various levels:

1. Familiarity of terminologies

2. Understanding of the concept that the terminologies denote (ability to identify counterexamples is an important in conceptual understanding)

3. Piecing together various concepts to make a big picture

4. Applying the concepts to unknown situations (this could simply be identifying the right formula for a given problem and able to do the relevant mathematical calculations)

5. Critical understanding of a phenomenon (e.g., How do we know that liquids at surfaces have zero velocity?)

6. Design thought/real experiments to test understanding.

I would presume, in the context of a BTech curriculum, we should aspire for at least (B) in the higher semesters.

Suppose we agree that (B) is a desired outcome for our graduates and the above are broadly the various strands/levels that go into self-learning, we then need to ask ourselves, which of the topics in our courses will lend itself easily to inculcate this ability. Needless to say, there are two assumptions that underlie this:

1. We believe all students can be helped to become self-learners

2. Students are willing to become self-learners.

Some challenges

Challenge – 1

One of the challenges that I faced when I tried to attempt at inculcating self-learning through some activities was that students don’t spend time for this.

This was partially because they are victims of an educational system that hasn’t focused on this ability (B) so far. Therefore, they find it daunting or anxious. Or, this is because they don’t have time to invest. Or, because they don’t have the patience to engage in a process for long time (this is supplemented with the distractions in the form of smart phones).

To overcome these, I started giving time within the class hours. This seemed to have some effect and at least some of them started to engage in the process seriously.

The above understanding is based on what I have done over the last semester for only one batch of students. Needless to say, there must be more challenges and solutions that would come out upon subsequent implementation to different batches.

I am also pretty sure that most of us are trying something of this sort in our classes. Would like to invite you to share your experiences and strategies you adopted with the goal that this would eventually enhance our collective teaching process.

Challenge – 2

One of the other challenges that can be foreseen is ‘covering’ the portion when a significant number of class hours are spent for activities of self-learning. Luckily, the syllabus I had was just enough to be covered within the prescribed time. However, I can easily see the difficulty for other courses that will require a full 60 hours. The only solution at this point of time that I can think of is to tailor at least one or two courses per semester (whichever is possible) to adopt this mode, of course, with the instructor’s willingness. 

Pedagogy

The educational literature is spewed with words such as "syllabus", "pedagogy", "curriculum". However, there is lack of clarity and sometimes misconceptions on what each means. For instance, pedagogy is loosely used to denote the instructional method in the classroom (chalk-and-talk, powerpoint slides, activity-based learning, etc.). Pedagogy is a much more comprehensive term. Below I quote Prof. Mohanan on what each of these terms means - in the hope that this will give clarity to those interested in education.

a) Syllabus: The GOALS — the outcomes of learning that our educational intervention aims at.

b) Pedagogy: The MEANS — the strategies we use to achieve the goals: this includes learning activities guided by the teacher, in and outside the classroom; textbooks and other learning materials; assessment; policies; and infrastructure.

c) Curriculum: The combination of (a) and (b). Every learning activity has both what
students end up learning (learning outcomes) and how the teacher, textbooks, and
assessment tasks guide them towards those outcomes (pedagogical strategies).

From the above, it is probably clear that pedagogy is composed of not just instructional method, but also the teaching-learning materials, assessment etc.

Education and Goals of Life

26 October, 2016

In a discussion among a closed group of like-minded people on education, Prof. T. R. Neelakantan, put forward two important questions:

1.      What is the role of education in achieving the ultimate goal in life?

2.      Should professional colleges & educational institutions today contribute ultimate goals?

What follows is my response to his questions. I am just documenting it so that I can revisit this for my own references and refining of ideas. 

Attributes of Educatedness and Ultimate Goal

As you have cited and may be aware, there have been several schools of thoughts exist on this question. The Aristotlean and the Budhist hold that the ultimate goal in life is happiness. Thirukural, as you have said, defines the purpose of life as Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha and if I were to understand correctly, it holds Dharma, Artha and Kama as means to Moksha.

Since I am much more familiar with the Budhist philosophy (primarily from the book “The Universe in a Single Atom” by Dalai Lama), let me try to articulate my understanding of the goal of education in light of the ultimate goal (happiness). Happiness, as espoused Budha is not the sensual pleasures but rather an elating and transcended happiness (and is called “sukha”). The Budhist philosophy holds that the path to this happiness is an investigative path adopted by the self. For instance, it encourages one to investigate the cause of suffering. However, before investigating the cause of suffering, one needs to define what is suffering. What is suffering to me might be different from what is suffering to another human. So, a person investigating on the cause of suffering needs to clearly define the boundaries and circumstances under which one would define an instance/feeling to be a suffering. This is not an easy task as you might observe. One needs the ability, not only to construct the definition of suffering, but also the ability to evaluate the definition.

Now consider the below arguments on the definition of liquid. The textbook definition liquid (secondary school text): Liquid is something that takes the shape of the container.  By this definition a heap of sand in a beaker is a liquid. We should now either accept that a heap of sand in a beaker is a liquid or change the definition of liquid (if we agree to the premises of rationality). I think most of us would now want to “refine” the definition. For instance, one may define liquid as something in which the intermolecular distances are farther apart than that in solid. Can we draw a cut-off in the intermolecular distance and say that beyond this value it is a liquid? If we cannot, we must abandon this refinement. One can, in principle, try and consider all such possibilities and counter examples to arrive at a definition of liquid and solid.

In the above arguments, the “meta-learning”, if I may call so, is the process of constructing and evaluating definitions involving identification of counter examples. Secondly, the above is an example of how we can use simple textbook material to teach students the principle of constructing, refining and evaluating definitions. To extend this meta learning to define suffering is beyond the scope and ability of anybody, but the self. However, by repeating the above process of constructing, refining and evaluating definitions (what is species, what is democracy etc.) we can inculcate in students the ability to construct, refine and evaluate definitions. In similar lines, I hold that abilities such as critical thinking (identifying the fallacies in a statement/process), identifying logical contradictions etc., are all the “meta principles” that we could teach students that will help them develop their own meaning and purpose in life.

Slight deviation:

Aside from this, I would like to share with you that the Budhist philosophy and the scientific methodology share some commonalities (again, garnered from the above-said book). One that I would like to state is that both of them have higher precedence for observation followed by experience, reasoning and authority. That is, authority takes the least precedence of all forms learning. Based on discussions with Dr. Ramanathan on the Upanishad/Vedhic methodologies,  I understand that there are significant overlaps.

Should professional education help the purposes in life or not?

I would say, that the term professional education connotates providing/passing on domain knowledge so as to create a “trained” workforce. This is what, in my perspective, the Nation has adopted - whether by force/influence or not, I do not know. If WE define the goal of professional education to just create a trained workforce, obviously, we don’t have to worry about equipping children  to find their own meaning of life.

But I beg to differ and make an earnest request that we don’t restrict ourselves only to create a trained workforce. Let us aim to create educated individuals who can find their own meaning in life and reach whatever they define as their goal in life. The education that we provide should impart the children with the necessary skills and abilities for the purpose defined above.

What are our activities?

The four activities that you have stated are indeed the basic ones. However, I believe there is more. For instance, I may regard contributing to the welfare of other people as one of my activities. Likewise, each may have their own set of activities. How does one decide that X will be one of his/her activities in life? How would (s)he go about achieving it? If I were to regard that contributing to the welfare of other people as one of my activities, I may achieve it through ‘n’ number of ways. How do I choose one over the other? This requires deep analysis supported by evidences and logical reasoning.  

In essence, I earnestly request that we be committed to not only passing on the knowledge to the next generation, but also to equipping the next generation to create their own meaning and purpose in life and providing them with the necessary skills and abilities

Prof. T. R. N’s email:

Part 1:

Does our education help in our activities? Let us analyze our activities first.

It looks to me that we basically do only four activities. All living beings do the following activities: (a) eating (not just by mouth - sense gratification); (b) sleeping; (c) procreating and (d) defending (health insurance - buildings - military).

We may sleep in a nice a/c room on a bed; cows may sleep in shed; dogs may sleep in streets; but activity is ‘sleeping’. Though there is difference in sophistication, activity is ‘sleeping’

Having the sixth sense, are we doing different activities? (What is sixth sense?) Please let me know any activity we do that is not ultimately connected to the above listed basic activities.

I think that ‘self learning, critical thinking, team work, problem solving etc’ are all the intermediate goals (or mile stones) but not ultimate goals. What will you do with ‘self learning, critical thinking, team work, problem solving, etc’? Will you not use them to do these four activities?

Part 2:

Through scriptures (example: திருக்குறள்), I have (you might have also) heard many times that the purposes of life are: Dharma (அறம்), Artha (பொருள்), Kama (இன்பம்) and Moksha (வீடு). The purpose of education must also fall in line with the purpose of life. Wikipedia says the following:

Dharma – includes the religious duties, moral rights and duties of each individual, as well as behaviors that enable social order, right conduct, and those that are virtuous.

Artha – signifies the "means of life", activities and resources that enables one to be in a state one wants to be in. Artha incorporates wealth, career, activity to make a living, financial security and economic prosperity.

Kama – signifies desire, wish, passion, emotions, pleasure of the senses, the aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection, love, without violating dharma (moral responsibility), artha (material prosperity) and one's journey towards moksha (spiritual liberation).

Moksha – signifies emancipation, liberation or release - connotes freedom the cycle of birth and death, or self-knowledge, or self-realization. A few like Sri Nrusimha’s devotee Prahalad did not show interest in the materialistic first three.

Professional/College education should help for all these four purposes or not?

Travel

I just cataloged the places I have visited - These include places I visited in childhood and later - those that have remained in my memory either vividly and/or through photos.

The list can be found here: 

Jallikattu

The last three days has seen what I have not seen but only heard of in my life time so far - the solidarity of the student community. The solidarity shown by the student community across the state - with no reported violence - is commendable.
As to the issue of Jallikattu, I find this show in Neeya Naana bringing out various facets very clearly a must exposition for all: http://www.hotstar.com/tv/neeya-naana/1584/pongal-special/1000081575.

2016: Looking Back

The year 2016 has been a year of eventfulness at the professional side.

After a hectic week between Dec 27 - 31, 2015 of organizing the DST-INSPIRE camp at SASTRA University, the year 2016 started with my presentation at the Indian Science Congress for the Young Scientist award in the New Biology Section. Although I didn't manage to get the award, it was a nice experience presenting my work to a completely unknown audience. Some of them came to me and said the work was interesting and the presentation was good. That was rewarding.

This was followed by an invitation from the School of ThinQ to join their core team. ThinQ is a group of educators committed to inculcating inquiry abilities in children. My association with ThinQ thus far had been as a participant of their course Inquiry and Integration in Education (IIE) which has had a tremendous influence on my views of education. The invitation to join the core team meant the learning is to continue and be honed in addition to contributing to the development of ThinQ in my own possible ways. Since then, as expected the learning has indeed continued and I have been contributing to ThinQ in small ways to the workshops that are conducted (specifically the chennai workshop in May) and the IIE-2016 online course and finally as a facilitator for one of the sessions in the 9-day face-to-face workshop of IIE held at Pune in December.

The association with ThinQ has also helped me conduct Critical Reading Workshops at SASTRA University for PhD scholars and UG/PG Engineering students. The workshops proved useful, particularly in helping students understand the fallibility of scientific knowledge.

In May, I co-coordinated the "Research Science Initiative - Thanjavur/Trichy chapter" by SASTRA University where about 25 students in their 11th standard were selected from schools in Thanjavur/Trichy to attend a 1-month long research internship  at various labs in SASTRA and were given exposure to various fields in the form of lecture and being an intern.

In July, SASTRA took our Science Arattai initiative beyond its walls to reach out to school children. The primary reason being that the schemes of the government, due to logistical issues, focus only on the "creamy" students. However, as we all know, marks are poor predictors of intellect. Therefore, to reach out to the students who don't qualify to many of the schemes of the government (for eg. INSPIRE camps), and introduce them to the latest developments in science and technology, Science Arattai initiative invites eminent scientists from across the country to address students at different schools in Thanjavur, Trichy and Kumbakonam as a monthly event. The initiative was inaugurated by Dr. Gopichandran, Director, Vigyan Prasar, GoI. Meeting Dr. Gopichandran was yet another transforming moment. The simplicity and commitment he displayed was a great inspiration. Several learning points from him!

November saw the conduct of the research methodology course at SASTRA which I was a part of. It was again a rewarding and satisfying experience in the small ways I could make some positive change.

December started with the 9-day intensive face-to-face workshop for the IIE participants - conducted at IISER Pune & ThinQ to which I was a senior participant and facilitated one of the sessions on mathematics. The workshop also helped me to get to know various dimensions by which people are trying to make differences in the education sector. Particularly, I became interested in the Arts and education programme by an NGO.

This was followed by the one-day Science Communication workshop by the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance that I co-coordinated. The workshop focused on manuscript writing, grant writing, presentation skills etc in addition to highlighting the alternate careers in Science other than Academics (which was based on our request).

The following Saturday (24 Dec) was spent at the Alumni Congress held at PSG Tech. I had the opportunity to interact with the current students and had a chance to illustrate to them the premises--> conclusion nature of statements and Science in general.

The year concluded with the second INSPIRE camp at SASTRA of which I was a co-coordinator this time. The second version of the INSPIRE saw "big shots" of the country - a fellow of the academy who held three Padma awards and another who had one Padma award in addition to many other stalwarts in their fields. Some of the mentors to the camp were extremely simple given their position in science administration of the country - that was yet another learning/inspiration similar to that by Dr. Gopichandran.

In addition to all these activities, I have managed to publish 2 research articles in 2016 and mentored 2 UG students on their projects.

In the forthcoming year, I hope to continue contributing to some of the above initiatives and make positive differences in ways I can think of.

Palaeolithic site in TN

For long, I have been looking for evidences that assert ancient civilisation in Tamil nadu, and here it is: Attirampakkam near Chennai. It is a paleolithic site (around or before 10000 BC). Check below link for more details.

http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/pappu297/

A Neolithic site is found in adichanallur near tirunelveli.

Chennai Rains

The last few weeks have been a miserable time for the people in the northern districts of Tamilnadu, including Chennai and Kadaloor. The heavy downpour has brought the daily activities to almost a nil. It was heartening to see the help extended by many people from various parts of the world, thanks to the social media. However, the local news channels seem to be doing a good job in self-praising their parties and trying to antagonize the people against the opposite parties. Particularly disturbing was the news item I saw today where the public (I presume!) went on to say that the municipal workers refused to come to their help because the water was more than waist-deep. I can only wonder how that public expects another human to risk his/her own life to help him/her just because (s)he is a government servant? I don't know the full and true picture that exists in Chennai or other flood-hit places, but I was stunned to hear the complaint displayed in a news channel. I wonder when our people will start respecting others and understand others. Just because one holds a position position doesn't mean that (s)he is bound to help the citizens risking their own lives. They can do only what is humanely possible. Let us stop expecting more from others and start giving what we can give. 

A cycle complete

Part of the cycle, as a teacher, gets complete when your student goes into a job he/she likes and then comes back to you to tell you that he has gotten into a job that (s)he likes...and goes on to get a coffee for you from his salary! Yes, that is complete for me now! :-) 

APJ

Dr. Kalam, the man who breathed his last while delivering his lecture at IIM-Shillong, is going to be paid tribute by 6 chief ministers and the prime minister himself at his funeral in Rameshwaram! For all, Dr. Kalam is only a former president. This, I believe, shows how much Dr. Kalam has set himself distinct from other presidents and has lived a life of honor, a life of inspiration - all beyond politics, yet within the political system! Salute! The tributes paid to him by the citizens of India - yes, they would, for the inspiration and relentless work he did for their upliftment. But pucca politicians   paying tribute - I think that is something to say about the life he lived during his tenure!  

A History for the Future

How common is it to come across someone who has deeply thought about the issues of his motherland? Among them how many came up with a deeply thought solution to address the issues and had a vision and action plan for it? One man did. Dr. Abdul Kalam. He rightly believed that tomorrow's India lay in the hands of the younger Indians. He made the best use of his tenure and the post-tenure period of his presidentship to inspire millions of students. He may be no more, but he lives in the hearts of younger India. What more fuller way to have lived life? Salute to one of the greatest minds and a true citizen! He will be a history to learn from and be inspired from for the future!

New Again!

It is that time of the year again
When the wind is chill
The breathe is warm
The air is filled with the the holiday mood,
Yet, it is not the same as previous
For, the new year starts again with new responsibilities! 

Open Text Based Assessment

It is quite heartening to see the initiative by CBSE to implement open text-based assessment (click here).
Often times in daily life we meet problems that do not have an answer that falls in the yes/no category. Education should prepare students to face such situations. Open-ended questions can develop such caliber in students and should be encouraged. While it could be taxing on the teacher/question-setter for such type of assessment, the results, on the long-run will be very rewarding, I believe. I wonder when this type of assessment will come into colleges! 

Are IITians not contributing or are we NOT allowing them to contribute?

The news of three IIT graduates getting placed in google with salary package of 92 lakh rupees is perhaps the talk of the country. What is particularly distressing to me is that, the talent has been brought into lime light only because a foreign company has hired them and has offered a huge package. By merely talking of it, we are only welcoming the foreigners to harness and exploiting our domestic talents. Our acts of celebrating such an incident is in paradox to the majority opinion that IITians do not contribute to the nation. The fact is, we do not recognize our own talents and hence the talented people go to places where they are recognized. 

Religion evolving?

The catholic church initially held that God created man. Darwin's theory of evolution did not fit into its theory and hence was not supported. However, 100 years later, now, the same catholic church has "tuned" its reaction to evolution by saying that God created the soul, evolution occurred, human beings may have descended from primitive organisms. This is a very fine (recent) example of how religious ideas and beliefs keep changing.

Religion seems to be a framework developed by humans to explain/theorize their observations and experiences. When compelling evidences that stand contradictory to current ideas surface, religion does indeed seem to absorb it. This is similar to science theories wherein a theory is modified to incorporate exceptional observations.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

                           Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Honesty

There was a time (until recently) when I was of the opinion that the only non-corrupt people are the academic people (that is, the educators and teachers). But of late, this has been proven to be a myth and nothing more. Lies, prejudices, jealousy and dishonesty are not alien to the academic people. At the root of all these lies vanity.

Recruiters scrapping aptitude tests – A good sign?

(This is something that I wrote long back...but never got it published anywhere. So, just posting it here. )

Science educators across the country have been discussing the need to improve the Indian educational standards, particularly calling attention to the “pattern recognition” type of training in the current educational system¹.  Researchers have been calling the need to inculcate ‘irreverence’ in science education^{2, 3}. However, it is not only the educational and research institutes that play a role in setting the standards of the graduates. Students’ motivation to learn, apply and achieve are, in part, inspired from the recruiters. Particularly with the engineering colleges, majority of the students aim to get placed in the IT companies. Thus the IT companies, or any other recruiting company for that matter, play an important role in setting the standards as to what to expect from graduates. In this line, the aptitude tests that these recruiting companies conduct as a form of screening the potential candidates has been helping to set the necessary levels of ‘thinking’ that a graduate should possess. Whether these aptitude tests are indeed up to the standards is a question of separate debate and discussion though.  The recent news article that appeared in Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/money-and-careers/article938221.ece shows a policy change towards what recruiting companies want from students. The news article says that the companies are looking for “consistent performers”. A consistent performer from our current educational system is one who has successfully been able to recognize patterns among words and numbers and was able to reproduce it effectively without error in exams. Moreover, this initiative is also a bias against the ‘late bloomers’. There can be no reason to discriminate the late bloomers against ‘consistent performers’. Such initiatives do not facilitate the goals that educators and researchers are aiming to set up. Recruiting companies should realize their role in education and devise recruiting strategies based on discussions and views from educators and researchers. With a long-term vision, recruiting companies along with academicians can, and have the ability, to transform Indian educational system and hence the society as a whole. 

REFERENCES

1.            Mohanan, K.P. (2010) Entrance examinations for science and technology. Curr. Sci. 99:1321.

2.            Mashelkar, R.A. (2010) Irreverence and indian science. Science. 328:547.

3.            Balaram, P. (2010) Irreverence and advancement. Curr. Sci. 98:1155-1156.

A misconception

A major misconception that I am currently seeing is that people, in general, think that those in the teaching profession know "everything".

Peace

The days are new, fresh and lively. Music sounds more euphonic. The stillness of silence is enjoyable. The stillness in the air brings ecstasy. Six years now. And my mind is not preoccupied only now. Maybe this is what is called peace. :-) 

Uniform Syllabus

I was wondering if in UG colleges we were told/helped realize the relevance and the interconnect of each modules we study. My guess would be everyone would say no. Unlike in PG programmes, students in UG programmes (engineering) do not have much flexibility in choosing modules. The modules and its contents are decided by an "expert" committee which are then "handed down" to faculty members. Since it is a "handed down" structure, I doubt if the faculty members would ever know why a particular chapter was included in the syllabus, or why it was not - without which (s)he cannot pass on the intended purpose. While the goal of having uniform education is laudable, I think it has such practical constraints which severely impact the quality. (Of course, this is relevant to the TN situation...not sure how it applies elsewhere.)

India Rising

Check out the latest issue of science for an exclusive interview with the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Singh. (Click here for the interview and here news focus.)
What really captured my attention was this statement of his:

"unless one is optimistic, one is overwhelmed by the dimension of the development task that we have to accomplish"

 And check out what he has to say on the nuclear energy issue as well! 

Mathemagic

Fear gripped the bones during Math classes in the primary/high school. Algebra and Muliplication tables - Oh Man! How do we remember all those formula and numbers? But there seems to be new and easy ways of understanding/learning these! Check out the videos below.

Longest Straw

Am sure each one of us wrote this definition for 2 marks in one of our examinations:

The movement of a liquid along the surface of a solid caused by the attraction of molecules of the liquid to the molecules of the solid is called capillary action.

(Am sure many of us used solid and liquid interchangeably.)

Honestly, how many of us were able to fully grasp the importance of this phenomena? There of course were several examples cited in the text book and some of them that I recall are oil rising in the wick, drying towels, transpiration in plans. Although these examples were supposed to enhance our understanding, the million dollar question is whether it enhanced understanding or increased the burden of memorising.

When I came across the below video, I could immediately understand and appreciate what a capillary force is...and all the examples I memorized made sense! So, what is the difference? Why couldn't I grasp and appreciate capillarity from the book as much as I did after watching the video? The primary reason, I think, is because here (video) they have used a practical day-to-day activity to explain the concept. Further, the practical way of explaining, that is showing it "in action" further interests and keeps the mind involved unlike the bookish texts.

Let us think and create more such videos!

Forever Dependent?

Are we going to be forever-dependent on others? When are we going to harness our own potential and be self-dependent?

http://www.thehindu.com/business/article2793429.ece?homepage=true

The above news irritates me. 

National Unique ID

Although I haven't been following the issues on the National Unique ID, this article caught my attention. It tells that two different groups, the Nandan Nilekani group and the National Population Registry group are doing the same work. Further, it also tells that the National Identification Authority of India has raised issues on dealing about illegal immigrants. I certainly don't understand why there would be no inter-communication between officials and make works simpler by sharing the load between the two groups. As to the issue of illegal immigrants, that is the first thing anybody who is going to issue a national ID would think of. I wonder what they discuss before they start working on such projects - money?

Whatsoever his motivations are, Dr. Swamy, is undeniably a bold politician.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2697711.ece?homepage=true

Rejections

An interesting article on rejections: http://indiabioscience.org/node/228 

Indian government - sincere or is it naive?

The last of couple of days, the media has been reporting about Mr. Kejriwal's tryst with the IT deparment - for a mere 9 lakh rupees, when Ms. Kanimozhi, Mr. Raja are enjoying a luxurious Tihar jail residence for still not accounting for the over 200 crores of money that vanished into thin air. And I am really wondering if the government is really that naive to think Mr. Kejriwal would back off from his civilian fights under such petty pressures, or, has it become very sincere to account even for a penny?. (Note: Mr. Kejriwal claims there has been no correspondence in this regard from the IT department since he resigned, and only before the fasting of Anna had he recieved the notification. That is too much to be a coincidence.)

PMO under Lokpal?

I was under the impression that Team Anna wanted the PM's office to come under the ambit of Lokpal. I thought that was a crucial demand that the government and the opposition found hard to agree upon. Today, I read in the newspaper nothing about this demand. When was this demand given up?

Supremacy of the Parliament?

Everybody talks of the supremacy of the parliament:See http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2400160.ece

What I don't understand is this: The people (atleast who really support the cause of anti-corruption) do NOT have faith in the members who constitute the parliament. And, when one does not have faith in its members, how would (s)he trust the system (system:the parliament as the supreme democratic unit of the Nation)? I think we need to step back and ask ourselves "Are we interested in preserving the existing system, that is the supremacy of the parliament, or, are we interested in bringing a strong anti-corruption system?"

Secondly, I read somewhere that BJP is now supporting the demands of Team Anna while a few days ago they had outright rejection of the demands. If that was truly a sincere resolution, I appreciate it. However, given the whimsical and corrupt attitudes of the politicians in general,as an ordinary citizen, I am disinclined to believe there are no ulterior motives - maybe even to bring down this government so that they can come to power.

Third, Rahul Gandhi's voice is coming out prominently now - after about 10 days of Anna's fast. Am I to believe that he didn't have any opinions earlier? All I can think of is that Congress is playing a very tactful drama to bring Rahul into leadership. Disgusting drama.

Does the Parliament any longer represent the people?

"...the path that he has chosen to impose his draft of a Bill upon Parliament is totally misconceived and fraught with grave consequences for our Parliamentary democracy."

There can be nothing more grave than the arrest of Anna Hazare to demote the democratic principle of the country. The parliament, as I understand, is an institution that represents the people and the people's mind. There are strong protests from people all over the country in support of Anna Hazare. Yet, the parliament - including the ruling party and the opponents - are against implementing Team Anna's version of the Lokpal Bill. Doesn't this mean that the parliament no longer represents the interest of the people? I don't understand this form of governmental organization.

"They must allow the elected representatives of the people in Parliament to do the job that they were elected for."

If I understand correctly, the Team Anna's version of the Lokpal doesn't trust the elected members in the Parliament to do the job. With atleast two of its ministers in the Tihar jail for corruption, on what grounds may we expect the members of the parliament to make laws that protect the interests of the people?

யாரிடம் தோற்கிறோம் என்பதைப் பொருத்தது தோல்வியின் வலி.

Physics is where real researchers are: They go behind ideas and concepts!
Physics is were real professors are: they “profess” ALL knowledge irrespective of their own expertise!

வார்த்தையாக அலைகிறேன் கவிதையை தேடி;
வார்த்தையே கவிதை என்றறியாமல்.

Padma Awards

Why are non-Indians and who don't live or contribute to India's development awarded the 'Padma" awards?

For example:
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/article1402577.ece?homepage=true

I understand Prof. Venki, Nobel Laurette, was also awarded a Padma.

No doubt they have contributed most to Science. No doubt they deserve the highest honors around the world. But why would an award instituted for the Indian citizens who have contributed to the development of arts, science etc in India be given to someone who did almost nothing to India? (They probably were not given a good chance in India, or didn't find the right intellectual mix that is required for such accomplishments - this is a different issue which again we Indians need to think about, especially in the Science sector.)

If inspiring the younger generation is a purpose to argue, then I only find inspiration to leave India and work abroad forever. :-\

The Mpemba Effect: Hotter is Faster

The whistle blows and the students start running in their tracks. It is a 500m running race. Unfortunately one of the students falls down tripped by his shoe lace. Without thoughts about the injuries, he quickly gets up, ties his shoe lace, only to find that his competitors have overtook him by a significant distance. With a new surging determination, he starts running. He ran with a speed that surpassed all his earlier feats. He wins!

One might have observed such scenarios commonly. The slower ones (or atleast the ones that we think will be slow) pick up the faster, be it in studies, competitions or in life. Water is no exception to this rule. It is common sense to expect hot water to cool slower than cool cold water. Hot water has lot of energy to lose to become cold, while cold water has relatively less energy to lose to become cold. Sounds perfect. But is it truly the case? Controlled experiments show that hot water cools faster than cold water! And what more? This trend continues beyond the crossover point as well!! Check out this article here.

Wishes swarm in from every corner of the world. What more can brighten a day and give the boost for yet another year to come? What better day to remind that our lives are touched by each other in unique and memorable ways? Time may rip off the specific details of the memory. But it does not even dare to touch the inner spirit of these memories and wishes.

"The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person's life." -- William Wordsworth.

Aesthetics and Science

This article by Dr. Chandrasekhar, is the best I have read so far on the motivations of scientific pursuit.

To kindle your interest:

"the motives which guide the scientific man are, from the beginning, manifestations of the aesthetic impulse"

Manmadhan Ambu

I cannot deny it is a very humorous movie. Apart from many of the specifics that can be appreciated, I found the story line very impressive.

A person is dying of cancer. If only he had money to get the necessary treatment, he can live. Isn't a life more worth than anything else in the world? So, his friend decides to undertake a spying work for which he is promised to be taken care of the hospital expenses. He needs to tail an actress who is taking a vacation in Europe. The actress's lover doubts her. A natural doubt that might arise in anybody in today's world. I wouldn't call it justified, but it is natural. Women these days are working. But men, most part, have still not come out of their cocoons fully. So, it is very natural that they do get into a mode of doubt. That has been portrayed very well in the movie. When the detective friend finds that the actress is beyond doubt, the lover gets into a stupid argument that since the detective did not find anything new, he will not get any pay. This again, is a very nice portrayal of the mentalities of people today. Take for example, what you expect from a Scientist. Every tax payer expects that a scientist would churn out a new finding everyday that would change their lives forever. In reality, that is not what happens. And they say, it is the moral right of the tax payer to expect it from a Scientist. Truly, no. The layman has no idea of how Science progresses and how slow it can be. It is the very nature of Science. In addition, uncertainty is the paradigm of Science. Just because a scientists announces something, it necessarily is not true. It may be disproved immediately, or sometimes, after very many years. It is this kind of situation that the detective is faced with. He is doing his duty...but that does not satisfy what the employer wants! Should he live to being honest, or, can he make a 'thagudu thatham' to save his friend? Propelled by the wrong intentions of the employer, the detective ends up in twisting the truth, which is still true, but is miscontrued by the employer - because of his preconceptions. These preconceptions finally lead to breaking up of their love forever.

I liked the movie for its simple, yet, profound story. Preconceptions are part of what we are. It cannot be denied. But if we are not open to change, we would finally lose.

The story cannot be better said!

The Seas

The seas house many unimaginable wonders of the world. Starting from the colors of the water, to the colors of the seabed, to the variety of organisms, colors of them are all mind-boggling wonders. A travel to the sea always reminds that the earth, however netted by the internet, is still big and has a lot to be explored. In the last 6 months, I have had the chance to visit two different seas: The South China Sea along Bintan, Indonesia and the Andaman Sea along Phuket, Thailand. The two places where very very exotic and different in their own way. At the outset, Bintan had clear blue waters while Phuket had Turquoise blue waters. See the pictures below: The first one is Bintan, and the next one is Phuket.

This color difference was the one that I noticed first. It was exotic to see turquoise blue waters in Phuket. One could note that even as one is flying into Phuket. In contrast, the waters in Bintan were clear blue. The reason, I learned later, was due to the fact that Phuket waters contain more of lime dissolved in them and the sea bed is made of limestone. The dissolved lime and the seabed, contribute to this color of the water. Water, in itself, does not have any color. But the dissolved particles, or the surface beneath, when reflecting/refracting the light from the sun, gives such a color to the water. The reddish color of certain other seas, I learn, is because of the ion content dissolved in them. So, the color of the ocean tells us about the ecology in that area!

I also noticed that the corals in Phuket (during snorkelling) were more colorful and housed more fishes than that we saw in Bintan. This could be due to several reasons. The one we saw in Bintan was shallower than the ones we saw in Phuket. A deeper sea could have more colorful corals. Maybe. But I did notice that there were huge schools of fishes in Phuket than in Bintan. I don't know why. But it was a little frightening to see huge swarms of fishes! :-) The colors of the fishes, I just couldn't believe my eyes. I don't know if we can reproduce such colors in paintings! In their natural setting, the colors were awesome.

The next thing I noticed was the huge limestone rock mountains in the Phuket seas. It seems that these limestone rocks are there for over several thousand years. The calcium deposition during the ice age, along with volcanic activities, they say, had shaped the current geology of the area. Bintan, on the other hand, was just like the seas that we know of usually. A large landscape with no interrupting rocks or mountains. What was more interesting is that, these large limestone rocks, sometimes looked as though somebody had taken a huge knife and just sliced it apart! That was intriguing. But later I learnt that since the limestones are inelastic, when the seabed underneath undergoes an expansion, the rocks just split apart, unlike sand mountains which would slide and make an even topography. See the photo below. This may not be the best picture, but still you can appreciate that this particular side of the rock has been just sliced off as though you cut an apple into two halves.

There are several studies on the geology of the andaman sea. This one 'The Andaman Sea Rocks' is a good start to read about them.

That's so much I have to say about the landscapes I have seen in the two places.

Corals, the organisms that give the landscape of the sea, are interesting in their own. Their way of living, their physiology, their anatomy, their symbiotic modes of living are way intriguing. Wikipedia has lots of interesting information on it...so, I don't think I should reproduce the information. But anybody who is going to snorkeling or diving, should first read about the corals. You will then be able to appreciate the beauty and the lifestyle of these organisms much better!

PS: The photos I have provided here were taken by my friend, Santio Ruban. So, if you want any of them, please contact him.

Hues of Happiness

It is christmas time. The nights are dark and cold. The streets are deserted. The lights on the christmas trees are winking at each other, with no passers by to spy on. The calm air is filled with happiness...gently moving through the streets again and again to ensure to fill every tiny crevices with joy. The year is coming to end. But the plants don't seem to be aware of it. They are enjoying their lovely calm nights, occasionally gossipping with the moving breeze. Happiness is everywhere.

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Stillness

8.23 pm. Pandian express is standing in the first platform. The platform is teemed with a number of people. The college students teaming up, making loud noises as they get ready to enjoy their travel together. There is still one machi not yet turned up. So one guy is trying to reach him.
In another compartment, the husband is going on a business trip and the whole family is standing at the platform giving all sorts of last minute warnings and wishes.
In yet another compartment a couple with a new born sitting and attending to their kid. Suddenly they realize they would run out off water soon. So the husband is rushing out witg the wife shouting that it was time and he should not go. The husband, still propelled by his lovr for his kid, pushes his way through the small door through which passengers are coming in. The incoming passengers are shouting at the husband.
The platform is filled with "idly vadai....kaapi, tea' music. Porters are urgently making their way. Railway authorities getting ready doing all the last minute checkings. 8.29 pm. The friend has just got down from the auto and is dashing in. The husband is waiting for the shop keeper to give back the change. The family people are giving their handshakes and are reluctant to part.

The atmosphere is filled with intense tension. Even a silent spectator could sense the tension prevailing there. 8.30 pm. The train starts moving. The husband runs to enter into one if the compartments. He gives a hand to the late friend who was struggling to throw his bags inside. The wife trying to get a glimpse of her husband through the window...but in vain...she is still tensioned.

The train slowly moves away from the platform. All the waving hands are going down one by one. The platform becomes empty in a few minutes.

There is stillness. The tension in the atmosphere vaporizes. Time seems to take slow strides. There is stillness. Peace. A blankness. The stillness after a heavy tension. A tension that grew to fulfill ambitions (late friend). A tension that grew out of love - the dad for his kid, the wife for her husband.
But when they all move over, there is a sense of peace and happiness. The sound of the stillness pervades the mind and body.

I don't know if this is appropriate:

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/money-and-careers/article938221.ece

Even though the IT companies scrap off the last ounce of creativity and innate talents, they have been valuable in improving the socio-economic statuses of several families and the nation as a whole. But this initiative - to waive the written aptitude test for "consistent performance" (read 'consistent regurgitation') - is a further step in ensuring and encouraging a mentality among the students that stresses the importance of memory, rather than use of intellect. It is not enough only for the academic institutes to talk about improving educational standards, but recruiters must equally participate. This is very much frustrating. This is also a bias against the "late pickers". A late bloomer canNOT be discriminated, for any reason, against a consistent performer.

Endhiran

Endhiran - I must say I was incredibly impressed with the first half of the movie before the standard Indian masala crept its way through to the second half. The technical wizardry is probably commendable - I leave it to the experts to comment on it. The storyline good for sure. A scientist with a "helping-humankind attitude" builds a robot that can learn from daily life do several tasks that his contemporaries are unable to do, thus making a significant advancement. However, it suffers from a serious limitation in that it cannot take moral decisions and can only do what it has been instructed to do. Due to this limitation, the AIRD (anybody can tell what it is?) does not approve it for use in the military. At this point, I must appreciate the movie team which had brought out the boons and banes of technological advancement vividly. In due course, the scientist "teaches" (or programs) to even "feel", a unique property of the living beings, so that he can take moral decisions. However, things take a twist and the robot starts to love. Then the whole thing takes the Indian masala shape. One is also reminded of the Hollywood movies like iRobo, Eagle Eye etc towards the end.

However the technical advancements and the storyline maybe commendable, I cannot still convince myself of spending Rs. 190 crores for the movie. I am also surprised by how somebody is able to invest such a huge amount in a single project! That only reveals how wealthy India is! Historically, the development of a nation and its citizens is evaluated by the amount of time and money they invest in art and culture. In that sense, India, and specifically Tamil Nadu must be really well-off that they are able to bring out such a mega-budget movie with a decent story line.

GENE THERAPY - A SUCCESS STORY

All these days, I never knew gene therapy was at clinical trial levels. I always thought it was at research level and there are a lot of difficulties to overcome before it came out in clinical levels. Alas, I was wrong! Read the success story of treating beta-thalaessemia, an inherited blood disorder, by gene therapy HERE and HERE!

Though it has been a success, there are a number of issues that are yet to be taken care of.

I happened to notice this news (click here) in dinamalar that doctors should come forward to work in villages. This is not the first news of the type. I think there is also a service bond for the medical students to serve in the PHCs for about a year or two. While I do agree that this is a nice initiative keeping the long-term welfare of the nation in mind, it seems like a biased initiative as well. Why not engineers be asked to serve in villages as well? After all, our villages need more infrastructure and technological advancements. Medical benefits are now prevalently available in the villages. Will the government think?

Life is full of choices. And, what...you are the chooser!

The Marauder's Map

I am sure everyone who is a fan of Harry Potter is also excited by the marauder's map. Harry uses it to find that Peter Pettigrew is alive and roaming within Hogwarts. Later he also uses it to track Draco. How interesting it must be to have such a map! You can map out what your boss is doing, can monitor where your kid is, etc etc. How wonderful it would be if it were true! Alas, indeed it is now a reality, and no fiction! Thanks to the smartphones and google lattitude/maps! One can enable GPS tracking in one's mobile phone and google map automatically updates your position! Even as one is travelling, you can.know which road he is in and if traffic information is available, one can esotimate time of arrival! On retrospection, the old fantasies and so-called magic are becoming a reality. I don't know if these would have been a reality without the yester years' fantasies and wild imaginations. The only uneasy thing about the old fantasy stories is that, people tend to believe that they are true and people of the past really did have those abilities and facilities. Truly, the stories of those days were born out of curiosity and imaginations. Again, curious people these days b
capitalise on science and technology to bring those imaginations a reality. Cheers to creativity and imaginations!

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Doctrate of Medicine and Neurology

Any higher degree that involves research (particularly, a supervisor) is not an easy job. To complicate it, imagine you have to deal with several people as well. If the people you have to deal with are ill, chronically, and you are deemed to cure them, and at the same time take data for your research. To talk of it is itself head-swiveling for me! And what, my sister has borne all these difficulties and passed her DM Neurology course after a streneous focussed effort of five years. The scholarliness gets infused into your blood only after a great struggle. Salute to the Doctors community who withstand all difficulties and live their dreams to serve people.

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Sync your Microsoft Outlook Calendar with Google Calendar!

One can synchronize your google calendar with your microsoft outlook calendar (click here). So, when using calendar in android phones, I don't have to re-enter my appointments in my google calendar. The sync application automatically does that for me. What more, you can control the information flowing path! You can either choose to update your google calendar with your outlook data, or update outlook data with google calendar, or both ways! Isn't that cool and very useful? But coming to think of it, is Google trying to monopolize? ah...never mind...it is useful, so it is ok. We cannot abandon PC for google, atleast now.

This is how Madurai looks when seen from above.



(The photo was taken from a Hindu article )

One can see the four streets around the meenakshi amman temple. It is for this 'whorl' type arrangement, the city has been conventionally called to have the arrangement of a lotus flower.

The scene would be amazing when you look at it in the night with all the lightings! Take an evening flight from madurai to chennai or bangalore to see this panaromic view! ;-)

"Talent is just the starting point" somebody said. Yes, it is truly just the starting point. Perseverence and self confidence are the key ingredients to bring a dream to reality. After about two years, my friend's comic has been selected to be one of the best in a comics contest. No doubt his comic story was original, creative and all good adjectives fitted appropriately for his creativity. But it did not gain the immediate reputation he had hoped for. He persevered. Made several attempts to take it to the people in several different ways. And Voila! Finally it got the recognition it deserved. Never give up your dreams!

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It all started with a forward with the message "no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Perhaps he forwarded it to me to indicate/prick/poke me that I have, of late, not been spending quality time as I was drenched in my own apprehensions, anxieties, confusions, aspirations and commitments, slowly letting go the dose of reality and entering a monotonous melodramatic drama.

There's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend...and so did this saga start at Starbucks. This has been the second time we ventured into such planned unplanned trips. Since it was quite a long time since we met (almost about a year and half), the time was mostly spent on talking talking talking that morning and in the days to continue. Each updating the other of the lived and un-lived moments. For some reason, you get to talk more in person rather than by emails or even phone calls. That makes me wonder what it is that the physical presence does - any quantum entanglement phenomena triggered a cascade event?! Since I had saved time by executing an idiosyncratic plan well-ahead, we had more time that morning. It was then decided to explore the local delights and the downtown Singapore. However, the trip ahead was well punctuated as a result of the explorative nature of our minds. On the way to the destination was the Haw Par Villa which was not in our schedule...but finding it attractive, couldn't resist getting down - pressing the stop button in the bus as the bus was about leave from the stop. So did time pass by there moving around amids the chinese mythological characters and stories of good against evil. Time, though had started moving slow by then, did not fail in its job to induce hunger. Finally towards vivocity again for lunch at Thai Accent. But Vivocity is not a just another place! It has enough retreat for a gadget freak - my companion - that can last more than a day or two! The first target was Best, exploring 3D Tvs, i-products etc. But my hunger somehow realized it was 3.30 pm and was craving for some food that we had to ditch Best halfway to satiate my hunger at Thai accent. Interesting foods. To top it, the Green Apple juice was just amazing! Alrite, hunger satiated...what next? Return to Best to complete surveying the rest of the shop! And from there we slowly moved on to explore Vivocity and to freeze time within the Canon time machine. The phone pouch, the 3-D pictures, sun-activated T-shirts, Sound T-shirts, the pool on the top of the skypark, nothing was left unexplored. Vivocity was followed by Chinatown - Pagoda street - 3 for 10 dollar shops. Well, who can resist buying things over there? Ended up buying interesting stuffs over there. But all these places, we decided not to rush through since our aim was not to 'see' all places, but 'explore' the places that we go. Well, truly, we didn't quite explicitly come to this agreement, but I guess both of us came to an implicit understanding. However, I did nudge a little to keep moving on for the fear of sticking to just one place. Dinner at Chinatown, followed by a walk aside the Singapore River was refreshing. The beautiful night lightings around clarke quay was something I had noticed, but not enjoyed so far. I have enjoyed the evening walks over there though. At the end of these, we decided to explore Mustafa around 1 am. Mustafa, those who have visited it, will know what it is to shop there. It is an ocean of goodies...a one-stop shop for all your needs. A lot of shopping again here.

One might ask, is this all you did in Singapore? Shop...shop...shop? Well, actually yes, the first day was mostly so...but as somebody said, the joy lies while climbing the mountain than reaching the top as such.

The first day needs to be told in such detail because we couldn't freeze much of the time within our time machine - damn the batteries. However, starting the second day, the time machine - the camera - was in full use. So, no details! :-D {alrite, I am getting lazy}.

The five days ran through every minute. It is indeed true that "There's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend". The trick is to realize and honor it at the appropriate time. The apprehensions of the future will definitely cloud the mind always. But truly, the future is designed by the present. If you want to relish your future, you have to live the present!!

Anyway, here are a few tips for the readers:

1. Don't plan your outings to precise details unless needed (sometimes it is necessary to keep to proper eating schedules, especially if diabetic.)
2. Be a tourist who goes and explores the place, rather than knowing what to do in a place apriori. In doing so, you might miss out some places and some events, but you definitely will explore and relish the places you found by exploring!
3. If it is a short trip, give a vacation to your sleep as well!

Taste of technology

This is a new taste for me. I have always refrained hopping into newer technologies for the fear that I may get too much dependent on it. Also because I always believed in the supremacy of man over machine. But this taste of technology with spica tells me how ignorant I have been. A lot of seemingly impossible and 'magical' phenomena are now real. One is able to manage a huge amount of information in easy and undistractable ways. And the all-in-one nature is quite good. Could follow blogs, could write emails, could check location, could maintain my booklists, wishlists, calendars, tasks etc etc. The main purpose of being connected to home through skype has been missing though! But definitely gives a feeling of connectedness.

All these do not make me additive, but explorative! It does not mean supremacy of machine over man, but man over information! Great going so far! :-)

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Research is more often a struggle than an enjoyable phenomena. Only on retrospection does it reveal its sweetness and beauty. But by the time you start retrospecting, you have already killed many of your social contacts and disturbed your social life. So, it is very likely that you are retrospecting in a lonely environment. However, if you were to evaluate if you are truly lonely, you find a negative answer. Truly, your well-wishers and friends have never left you alone...they have been constantly monitoring and have been very understanding of your idiosyncrasies. And what more does one want in life more than this care? Professional achievements are a matter of dust before strong relationships.

Perhaps this is true in all careers. We sweat the small stuff and let go the bigger picture. This adds to one more lesson in my life. A lesson taught by experience, the toughest master. :-)

Wanted: Innovative Mathematical Thinking

http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_07_10.html

The Best Illusions of the year

New Scientists picks the best illusions of the year. (Click here)

Illusions, I think, are the best way to study cognition!

Some recent works on Protein-DNA interactions.

Specific protein-DNA binding has been thought, so far, to be a two-step process. However, a recent study by Sanchez et al (PNAS, 107:7751-7756. April 27, 2010) show that it may not be always the case. They find an equally probable second route – a route that has more rougher energy landscape. By a series of systematic mutations in the protein, the characterize the energy landscape of the second route – which again involves atleast two intermediates. The overall picture is that, there is an initial transition state ensemble with non-native contacts that drive the system into a kinetic trap. These non-native contacts are slowly rearranged into native-like interactions.
There are two points that are quite interesting:

1. That the second route is significantly probable.
2. To think of additional factors such as DNA bending in such a rough energy landscape is mind boggling!

While this study delineates the pathways to protein –DNA binding, yet another study (Genes and Development, 24:814-826) shows that the *shape* of the DNA minor groove directs binding by the protein FIS, a DNA-bending protein. The results of the study seem to suggest that FIS initially selects DNA targets with *intrinsically* narrow minor grooves and then it compresses the minor groove and bends the DNA. The study re-iterates the idea that the shape of the DNA is more important than its sequence – atleast in the noncoding regions, as shown by an earlier study (Science, Vol 324, 389-392, 2009).

Even as it is becoming clearer that the shape of the DNA is important, I think there is a long way to go in understanding what changes occur in the intrinsic properties of the DNA/protein that eventually modulate the structure.

Randomness in Speciation and Darwin's Theory of Evolution

Since school days, it has been taught to us that natural selection is the primary reason for the origin of species. Only 'fit' individuals survive in a particular environment. That is, it means that that there are certain characteristics needed for survival in a particular environment. So, if natural selection had played its role well, there can be only one species in a given environment - one species of bacteria, one species of a plant, one species of a spider, one species of a mammal etc. But this doesn't seem to be the case. Often several species cohabit an environment. So, it becomes obvious that natural selection cannot explain the 'origin' of species. This has been a contentious issue among evolutionary biologists since long and a recent study probably has revealed the underlying 'fact'. See the nature article. Or, read this New Scientist article which explains the issue in layman terms. According to this study, the origin of species is a random event. A rare event triggers change and a group of individuals in a particular species become reproductively isolated. These isolated group of individuals then gradually change, adapt by natural selection and form the new species.

I think this completes the theory of evolution. A rare event triggers the formation of a new species. This species then adapts to the environment and forms a new species. It seems like randomness is an important aspect of life! Nothing can be predetermined as some claim.

ஏனோ வெளிநாடு சென்று புகழ்பெற்ற இந்தியர்களை தலையில் தூக்கிக் கொண்டு "இந்தியர் அறிவாளி" என்று கொண்டாடும் பெருவாரியான மக்களை இன்று காண்கிறோம்.
சற்று சிந்திப்போமே ஏன் அவர்கள் இந்தியாவிலேயே சாதிக்கவில்லை என்று.
சற்று சிந்திப்போமே ஏன் இந்தியாவிலேயே வசிக்கும் 100 கோடி மக்களில் பெருவாரியானவர் சாதிக்கவில்லை என்று.
அல்லது ஏன் தான் நாம் மற்றவர் நம்மை அடையாளம் காணும் வரை பொருத்து இருக்கிறோம்?

English translation: There are great many number of people today, who cite examples of Indians who have achieved in foreign nations and claim the intelligence of Indians. Let us think why these people did not achieve it in India. Let us think why, of the 100 crore people, there are not many achievers. Or, why do we at all wait until a foreign organization identifies the talent in the Indian talent pool?

Carbon Footprint

Global warming is a serious issue if you are concerned about future generations who will live 100 years down. As the international leaders are trying to set up regulations and reduce the global warming, it is necessary that citizens in under-developed and developing nations be educated on Global Warming and the need to go green. "Carbon footprint" is probably the first terminology to understand in this process.

I came across the following links that I consider to be good in educating about carbon footprints and global warming in general.

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/
http://www.carbonify.com/

A sense of scale

To add wonders to the elegance of the universe, check out:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/scale.html for a sense of scale!

Festivals, Society and Science

Snowflakes have always evoked a sense of awe owing to their beauty and elegance. Various shapes of snowflakes are used in Christmas cards mainly for an aesthetic value and to denote the winter season. However, it is not common knowledge that snowflakes are always six-sided - hexagonal - owing to water's property. For quite sometime now, I have counted the number of edges of snowflakes appearing in commercial ads...and was always intrigued by the nonconformity to the "six". I was getting into the impression that I was wrong about my knowledge of the hexagonal structure of snowflakes. However a recent correspondence in Nature by Prof. Koop from the Bielefeld University helped me assert that I was indeed correct.

I really appreciate Prof. Koop's effort to bring it to the attention of the media that many of the commercial ads are depicting the snowflakes against the laws of Nature. Even as we celebrate festivals and try to include Nature into our celebrations - or perhaps as sources of inspiration and beauty - let us do it the right way. In my opinion, this is one of the responsibilities of Scientists: ensure that the layman gets to appreciate Nature for its elegance and beauty in the right spirits.

Once he gets to learn the intricacies and complexities of Nature, his appreciation for Science would increase and critical thinking for productivity would be automatically be inculcated.

THE SEARCH FOR EXTRA DIMENSIONS

I was fortunate to attend a talk on "The search for extra dimensions" by the Indian Physicist Dr. Sayen Kar at IIT Kharagpur. He highlighted that there are numerous experimental observations in Physics that can be explained only if we invoke the presence of extra dimensions (that is apart from the usual x,y,z and time dimensions). However, these dimensions become "visible" only at sub-micron length scales and requires high-energy techniques (like the Large Hadron Collider). I couldn't really imagine the presence of an extra dimension. It was hard convincing myself. However, it struck me that this would have been the state of mind before people discovered microbes! Nobody knew what caused diseases. The invent of microscopes was a milestone in knowing the microscopic world - organisims not visible to the eye. Similarly, I think we need high-end techniques like the LHCs before we really explore and perceive the presence/absence of the extra dimensions. In all cases, nothing can be ruled out until proved otherwise! :-)

THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF SCIENCE

I thought quite deeply about the social responsibility of Science when I wrote my previous blogpost (click here). However, I was very skeptical of how much my view was right, though I did get a few feedbacks agreeing to my opinions. A recent article in SciAM "War in Peace" parallels my thoughts. The author very clearly points out "Discerning the merits of competing claims is where the empirical basis of Science should play a role". The competing claims may be in any area. I am indeed happy that I understood this aspect of Science, quite right, thanks to Feynman of course! But the question is, why don't everybody who holds a degree in Science understand this?? Wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone agreed to this aspect? In the same issue of SciAm, Michael Shermer (click here) informs us of a research work in psychology that identifies 5 innate and universally available psychological systems upon which our senses of right and wrong rest. The underlying basis of opinion difference is now delineated!!

HUMAN GENOME SEQUENCING IN INDIA

Recently, there was much news that Indian scientists were successful in sequencing an Indian genome. It is a great step indeed for India and shows its promise of progress. However, on retrospection, I wonder if this is any news at all! The human genome project published its first sequence around the year 2000. This means, the technology for sequencing was developed even before that...say 5 years (though the actual root is the invention of the PCR in 1983 - even before I was born!). So, this only means that Indians are lagging behind by at least 15 years now!! In addition, I learn from news that the sequencing technology license was bought from an european organization. So, what was so indigenous to India to celebrate the sequencing? Was there any break through data that leapt out - at least as of now, NO - there hasn't been a publication yet! So, why did the government choose to announce it prematurely? I have no clue! There are lot of things to do with sequencing - population genetics of the different races, cause for the malarial susceptibility etc etc etc. Couldn't the scientists have waited until there was good data to publish? I seriously don't understand their motive from a scientific point of view when there is no novelty displayed yet.

STAR GAZING

Singapore being one of the most "light-polluted" countries, I never thought there would be an astronomical observatory here. But as it happens, there is one...and in fact, one of the few telescopes on the equator! And what more...they offer 'free star gazing' every friday between 7.45 and 10 pm! The planet on focus today was Jupiter - as that was the most observable celestial body today - perhaps the whole of December. There was a big hood like thing..as we see in the movies... in which the telescope was mounted. I guess the whole of the hood was rotatable to view different parts of the sky. The telescopic image showed 4 moons along with the planet. It just made me wonder how much our 'vision' has improved :P (The proposed site for the Indian Neutrino Observatory has been dismissed by the government). There a lot of things that we don't know and are beyond our imagination too. It is so interesting how people live in so much vanity when there are a lot of stuffs that we don't understand and do not even perceive! That apart, I also saw a small satellite that crossed Singapore while I was there...apparently it reflected the sun's light for a fraction of a minute on its way...and was observable at Singapore. One can get a list of observable satellites in their location for the next 7 days from this website: http://www.heavens-above.com/.

Astronomy is fun and humbling!

Components of Research - Hypothesis- vs Non-hypothesis- Driven Research

Holding a bachelor degree in Science and stepping into a graduate program in the Engineering has been the most arduous task I have ever undertaken in my life. Trained as a Science student with a little research exposure at NCL and NCBS, I have always learnt to build upon existing information, i.e., summarise the existing information - identify the gaps and fill them. However, the approach in engineering research seemed totally different. Here they identified a(ny) problem, solved it, and then looked for supporting information! Well, I have had serious trouble because of these two different approaches in research - I was never able to accept there can be "non-hypothesis" driven research. However, a blog and a chat with a friend at CMU, made me go over the breakthroughs in Science.

Case 1: Newton sits down an apple tree. Apple falls. Newton discovers law of gravity.

Was there any hypothesis in this discovery? No! Newton first made an observation! He then went on to systematically study it and bingo - he derived the laws. So, there was a non-hypothesis driven research first - the observation that an apple fell. This was followed by hypothesis-driven research - "systematic" study of the observations. What one means by "systematic" is that, you pose a series of questions and check your logic of understanding by answering each of the questions with consistency. If consistency fails with your logic, you got to revise your logic - hypothesis. So, research involved a non-hypothesis driven observation followed by a hypothesis driven work.

Case 2: Structure of DNA is a double helix.

Crystallization was a new technique in the 1940's -50's. Watson and Crick were curious to know the structure of DNA, as many of the contemporary scientists were. So, they made an observation - the diffraction data - and interpreted them. While the interpretation involved asking a series of logical questions in order, they were, as such NOT addressing any hypothesis. So, again, this is a clear example of non-hypothesis driven + hypothesis driven research.

To finally conclude, research is both making an observation and studying it systematically.

In the context of Systems Biology, I guess the entire field is in the stage of non-hypothesis driven research. Not much progress has been into making meaning out of the observations generated so far. But with time, it shall see its fruits and enter into its second phase - hypothesis driven research.

PS: Just making a RANDOM observation is NOT Science. An observation that resulted out of curiosity or inquisitiveness is only Science. I will talk about Serendipity and Science in another post.

For the Structural Bio Enthusiast: Torsion Angles

In structural biology, I have come across the term torsion angle many a times. But I never understood the precise meaning of it until today! The motivation to learn about it came from Dr. Xian-Jun's blog: Torsion Angle
Dr. Xian-Jun had given a detailed description of how to calculate it, though he had taken for advantage that someone reading it will know what a torsion angle is - I did not know! A quick google search yielded some informative links. The summary of my learning is as follows: In the newman projection it is the angle between the bond that is nearer to you and the bond that is farther from you. A more clear explanation is given at IUPAC

It is in the appreication of the unknown, humbleness sets in. But that doesn't mean that you have to intimidated by the unknown. Embrace it and learn it.

Ancient and Unique Nature of Tamil

I have had small debates with my North Indian friends as to which Language (Tamil or Sanskrit) is the mother language of all Indian Languages. Naturally, they claim Sanskrit to be the oldest, and I claim Tamil to be the oldest. It perhaps seems that both are the oldest!! The below link shows evidences that Tamil developed with NO influence of Sanskrit.

Scroll down to "Origins of Tamil".

http://karkanirka.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/tamilintro1/

Also came across: http://www.ifih.org/SouthIndianInfluencesintheFarEast.htm
If you had read Kadal Pura, you would have already known that there was a huge South Indian influence in the Far East..if not, this site talks about it...I haven't read through it thoroughly...but I trust the source.

OBAMA FOR NOBEL PEACE?

It came as a very unexpected news that the US President Obama was voted for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. Though I knew not much of nominations and the criteria, I definitely did not, even in the slightest, think of Obama for Nobel. Anyway, I read up on the news in a few news papers and I understood that it was awarded to him for the claims and promises he made in his presidential campaign. There is a huge uproar and sarcasm against the Nobel committee which made this decision. However, I think I am going to support the school of thoughts which says, the award will compel him to bring his promises true. I don't know what Alfred Nobel originally stipulated as the requirements of the award. But I think it perfectly makes sense to put an extra pressure to a man who made tall claims by honoring him with the Nobel. At the same time, the money gives him the freedom and confidence to do what he desires to make the dreams come true. So, instead of awarding a person who has achieved already, the Nobel committee's decision to award a person who can potentially achieve the need of the hour is wise.

"To put it bluntly, the only thing that appears to have motivated large numbers of people to invest significant resources in science is fear of dying..."

Can layman be any longer ignorant of the scientific happenings around him? How important is to educate layman on Scientific pursuits? And a lot more questions on Science. David Balamuth analyzes each factor and answers an interview, the details can be viewed here

Well...well...there is something that I seriously understand:

Some people, who are supposedly in "good" and "high" positions...or atleast are in the path to that, cannot really take care of small stuffs! For example, maintaining stationary inventory, getting the requested quality of a product etc., seems so silly to them..but that makes a difference! When they canNOT pay attention to such small details, how are they going to make a difference with a "big" detail..and what good it would be to put them in a higher position?

"The future, good or ill, ceased to have any power over the present. Health and hope grew strong in them, and they were content with each good day as it came, taking pleasure in every meal, and in every word and song."

-- Lord of the Rings