Rohan Mittal's Blog

Why sleep with cotton on the body and bed?

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:31:00 +0000

Here's my interpretation and take on the "Put your pillow in the fridge to sleep sound" article published in the Times of India, July 16, 6:22 PM IST.

As a child, I've always loved a cool pillow during summers. And, I remember how I would turn it upside-down after a little while when the side would get warm. It just felt so comfortable to let your face (on the pillow) and palms (under the pillow) lose heat to the pillow.

Mom would always stress on using a cotton stuffed pillow and a cotton pillow cover while dad would always wear 100% cotton fabrics even during the day. They would always say that it will keep you comfortable.

Today, I read that Dr. Chris Idzikowski from the Edinburgh Sleep Centre says that the body releases heat through hands, face, and feet around the time of sleep and continues to cool till around 4 AM. Well, I believe he means that it continues to cool for a good 4-6 hours after you sleep. With different individuals working in different time-zones even in the same physical location, it shouldn't really matter when you sleep as long you sleep at pretty much the same time every time. Though, I also feel from my own personal experience that we tend to release more heat if we haven't slept for a long time!

He further suggests that the choice of bed linen is important as well and one should prefer natural fibers which reminds me of what mom-dad always suggest for the mattress, linen, pillow, and the pillow cover. They would always stress that a coir or a cotton mattress would keep you cooler than a foam or a synthetic one. Dr. Idzikowski suggests using a mattress protector (think of it like a thin carpet) made from cotton.

He further suggested using loose-fitting nightclothes (in cotton or silk - something to keep in mind when out shopping for nightwear) than sleeping in skimpy wear as they are more effective and absorb moisture from the skin. Spreading out the hands and legs further helps to cool than sleeping curled up.

Lastly, he says that if you are suffering from insomnia, you should run your wrists and hands under cold tap water for a few minutes, then dry and go straight to bed. While this is the first time I am hearing specifically about cooling the hands and the wrist, thousands of people actually take a bath before they go to sleep. And, most of them in warm areas actually take it in cold water which further reiterates what Dr. Idzikowski is talking about. So, next time you are finding it hard to sleep, you know what to try.

Wondering why am I interested in Sleep? Well, a good night sleep can lead to wonders on the follow day. Period. :)

In case you have any comments, please post them below and I will try to respond. Thanks for reading.

Reference article

Mehndi (aka Henna)

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Wikipedia: Henna | Mehndi

Worst Indian E-commerce Experiences: flipkart.com, snapdeal.com

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:37:00 +0000

Worst Indian E-commerce Experiences: flipkart.com is a waste of time. They will keep making promises which they don't even know if they can keep.

1st: Their delivery schedules suck. It is more like Go Air where they (used to) add extra minutes to the flight time to maintain on-time performance. Now, Flipkart.com adds a few days to the delivery schedule and then when you order keeping in mind yourschedule to take delivery on a certain day, the product will arrive 2 days before on a Saturday. Irritating!

2nd: Flipkart.com claims that the customer can pay via Credit Card at the time of COD (Cash on Delivery) in major cities. It is a big failure. Not only are the courier delivery people fromDHL/BlueDart arrogant, they outright refuse payment via Credit Card. "Sir, hame toh cash chaiyhe nahin toh return kar dete hai!". Told Flipkart.com about it, they filed a complaint, and said, "We are sorry! Next time, please give us a call to ask for First Flight courier service and they would not create this issue. But we have raised a request and BlueDart not return but will reattempt delivery on next business day (NBD). Sounds good to me (SGTM)! They never came! I checked after a few days. The order now had no trace of the BlueDart but instead read shipped by First Flight! They don't like to provide the customer w/ the archives of the issues w/ the order.

3rd: This time, two separate delivery people arrive, both on a Sunday! One on a motor-bike, and another on a bicycle both asking for large amounts of cash! Informed Flipkart.com, they filed "another" complaint! Told the product will be delivered w/in 2 business days. Waited! No delivery!

4th: Flipkart.com calls to check if the product has been delivered. The sentence construction was such as if they were telling me instead that the product had been delivered. I told them no. They said, "please wait, let me file a complaint, and please wait 2 more days!".

Sorry Flipkart.com, you need to understand your delivery people and what's going on before filing new complaints w/ the previous ones unresolved. And, of course, there is no mention of the complaints in the My Orders section!

And another thing, whenever an order is of high-value, it wouldn't let you cancel it!!! However, if you were to break it down to multiple orders, you will most certainly see the option to cancel each item though of course it will be split across multiple orders.

Products which were supposed to be delivered in 2-3 business days are still undelivered after 11 days. COD via Credit Card is a big failure! They keep blaming the courier companies and the courier companies are like "we don't offer this facility sir!" 2 complaints. No result. No more orders from us. It is far more efficient to buy stuff off-the-shelf w/ just a few hours spent.

Even last time when we ordered from Flipkart.com, it was a horrifying experience! We ordered 2 products. Both were in-stock. The payment as is usual for us was done via credit card at the time the order was placed. The products were shipped as per their expected shipping date via BlueDart. The same was also reflected in the My Orders section of Flipkart.com and the Status as Shipped: Blue Dart Tracking ID: xxxxxxxx. Now, 1 day later, one of the product suddenly changed status to Not Available! Can you believe that!? A product for which our credit card was charged and was shipped suddenly became unavailable and we were not given a refund but instead some crazy and irritating Flipkart.com Credits! Had to write a couple of mails to get the refund. And now this time when they wouldn't accept credit card during COD even when they claim it proudly on their website!

Don't waste your time w/ Flipkart.com, go out to the market and give some business to the locals, they will appreciate your business and give you good customer service. I hate to send over all the profits to one Flipkart.com. And, Snapdeal, don't be too happy. You are no less! You ship used products as new. Our guess, it was a return and you didn't even bother to check if the number of jars and covers included w/ the product were there or not. You decided to ship and the harass the customer when he asked for refund. And Airtel India, let's not even go there, we have enough proof of continued stupidity on your part and charging us many times the cost for a plan that is not even technically feasible at our location! We'd be happy to drag you to the court and sue you top to bottom.

10/01/2012 @ Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Sahibabad

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:15:00 +0000

They say "I love this Country" right below their logo. They have branded it as a 5 star. Right from the entrance to the exit, it is indeed a unique experience.

Here is just one glimpse of their restaurant:

Welcome to Tatva @ Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Sahibabad! There is no planned lighting. It looks like someone decided to build a restaurant next to the lobby. Okay, let's choose a table. There is no one to pull your chair. The glass of water on the unbalanced table keeps shaking left-right just like a ship at sea. The glasses have a deposit of a fine amorphous powder. No, it is not for flavor. It is easier to see it after they proudly pour the in-house processed drinking water the taste of which is not as pleasing as one would expect. Of course, an inspection of the bottle did not reveal a bottling or a best before date. The lighting is quite low in the area so you will have to look carefully for some Brownian action in your glass of water. Next, the waiter will come w/ fewer menus than the number of guests. Further ahead, an easy glance at the white plates will reveal some more black powder. No it is not black-pepper. An uncourteous exchange of plate will reveal another plate w/ some black powder and an old stale rice grain which survived their dish washing system. Further ahead, the coriander (cilantro) chutney they serve is not fresh. It is hard to believe how can they even think of serving it that way. It is one of the easiest things to make out if fresh or not. We asked the waiter to taste, he got another bowl full of the same chutney! As for the starters, they don't know how to serve them. They put them in a plate and it is delivered to the table. Their chef howsoever proud s/he may be of her/his creations needs training at a fine-dining restaurant. For the main course, you can expect the dish containing the same to have oily dirty fingerprints around the corners in four places on average. It is awful and unhygienic to look at. The forks and knives are the most scratched you would have seen. Well, it is a five-star after all, it is hard to find it elsewhere. However, there is one good part about it. The waiter wanted to hurry up the feedback form as I decided to take a snapshot. He showed it to the manager who asked us about the food not being fresh. He insisted that they make it fresh. It doesn't help if you are using stale ingredients. I suggested him not to make a basic mistake like that in the chutney. It is obvious to make out. I looked at him expecting two more questions about cleaning the plates and glasses and about training the staff but he did not ask. Embarrassment or displeasure, I do not know. It was an opportunity for feedback and improvement but he decided to miss. Rest, there was no one at the exit door! No comments about the menu, formatting, color, fonts, etc. Thanks.

India, Child Education, Transformation

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:20:00 +0000

Shukla Bose: Teaching one child at a time

After having spent almost 25 years in India, today when I watch Shukla Bose's video on 'Teaching one child at a time', I feel I still haven't seen the real India. When, I came to the United States, my colleagues asked me about India. The impression they had about the country was as if it was backward and dirty, basically a slum (credit to Slumdog Millionaire). And, I never believed them. Why? Because I came from there, I believed what I had seen. Akshay Kumar summarizes it well in Namastey London as below.

Akshay Kumar summarizes India

"Child education" has always been closer to my heart than technology has ever been. While in school and through college, I always loved doing things with my hands and I loved fascinating kids with the wonders of science, mathematics, and computer science. Science exhibitions were so much fun as was the time I spent questioning kids about their fascination, project, and its application.

I wanted to take the wonders of the real world back into the classroom. I wanted to make learning seem like an interesting project. I feel that is the way I learnt best - by engaging in something that fascinates me. I wanted to make the classroom a live experience than just walking through static pages in a wonderful text or some animations on a big TV screen. Children may awe at it but to be able to do it with their own hands, it is a mind-blowing experience! You can't beat that. The amazement in their eyes and the electrifying kick in imagination, believe me, it is a different world, it is a different experience! Check out Prof. Walter Lewin's lecture video from MIT. Some may say that these kind of resources are unavailable, but I disagree. It is remarkable what can be done with basic inexpensive stuff.

Prof. Walter Lewin's lecture video from MIT

I wanted to relate the real world to the teaching in the conventional classroom. I wanted to convince them that we were there for more than just degrees and grades - we were their for a taste of life, to learn, and to have fun. I wanted to give them a feel for the things they learnt. I wanted to amaze them, energize their senses, and elate them. I wanted to infect them. And, I wanted them to infect everybody they knew, passing it on to their family and friends in the evening. Education would be so much fun.

But first, I want to go back to India, and this time, I want to go to the real India to get transformed - to kindle that fire in myself that Kiran Bir Sethi lit in her students by making them roll incense-sticks to give them a feel for Child Labor. And, only then, once I feel it myself, can I do something to change.

These kids have an incredible potential for learning. We need a freedom movement, just this time for Child Education.

Jai Hind!

Contagious is a good word. :)

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Kiran Bir Sethi teaches kids to take charge

Contagious is a good word. :) [Jaw-dropping, fascinating, and inspiring]

P.S. Kiran, you've infected me w/ the "I can bug!" blurring boundaries between school and life is the way of laughter, passion, and inspiration. Teacher told me to and I am doing it! Making the school a lab. by embedding learning in real world context.

Let's infect every kid, let's make them aware, enable them, and empower them, and let's make them wonderful. If not now, then when. I hope to join soon.

Kudos to you for the initiative!

Jazz w/ Google Maps

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:07:00 +0000

Google Maps has fascinated me for a while now. I have always loved to have my friends pinned on a map, and Maps lets me do just that. However, it would be so much more fun if it were slightly easier to use. :)

Touch Pad is History

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:03:00 +0000

Be it a desktop or a portable computer, the traditional touch pad (mouse for sure) is history. While the new multitouch pad may be more useful, it still doesn't beat the ultraefficient IBM TrackPoint which is what most of us use while hard at work.

Mostly sported by signature IBM/Lenovo ThinkPads and some high-end HP & Dell business machines, these mini-sticks are handy and incredible to use.

The video above explains the idea.

Samsung Galaxy Note (Google Notes?)

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Somehow, Tablets have turned me on for almost half-a-decade now. Their ability to support and house a fine-tip stylus (like a Wacom digitizer) to take fun hand-written notes amazes me like few others things in the world of technology. After having played with the ThinkPad X200, X201 convertible tablets (basically a laptop that converts into a tablet) and the new ThinkPad Tablet (form-factor like an iPad), I seem to have set my eyes on the Samsung Galaxy Note.

It fascinates me like my favorite X200, and maybe more with its ultramobile form-factor. The very idea I've been drooling over for almost four months, seems to be a reality, at least in some ways and from a trusted vendor, Samsung. I hope the Galaxy Note will woo some of the hardware functionality of the ThinkPad Tablet.

However, I hope Google Notes or Nexus Notes is out soon too as it may offer more room to play around and customize.

Google mail for family

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:31:00 +0000

This video made me think how nice it would be if we had something like Google Mail for Family. When a kid is born, parents can maintain their account, manage it for them, capture the special moments. This continues until they are 18 years (or so) when all administration is automatically transferred to them.

20110612 DESY inForm - Ph.D. at DESY

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Questions for a Student (in School)

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:42:00 +0000

These questions were asked to MIT applicants way back in 2003. They are particularly useful if you are in std. X, XI, or XII and are planning for your career not necessarily at MIT. Answering them can bring a lot of clarity in your mind. So, let's get to know you:

What is more important for you - knowledge or education (degree to get a job)?
The person you admire the most. One from whom you draw inspiration.
What are the qualities you look for in any institute you would like to join?
What kind of books do you prefer reading? Mention titles and authors.
What picture of MIT do you hold in your mind?
You have nice institutes like IITs in India. Why do you want to join MIT only?
How being born and brought up in India has influenced your character and personality?
Apart from academics, what are you other interests?
Why do you think you will be able to adjust yourself in a new environment?
Mention your one weakness which can hinder your progress. How can you improve it?

If you have any questions, or need help / counseling, you can leave comments here. Thanks.

Laser Plasma Interaction at Ultra High Fields

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:22:00 +0000

Title: Laser Plasma Interaction at Ultra High Intensities:

Various Process Studies & Ultrashort Pulse Characterization

Duration: 30 mins

Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010

Venue: School of Physics, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India

Delhi Metro Feedback - As posted on DMRC website.

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:19:00 +0000

Hello Dr. Sreedharan!

Traveled first time from Noida City Center to Rajiv Chowk. Absolutely world class service and stations. Beats the German and American metro trains anyday! The clocks at the end of stations - highly impressive!

I found one issue though, in the new trains (which have led in the map in coaches indicating current station), water drips from the air conditioning vents onto our faces. Very sad, :( Luckily while returning back, I was traveling in an older coach which did not have this problem. We certainly do not want water falling on Indians and certainly not foreigners traveling in the train. I tried to reach DMRC over all phone nos. listed but impossible. Have taken some photographs but a quick inspection should do the trick.

Hail thy India and Delhi Metro which totally rocks!! :)

Thanks.

Photos (1-3) Link: http://bit.ly/DelMetro

TA-Citibank - Highly Impressed! :)

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:11:00 +0000

Dear Customer Services to CitiPhone Banking numbers have been resumed. You may reach us on 0120 2552484.

TA-Citibank - Impressed! :)

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:25:00 +0000

Dear Customer CitiPhone contact no. 2542484 will not be in service between 00:00 to 07:00 hrs on 30th May '10. Alternatively you may reach us on 1800 22 5484.

Particle Accelerators - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:39:00 +0000

Title: Particle Accelerators - Part II

Subtitle: (Setting up the Experiment)

Duration: 45 mins

Date: Monday, April 12, 2010

Venue: School of Physics, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India

Particle Accelerators - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Title: Particle Accelerators - Part I

Subtitle: (Introduction & Applications)

Duration: 1.18 hours

Date: Saturday, April 03, 2010

Venue: School of Physics, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India

I have never been a fan of learning in a classroom!

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:36:00 +0000

“I have never been a fan of learning in a classroom. Inside a laboratory or a garage, I always wanted to know more, but never inside a classroom.” - Caltech physicist Caolionn O’Connell, PhD.

Thinking of ragging? Think about this!

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:45:00 +0000

MUKUNDAGIRI SADAGOPAN

When our son was accepted as a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, we were asked to attend a two day orientation seminar. Accordingly, my son, my wife and I arrived at the sprawling campus on the day before the seminar. Cheerful and courteous student volunteers were swarming about, handing out lollipops as they directed the visitors to the reception area. We checked into an austere dorm room for the night.

The next day started with a sumptuous breakfast at the student cafeteria. Everyone then gathered at the university’s stadium for an "Information Fair". There were dozens of booths representing various academic, recreational, cultural, ethnic, religious and international campus organisations canvassing for membership. Then it was time for the opening session, where we heard the trustee, several professors and student representatives welcoming us.

What to expect

The message was simple: the freshmen could expect new experiences ranging from the pleasant or puzzling to the dismaying — but they were not alone, and had nothing to fear. They were among friends eager to help.

We split up into many small groups and met with student councillors and professors from the respective colleges (e.g., Liberal Arts and Sciences, Fine Arts, Engineering etc.) to get an overview of campus life. Then several men and women students shared their personal first-year experiences. There were more opportunities to mingle with the students at a reception at the Student Union, which was followed by a buffet dinner. The menu thoughtfully included many vegetarian items.

During a two hour variety entertainment at the university auditorium, the students enacted hilarious skits highlighting expected norms of behaviour, etiquette, conventions and rules. Some dormitory student managers presented skits on sexual harassment ("zero tolerance"). For girls, it gave tips on how to put a stop to unwanted attention. Many freshmen then went for flood-lit co-ed volleyball, basketball or tennis with their seniors. The next day professors explained academic expectations — prerequisite subjects, recommended course loads, hours of study per week, and the like.

Appreciative gestures

A student volunteer presented information on scholarships and aid programmes endowed by generous alumni, industrialists, corporations, sports and film stars. Some of these opportunities were not advertised anywhere else. An administrator presented the deadlines — to pay fees, to withdraw from a course without a grade loss, etc. The Student Body president led an animated discussion focussing on student conduct, discipline and penalties. He also described how to report grievances. The university has a strong and active Parents’ Association, intended to provide various comforts and services, such as delivering home cooked delicacies. In the next discussion, a student described housing options available to newcomers.

Students from the university’s fraternities and sororities made a presentation next. A campus bus tour of the hallowed lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, pool table (billiards) rooms, gym, bowling alleys, swimming pools, the university stadium, its out-door sculptures and other points of interest was most welcome. Finally a student farewell team served us coffee and cakes before seeing us off. This seminar took place during June 17 and 18 1992, but I remember it like yesterday. Not merely for the invaluable networking and survival tips, but because it started the new students’ unforgettable college days on an exciting and harmonious note. We are grateful to all those unknown senior students who were so gracious and considerate. During the entire two days there was no mention of "ragging".

To anyone thinking of ragging today, I have but one appeal. When you can direct your boundless youthful energy to inform, educate and help, why squander it on a negative act like ragging?

CERN Opens Its Doors to the World - April 06, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:55:00 +0000

On 6 April 2008, CERN will open its doors to the public, offering a unique chance to visit its newest and largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), before it goes into operation later this year. This scientific instrument, the largest and most complex in the world, is installed in a 27km tunnel, 100 metres underground in the Swiss canton of Geneva and neighbouring France. CERN will open all access points around the ring for visits underground, to the tunnel and the experiment caverns. On the surface, a wide-ranging programme will be on offer, allowing people to learn about the physics for which this huge instrument is being installed, the technology underlying it, and applications in other fields.

In the LHC, particles such as protons or heavy ions will be accelerated to close to the speed of light in two tubes. At four intersection points the particles will collide at an energy never before reached in a particle accelerator to study new areas of physics that so far have not been accessible. Experiments at the LHC expect to be able to answer a number of fundamental questions, such as the origin of mass or the nature of the so-called “dark matter”. However, since the LHC will explore a new energy range, there will also be unexpected results, resulting in new questions and new physics.

On the Open Day, many visitors to CERN will be able to descend and see the LHC and its big experiments, ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb in place in their underground caverns.

A central theme apart from the LHC, its magnets and experiments, will be superconductivity, the principle on which the operation of the LHC is based. At the heart of the LHC magnets lie 7000 kilometres of superconducting cables, cooled to a temperature close to absolute zero, which are able to conduct electricity without resistance. Spectacular experiments, exhibitions and films will introduce the public to this exciting phenomenon, visitors will be able to meet physicists to “ask an expert” and there will be the chance for an encounter with two Nobel laureates who will give lectures about their prize-winning discoveries.

Farewell - Physics Hons. Class 2008

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:51:00 +0000

GoD! dis is da special Chak-De-Venky moment!! got a litt'l blur'd..bt da moment stays!! :)

DU students to mark teachers?

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:14:00 +0000

Delhi University's PG EVALUATION is set to gain a different meaning. The varsity, as part of a slew of reforms in its PG programme, is planning to ask students to give their feedback — on both the course and the teachers.

Suggestions include introducing a semester system in all PG courses, a uniform academic calendar, introducing interdisciplinary courses and a mechanism to get student feedback.

Predictably, its the last suggestion which seems to have university teachers into a tizzy. Student feedback has never been a part of the university system. The DU reforms committee, however, has not only recommended getting feedback from students but also suggested that action be taken on the feedback — by setting up a committee in each department.

The feedback form, a copy of which is with TOI, has several questions that pertain directly to teaching methodology as well as academic quality of the course as well as the teacher. e.g. if questions asked by students have been properly answered in the class.

The most pertinent query, however, is the one where the student has to give feedback on whether tutorials have been regularly held or not. Interestingly, tutorials are seldom held in PG courses. Teachers to protest against student feedback plan

Commenting on the proposed evaluation method for DU’s PG programme, Rajib Ray, member of the academic council and a teacher in Kirori Mal College, said: ‘‘There are several ways of getting feedback, but asking students is not one of them. We are not service-providers that action needs to be taken on feedback from the buyer, the student.’’ According to Ray, the university could have got feedback from the teachers themselves. ‘‘If the V-C is interested in getting student feedback, why doesn’t he allow student representation in the academic council, a suggestion that has been pending for many years,’’ he added. [Teachers are never open to feedback. Its rare and those who are open to it, I think they know they are amongst the favorites!]

The sentiment seems to be uniform, with teachers planning to protest against this recommendation of the committee. The recommendations are to come up for discussion in the next meeting of the academic council, the highest body responsible for academic decisions in the university.

QUESTIONS IN THE FEEDBACK FORM

- The syllabus of this paper/subject is well designed (Choose Yes/No)

- Classes in this subject have been regularly held

- An interactive and participative style has been used in the class for teaching this paper to us

- Tutorials/preceptorials in this paper have been regularly held

- Practicals in this paper have been properly held

- Adequate equipment have been available to support the practical

Ten Top Physics Stories for 2007

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:11:00 +0000

In chronological order during the year:
Light, slowed in one Bose Einstein condensate (BEC), is passed on to another BEC (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/812-1.html);
Electron tunneling in real time can be observed with the use of attosecond pulses (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/818-2.html);
Laser cooling of coin-sized object, at least in one dimension (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/818-1.html);
The best test ever of Newton’s second law, using a tabletop torsion pendulum (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/819-1.html);
First Gravity Probe B first results, the measurement of the geodetic effect---the warping of spacetime in the vicinity of and caused by Earth-to a precision of 1%, with better precision yet to come (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/820-2.html).

The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab solves a neutrino mystery, apparently dismissing the possibility of a fourth species of neutrino (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/820-1.html);
The Tevatron, in its quest to observe the Higgs boson, updated the top quark mass and observed several new types of collision events, such as those in which only a single top quark is made, and those in which a W and Z boson or two Z bosons are made simultaneously (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/821-1.html);
The shortest light pulse, a 130-attosecond burst of extreme ultraviolet light (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/823-1.html);
Based on data recorded at the Auger Observatory, astronomers conclude that the highest energy cosmic rays come from active galactic nuclei (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/846-1.html);
And the observation of Cooper pairs in insulators (http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/split/849-1.html).

22nd Dec, Winter Solstice Day @ Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

noreply@blogger.com (RM) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:55:00 +0000

Participate in the Historic Calibration Work of the Jantar Mantar Observatory Instruments!

Be at the Jantar Mantar on the 22nd December, the Winter Solstice Day to participate in the historic calibration work underway for the Jantar Mantar Observatory instruments.

Have you been wondering what exactly are those structure-instruments? How do they tell the time? What other things can they be used for? Et cetera. Then I guess, that's the right platform to interact and know, do and learn, talk-discuss about your doubts, etc.

Further, you can also look through the telescopes there in the evening for certain celestial objects too!

Volunteers from the Nehru Planetarium & the Amateur Astronomers Association, New Delhi will be present at the observatory between 11 am to 5 pm (and maybe little beyond) on the 22nd Dec. They would assist and help-out students and visitors understand the astronomical significance and usage of these instruments. Once again, you should feel free to ask any questions you may have!

From Sunrise to Sunset, the position of the Sun, in the bowl of the Jaiprakas instrument will be traced by volunteer observers (you can be one of them too!!). Why? This will trace out the Tropic of Capricorn in the bowl, one of the markings originally present on the instrument.

Also, at 4 pm starting at the Misra Yantra, there will be a lecture on all the observatory instruments which will be conducted by Dr. Rathnasree, Director, Nehru Planetarium.

Its an opportunity to learn and know, a platform to know something new, etc. and off-course be a part of the historic calibration process.