Monday, October 18, 2010

The amazing carbon - 2010 Nobel prize in physics

Carbon has amazed us once again ! 

        These are notes taken down during Prof Sivram’s lecture @ IIA, on 2010 Nobel prize in physics 12th Oct, Google for the more info, this may not be correct altogether, since I have a amateurish knowledge of physics, particle physics almost from a layman’s perspective.

Click-able links for the press release of 2010 Nobel prize & 2010 Nobel prize in Physics are below  : 



Congratulations to Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov  for winning the Nobel prize. The obtained or produced Graphene in lab. 


-          Suggested by Canadian theoretically 60 years back
-          Graphene – excellent conductor – can be used as substitution for silicon
-          Carbon based electronic circuits,  May be realized as a high performance transistor capable of operating more than 100 times the current ones.
-          Consists of single layer of carbon atoms, this was the most basic or simplest arrangement - form of carbon, but was discovered last. Since it is a layer of carbon items one slice think only, hence essentially 2 dimensional material

 -          Graphane is polymer of carbon & hydrogen i.e hydrogenation of Graphene produces Graphane
-          Graphane is stronger than steel , can be best described by phrase – exceptional combination of extreme properties
-          Finds applications in LCD’s, Solar cells.

The wiki links are  Graphane & Graphene

These laboratory experiments of obtaining or producing Graphene etc help in analyzing the aspects related to concepts such as ZitterbewegungKlein paradoxQuantum Hall effect,  Anyon   etc  

PS : I will enrich the post when time permits 
-astrosunilnomy 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Yet another love story : Part2

Yet another love story
                                .....coz I don't hate love stories.

Part2: Close encounters of the pretty kind




Hazaaron khwaisheyen jage hai iss dil mein
Zyada intezaar mat karana..
Yeh nazarein tarase hei tere ek  jhalak ke liye
Sheshe se bhi nazook iss dil ko tootane mat dena…
Bhool kar tumko jee na payenge
Tujhe dekh kar jo dil dhadkana sikha tha…
Tere pyar ke bina, dil kahin dhadkana bhul na jaye...
Bas itne guzaarish hai ke tumhare dil ke recycle bin mein mat rakhna.



      It’s strange isn't it? the very thought of a potential* life partner changes your life all together. You see love in the air first time, apart from pollution & new microbes causing new flu etc nowadays…There are instances in life where you don’t know what you want from life & life seems to make no sense & instances where you know exactly what you want in life, but still life seems make no sense, because there is no way you could get it. Well, Shruti seemed just an excellent example, but worth a heart-breaking try though    

Raj ke dil mein to Simran ko dekh kar kuch kuch hua tha…
Hamare dil mein to iss anjane khoobsurat ladki ko dekh kar bahut kuch ho gaya

potential* : of course conditions apply, wish I could be lost in this dream for ever, reluctant to embrace the reality where the complexity of lives determines the probability of two people falling in love.  

A day’s long wait was over finally & Shruti & Sunil met at the same restaurant.
Finally getting a break from uncertainty & wondering that whether she is actually gonna come for me or it was just a kind of joke.

Sunil : Hi I am Raj, naam to suna he hoga ? 
Shruti : ha ha…good one, its been long I never heard this. Hmm, well I am Simran, who looked back one last time wondering whether the guy who stared at her so long was at all going to approach for asking out.
Sunil : Is it ?  Wow, I feel Ah Ah I feel ..I feel..Oh god now it seems so easy to express those complex mathematical equations rather than to express these feelings. That too when pretty girl is 5 inches near to you. 

Sunil (after thinking long could come up with this only) : well, I am surprised, I thought you were way out of league for me…
Shruti : Why, you have not been asked out by a pretty girl earlier ?
Sunil : Oh ho ho, I am not gonna fall for that, you want to hear your appreciation from me, let me say your handwriting is very nice. I am Sunil, why don’t we sit here…
Shruti : Oh good, Raj name wouldn't suit you anyway.
Sunil : I may look like a software engineer, but really I am not, working in that white boring building opposite to colorful Forum mall, & amateur astronomer, pretty cool sky-observation stuff you know ? I swear to God I am not a geek.

Although I now realize why Pooja had instructed me not to be too much of myself. Thank God, otherwise I would have started simply Chapter 1 : Introduction to Astronomy.  

Shruti : Oh, Who is Pooja ?
Sunil: Did I say that aloud? I thought I said it in my mind.

I wanted to say she is my girlfriend, but that may ruin the current attempt of making Shruti my girl friend, besides the fact that Pooja was really like my girl friend, we both knew everything about each other, thanks to that long hours of office work, at least I had a good company, a good friend to seek advices, more importantly to make a useless attempt to understand a girl's mind. All i could deduce after lot of research was Girl's mind is very unpredictable. 
Why is that girls are interested in other girls, & why it’s so important for them to be told by others about their appearances, obviously the answer is gonna be that they look pretty.

Sunil: Pooja is my colleague, she told not to be myself too much !
Ah again…Damn it you nervousness, I realize that I should have not told this too..

Shruti : I like people who are the same inside & outside
Sunil : Enough about me, I have spent many hours updating about me in orkut, facebook, & don’t know still many sites, you can look up there always. Tell me about you…

Shruti : Well I am apparel designer, studying now, wish to take up as profession later.
Sunil : cool ! I suppose you design ornaments. Not many people do what they like to do in life.

Shruti : No it's not ornaments, it's clothing fashion designing.
Sunil : Oh FTV stuff, Bikini destinations stuff, cat walks etc cool, this time controlled to say it aloud. 

Destiny had done a sort of tit for tat with me, many people believe I am astrologer when they hear astronomer, & I explain to them the difference between astrology & astronomy, wondering whether they are stupid or something. Now I got couldn't pick up apparel designing as clothing or rather less clothing.   

Shruti : I see you don’t care for fashion much, you have this professor type ka look.
Sunil : ya that’s true, you are good at observing things. – hope this appreciation cheers her up & still wants to be my friend. 

Shruti : Tell me more, how come serous science about sky is your hobby
Sunil :  ok, I don’t want to bore you now, just I was interested from childhood, picked up things & understood & got into like minded friends.

Ya I have done it, I have stopped being myself completely, now I am the romantic guy any girl could fall in love with, sorry any pretty girl could fall in love with, sorry Shruti could fall in love with.  

Shruti does this strange action she places her hand making it a phone shaped & virtually calls up her friend. She is apparently updating her close friend about new guy -  me.
Shruti : Hey I met one nice weird guy, at restaurant…I think I like him, Shruti continues the reply on behalf of her friend as well, Oh cool, how is he? tell me more, is it love at first sight ?  I just like him, don’t know …he is nice, tall & handsome, He is from Bangalore & software engineer. He does not care about fashion etc, dressing sense etc but I think I will teach him.

Admist my wondering if I marry Shruti, Oh my god, astronomy most toughest thing is taking most of my time, Now I have to learn fashion, not cool ! Let me be myself, Our children will have to learn fashion…how can I allow this when real science is out there to be explored. I hear a voice  : Now, you call up your friend & tell about me

What stupid thing, telling about some one in front of someone, just as my appraisal process in office I wanted to tell, but did not. Oh, this is supposed to be a romantic thing, why to ruin it ?  
  
Sunil  : Hmm, I will call up Pooja…She was the only one who ran across my mind.
Hey it’s Sunil, remember the girl I told you about. I met her today, she is more beautiful that I had seen her the day before. She seems a nice girl though I don’t know much about her. Ya you were right…the probability of finding a girl who has same interests or hobbies as mine is less. If Shruti agrees, I can simply send her photo in the photo competition at office & win a prize easily.  Hey it’s great, good to hear about your new girl.
As I dint have anything more to tell, so made up this clever reply : Pooja was busy & kept the phone - I said. 
Her smile was more than enough to make it my day, but how could I forget about her likely boy friend who stood her up yesterday?

Sunil: if you don’t mind, was that your boy friend yesterday whom you were waiting for.  
Shruti: Yes, why do you ask?
Sunil: Oh is it? I felt like mother of hero of Hindi movies who goes to temple & asks in front of God-  Oh God, Why ?

Shruti (laughing): I can’t stand that look on your face, sorry was just messing up with you. I was waiting for my cousin who is studying in college & apparently had assignments to complete, hence couldn't catch up last evening.

I think I must go, it was very nice meeting you, take my number & do you want to write it on your hand or somewhere as you shirt says ‘I have Amnesia’

I wanted to say, I designed it myself, but seemed contradictory to my swearing to god that I am not a geek just few minutes before.  

Sunil: Ya tell me, oh that one, it doesn't apply with situations involving pretty girls.

Took down her number & controlled myself not to seem desperate from saying:  I love you, wish you could be the love of my life, I could dedicate romantic poems to her, already many in my blog. But just told, it was wonderful meeting you & cannot wait to meet again.
Shruti: same here, So give me a call.

Sunil: wait let me tell..unlike rakj mere dil mein bahut kuch hota hai.. Hope atleast a fraction of that happen in you.
Shruti: still we don’t know each other, let’s see. Bye, take care.

Sunil catches up Pooja in office & tells hey I have got a new blog post, very exciting one this time.
Pooja : I know it's your meeting with that pretty girl isn’t it? can you think of something else apart from blogging & astronomy ? 
Sunil: alright, don’t scold me, you just remind me of my mom, thank god my mom does not understand either astronomy or blogging.
Pooja: Ok, tell me, something, anything working out ?
Sunil: She is a Punjabi girl, bubbly, fun loving girl, caring have to see where things go, and did I tell you that she is pretty?
Pooja: ya ya you told me many times that she is pretty, Oh Punjabi, yet another 2 states story like Chetan bhagat?  Good luck buddy


I am destiny, the narrator of the story, I unfold in strange ways. 

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Yet another love story : Part1

Yet another love story                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ....coz i don't hate love stories.


 Part1 :  Serendipity



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Scene 1 : Sunil's office, Pooja sits besides Sunil in office
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Sunil   : Hey Pooja, ok I don't know how to ask this, anything to gift for first date ? actually second date, actually it's complicated, Why am I talking so much, I am already  nervous I suppose, Can you stop me please ?
Pooja  :  Ah, a girl, you have a date with a girl ?  Sunil let me tell you, those internet chat ones - don’t believe them, you are a good boy, stay away from them.
Sunil    : No not chat ones, I met her already, its with a pretty girl of course.
Pooja   : ok, you have confused me already, tell me after few days if things work out, just buy flowers, red ones indicate love, so yellow would be great. Is she is girl from             your geeky astronomy club, then you know better what to buy. Wait, are you sure you are not day dreaming after that weekend sleepless night of sky-observing
Sunil  : No stop talking nonsense, I said she is pretty, how can a girl be both pretty & into astronomy same time, any tips for a date  ?
Pooja : You are a nice guy, just be yourself,
Sunil (  Big smile showing all teeth !  ) : Really, hey thanks.  
Pooja : I meant be yourself, but just not too much !   (Oh, smile reduces )  I mean shave & go, not that once a week shave, I don't give a damn look. Don't wear That E=MC2 shirt, nor any physics quotes shirt, i.e she must not find anything interesting on you to start conversation, so that you don't start talking your own stuff. She may get bored & drifted away.

I took a deep breath & wondered whats wrong with the E=MC2 shirt or other physics quotes shirt, I knew nothing about politics sports, Bollywood numbers, etc etc. I asked my consciousness, just like my mom told, that it never tells lies : Is it important to give up your true self entirely to start a relationship with a girl ?  Answer came : Absolutely !
         
Sunil buys yellow flowers, wondering what to make out of Pooja's instructions & goes to the restaurant that evening. The newly opened one is by his friend Rajesh
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Flash-back - reverse rolling of tape..
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The day before, Sunil reads a note over & over again not blinking his eyes for 5 mins. The note read
"Tomorrow same place evening @  6 ? - you could have just asked me instead of staring at me so long ..bye tc :-) ..Shruti'.
A gentle wind in the pleasant evening, the setting orange sun in the far horizon, there comes our heroine. She comes in the restaurant, all eyes are on her, Sunil exclaims 'Whoa, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen I suppose, she takes a seat & orders coffee. Sunil at the counter of his friend's newly opened restaurant. Sunil's heart skipped several beats & his eyes never blinked. A CRO machine connected to his heart would have shown the waveform of love symbol definitely with caption "let she be the one, God please ". Her orange dress matched with the setting sun, Sunil closed his eyes as if he could smell the fragrance of petals printed on her dress just like wheel or some detergent advertisement. Hmm, Why do we waste so much time finding the right one, when there are so many right-for-now pretty ones around ?
She was so charming, no make up, no hair do, no lipstick, making one wonder in these days, how come one can look so simple & yet so charming. The background song :  'Phir bhi kitne sundar ho' seemed to descibe her precisely.
Every moment's sight was so precious, worth to be captured in some kind of memory photograph. the melody of the sound of her payal seemed to match with the instrumental song in the background. Her red bindi reminded of the hubble image of the red giant betelgeuse . Like the Doppler effect, her proximity towards me only intensified my feelings for her.
  
Rajesh : Leave it dude, not your type.
Sunil    : Shaadi thode he karne hai, line to marne de, after school days line marane ka bhi chance nahi mila...
Rajesh : line marta tha, school times itself ?
Sunil    : Dude, whats big deal, no girl used to recognize that I am trying to impress her anyway. 
Sunil sits next to her table staring at her almost making her uncomfortable. She finished her coffee, waiting for some update on her mobile. She picks it up & messages some body. She seems a bit upset, that look totally not going with her charm & beauty, she  waited for half an hour, not looking around much. She got a call & said something on the phone & left to leave. She handed something to waiter along with paying the bill. Five minutes later the waiter comes to Sunil & handed the tissue paper. Whoa there it contained a note   " tomorrow same place evening @  6….. "  - yes it was note from that pretty girl who left 5 minutes ago. Sunil began to wonder, anything wrong with this girl ?  No pretty girl has given me a signal like this before, or is it I have evolved faster in recent days to become handsome. Did her boy friend stood her up in restaurant now, Did he break up with her ?  Obviously she has a boy friend, since she was so pretty. Suddenly Shruti seemed to be the most beautiful name in the world.  
You may wonder who I am telling the story, you will come to know soon.

Disclaimer : I am not Sunil of story, all characters are fictional.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Revenge against destiny

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 15; the fifteenth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.



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5.30 a.m  at Green valley railway station, Jammu & Kashmir :
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Chotu : Wake up, Wake up my friend, listen carefully. I want you to do one work of mine, give this parcel to my brother on his birthday next week, I wont be there promise me that you will not open it & see. This belongs to my brother, Just give it to him & tell its last gift from me. Keep this safely with you. I have wrapped it in plastic cover so that it will not get wet. I am going somewhere, I have made a choice probably the most important decision of my life. I am sick & tired of this life. If am earning only Rs 50 selling team here, hence cannot rejoin my school. I will not end up anywhere near my dreams. Besides I will be having guilt of not taking care of my bother. I am just choosing the less worse thing, in fact I suppose I don’t have a choice.    
Destiny has played a dirty game with me, I am going to reply it now.

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6: 00 am train arrives at Green valley 
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Boom ! A loud blast is heard, Bomb Blast & next instant three compartments burning with fire, there is blood everywhere, many people catching their last breadth, many already dead. 
Police & ambulance, fire brigade rushing to towards station.

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Report by local newspaper next day
--------------------------------------------------------------------
His name was Chotu, Police have confirmed this is the case of Suicide bombing, another shameful act of terrorism, this is the third bomb blast in the city in last 5 months. Making a child a carrier of bomb by giving him money is cheap act of terrorism.

When we asked police more about the blast, the police have told us 'Although no terrorist organization has taken responsibility for the blast, what else can be the reason? we are so easy targets of terrorists here in our valley always, he was a waiter at local stall, sold tea at platform & in the train. He came here last year after his parents were killed in the market bomb blast. They owned a general stores in the market. The hotel owner was care taker of these two brothers Ram & Sham. Chottu or Ram elder brother was about 15 yrs old, but everyone called him Chottu.  His brother & friends are denying that Ram could ever do this bad thing. He was speaking with two strange guys one week back, after serving them them tea. They were talking to him something for quite sometime, may be asking him about the city. 

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Rotary School, Jammu & Kashmir
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       This is the story of Chottu, this is the beautiful picture I took one month back of the Station. Today this platform is in ashes. Terrorism never stops like this, only increases. Use the correct approach to stop terrorism. Rehabilitation of the victims should be done essentially, otherwise they will loose their normalcy in life and get carried away for doing anything anti social for sake of money. If the govt had some school or some NGO could have taken care of Ram & Sham & continued their education. they would have not done this.
          This is the moral science class & we have heard many nice stories. But children, this is not just a stroy, this is reality, things happening not far from our school.  You all are going to be the next future of India, you need to bring about a change. While the corrupt policy makers are busy making money for themselves & public opinion's vary over a trajectory from denial to acceptance, people just want to be told it's over. But it's not.

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One week later..
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Chottu's friend gives Sham the parcel and tells Happy Birthday Sham, your brother gave me this parcel to give it you, he said its his last gift. I think Chottu wanted you to be happy always.
They together open the packet & surprised to see ten thousand rupees. Sham tells I miss my brother, he was the only family I had, how can he think I will be happy with this money, I don't want this money, I want my brother back.
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