STCMMN '09

The last two days have been couple of the most memorable days of my life so far. I had been selected for participation in the Short-Term Course on Mechanics over Micro and Nano scale (STCMMN) 2009, organized at the Bengal Engineering & Science University(BESU) Shibpur on Dec. 21 and 22, 2009. It was time well spent, in the enlightened company of a galaxy of reputed professors and eminent personalities in the field of science & technology from well-known institutes.

Some of my readers might be interested in knowing what the programme is all about. Well, the idea of STCMMN was conceived by Prof. Suman Chakraborty of IIT Kharagpur, who is also a member of the Indo-US forum for research excellence in fabrionics. This particular forum came into being in Kanpur a few years back to facilitate collaboration between India and the USA in the fabrication of new technologies in microfluidics. The Indo-US forum organises the STCMMN every year in India; the 2009 venue being BESU Shibpur.

The subject of microfluidics is a relatively modern one, but its popularity has seen a considerable amount of work been done already, with further extensive research being taken up by several research groups in different parts of the world. The consequences will be far-reaching, with the possibilities of fabricating new techniques and advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, lab-on-a-chip systems, DNA hybridization, cancer treatment, intelligent drug administration, and many more!!!

Being an interdisciplinary subject, microfluidics encompasses various branches of science & technology - physics, chemistry, biology, fluid mechanics, chemical engineering, image processing, tribology, genetics, and what not ! Question naturally arises as to how much would an undergraduate student like myself be able to garner from lectures that presented topics quite advanced for his/her level. In the days leading up to the event, I was quite apprehensive regarding this. The success of the programme, therefore, would lie in the fact that while it could cater to the needs and queries of enthusiastic research scholars and faculty members, it could also present undergraduate students with an overview of the subject, underlying the basic principles and fundamentals, as also the scope and applications of the subject in modern science & technology at present and in the near future. The entire programme was thus carefully designed to kindle interest among budding researchers and get us acquainted with the subject.

While all the lectures were fascinating in their own ways, for me, personally, the high point was the one delivered by the keynote speaker, Dr. Howard Stone, a professor and researcher from Princeton University, USA. He interacted freely with students and teachers alike, and his presentation is certain to have generated a new wave of understanding and developing fresh techniques in microfluidics. The entire 2-day session was sprinkled with timely tea-breaks, while the sumptuous lunches and the conference dinner on 21st Dec. night were just awesome! A big thanks to the co-hosts, BESU Shibpur and IIT Kharagpur for all the warm hospitality; the event was a huge success, and the organizers deserve special praise.

On my part, I would definitely like to take part next time as well - hope IIT KGP or BESU hosts the event next time too, for, however selfish it may sound, it would certainly facilitate an easy journey !

Thoughtful in winter

December is a beautiful month. I like the winter season here; especially the afternoons when I can spend hours on end, planted on a chair on the roof, eating oranges in the pleasant sunshine, or the cosy nights, cuddled up in the warmth of the quilt. In our younger days, we used to exchange Christmas cards and share cakes back at school, things I fondly recall at times. Another thing I miss these days is wearing the blazer to school; how I used to dress up smart and handsome! I always abhor getting up early on winter mornings, and now that the exams are over, I can sleep for longer periods of time.

Exams always arouse a mixed bag of feelings in me. It's true there are extra efforts put in, reduced recreations, the tension of purpose, yet the feeling that I have the luxury of suspending all other jobs and worries apart from studying somehow manages to allay the butterflies in my tummy that exams usually tend to give rise to. When I was young, I used to faithfully abide by the restraints that used to be placed on my actions during exam-time- "not much TV, not many cartoons; finish your exams well, then you can do as you like...don't play for long;what if you get hurt? " !! Years later, I haven't changed much, except that I have learnt to focus better and my resolve has grown stronger.

Now idling away on a lazy afternoon in the post-exam holidays, this innate resolve tells me that my challenges are far from over. Having reached the business end of my graduation course, fresh tasks await, and it is their successful completion that will eventually shape my academic and professional career. Now is the time, not to drop anchor, but to continue sailing in the proper direction. The mind and body need rest though, and some nice relaxing time at home is the perfect way to prepare a plan of action.

Winter season in college life hasn't been short on fun so far. I have wonderful memories of two college winters behind me...four very beautiful months. The cricket matches with my fellowmates are a standout- having scored four consecutive ducks in my first year, I plan to score a few runs this season :)

A topsy-turvy encounter

The 5^th match of the series had all the ingredients for a special contest. Australia had come back into the series at Mohali, and with the series poised perfectly at 2-2, were desperate to prove they were no pushovers, despite difficult conditions in India and the barrage of fitness problems in their squad. India, on the other hand, stung by the defeat in the last game, were looking to capitalize on depleted Aussie reserves and take a critical, if not decisive, lead in the 7-match series. On a personal note, there was the added interest of whether Sachin Tendulkar could complete 17,000 runs in ODI cricket. Besides, perfect batting conditions on a wicket more favorable to pace than spin ensured that the match wouldn’t be as drab as it had been in the 3^rd match at Delhi. All these and much more made for a perfect script, as the two teams descended on Hyderabad to resolve their deadlock.

Australia batted first, and batted like they had never done in this whole series…an aggressive century partnership gave them the perfect platform to really launch into the Indian attack in the later overs. And launch they did! In style. 13 sixes in the innings and 79 runs in the last 7 overs saw their total climb to a mammoth 350 in 50 overs, more than India have ever chased successfully in ODIs. It was exciting to watch the Aussie batsmen finally make a big statement. Shane Watson’s 93 set the tone; the way he batted in the afternoon, Watson however, wouldn't have known then he'd later be bowling the last over to save Australia.

If the first 50 overs were exciting, it was nothing close to the Indian run-chase. Everyone watching knew the daunting task ahead of the batsmen, yet was hoping for a special performance. And who better than Tendulkar himself? He started scratchily, as the series so far, has been for him, reached the milestone of 17000 runs and then shifted gears seamlessly. Sehwag got out for 38 in the 8^th over, but by then, Tendulkar had settled in and was well on his way to playing another of his gems. He kept the pace up, playing a wide array of shots all-round the wicket, while taking no undue risks, but was left seeking support from the other end. A flurry of wickets- Gambhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni all went for single-digit scores – left Tendulkar an improbable task to achieve on his own.

While the chase seemed to be slipping away from India, Tendulkar had already played a masterpiece. He finally found an able partner in Raina, and together, the two of them set about the task of resurrecting India’s fortunes. Some brilliant stroke play and Tendulkar’s 45^th ODI century in the process brought the required rate down acutely, and India’s chances started looking surer as the Australians started to fumble a little. Even without Powerplay, India brought it down to 52 of the last eight overs. Had it been any other team, though, they would have given up long ago, and would have just stood and admired Tendulkar's work. The dogged Aussies, though, had other ideas. With the scales tilted heavily against them, relentless, as they are always, they clawed back; Watson( their superman, it seems!!) took out Raina and Harbhajan in one over, and that again balanced the scales.

Tendulkar’s presence at the crease still gave India the greater chance, though. He and Ravindra Jadeja added 32 for seventh wicket, and with Powerplay going on it seemed a matter of Tendulkar's staying there till the end. On came Clint McKay, debutant from Victoria, to bowl the 48th over with just 19 required. Tendulkar went to clear short fine leg off a slower delivery, but found Hauritz. It was all over. Jadeja ran himself out senselessly, Nehra holed out to long-on, and Australia were let to get their foot in. For a while, with Praveen Kumar hitting a six over long-off, and then taking sensible singles, it seemed victory was still possible, when needing 5 runs from 3 balls, Praveen was run out in the final over, to hand Australia the victory by 3 runs.

For Sachin Tendulkar, it was heart-break yet again; he seemed to have done everything possible but didn't last the final lap. He won the man of the match award alright ( 175 runs from 141 balls), but that cannot be anything more than mere consolation, as Australia go ahead in the series.

I congratulate Australia; a team battered with injuries has hung on for a memorable win. While reading certain post-match reviews, I found a nice quote, which sort of fits here. Sixty one years ago, at the end of a tour of England by Don Bradman's famous pack, John Arlott put it thus: "Australianism," wrote Arlott, "means single-minded determination to win - to win within the laws but, if necessary, to the last limit within them. It means where the 'impossible' is within the realm of what the human body can do, there are Australians who believe that they can do it - and who have succeeded often enough to make us wonder if anything is impossible to them. It means they have never lost a match - particularly a Test match - until the last run is scored or their last wicket down."

Today’s match, with all its twists and turns, seemed to echo just that !

Bagan scores five; buries 34-year old ghost

Sunday's match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stadium was to be a battle between two beleaguered teams, desperate for three points to bolster their dwindling fortunes in the I-league. In the end, though, there was more to it than just points and league table standings. The 5-3 scoreline in Mohun Bagan's favor itself created a record, as never before have so many goals been scored in a clash of the Maidan giants. Yet, the biggest talking point in the post-match frenzy was whether Bagan had finally exorcised the ghost of 1975!

The IFA Shield final on 30th sept., 1975 will forever be etched in the annals of Calcutta's football history and the minds of the countless fans of these two clubs. East Bengal had thrashed their rivals 5-0 that day, a scoreline that, for 34 years, has been the trump card for every EB supporter to win any argument on supremacy. But, all that has perhaps changed on Sunday. Bagan supporters now have a spring in their strides; they believe this victory has finally relieved them off the burden. Yet, East bengal fans think otherwise; even, past players from the two sides are divided in their opinions. Debate rages as to whether this latest win by Bagan could be compared to the one by East Bengal in 1975, which had turned out to be an entirely one-sided, humiliating affair. Mohun Bagan fans can hardly care less though !

Man of the match Nigerian Edeh Chidi scored 4 goals in the match, a record for the Calcutta derby, overwhelming, in the process, Bhaichung Bhutia's hat-trick for EB in the Federation Cup 0f 1997. Although, glaring errors in defense of both the teams is a cause for concern, yet the barrage of goals delighted the huge crowd on a day when football won, and the thrill of seeing goals being scored was the gift that every spectator got.

Happy Diwali !!

I didn't burst many crackers this Diwali... it was a quiet affair at home, mainly sweets, lights and some nice free-time. I enjoy gorging on delicacies and decorating the house, but always go low on the crackers part, considering I enjoy watching others, being a little apprehensive myself! October is always a grueling month in terms of workload, and while the oncoming exams had influenced me to plan for some serious study in the 3-day break from Kali pujo till Bhai phonta, the sounds and the festive ambience severely impeded my efforts to concentrate on studying! I ended up spending the three days and the preceding evening watching the recently released movie X-men origins:Wolverine and all the three previously released X-men films !! It was indeed a gala Diwali celebration...Wolverine and Magneto all the way !

"keep the spark alive"

I was aimlessly surfing the Net, a few days back, when I came across an article…the title caught my attention, and though fairly long, I proceeded to read it, for I had nothing else to do. It talked of a spark within, that excites us, and enumerated ways and means of keeping it alive and guarding against the various elements that often play a vital hand in dousing it. On finishing reading it, I found it quite enlightening indeed!

There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. For instance, our first day in college – what would the new place be like? How are the new teachers like? How are my new classmates going to be? – there’s so much to be curious and excited about! The article hailed this excitement, this curiosity as constituting the spark within us that makes us feel truly alive sometimes. It is very important to keep that spark shining – being happy most, if not all, of the time.

This spark is inherent in us; we are born with them. Little things, like a swing in the park or a story from his father, get a kid excited! Often, however, this spark fades with age, making us dull, aimless and bitter. This makes it important to have goals and nurture the spark, in an effort to strive, to improve and achieve our full potential.

We are mostly from middle-class families. To us, having material landmarks is a success in life and rightly so….in situations, where money constraints often force everyday choices and decisions, financial freedom are indeed a big achievement. However, that isn’t the purpose of life – striving for the next level is important, because this can make us feel alive and happy to get better from our current levels.

Ensuring balance in life is essential too – health, relationships and mental peace, all in good order establish harmony, without which success in life has no meaning. Reasonable goals, balance, sincerity and not taking life more seriously than actually needed go a long way in nurturing the spark. However, different factors must be guarded against.

Often, our efforts don’t fetch us the expected returns; things don’t go as planned, get stuck and we face failure. We must be careful then not to let disappointment and frustration creep in….we must learn to appreciate the fact that if challenges could always be overcome, then they would cease to be challenges anymore! Merit and hard work are not always linked to success in the short-term, but the long-term correlation is high. Such situations may sometimes be difficult to overcome, but those who do, come out stronger. It is then essential to have pleasurable distractions in life – friends, food and travel can help us overcome it all!

The second post

The Puja holidays had been curtailed this year onwards. And so, unlike previous years, our university classes are resuming right after Lakshmi Puja. This marks the beginning of a busy couple of months, what with all the class tests, viva-voce, extra classes, report-writing and, above all, the semester exams just round the corner. Time again, for work and work !!

I spent the festival holidays in a quaint way....very little study, more amounts of lazy leisure. I did write five lab. reports - one on metrology, four on metallography - and studied a chapter on fuel-air cycles, though...but, they took me two weeks !!

A new thing that i started was writing blogs. While these things didn't interest me initially, now that i have started, I find the exercise quite pleasant and nice to spend my leisure time with. My first blog was just out of the urge to write something...for me, I believe, it's a way to improve my my writing skills. Moreover, I hope to utilize this pursuit of writing blogs to relax, to spend my free-time creatively and fruitfully, and bring about a kind of personal fulfillment.

This year's ICC Champions Trophy, being held in South Africa, has been a good and interesting one. Unexpected results, some close games, and the elimination of some big names have generated curious interest, while sponsors and organizers have been left to ponder over the absence of India and South Africa in the knock-out stages of the tournament.

World no.1 Australia play New Zealand in the final, in an attempt to successfully defend the title they won in 2006, as well as to consolidate their position at the top of the ODI rankings.