Skip to main content

Take off-The First Blog

Hello readers!
I am starting to write today in a hope that I learn to document everything and weave my words correctly on the advice of a Prof at my Institute. I am a jrf at IMSc, Chennai as of now and work on membrane structure. The work is among the many which land up on the interface of Biology and Physics. I started out to be a Biology student who is now reading Physics.

I have named my blog "tishn-a-lab"  which is Urdu for thirst or dryness of lips. It is a very common phrase that you find in poems, mine being from one of Dushyant Kumar's (me gusta el)  ये शफ़क़ शाम हो रही है अब. This title is supposed to convey a couple of things. First, the craving. Being an aspirant for a career in science, you have to always push boundaries of your analytical skills, demand more from the experiment and observation. It never stops. Also, for a larger picture, if you work on one problem, you realize there is so much more that you don't know. YOU HAVE TO GET IT. NO BAIL OUT. To accept that is to commit to this job. I guess I have made a commitment.So I read and read until I sleep (goes on in a cyclic process). For now that is. Ready to do what ever it takes next.
Second, the deprivation. I am also going to use this space to vent out my thoughts on science, politics, social issues, poetry, anime etcetera etcetera. And many will agree that we have a shortage of really basic components in society and administration having which, seem pretty obvious to any logical mind. Surprisingly many of such ideas are not implemented or not even expressed. So here I am, using a faint voice, in a chorus, hoping that the chorus may be appreciated and the song shakes the conscience  of the audience. Metaphorical!! (feeding on Premchand made me this.)
 Of course, the objective is some action in the direction of betterment.

This is all for now. Hope that a few Kb document that this is, evolves into something worthwhile. I will try to write regularly to hone my writing skills.
Sayonara!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why so complacent in the high drop out rate?

I had an interview recently at a renowned lab here in India. I admired her work and simply couldn't wait to talk to the PI, tour the lab and telling her that I am a big fan. After the interview, the PI told me about how they are little frugal about lab supplies (and the practice apparently served them well), the 11-12 hour commitment to the lab and their high drop-out rate. All of this was to signify how science-y they are probably. However, I found these practices very uncomfortable. Especially her complacency about the drop-out rate. Indian scientists seem to find a merit in the high drop-out rate from their lab. It is like a badge of honor. Why do you have to assume the reason for them leaving is because you are demanding and/or the student is incompetent? That is stupid. There are numerous reasons a student can quit working with someone. It doesn't necessarily have to be something wrong about the student!  Why do you have to showcase it like a crown? It ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Drawing the line between Science and Pseudoscience

Indians have always had a great pride in their ancestral heritage, be it individualistic or collective. It sure is worth and there is much more in India that one can be proud of, for instance, the area of arable land available to Indians or biodiversity profile of India or something more under one's control - saving our economy from financial crisis in 2008 (and more). That is OK. That is acceptable. What is not acceptable is bad science, complacence and fake pride in the bad science. Now, I don't have to list out all the instances defying scientific temper here. They are all over the place -news, internet, social network. They have invoked a lot of criticism from the scientific community in India and abroad (for example, this ).  The point I want to stress here is the great divide between the general understanding of people about science and what it actually is. Now, being brought up in a family in which some believe in the origin of varnas from various parts of Brahma...
Post a Comment
Read more

turning back to square 1

Recently, I have started applying to graduate schools for a PhD. I have received one rejection letter already. It was written in a very ,say, measured (if that is the right word) way such that it only pulls you by a thin thread from falling off into a deep cliff of depression. It was a really nice and kind gesture. Others had specified that they will get back if they would like to interview me. Fair enough. But for me, this experience marks the beginning of the second most faced situations in the life of researchers-getting rejected. From journals, editors, publishers etc etc. (concentrated optimism dripping all over, I know)The first one is, in my honest opinion, is the developing a habit of contesting an idea. I had joined The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, in 2016 for a PhD program and did a Molecular Dynamics simulation project. This is more of physics than what I had imagined. The techniques and training people need to do this kind of job is very different from w...
2 comments
Read more