Michael 'The Gaad' Crichton!

If therez one person in the world who has been able to convincingly convince me ( :) ), itz gotto be this man - CRICHTON! Every single novel of his has a differerent theme...a different genre...and each one is so damn awesome.

Great Train Robbery - As the name suggests, story of a classic robbery...was made into a movie too...

The Andromeda Strain - About the strain of viruses that reach earth when a man-made satellite returns from orbit...

The Terminal Man - About a man who's brain is supplemented by a mechanical brain...

Eater's of the dead (The 13th warrior) - A biography of a messenger...Also a movie...

Congo - About an expedition into the jungles of congo, in search of a lost city...Also a movie...

Sphere - About the discovery & investigation of a huge 'sphere' from god-knows-where! Also a movie...

Jurassic Park - Do I have to tell you! But let me tell you this...if u read the book, you'll really wonder how Spielberg (of all people) spoiled such a wonderful plot in his motion picture! The bookz 100 times better than the movie...

The Lost World - About the rediscovery of the forgotten dinosaurs ...Guys, dont come into a conclusion after watching the movie...the movie SUCKED to say the least...the bookz too good...

Rising Sun - Invesigation of the murder of a *beautiful* woman...

Disclosure - ONE OF HIS BEST, folks...Mixes law, science and computers into a wonderful nail-biting plot...demi moore n michael douglas have done a wonderful job, beyond expectations...

Airframe - Investigation on what went wrong after loads of people arrive injured when an aircraft lands on the tarmac...AWESOME too...if u r into aircraft or flying, this book will take you to the stars...

Timeline - About time-travel, explained in such a way that I was convined it would work someday...lolz...And the movie was CRAP...

Prey - This is probably one of his bad books...seemed as if he wrote it with an intention of making it into a movie...the bookz about man-made nano swarms...

State of Fear - TOOOOOOO GOOD! About human-induced global warming...and how so untrue it is...a MUST-READ for all science buffs...

Waiting for more wonderful novels from this amazing author...3 cheers to Crichton...

Ozone hole - Facts and the half-baked truths!

Firstly, i might be sounding like a rebel in all my previous posts, challenging all the worldly-accepted views and theories. But, am someone who seeks *proof* for each damn thing said on paper! And I also strongly believe that therz almost always a contrary to even the best of accpeted beliefs. So, itz best to weigh both sides of the coin, rather than blindly jumping into conclusions.

This "Ozone hole" is one such fact (??). 90 out 100 people believe itz true. I'm part of the sane 10, who say "Give me proof, and an *acceptable* one". Thats only cos I've taken pains to do enough research to dig into the other side of these *supposedly* well-established truths!

(Discliamer: Facts here have been taken from well-researched publications. This is NOT an attempt at plagiarism, but an attempt to bring in all the good work, and publish before the green! Sources: Predict Weather, Chemistry Department at the University of Waterloo, and Columbia University...)

Lets start with the basics:
1. Ozone hole:
I know so many people think itz really a "hole"! I can only feel sorry for them. I dont blame them either cos thats what all our text-books right from 8th grade have taught it to be.
A ozone *hole* is nothing but merely a region where the density of ozone is "less(er)".

2. Ozone depletion is *only* cos of man:
Even if man were yet to set foot on earth, ozone molecules will still continue to disappear and reform in a continuous cycle! (Ozone is so very unstable)

3. The Ozone *layer*:
In order to simply understand the relationship between UV(sunlight), ozone and oxygen (air), lets think about what we see when we go to a beach. The order of things is
Water - Surf - Beach
The boundary where the water hits the beach is called *surf*. Similarly, in the upper atmosphere, the boundary where the sunlight hits the air is termed the *ozone layer*. This is because ozone is produced as a result of the UV acting on the oxygen in that region (where the sunlight hits the air)
Sunlight – Ozone - Air
Just as the surf cannot in any way protect the land from the sea, ozone cannot *protect* the air and our environment that is below it from UV. A result cannot be defined as a protector. To lament that ozone depletion is taking away “our protection” is the same as crying that surfers are wearing down the surf. Now, all that is there is the surf to hold the ocean back, and when the surf erodes (due to human behavior) the water will simply flood over the land and destroy mankind! lolz
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The Hype:

As with so many theories, threads are tied together to build a case. The case is then launched to the media to attract attention. The attention is then added to by ‘further findings’, ‘disturbing new studies’ and ‘concerns’ The end result is the willing granting of research funds to research “the problem”. If the word "Cancer" can be attached, so much the better for the case. The public will donate any amount of money for such a research. The case just has to be spelled out in a conclusive-sounding way.
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How is Ozone Formed?

O₂ + h v --> O + O (h v is a photon, which is got from sunlight - UV rays!)
O₂ + O --> O₃

02 is two oxygen atoms stuck together. When sufficient energy is supplied, now and then three oxygen atoms will stick together, making an 03 molecule, which is called ozone. The energy required for this can come from electrical discharge through the air, such as lightning, or from the sun in the form of UV rays.

The Sun’s energy from space races down to meet Earth’s rising air. Thats when a certain amount of 03 is produced. Ozone is merely the *result* of the photo-chemical process between oxygen and UV light. Hence, it is the photo-chemical process that *protects* us; the ozone is a mere by-product.

The absorption of UV B and C leads to the destruction of ozone

O₃ + h v --> O + O₂
O₃ + O --> 2 O₂
A dynamic equilibrium is established in these reactions. The ozone concentration varies due to the *amount of radiation received* from the sun.

BASELINE: Even if Ozone is going to get depleted, UV rays will still be utilized (absorbed) by oxygen to create more ozone. Give me a break! Man CANNOT possibly *stop* ozone from being *manufactured* (even while assuming he the cause of itz depletion) lolz. This will mean that UV rays will only continue to be absorbed! P.E.R.I.O.D.
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CFCs - *NO* Evidence:

Despite all the information you may have read, there is not one shred of supportable evidence that CFCs have found their way 40 miles up above the Earth. No one has ever found any up there because they are roughly five times heavier than air. They are like "bricks" in a swimming pool.
It is not often that you will see a brick floating to the surface of your pool. CFCs are so dense that even as a gas you could fill a bucket with it and pour the contents of one bucket into another. Secondly there is *NO* evidence that they can destroy anything because they are very stable and unreactive substances. Most dictionaries and chemistry books describe them as inert gases.
(Faced with this rather unfortunate logic, some researchers extend the plot, claiming that in the upper atmosphere the intense UV light is sufficient to break down the CFCs, releasing chlorine which then does the damage. If that actually could happen though, then the “ozone layer” would just get replaced by the CFC layer, which would then further “protect” us from UV radiation as UV is used up to break CFCs. lolz!)
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Are the *holes* getting bigger??

In 1988 NASA’s Nimbus satellite appeared to show that the southern hole was increasing. Here was supposed proof that man was aggravating the situation. The fact that the following year’s results showed the hole smaller than ever previously recorded went totally unannounced, except in obscure journals!!!!!
I'm sure that 99% of you didn't even know that this happened!! Thats the way *modern* science works, folks - Publicize all that will fetch money, and raise eye-brows...shun all that will ruin your repute or the millions of dollars of hot cash that they will bring in! (What a shame!)
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"Hey you! What about the Antarctic hole??"

Nice question. Appreciated. But read on...
Hmm, maybe, some chlorine is coming from some other source, instead of CFCs. Lets have a look around.
GOTCHA!! Just a few miles upwind from the Antarctic camp where all the readings about ozone-depletion originate from, is a rather large hill called Mt Erebus. Mt Erebus is an active volcano, which first erupted in 1982 (coincidentally about when the bigger hole was discovered).

Mt Erebus spews out over 1,000 tons of active chlorine every day. It is puffing away even this very second! This chlorine, far from being as cold as CFCs, comes out as superheated gas which shoots straight up into the stratosphere. This chlorine does break down the ozone. And Mt Erebus puts out more chlorine per year, all by itself, than all the cars and aerosol cans on earth put together could do in a decade.

It is a little tidbit of science that esteemed experts seem to have overlooked. Moreover, Erebus is not the only active volcano in the world. There are hundreds, thousands, throwing chlorine upwards every second. We sure can't cap all the volcanoes. lolz.
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What do the experts say??

Finally, a word from a reliable expert. Robert Pease, Professor Emeritus of Physical Climatology at one of America’s leading universities, sent a disclaimer about what he called the “media-endorsed ozone-depletion theory” to many United States newspapers. Only a handful published it.

Here are some excerpts:
“..The ozone layer self heals. Ozone molecules in the atmosphere are constantly being replenished, created when energetic ultraviolet light splits normal oxygen. In addition, the ozone layer is replenished by upward diffusion of smog-induced surface ozone.
The belief that CFC molecules will rise and collect in the stratosphere is incorrect. Even if they did, there is a low probability of enough CFC decomposition necessary for ozone depletion. Based on Professor Rowland’s own calculations, there will be one CFC for every 136 million normal oxygen atoms in the ozone layer at 25 km altitude.
Clear-cut evidence of ozone depletion is lacking. The entire theory is based on the supposition that somehow heavier-than-air CFC molecules rise into the stratosphere unimpeded.
In no way can manmade destruction of the ozone layer be accepted as fact. Eventually a scientific debate may take place, and this ozone depletion scare might finally be laid to rest.."
(R.Pease)


Ya rite, P.E.A.C.E it is, folks...pour in all ur thoughts...cheers...

4 years and Yet to learn!!

I'm almost done with college...4 years of monotonous life under the banner of Anna University. In the process, I've had to give in about 16 practical exams, each of which have been next best to an "eye-wash". Today was my 17th - supposedly the BIGGEST of them all - my bachelor's dissertation viva voce! I should have known! I should have known! I should have known! If only I had learnt from my past.

Scenario today afternoon:
(I enter the lab with my friend, to present my project to the external examiner. The external comes and takes a seat, and nods his head for us to start.)
Me: "Our project is about this " (exactly 2 sentences)
External: "Ok, show me your report"
(I give him my report. He doesnt even bother to look through it, and just signs it)
External: "Start your presentation"
Me n my friend: (We talk about our project's abstract - Slide # 1. Takes a minute)
External: (Stops us) "Ok, go on and show your demo"
Me: (I run my code, and start explaining. 1 minute into it, and he stops us)
External: (Asks a really stupid question)
My friend: (Gives the obvious answers, while controlling all his smiles....lolz)
External: (Nods) "Ok. You may go"

FOUR MINUTES IN ALL.
F.L.A.T.

Why did I NOT learn from my past?! Why? Why? Why? I hate myself for that!
But here, do I still say "Anna Univ ROCKS"?? Am confused!

Destination US of A

The dream of thousands of students - To be able to catch a flight to the US of A to pursue their higher education. The entire process is so huge, that it takes about 6 to 8 months for one to finish it completely. For all the aspirants, here is a step-by-step list of things to be done.

1. The Standardized Tests:

1.1 Graduate Record Examination:
One might be tempted to call it an eye-wash! It almost is, yes, and am not kidding! A 1600 in the GRE does not guarantee a Stan admit, nor does a 1200 completely screw you. All you have to do is to make sure you get an near perfect score in your math, and a decent score in your verbal (The admission authorities know that the GRE verbal is not a good means of assessing your english skills...so, dont bother if you don't do great there...a score of above 550 should be more than enough)

1.1.1 When to take up the GRE?
If you are aiming for Fall 2007, the most ideal date for the GRE would be around June-August 2006. You can book on line at www.gre.org
You will need your credit card details to book on line, and the test charges are USD 140 (I know! Day-light robbery...lolz)
You are allowed to cancel or re-schedule your appointment, each of which is charged USD 40!

1.1.2 The CAT
The GRE test is on line and is computer adaptive. This means that each question that pops up on your screen is based on your answers to your previous questions. The computer judges you based on your responses, and posts questions accordingly. Ill probably try to simulate how it works:
When you start the test, the first question posted is generally of average difficulty for everyone, and the computer assumes your score to be around 550 (average score). If you answer it correctly, your score increases (say to 580), and the system now posts a question according to the increased difficulty level.
However, if your answer to the 1st question is wrong, your score decreases (say to a 500), and the computer now posts a less difficult question. This format continues for ALL the questions, and the computer tries to narrow your score to your approximate worth.
Points to remember:
a) The first few questions (say till 7 or 8) carry greater weightage than the last ones. This means that you will lose a lot if you answer these first questions wrongly, and hence, devote more time to them. However, by the time you reach the last few questions, the computer has already determined your approximate score, and so answering them wrongly *MIGHT* not be that big a deal.
b) NEVER leave any questions unanswered. If you find out that you have just 30 seconds to answer the last 5 questions, just close your eyes and make sure you answer ALL of them, with just wild guesses. As I said, wrong answers might not cost you much, but NOT answering them definitely WILL.

1.1.3 Your Free Score Reports
On the day of your test, you are allowed to designate 4 schools in the US, to which your scores will be sent FREE OF COST! So make sure, you think carefully before deciding those 4 schools. For more information on Universities in the US, visit www.usnews.com

1.1.4 Materials to study
In my opinion, you just need 3 things: a) The Barron's b) The BIG Book c) The Power Prep CD
Barron's wordlist is pretty much sufficient for the verbal section, and it takes a good part of 2 months to learn all the words (about 3500 of them!). The BIG book is no more avialable in the market, and hence catch your seniors to get a photocopy (Solve JUST the verbal part. The Big Book Math is for 8th graders! lolz). The Power Prep CD is sent to you through post, after you register for your GRE (It generally takes 20 days to reach you)

1.2 Test Of English as a Foreign Language
"Piece of cake" is NOT the word! Just the 2 tests in the Power Prep CDs will do. Visit www.toefl.org to register. The test is again USD 140. Im however not sure about the latest format, which is the TOEFL iBT. Kindly visit the web to find out.

1.2.1 When to take the TOEFL
You just need a day's prep. So answer that yourself!

1.2.2 CBT
TOEFL is again a Computer Adaptive Test (Only your Listening and Structure are CA). Just tests if you understand the various types of american accents (Texan, Californian etc etc - piece of cake, again!), your ability to form error-free sentences, and your writing skills!

1.2.3 Your Free Score Reports
---Same as that of the GRE---

2. Deciding the Schools:
Your next step would be to decide what universities you are going to apply to. The best site for this process would be www.usnews.com
There are quite a bit of freebie information available, but the best is locked up only for members. You need to pay USD 14.99 to register and get all the locked up details.
Other useful sites are www.edulix.com (an education forum) and the various communities at orkut.

2.1 A few criteria for selection
a) Rank (US News rank is generally accepted as the standard)
b) Tuition (Private universities charge a fortune, but offer more funds. Public univs are cheaper, but offer funds mainly to locals)
c) History of Funding
d) Acceptance rate
e) Repute in your field of specialization

2.2 When to start you app process
The best time would be start around mid-August. The deadlines for acceptance of applications start as early as Nov 15th. There are universities taht have very late deadlines too. The deadlines are REALLY specific to the departments in the universities. So contact the department to know the details. Most departments post these details in the web page. The best bet would be to do a Google. For example: "Stanford + ECE", will get you Stanford's department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

2.3 Application Forms
Almost all univeristies have on line application forms in their respective department websites. You will need to send in your application fee on line with the help of your credit card. The average fee is around USD 45-50!

2.4 Additional Materials
Apart from the on line forms, you will need to download and print several other application forms, mainly specific for your department. All these details will be provided in their respective web sites.

3. Lettes of Recommendation
They form one of the most important aspects of your application. So, make sure you get them from professors or lecturers who know you really well. There is actually NO point in getting a letter from an IIT Prof or an IISc prof, unless he/she has taken courses for you. The IIT or IISc tag otherwise, will NOT help you in any way.
Apart from getting a written letter, every university will require you to download their own custom REFERENCE FORMS to be filled by your recommenders. Make sure you get both done... put them in the same envelope and get the flaps cross-signed and sealed.

4. Statement Of Purpose
The single MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your application packet - SOP! This is because the SOP is the ONLY part of your packet, which is COMPLETELY under your control. So, you really really need to make sure you get the best out of it.

4.1 Things people look for in a SOP
a) Why this field?
b) Your motivation
c) Why this university?
d) Your specialization interests
e) Profs you'd like to work with
f) Your future plans and goals
For more tips, visit www.statementofpurpose.com

4.2 DONTs
a) NEVER write what you did when you were 5 years old or 10 years old. All they look for is what you are now, and what you want to be and why!
b) NEVER write stories (For eg: "It was one fine day when the idea struct me, and I ran from my bath-tub crying 'Eureka!'"...lolz) . Just write to the point

4.3 A Good SOP
A good SOP is achievable only after numerous revisions, and could even take a month to get converted into the fair copy (Mine took slightly more than a month!). Look through as many *successful* SOPs as possible, and get ideas from them. Get your's edited by friends or experts over and over again. (I would've edited at least 25 SOPs myself, and would be happy to help you guys out...just mail your draft to cheekum_gs at hotmail dot com)

5. General Top 10 Universities (for Computer and Electronics related fields)
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. University of California at Berkeley
Stanford University
4. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
6. Carnegie Melon University
California Institue of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
9. Cornell University
University of Texas at Austin
Purdue University - West Lafayette

6. More information will be posted soon, folks...check up in a bit...cheers n best...

Inter-cast marriages!

I know this is going to be controversial, but still...

India is known for what is called "Unity in diversity". The question of whether we are "united" is different, but we sure are losing our unity in "diversity" (as in a diverse culture). Two of the major culprits , i opine, for the loss of this "identity" are: 1. Inter-caste marriages 2. Influence of western culture.

There are increasingly more number of people these days who wish to call themselves "Indians" rather than branding them by their castes or sub-castes - Hats off! But there is a hidden cost involved. Though one might talk about equality of castes and sects, the goal should also be to preserve each one's identity - a thing kept in tact for god knows how many years!.

A muslim is supposed to do "namas" each friday; a christian is supposed to make it a point to go to a church every sunday; a brahmin is supposed to do sandhyavandhanam 3 times a day...the list is endless...

But how many of these things are being followed today??! Though influence of western culture plays a major part, the role of inter-caste marriages is big too, and should not be neglected. When, say a nadar ties the knot with a mudaliyar, they end up erasing the identity of the generations to follow. For the "live a life for yourself" person, this might be of no concern, but for a "die-hard fan of Indian culture", this really is a point of worry!

Moreover in India, marriage is as association of 2 families rather than 2 mere individuals. It is an occasion to celebrate and remember, for the entire set of family and friends, and its high-time we consider being more responsible. The parents of today are, however more than willing to nod their heads to inter-caste weddings, showcasing their affection towards their wards! But what they are forgetting is to think about the future of their grand-children, and ultimately their descent!

Take the US of A for example. It is supposed to be penthouse for people from so many different countries and cultures. But the point to be noted is that everyone behaves much the same way once born and brought up there. Be it a chinese, or a black, or an ABCD, the rude "mommy, you are boring" and the "dad, get me a drink" are extremely common house-hold statements! The beauty here is that, India *shines*, and with pride, because of its ability to preserve the identities of such diverse cultures over thousands of years (which I'm afraid is fast evaporating :( )

One might ask me to get a move over, saying all my points of view are archaic, and are no longer coherent with the life of today! This very attitude is the result of western influence. There are somethings that need to be preserved, relished and cherised...and our culture is definitely one among them. Lets work for it, in whatever *small* way possible...cheers...
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PS: This doesnt mean that preventing inter-caste marriages alone would keep our heritage in tact....just that inter-caste wedding is one neglected aspect, which I thought, needed to be brought under our eyes.