December 2010

First Chapter!!

We will open the book.
Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.

2010 saw both highs and lows on science front

Controversy was the flavour of the year for science as top academies got the flak in the heated debate on commercialising genetically-modified crops and mishandling of radiation sources by universities that resulted in the death of a person in the capital.

The year gone by also saw the country’s atomic power plants generating more electricity as the crucial uranium fuel became available as the international community lifted the nuclear trade embargo imposed on India.

India also became the sixth country in the world to have 20 or more nuclear power plants as the fourth unit of Kaiga Generating Station was commissioned in November.

Space scientists had their share highs and lows. They celebrated as India’s own Chandrayaan-I found ice deposits near the lunar north pole and finalised the payload for a sequel to the maiden moon mission.

The year literally began with a bang with a full-blown and often acrimonious debate on the safety and efficacy of genetically-modified brinjal and is commercialisation. The pro and anti-Bt brinjal camps were well prepared with each making claims on the safety of transgenic variety of the eggplant which was cleared for release by Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), a panel of top scientists, in October 2009.

However, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh over-ruled the scientific opinion and put a moratorium on its release. He later asked six leading science academies go into the issue of biotechnology in food crops with focus on transgenic crops and submit a report to him and the Planning Commission.

The report, which was released for limited circulation, triggered a furore with allegations of plagiarism against the six leading academies, including the prestigious Indian National Science Academy. Ramesh trashed the report contending that it was based on the opinion of one scientist known for his stand in favour of genetically modified crops.

The academies, representing leading scientists of the country, later updated their reports and incorporated views of researchers known for their stand against GM crops and also made proper attributions and references to material sourced from experts.

However, the damage had already been done and the first attempt to get six leading science academies to produce a collective report had resulted in a certainly avoidable instance.

Another slur on the scientific community was the radiation incident in Delhi’s Mayapuri locality where scrap dealers were exposed to radioactive material Cobalt-60 leading to death of one person and grievous injuries to 10 others.

The culprit here was the Delhi University whose officials sold as scrap a Gamma irradiator which was lying in disuse in the varsity’s chemistry department. By doing so, it had violated safe disposal of radioactive waste and radiation protection rules.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) had banned the university from using any radioactive substances in its laboratories.

The incident triggered alarm in the nuclear establishment and led to tightening of norms for disposal of radioactive waste as also strengthening screening of scrap imported from across the world for sources of radiation.

The Mayapuri incident laid bare a loophole in the system which did not have any laws dealing with such incidents. There have been calls from the scientific community for the needs to have a separate legal provision to deal with cases involving radiation exposure from equipment in the domain owned by organisations like hospitals, varsities and industry.

A Greenpeace scientist takes radiation measurements at the Mayapuri scrap market in New Delhi.

The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act applies only to nuclear installations owned or controlled by the Centre either by itself or through any authority or Corporation established by it or a government company.

As a result, a University Grants Commission panel had also suggested setting up of University Safety Committees to review safety in handling radioactive and other hazardous materials used by educational institutions.

Controversies apart, Indian scientists were also involved in many a breakthrough and ‘one-shot insulin’ technique developed by Avadhesha Surolia, Director of the National Institute of Immunology definitely ranks at the top.

A team of scientists led by Surolia, developed a technique by which it may be possible for patients to take a shot of insulin just once every four to five months as against daily injections at present.

Interestingly, the team has been able to achieve this without the use of any chemical additives or a device such as a pump or a patch. Their technique primarily involved getting individual molecules of insulin to come together and form multi-molecular or supra-molecular assemblies.

The technology has been transferred to a US-based company for further development including clinical trials. The new agent could be available in the market in about six years after all the trials and other formalities are completed.

The National Institute for Plant Genome Research, Delhi, had two notable breakthroughs this year — genetically-modified potato which packs 60 per cent more protein than the conventional tuber and the GM-tomato which remains meaty and succulent even after 45 days after harvesting.

A team scientists led by Rasik Ravindra, Director of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) hoisted the tri-colour at the geographic South Pole on November 23 after a 10-day journey through the icy continent in special vehicles. On their way, the scientist collected ice cores and gathered atmospheric data in their bid to understand the changes in the environment over past 1,000 years.

Experiments involving geomorphology — the study of landforms and geophysics — which includes movements of tectonic plates were conducted in the course of their journey.

These studies are expected to add to the knowledge of how the ancient landmass, once fused with other continents in a super-continent before being separated 200 million years ago, has evolved.

During the year, Rawatbhata in Rajasthan emerged as the single largest nuclear site with six reactors with peak generating capacity of 1180 MW of the total 4780 MW of the country’s installed capacity.

Most of the units at Rawatbhata use international fuel, thus making available domestically available uranium for units at places like Kaiga, which have not been placed under international safeguards.

The fourth unit at the Kaiga Generating Station (KGS) in Karwar district became operational in November. The year also saw the beginning of construction of indigenously developed 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors at Kakrapar in Gujarat.

Among the big ticket events early next year are the commissioning of the first 1,000 MW nuclear reactor developed with Russian assistance at Kudankulam and final steps in commissioning the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam.

Can apps help us follow New Year resolutions?

Today there is an app for almost everything, from losing weight to finding a job. Can any of them help us keep our New Year’s resolutions?

Yes and no, says Ananda Mitra, professor of communication at Wake Forest and the author of ‘Alien Technology’ and several other books on digital media. He says an app can make things simpler, but it is not going to change habits.

Essentially, an app is just like any other goal-setting tool to increase personal efficiency, he says. About everything that an app can do, can be done without the technology, he says, but the greater convenience of using apps may make it more likely to follow through with plans for self-improvement.

What apps are doing is centralizing into one single digital tool many of the functions we used to handle with a diary, a checkbook or a printed calendar, says Mitra. “People want to do things without thinking too much about them. With one touch you can pay a bill or help your child prepare for the SAT.”

Here are pros and cons of using popular apps to follow New Year resolutions:

1. Lose weight, get healthier:

Popular apps: Lose It!, Calorie counter, My Fitness Pal, Food scanner, RunKeeper

Pros: The key output for nutrition apps that help with weight loss would be calories, fat, carbs and protein. By being aware of the content of the different foods, people can make better choices, whether at home, at the grocery store, or in restaurants. If a person has an assigned calorie budget, the apps help them know how many calories they have left for the day. It gives them immediate feedback and they can make adjustments as they go. With a counselor, they have to wait to see them before they know how they are doing. You can get programs on the Web too, but carrying a laptop is much more cumbersome than a phone or mobile device.

Cons: The main limitations with nutrition apps and weight loss apps are estimating portion sizes and finding the food in the database.

2. Save money and keep a budget:

Popular apps: Groupon (for sales and deals), Mint (budgeting), Homebudget

Pros: Budgeting is absolutely essential and it’s a huge step: the mere fact of budgeting. People (and businesses) are always shocked to see where their money goes, and it always helps them to economize. So, any tool that helps with that is a good thing, without any doubt. People like apps (from what I”ve seen and from the data) so they will use them if they are easy and logical.

Cons: There are bad apps out there, so just being an app is not enough, it has to be a good one. A budgeting app still requires recording income and expenses and is only as good as the consistency and accuracy of the information you input.

3. Build a stronger family:

Popular apps: FamilyMatters, Surf Balance (safe browser for kids), Skype, Ebuddy (instant messenger), Foursquare (location software)

Pros: Smartphone apps are a medium that can get us to goals. So, as families discover how to be closer and communicate better, apps can be good tools. The tools are constructive when family members are brought closer together.

Cons: Tools can be neutral or even destructive if they sit idle or are used in ways that are not beneficial, such as spreading gossip.

Mail from a frustated man due to Fwds – too good

Dear Friends

I wanted to thank all my friends and family who have
forwarded chain letters to me in 2009 & 2010.

Because of your kindness:

>>> I stopped drinking Coca Cola after I found out
that it’s good for removing toilet stains.

>>> I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting
on a needle infected with AIDS.

>>> I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using
deodorants because they cause cancer.

>>> I don’t leave my car in the parking lot or any
other place and sometimes I even have to walk about 7
blocks for fear that someone will drug me with a
perfume sample and try to rob me.

>>> I also stopped answering the phone for fear that
they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get
a phone bill from hell with calls to Uganda, Singapore
and Tokyo.

>>> I also stopped drinking anything out of a can for
fear that I will get sick from the rat faeces and
urine.

>>> When I go to parties, I don’t look at any girl, no
matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me
to a hotel, drug me then take my kidneys and leave me
taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

>>> I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce
account. A sick girl that was about to die in the
hospital about 7,000 times. (Poor girl! she’s been 7
since 1993…).

>>> I went bankrupt from bounced checks that I made
expecting the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL were
supposed to send me when I participated in their
special e-mail program would arrive soon.

>>> My free Nokia phone never arrived and neither did
the free passes for a paid vacation to Disneyland.

>>> Still open to help some from Bulgaria who wants to
use my account to transfer his uncle property of some
hundred millions $.

>>> Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those
Ganesh Vandana, Tirupathi Balaji pics etc.. now most
of those ‘Wishes’ are already married (or going to be
married) – (to someone else!) 🙁

>>> IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you do not send this e-mail to at least 1246 people
in the next 10 seconds, a bird will SH** on your head
today at 6:30pm.

Hours Mean No More or Less than Years

Hours mean no more or less than years.
A moment is a point with no dimension.
People count to undermine their fears,
Persuaded numbers lead to comprehension.
Yet time is an illusion of our motion,
No realer than the rising of the sun.
Each line we draw rests on a restless ocean,
Way, way beyond the scope of more than One.
Years do not begin and never end
Except for purposes of calibration.
A need to share our yearnings, friend to friend,
Requires just one point of celebration.

Banish Worry & Doubt, Dont worry about Mistakes

When you were very young, you developed an astounding number of new skills in a short period of time. You quickly worked your way from a helpless infant into a capable and knowledgeable young person.

How were you able to make such rapid progress? One big reason why you moved ahead so quickly was because you weren’t worried about making mistakes.

When your focus is only on avoiding mistakes, you avoid achievement as well. Being constantly worried about getting it wrong prevents you from getting it right.

Choose to learn one more important lesson from the rapid progress you achieved as a child. Banish worry and doubt from your efforts, and see how very much more quickly you move forward.

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