One of the inspiring people not just as a Technologist, Businessman and Leader but more for me as a Philanthropist and good Human being concerned about the condition of his fellow humans on earth. Very few people will dare to give away their life’s earnings. He is one of the leaders and human beings who has influenced me much more than anyone else.
British chemist Professor Martyn Poliakoff of Nottingham University explains the Nobel Prize for Chemistry
The 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell and William Moerner. In this video British chemist, Professor Martyn Poliakoff of Nottingham University explains the significance of the work by these three recipients of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. I am a fan of the Periodic Videos series by Prof. Martyn Poliakoff made by Brady John Haran who is an Australian independent film-maker and video journalist who is known for his educational videos and documentary films produced for BBC News and for his YouTube channels.
I Love the Nilgiri Mountain Railway – Know the story of this 100 year old World Heritage Railway
One of the nostalgic experiences for anyone visiting Ooty (also called Uthagamandalam / Ootacamund) is a ride on the Mountain Rail from Mettupalayam to Ooty (Especially upto Coonoor on the steam engine train). The “Toy Train” as it is called by some people is one of the characteristic features of the Nilgiris and for a tourist it is a very romantic experience and is very popular especially with honeymooners. It has the steepest climb (1 in 12 gradient) and with its special ‘Rack and Pinion’ tracks the train snakes its way through the jungle to Ooty via Coonoor. Built by the British in 1908, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway has been added by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and celebrated its 100th birthday a few years ago.
Being born and brought up in the Nilgiris the nostalgia I feel about the train is very different from that of a tourist visiting Ooty. I have very fond memories of the many journeys I undertook on this beautiful train or just being able to see this beauty pass by every now and then through the tunnel and the station at Lovedale and other places. This documentary brought back pleasant memories of my days in the Nilgiris. Thanks to BBC for making such a fantastic Documentary.
The Quantum Indians – The Story of Bose, Raman and Saha the Indian Scientists who inspire me
This documentary won the prestigious National Film Award for the best educational film in 2013 in India. President Shri Pranab Mukharjee gave away this award in a glittering ceremony on 3rd May 2014. It is an award for an extremely efficient and precise analysis of the contributions of three renowned scientists in a manner that not only educates today’s generation but also provides insights into complex scientific phenomena in an accessible manner. At the turn of the 20th century, the world was witnessing a renaissance in the area of quantum physics through the work of great scientists such as Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Ernest Rutherford or Neils Bohr. Unknown to the world, three Indian scientists were also making significant contributions to the quantum world with revolutionary deductions, interpretations and theories.
Dr. Satyendra Nath Bose devised a statistical theory of counting photons – a revelation even to Albert Einstein — that paved the way for the two great minds to work in tandem in formulating fundamental theories as the Bose-Einstein Statistics and Bose-Einstein Condensate. Boson, the class of particles that obey Bose-Einstein statistics, was named after Dr. S. N. Bose. Sir C. V. Raman gave the world what is known as the Raman effect, which redefined how we see light and colour. Another contemporary, Dr. Meghnad Saha produced an equation that explained stellar radiation and is regarded as one of the fathers of modern astrophysics. All the three scientists started their careers at the Calcutta University, became Fellows of the Royal Society, and Raman was the first and only Indian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for physics.
The film is a tribute to the three exemplary minds, the significance of whose contributions was of vital importance during that time, and even today with great strides being made in quantum physics, fibre optics, nuclear science or astrophysics. They were not only great scientists, but were rooted to the social and political realities of the time and dedicated their lives to modern science in India. Along with being institutions by themselves, they built stellar institutions in the country that inspired many great scientists of the following generations.
Atoms in Action with Professor Pratibha Gai- The Royal Institution
Chemical reactions are the backbone of technologies at the heart of modern society, but what is happening at the atomic level? In this Ri lecture, Professor Pratibha Gai explains how she developed an atomic resolution-environmental transmission electron microscope (atomic resolution-ETEM) so that, for the first time, the human eye can see and analyse how atoms move and change positions in crystal structures during chemical reactions. She then explores the far-reaching applications of being able to watch atoms in action in important chemical reactions involved in anything from medicine production to the creation of new energy sources.
Professor Pratibha Gai is the winner of the L’Oréal – UNESCO European For Women In Science Laureate 2013.
Atoms in Action was presented at the Ri on Friday 27 June 2014 as part of the all-women line up for Friday Evening Discourses in 2014 as part of the Royal Institutions year long celebration of women in science.
A Century of Crystallography: the Braggs Legacy
One of the subjects that I have always liked while I was a student of Chemistry was “Crystallography”. The scientific and human story behind the past, present and future of one of the most important ever developments in science. 100 years after it was first developed, crystallography is still a driving force of scientific discovery and innovation. Revealing the hidden structure and beauty of materials, it gives an insight into the invisible. This film from Diamond Light Source celebrates the work and lives of Sir William Henry Bragg and his son, Sir William Lawrence Bragg. Together, they established a new scientific discipline. A son with the theoretical understanding and father with the experimental technique to harness this knowledge.
The technique emerged a century ago, but its power to reveal the minutiae of matter is as strong today as it was then. This film journeys through the key experiments and insights from 1912, and the torrent of discoveries that followed. With interviews and commentaries from leading scientists and historians of today, it is an exploration of the scientific and human story behind the past, present and future of one of the most important ever developments in science.
Some of you like me may be interested in this topic and this video will interest you and answer some of the questions you had on this subject.
An Earnest Appeal To All Parents, Teachers and Students
In the last two days I have been witness to three gruesome road accidents involving young children on two wheelers on Surat roads. This, in-spite of Surat city having the best roads in the country. In all the three cases none of the riders of the vehicles had any protective helmets on them. In fact in yesterday’s accident I could see that the pillion rider was injured more than the driver. So the pillion rider also needs the protection of a helmet. I am also aware of many other cases where young lives have been lost due to road accidents in Surat causing irreparable loss and pain to their near and dear ones. I can say with certainty that wearing a helmet can save lives and reduce the damage caused in accidents. Years ago my only brother met with a road accident on the ghat road between Coimbatore and Ooty. He was on a motorcycle and met with an accident with a four-wheeler coming down the ghat section of the road. He was gruesomely injured in this accident. In fact, the impact on his head was so strong that a small stone had penetrated his helmet. His life was saved only because he was wearing a good helmet. I narrate this only to share my first hand experience. There are many other incidents where lives were saved by wearing helmets on two wheelers. I have also noticed a tendency of drivers even educated ones follow rules only to avoid being reprimanded by a traffic cop. They don’t see any value in following rules and adopting safe driving practices unless something drastic happens to them or their near ones. We need to come out of this attitude and understand that the cops are there only to oversee and help us follow rules and correct our errors for our welfare. I have also seen young drivers (even older ones at times) using their Cell Phones while riding a two-wheeler. One hand on the Throttle and another on their phones and that too on a busy road with lots of Vehicular traffic. I have seen some of them sending text messages on the go!!?? They are putting themselves to tremendous risk. Drive defensively – assume that the other person will always be an irresponsible driver and take precautions. You can mitigate any eventuality by this approach. Observe speed limits. I hope the readers of this Blog post set examples for others in the city to follow. If you or anyone in your family or friends is riding a two-wheeler, please ask them to always wear a good quality protective helmet and follow traffic rules and drive safe. Life is precious. Let us not squander it.
(G.R.Sivakumar) Dated: 18th June 2014