Wow, Summer! That’s probably what many Indians in CA would be rejoicing. Today is the first day of summer and is warm and nice outside. Forthcoming weeks are going to be hotter – the weather channel predicts - which makes me happier! Hailing from the land of hot sun, I love summer. I went on a walk around 3PM. The swimming pool in my apartment is filled with buoyant kids! Schools closed, they are definitely enjoying the hot holiday season. The boys are out with their bikes and racing around trees, the squeaking girls giving them the right company. There were these cute little 1-2 year old babies out on a stroller or a walk with their proud moms!
For me, there is a long list of things-to-do in summer – travel, travel and travel! – Been a long time since I traveled to the East Coast – NY, NJ, DC. There is no dearth of things-to-do here in the West Coast – Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, LV, the beautiful beaches of the Santa Cruz, more and more of SFO and its beautiful hiking spots – Angel Island, Half moon bay. If possible, a visit to the Yellowstone national park, a drive along the Pacific to Vancouver, Canada.... The list will go on forever! Hmm..is that being too ambitious??
Pooh! Tired of listing places to go – I have to get going! Get my trekking shoes on!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
God = Creates; Human = Creates; HUMANS = GOD?
Bush cannot suppress these guys for a long time! Read this -
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=526354&story_id=9333408
That is just AMAZING! More so for a biologist. Man is now a Creator! Though this bacterium is semi-synthetic, its more than an achievement for mankind. On the controversy part of it, there is always a bad side for anything under the sun. Can/Will our beloved Mr. Bush stop the production of weapons of mass destruction because it (he) is going to kill humble lives? What has happened to a bacterial cell will happen to a human cell soon! This research has opened new avenues into embronic stem cell research - we can create a designer/artificial embryonic stem cell by synthesizing its genome, propagate it and use it for research! He cannot stop it!
When/If I become a millionaire sometime in life, all my money will go to the SCCF (Stem Cell Charity Fund)!!!! You guys with me?
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=526354&story_id=9333408
That is just AMAZING! More so for a biologist. Man is now a Creator! Though this bacterium is semi-synthetic, its more than an achievement for mankind. On the controversy part of it, there is always a bad side for anything under the sun. Can/Will our beloved Mr. Bush stop the production of weapons of mass destruction because it (he) is going to kill humble lives? What has happened to a bacterial cell will happen to a human cell soon! This research has opened new avenues into embronic stem cell research - we can create a designer/artificial embryonic stem cell by synthesizing its genome, propagate it and use it for research! He cannot stop it!
When/If I become a millionaire sometime in life, all my money will go to the SCCF (Stem Cell Charity Fund)!!!! You guys with me?
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Presentations - Do's and Dont's
A must read for all of you who will be giving presentations often - as grad students or as company executives.
http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/labrats/
I learnt a lot. I wished this guy had posted a couple of weeks ago! I did face many of these problems he has mentioned. Especially the background color scheme. It is in fact very deceiving. It looks different at home and very very different in the seminar hall. The lesson I learnt - never trust your background colors unless you are going to be presenting in a dark seminar hall.
Some funny picks-
- Don't get too depressed if people are asleep. It happens to all of us!
- Remember you're trying to impress us (The audience), not the screen!
- Imagine that Professor Sleepy has dozed off during your talk, and wakes suddenly during a crucial data slide!
- Recall that 10% of your audience might be colour-blind!
Apart from what he had to say, out of experience in my own talks and as an audience, I had a couple of things to add in -
- If you are copying images from a text or a journal, take care not to distort them out of proportion.
- Never put stuff in there just to add/fill slides. I have seen a lot of people, especially students, do that.
http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/labrats/
I learnt a lot. I wished this guy had posted a couple of weeks ago! I did face many of these problems he has mentioned. Especially the background color scheme. It is in fact very deceiving. It looks different at home and very very different in the seminar hall. The lesson I learnt - never trust your background colors unless you are going to be presenting in a dark seminar hall.
Some funny picks-
- Don't get too depressed if people are asleep. It happens to all of us!
- Remember you're trying to impress us (The audience), not the screen!
- Imagine that Professor Sleepy has dozed off during your talk, and wakes suddenly during a crucial data slide!
- Recall that 10% of your audience might be colour-blind!
Apart from what he had to say, out of experience in my own talks and as an audience, I had a couple of things to add in -
- If you are copying images from a text or a journal, take care not to distort them out of proportion.
- Never put stuff in there just to add/fill slides. I have seen a lot of people, especially students, do that.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
How I started writing?
As you all know, I am still just a kid as far as the blogging community goes. I am just about 3 blogs old! When I was writing one of my blogs, suddenly I asked myself "Hey..what are you doing? Writing?". That's when I started thinking what made me write. Very simple. First and foremost - its my husband! He has been insisting for a long time that I start writing but I always thought he was pestering me with something I was never interested in. Later came a spark of old memories. When I was young, I, in fact, used to write. Definitely not novels! But just letters, which all of us did. But with me, I never posted them! To be more specific, the letters I wrote were not meant to be posted! When my father was not in town and my mom yelled at me for my mistakes, I had always written to my aunt complaining about my mom! I am sure, as kids all of us at some point could not agree with our parents' anger. As kids, we were taught to respect our parents and not to argue with them and I still believe in that. So, writing letters was an intelligent means of venting my feelings out. Basically the blogger inside me was in hiding! As a matter of fact, I even wrote a poem just before our wedding and dedicated it to my husband! Thanks to him I am here again!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Sivaji Review
Wow!! I watched Sivaji!! First preview show of my life. I am all thrilled about just that and not the movie. It was definitely enjoyable but I expected much more than what I saw on screen. It was more like Perarasu movie than a Shankar movie.
Sivaji (obviously Rajnikanth!) is a Software Professional (whatever is his designation) who returns to India from the USA. He is amazed to see all those tall skyscapers and shopping malls in India. When he thinks India is metamorphosing fast into a developed country, there is this begger woman who knocks on the mirrow of his expensive Benz begging for alms. Now, he wants to do something for his country. He thinks giving people free education is the only way to destroy poverty in the country. He decides to invest all his money (200 C!!) that he made in the US to build a University that provides education from the pre-school to Ph.D all in one campus - FREE! As usual his efforts are hampered by corrupt politicians who make education a big time business. Before the interval of the movie, Rajnikanth becomes a pauper, thanks to the Indian bureacracy, and is left with just Re. 1. The rest is obvious. How Rajni fights against all odds to transform the country is what lies in the second half of the movie.
Vivek is a real winner in the movie. The first half is full of fun and frolic except for the scenes were they portray black skin to be ugly. This could have been avoided. Die hard Rajni fans would have been disppointed with his introduction scene. The introduction of Vijay in Sivakasi was much better! Also, the picturization of Ballelaka song could have been better. Rajni looks 20 years younger than he is throughout the movie, especially in the second half. For a change, the punch lines have been delivered by Vivek instead of our own Rajni. I was awestruck by the picturization of the songs. One of the best art directions I have ever seen. For a change, the heroine (Shriya) has some good role to play in a movie unlike many other movies in which the heroine appears in just 3 songs and 2 or 3 scenes! Rajni's styles are mind blowing - real challenge for the Newtons laws! There has been a commendable amount of brainstorming from the movie maker crew to create new styles. Finally, thanks to Rajnikanth for not endorsing smoking!
Overall, it was a "cooool" experience watching Sivaji. It was lots of fun after all that Sivaji fever. Deep in heart I had feeling that after all the hype it might turn out to be another Baba. Good! It didnt! Its worth watching the movie once if you are a Rajni/Shankar fan. If one expects a solid story line, it may not be your cup of tea.
Sivaji (obviously Rajnikanth!) is a Software Professional (whatever is his designation) who returns to India from the USA. He is amazed to see all those tall skyscapers and shopping malls in India. When he thinks India is metamorphosing fast into a developed country, there is this begger woman who knocks on the mirrow of his expensive Benz begging for alms. Now, he wants to do something for his country. He thinks giving people free education is the only way to destroy poverty in the country. He decides to invest all his money (200 C!!) that he made in the US to build a University that provides education from the pre-school to Ph.D all in one campus - FREE! As usual his efforts are hampered by corrupt politicians who make education a big time business. Before the interval of the movie, Rajnikanth becomes a pauper, thanks to the Indian bureacracy, and is left with just Re. 1. The rest is obvious. How Rajni fights against all odds to transform the country is what lies in the second half of the movie.
Vivek is a real winner in the movie. The first half is full of fun and frolic except for the scenes were they portray black skin to be ugly. This could have been avoided. Die hard Rajni fans would have been disppointed with his introduction scene. The introduction of Vijay in Sivakasi was much better! Also, the picturization of Ballelaka song could have been better. Rajni looks 20 years younger than he is throughout the movie, especially in the second half. For a change, the punch lines have been delivered by Vivek instead of our own Rajni. I was awestruck by the picturization of the songs. One of the best art directions I have ever seen. For a change, the heroine (Shriya) has some good role to play in a movie unlike many other movies in which the heroine appears in just 3 songs and 2 or 3 scenes! Rajni's styles are mind blowing - real challenge for the Newtons laws! There has been a commendable amount of brainstorming from the movie maker crew to create new styles. Finally, thanks to Rajnikanth for not endorsing smoking!
Overall, it was a "cooool" experience watching Sivaji. It was lots of fun after all that Sivaji fever. Deep in heart I had feeling that after all the hype it might turn out to be another Baba. Good! It didnt! Its worth watching the movie once if you are a Rajni/Shankar fan. If one expects a solid story line, it may not be your cup of tea.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Solution to plastics
One of the biggest problems the world is facing now is degradation of plastics. In the last few decades scientists have been working on finding ways to degrade plastics. Plastics are not just hurdles on land but also in water. Isnt it shocking to know that plastics accumulate as much in the sea as they do on land? The obvious way one would think is people travelling over the sea dumping plastics. But there are other ways plastics enter the sea. Artificial plastics like nylons are often used to make fihsing nets and gears. Pieces of fishing gears that get deposited in the sea have been found to kill animals that eat it. These plastics are harder to degrade than those on land.
I know these are scary but scietists do see some light at the end of the tunnel. There are many microbes like bacteria and fungi that have been found to degrade plastics. This is one application of 'Bioremediation' where biological molecules are used to 'clean' our Earth. Another example of Bioremediation is the use of bacteria to 'clean up' oil spills in sea. The natural molecules that degrade plastics are the enzymes produced by many species of fungi called laccases. These enzymes are not new to the scientific community. They havealready been exploited in many industries like textile, wine making, etc.
But its nothing great to rejoice yet. The rate of degradation of plastics by microbes is much lesser than the rate of accumulation of plastics on this precious Earth. So lets all get together to clean this Earth up and help the microbes that help us!
I know these are scary but scietists do see some light at the end of the tunnel. There are many microbes like bacteria and fungi that have been found to degrade plastics. This is one application of 'Bioremediation' where biological molecules are used to 'clean' our Earth. Another example of Bioremediation is the use of bacteria to 'clean up' oil spills in sea. The natural molecules that degrade plastics are the enzymes produced by many species of fungi called laccases. These enzymes are not new to the scientific community. They havealready been exploited in many industries like textile, wine making, etc.
But its nothing great to rejoice yet. The rate of degradation of plastics by microbes is much lesser than the rate of accumulation of plastics on this precious Earth. So lets all get together to clean this Earth up and help the microbes that help us!
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