| Andrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|09:13 am] |
My latest commission was for the Andrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture - http://www.andrewchamblin.org/
My Head of Department asked me to come to the lunch, held beforehand, to take some shots and then to come to the lecture itself. So here's the befores: Gary Gibbons and Harvey Reall.
Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking.
Then at the lecture, Gary and Nick Manton.
I think that was Andrew Chamblin's mother.
Roger Penrose and Peter Haynes (my HoD).
Lady Mitchell Hall, almost full.
Peter Haynes introduces Roger Penrose but first says a few words about Andrew Chamblin and illustrates them with a photo I took of the bust of him which is in the Department.
Then Roger Penrose's lecture began. I'm so used to seeing powerpoint/keynote presentations these days, it was very refreshing to see someone using a set of meticulously-prepared OHP slides, which, from the looks of the thumb prints on them have been well-used.
This was a public lecture, so supposedly pitched at an educated lay person in the audience. I struggled to keep up. I think the gist of it was that he was trying to develop a theory to explain the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation without needing to invoke quantum effects across the big bang, or inflation.
The bit which stuck with me was his proposal that the variations in the CBR were due to black holes in the previous iteration of the universe coalescing and then popping out of existence with a burst of Hawking radiation which flowed through the next big bang and then appeared in our present sky like ripples in a pond just after the rain has stopped.
Or I could have just got the wrong end of the stick. Anyway, he was excited by the prospect of some experimental data coming available from WMAP which might help to support his hypothesis.
I sat at the lunch beforehand with a couple of colleagues who are roughly my age. They were talking about the Planck Satellite, which one of them is actively involved in, and launching it later this year to its orbital location, L2. It took me a little while to realise that they were talking about one of the Earth-Sun Lagrange Points, which is where the gravitational pull from both the Sun and the Earth together is exactly right to lock whatever is at that point into orbit with them. At this point, the satellite would travel around the Sun, 1,500,000km from the Earth and locked relative to the Earth and completely in the shadow of the Earth, which makes it a good place to put a satellite which you wish to shield from the Sun's radiation, because there's a large lump of rock between the star and your instruments.
Why did I find this so cool? Because these points in space feature in lots of science fiction so they're something I've been aware of since I was a kid (not that I've read any sci-fi for years). Discovery, the space ship abandoned by Dave Bowman after HAL flips out is left at the Lagrange Point between Jupiter and Io. Halo Megastructures are in Lagrange Points. And this satellite, if it gets up there, is going to be chucked at one later in the year. |
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| News that makes South Bangaloreans Happy |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|12:09 pm] |
Metro: court stays land acquisition
BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed the acquisition of properties at South End Circle, Jayanagar, by the Karnataka Industries Areas Development Board (KIADB), for the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation limited .
Justice B.S. Patil passed the order on petitions by owners of buildings in South End challenging the acquisition of their buildings for the construction of a Metro railway station.
Lakshmi Builders, M.A. Lakshmidevamma and several other petitioners questioned the legality and validity of the notifications by the KIADB classifying their buildings as industrial structures and seeking to acquire them for the proposed metro railway station.
They said the KIADB had issued preliminary and final notifications, seeking to acquire the building for the construction of a metro railway station. They said the authorities had not considered the objections they had filed.
They had urged the court to stay the notifications.
Source: The Hindu |
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| Top of Lady Hill to MG Road |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|09:32 am] |
When you go up Kapikad 3rd Cross you reach the top of Lady Hill. So here is a video of a drive from the top to MG Road at the bottom. Lady Hill is also the name of our Sneha's school. Which is how we discovered these obscure steep lanes in the first place. |
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| A drive up Kapikad 3rd cross |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|09:29 am] |
I have driven down Kapikad 3rd Cross many times and videod and YouTubed it twice. Yesterday was the Bharat Bundh and so I thought of attempting it going up. Here it is. I think my Optra is just two inches narrower that the lane. Kapikad 2nd cross btw is too narrow for a two wheeler. Heh!
The noise that over powers the music from Swades is the sound of the tyres on the rough granite slabs in the lane. |
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| Camouflage of the Draco (Flying Lizard) |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|06:25 am] |
It's my turn to post another "where is it" picture....this one's much easier (and of course, a far fouler photograph!) than ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) kalyan's though! Here's the Draco or the Flying Lizard in the Salim Ali bird sanctuary in Thattekad, Kerala:
Here it is, after it's scuttled a bit around the tree-trunk, just look at the beauty of its neck-fan:
And a view of another lizard, the following morning:
Uploading more pictures...will get around to posting soon..but right now, things are hectic and very mixed-up... |
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| What a beautiful day |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|04:19 pm] |
It is so nice out, temperatures in the pleasant 70's and a light breeze.
The painting is going along nicely, we've over 1/2 way through.
It will be a nice addition to the garden. We're attaching it to the
inside of the stockade fence, next to the table where we sit
most of the time.
Now for another cup of coffee. |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|12:07 pm] |
This weekend will be a continuation of the unpacking saga. Fortunately, I hope to take a break on Saturday and go to a mysterious outdoor party somewhere near the Canadian border. Brian and I hope to lure Dan and Mel along, since it's been far too long since we pushed their boundaries. (I plan to make Dan dance). We're planning on pitching a tent to get a few hours of sleep. I'm a bit too sleep-deprived to handle an all-night party plus driving. Hopefully a few other people from our critical massive camp may attend as well- I miss them.
The next week, I leave for Sacramento to spend a long weekend with Kayobi, Xander, and Aine. I'm so excited to see them. Also rather excited to spend a few days away from my new house, which is starting to feel claustrophobic. It's a bit too comfortable: we have excellent food, an espresso machine, spectacular vistas with lightning, and good company, so we really haven't been leaving. But I did manage to meet up with ravi and his awesome wife for dinner last night. So I guess I can't complain about being socially deprived. |
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| Glasses |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|02:50 pm] |
It is always nice, that when your glasses decide to break,
that you have a "yardsail" find on hand, designer no-less,
that your old lenses fit into perfectly, and you can then keep
going about your day. And your clip-on sun-glasses fit
on even better than before.
In other news, we're spending the day in our garden.
We've set up the huge easel and have a wonderful
2 foot x 4 foot piece on it, we have it drawn and are
taking a bit of a break at the moment.
The Heath Klondike Bars in the freezer are calling to us.
Hope your day is a happy one. By-the-way, what are you
doing today?? :-) |
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| If |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|04:13 pm] |
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
- Rudyard Kipling |
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| Mount Whitney |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|09:54 pm] |
On top of continental US :). Hiking mount whitney with karthik, bk, chetan, nithin and manja, pics here
Pic : Chetan in search of sunrise :) |
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| Daijiworld an attack site?!? |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|09:46 am] |
Google blocked Daijiworld today when trying to access Mangalore ref info for a Wiki article.
Reported Attack Site!
This web site at www.daijiworld.com has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences.
So I clicked on "Why was this site blocked?" And here is the answer.
( Why? ) |
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| HP CP1215 |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|09:36 am] |
I spotted this ad for HP's new colour laser printer the CP1215 for a rather modest price of Rs 17,xxx/- I googled and found [like other cheap colour lasers before it] the reviews are not very favourable, slow speeds being one of them. I then wanted to know the price of toner. Printer consumable over a few usages cross the cost of the machine itself. My last HP mono laser I stopped using because its toner cost of Rs 5,000/-. And even though it not become empty or crossed the specified copies after 2 years the print outs had started to smudge giving grey page backgrounds. For for less that Rs 5,000/- I got an inkjet printer cum scanner, here of course the ink cartridge costs are high but not in the range of Rs 5,000/-.
Anyway I enquired about the cost of the toner for the CP1215, I was curious though no interested. The local dealership was not aware of the printer and said would get back to us after enquiry. We are still waiting for his call.
I then called their toll free number and got the details. The girl at the other end very helpfully gave me the cost of one toner [black] and when prompted realised there were three more and gave me the cost of those too. For this call she asked all kinds of information [what is your name/ company name/ company profile? Are you buying this printer? Where did you get this number? Can we send you e-mail updates? except that she didn't ask for my blood group]
Here are the costs with taxes extra:
Black 3,063/- colour 2,779 [three required] for cost of toner replacement [taxes extra] will be Rs. 11,400/- [cost of printer 17,xxx/-] |
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| Simpleton class |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|12:19 am] |
One of my colleague said this in morning - Hyderabad folks have started identifying you. May be, yes. May be, no. I don't know their names, they don't know mine. Faces are known but names aren't. Yet, we are friends.
Look in eyes when talking, greet with smile, return smile, shake hand, wave hand, laugh, joke, don't cast hurting jokes, be sensitive, be gentle, be humble and be simple.
This is not a preaching post. This is not written for anyone else but for me. The times when I may start losing myself, revisiting these possibly may help. |
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| peace |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|05:41 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  peaceful | ] |
Life is peaceful with S&G, Beatles, Floyd and Dylan. |
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| Listen to children |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|04:22 pm] |
Suchitra's sis is in town from Dubai with her two sons. The older, Taejus, is just a year and half younger than Sneha and are both very good friends.
The evening they reached Mangalore there was no power in their grandparents apt and it looked like the battery backup would have just an hour or two of supply left. But the power came back with no need of having to light candles. [We actually bought candles on our way from the airport since unlike old days no one stocks candles at home.]
Anyway Suchitra overheard Taejus telling Sneha:
T: "In Dubai the power never goes off, in six years there has been no failure at all except once!"
S: "Oh so it failed once, I thought you said it never failed!" [and mind you with no malice at all] |
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| Disappearing bees |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|03:36 pm] |
Stung By Bees
 Colony-collapse disorder is characterized by the sudden collapse of a full-strength hive in a matter of weeks, with adults leaving the hive and not returning, until the hive is deserted.
BTW those of you who had noticed the disappearing sparrows, note that when I was at the new Bangalore airport on 25th May we found the terminal building was populated by enough sparrows to create a racket;-) |
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| It rained on my dreams |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|02:35 am] |
 I remember reading those words written in red ink, only I don't remember where. 'Made up minds are like made up beds- waiting to be disarranged.' Deranged, Disarranged. * He haunts my waking hours with his absence and makes up for it by walking into my dreams when I lie in bed-shutting my eyes and pulling the comforter over my head. Holding on to the comforter tight so that he doesn't walk into my mind, but he always beats a path and I find him there waiting to walk me down another path of what will not be. We stand by the orange blossoms- I always rest my head on his shoulders while he hugs me tight 'protecting you against the cold Northern winds' outside the Bistro waiting for our favorite spot in the corner. Sometimes, he tumbles into bed- onto the white pristine sheets and I can see him deliquesce into pristine nothingness right there, before my eyes. The other times he lies there, arms wide open and a smile beckoning me towards him. I fall into those strong arms and the sound of a winter breeze blowing whistles an ominous tune into my ears. I close my eyes smelling his pungency and playing with the hair on his chest- and then it's tufts of air that I'm pulling at. The pillow on my right placed against the headrest and the sheet turned up at the corner, as if he slipped out of my arms in an instant. Sometimes, he gets her along too or perhaps, she just comes with him. I can feel my tears pricking my eyes and as they force their way out of my tightly shut eyes, they tear at the eyelids and leave threads of blood as they stream down my cheek and fall to the ground- heavy, breaking into a million little pieces- a million dreams being crushed at my feet. They walk in hand in hand and as I follow them from room to room, they seem oblivious to my presence. Last night, he was wearing the white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and those blue denims when he walked in. I waited for him in the balcony for our night of champagne and dance, watching the street lamp cast shadows on the deserted road. That's when she came jangling her stilletos and wearing a hideous black dress- her hair plastered to her forehead with the beads of sweat and cackling like a wicked witch- the very giggle that makes him blush at the ears. As I stood there watching him approach the walnut doors that keeps the world from entering our world and the curtain billowing with each step, she ran to the doors threw them open and ran into his arms. Last night, He danced our last waltz with her. * The cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams, they never die. Even when I kill them with my bare hands. * Years have passed by since then, yet it's the memories that haunt.
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| A sight to see |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|11:38 am] |
Today morning after my walk I noticed that the girls room was open, I peeped inside to see that Kavya wasn't there, at 6:35AM!! And then in our room I find her sound asleep snuggled right next to her mom;-)
I asked Suchitra later if she had said anything, she would have had some story like she had a dream, or Sneha did something. It seems there was nothing, she came in gave her a dreamy smile and went to sleep. |
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| The Lion King |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|10:30 am] |
We'd seen The Lion King in Bangalore in 1994 at Rex [is it still there or torn down?] in Bangalore. And of course like the rest of the world we loved it.
Years later in 2003 a I borrowed a relations DVD and showed it to Sneha. While she was watching I was downstairs reading or watching TV. After the movie is over she comes running down with a huge smile and says [in Konkani]
"the movie was great!"
and then said the sweetest thing:
"matra Lion Kingale daddy marthana havey ralli!" [When Lion King's father died I cried!"]
Looking at her happy face you wouldn't have thought she shed a single tear;-) |
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sleepy
cheerful