I am posting the links of my scientific papers that are now available online with full citations. You might be able to access only the abstracts if you or your institute are not registered users of the journals in which these papers were published.
1. First principles calculations of thermal equations of state and thermodynamic properties of MgH2 at finite temperatures, Computational Materials Science, 2008, 42, 510-516.
2. Density functional investigations of electronic structure and dehydrogenation reactions of Al- and Si-substituted magnesium hydride, ChemPhysChem, 2008, 9, 928-934.
3. SixC1-xO2 alloys: a possible route to stabilize carbon-based silica-like solids?, Solid State Communications, 2007, 144, 273-276.
Happy reading!!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
IIT Bombay lingo
During my nearly three year stay at IIT Bombay I heard many a slang phrases. Some of those words stayed with me and I still happen to use them in my everyday lingo. My favourites are:
Ab chamka!!??
When you have been trying to understand something for a long time and after many failed attempts you finally get it, then you exclaim with jubilation "ab chamka or "chamak gaya".
Bahut nabad ho raha hai!!!
This is what you'll find yourself saying when you are in grave and extreme tension specially a few hours before quiz or exam time. Nabad is nothing but NBD which is short for Nervous BreakDown.
Maaroing nightouts.
This is rather self explanatory. It stands for burning not just the midnight oil but the all-night oil. Everybody in IIT Bombay has on at least one occasion given an exam without having slept a wink the night before.
Kya fart hai!!!!!
This phrase is used whenever something bugging, that irritates you to the core, happens. The computer that I have been sitting on has been troubling me since morning and hence I have been saying this again and again all day long, though only in my head to avoid embarrassment. A milder and less shocking version would have been "kya bakwaas hai!!"
Daya!!
This is how you respond when (i) a person says anything far fetched, (b) something beyond imagination happens and its just too much for you, or (c) when you want someone to stop rambling. The number of extra a's and exclamation marks added in the end whether in writing or in sound is indicative of the length, breadth and depth of the atrocity being inflicted on you.
Ab chamka!!??
When you have been trying to understand something for a long time and after many failed attempts you finally get it, then you exclaim with jubilation "ab chamka or "chamak gaya".
Bahut nabad ho raha hai!!!
This is what you'll find yourself saying when you are in grave and extreme tension specially a few hours before quiz or exam time. Nabad is nothing but NBD which is short for Nervous BreakDown.
Maaroing nightouts.
This is rather self explanatory. It stands for burning not just the midnight oil but the all-night oil. Everybody in IIT Bombay has on at least one occasion given an exam without having slept a wink the night before.
Kya fart hai!!!!!
This phrase is used whenever something bugging, that irritates you to the core, happens. The computer that I have been sitting on has been troubling me since morning and hence I have been saying this again and again all day long, though only in my head to avoid embarrassment. A milder and less shocking version would have been "kya bakwaas hai!!"
Daya!!
This is how you respond when (i) a person says anything far fetched, (b) something beyond imagination happens and its just too much for you, or (c) when you want someone to stop rambling. The number of extra a's and exclamation marks added in the end whether in writing or in sound is indicative of the length, breadth and depth of the atrocity being inflicted on you.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
My 150th post
This is my 150th post and as always I was left wondering what my post should be to mark this grand occasion. So I thought why not in place of writing something I indulge in some art work. About two weeks back I happened to catch this show on Pogo channel. The host showed this great style of art which I have used here. Its so easy that anyone can do it. I am putting down the steps for those wanting to try and have some fun.
1. Pick a photograph of your choice.
2. Place a tracing paper on top of this photo and draw out the outline on the tracing paper with a black sketch pen.
3. Make about 5-6 (or as many) photocopies of this outline on white sheets.
4. Now fill these outlines with bright colors. You could also use polka dots or stars to fill in the blank spaces.
5. Fill all the sheets in different ways and then stick them on a bright colored card paper.
6. Now frame the end result.
I however did things a bit differently. I was eager to start but I found that didn't have a tracing paper and that my niece's pictures were only on the computer... there were no prints. So firstly I chose a mix of pictures of my niece that I love. Then I used Microsoft Photo Editor in the "stamp" mode to create the outlines. I took print outs on normal A4 size sheets and went on a coloring spree using crayons instead of paints. Since I couldn't get a card paper I bought a light blue colored chart paper and cardboard sheet. When I placed my colored pictures on it, the background looked dull. So I used water colors and painted the chart paper red. It was quite a job to get a decent consistency. Finally when the paper got dried I stuck my pictures on it and then I pasted the chart paper on a card board cut out for the same dimensions.
The end result is for you to see.
1. Pick a photograph of your choice.
2. Place a tracing paper on top of this photo and draw out the outline on the tracing paper with a black sketch pen.
3. Make about 5-6 (or as many) photocopies of this outline on white sheets.
4. Now fill these outlines with bright colors. You could also use polka dots or stars to fill in the blank spaces.
5. Fill all the sheets in different ways and then stick them on a bright colored card paper.
6. Now frame the end result.
I however did things a bit differently. I was eager to start but I found that didn't have a tracing paper and that my niece's pictures were only on the computer... there were no prints. So firstly I chose a mix of pictures of my niece that I love. Then I used Microsoft Photo Editor in the "stamp" mode to create the outlines. I took print outs on normal A4 size sheets and went on a coloring spree using crayons instead of paints. Since I couldn't get a card paper I bought a light blue colored chart paper and cardboard sheet. When I placed my colored pictures on it, the background looked dull. So I used water colors and painted the chart paper red. It was quite a job to get a decent consistency. Finally when the paper got dried I stuck my pictures on it and then I pasted the chart paper on a card board cut out for the same dimensions.
The end result is for you to see.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Saat chya aat gharaat
I saw a Marathi movie called Saat Chya Aat Gharaat a while ago and was surprised by its thought provoking story.
The film begins by giving us a view of the following different types of "today's" households:
(1) A joint family where the grandmother takes care of the house and kids while the parents are absorbed in their careers.
(2) A family of two where the activist mother does not like being called Aai by her daughter, preferring instead to be on first name basis with her.
(3) A middle class family having children who are unhappy not having the liberty to spend as much as other rich kids.
(4) Then there are these three boys staying as paying guests sharing a flat together.
(5) And finally there are two girls who are living in a hostel away from their homes.
The lives of all these college going boys and girls is spent bunking classes, boozing, smoking, doing aerobics, watching movies, dancing in the pubs and coming home late at nights. They are a mixed bunch coming from different backgrounds and environments. If there is one thing common between them then its that they form today's modern younger generation.
Their lives take a turn when all of them decide to celebrate Valentine's Day together. One of the couple's wanting to spend some time alone leave the party to get cozy in a location that is devoid of any population. But their actions are caught by a policeman. He sends off the boy to get his I-card from his room as proof of identification. Taking advantage of the situation while the boy is gone, the policeman rapes the girl.
A number of questions are then raised in the film. The first and foremost being why did the girl and boy have to go to that deserted place? Besides the man who committed the crime, are the boy and girl also somewhere responsible for what happened? What are the duties of a Local Guardian? What is the stand the college should take in this matter? How supportive should the friends be?
The movie paints a somewhat sad picture. The college authorities feel that they cannot allow the girl to mingle with her fellow students and suspend her from attending classes. The hostel wants the girl to vacate her room so that she cannot be a bad influence on others. Parents of her roomate force her friend to move in to a different room. While most of her friends are sympathetic towards the victim's problems, one of them questions the compassion since the girl though raped wasn't a virgin before the incident!
During her time of greatest need the girl's boyfriend leaves her. Initially its out of guilt that the boy is not prepapred to meet or talk to her. He also realizes that now he obviously wouldn't be able to marry her. His negative though frank statement is met with strong disapproval from his friends. But he poses the same question to them asking what if they were in his place, they are unwilling to give an answer. Its at this point when one of the central characters in the film begins to wonder if we youngsters are fit to call ourselves "modern".
The title of the film comes from the parents, following the incident, becoming concerned about their children being out on the streets till late hours and asking them to come back home by seven.
The film begins by giving us a view of the following different types of "today's" households:
(1) A joint family where the grandmother takes care of the house and kids while the parents are absorbed in their careers.
(2) A family of two where the activist mother does not like being called Aai by her daughter, preferring instead to be on first name basis with her.
(3) A middle class family having children who are unhappy not having the liberty to spend as much as other rich kids.
(4) Then there are these three boys staying as paying guests sharing a flat together.
(5) And finally there are two girls who are living in a hostel away from their homes.
The lives of all these college going boys and girls is spent bunking classes, boozing, smoking, doing aerobics, watching movies, dancing in the pubs and coming home late at nights. They are a mixed bunch coming from different backgrounds and environments. If there is one thing common between them then its that they form today's modern younger generation.
Their lives take a turn when all of them decide to celebrate Valentine's Day together. One of the couple's wanting to spend some time alone leave the party to get cozy in a location that is devoid of any population. But their actions are caught by a policeman. He sends off the boy to get his I-card from his room as proof of identification. Taking advantage of the situation while the boy is gone, the policeman rapes the girl.
A number of questions are then raised in the film. The first and foremost being why did the girl and boy have to go to that deserted place? Besides the man who committed the crime, are the boy and girl also somewhere responsible for what happened? What are the duties of a Local Guardian? What is the stand the college should take in this matter? How supportive should the friends be?
The movie paints a somewhat sad picture. The college authorities feel that they cannot allow the girl to mingle with her fellow students and suspend her from attending classes. The hostel wants the girl to vacate her room so that she cannot be a bad influence on others. Parents of her roomate force her friend to move in to a different room. While most of her friends are sympathetic towards the victim's problems, one of them questions the compassion since the girl though raped wasn't a virgin before the incident!
During her time of greatest need the girl's boyfriend leaves her. Initially its out of guilt that the boy is not prepapred to meet or talk to her. He also realizes that now he obviously wouldn't be able to marry her. His negative though frank statement is met with strong disapproval from his friends. But he poses the same question to them asking what if they were in his place, they are unwilling to give an answer. Its at this point when one of the central characters in the film begins to wonder if we youngsters are fit to call ourselves "modern".
The title of the film comes from the parents, following the incident, becoming concerned about their children being out on the streets till late hours and asking them to come back home by seven.
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