Friday, July 6, 2012

My Favourite VARSHA Geets

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Satyendra Nath Bose and the God Particle


New Delhi: Satyendra Nath Bose was born on New Year's Day, 1894, in Calcutta to Surendra Nath Bose, an engineer with the East Indian Railway Company. The eldest among seven siblings, Satyendra Nath Bose, attended Hindu School, a school that had made notable contributions to the Bengal Renaissance and the Reformation movement.
He made a name for himself for his mathematical prowess and his love for science. Bose, as a student at the vaunted Presidency College, Calcutta, went on to secure the highest marks in every discipline (a few of them remains unbroken even now). Meghnad Saha, his classmate and another celebrated Indian nuclear scientist after whom the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics is named, came a close second.
Bose would later take up teaching assignments at Calcutta and Dhaka universities where he would set up entire laboratories to teach his students.
Satyendra Nath Bose: about the God of particles
Bose's biggest contribution to Particle Physics came in the form of a study that he sought to present before his students at Dhaka to show them that contemporary theory was not in accordance with results gathered from experiments. During this lecture, Bose committed a 'mistake' in applying the theory, which unexpectedly gave a prediction that agreed with the experiment. But the 'error' was a statistical one and not an experimental one.
That would evolve into Bose writing a paper deriving Planck's quantum radiation law without any regard to classical physics. He used a new way of counting states with identical particles. He sent the paper directly to Albert Einstein in Germany.
Bose wrote to Albert Einstein:
“I have ventured to send you the accompanying article for your perusal and opinion. I am anxious to know what you think of it. You will see that I have tried to deduce the coefficient 8π v2/c3 in Planck’s Law independent of classical electrodynamics, only assuming that the elementary regions in the phase-space has the content h3. I do not know sufficient German to translate the paper. If you think the paper worth publication I shall be grateful if you arrange for its publication in Zeitschrift für Physik. Though a complete stranger to you, I do not feel any hesitation in making such a request. Because we are all your pupils though profiting only by your teachings through your writings. I do not know whether you still remember that somebody from Calcutta asked your permission to translate your papers on Relativity in English. You acceded to the request. The book has since published. I was the one who translated your paper on Generalised Relativity.”
Albert Einstein, recognising the importance of the paper, translated it into German himself and submitted it on Bose's behalf to the prestigious Zeitschrift für Physik journal. As a result of this recognition, Bose was able to work for two years in European X-ray and crystallography laboratories, during which he worked with Louis de Broglie, Marie Curie and Einstein himself.
Bose's 'mistake' is today what the world calls Bose–Einstein statistics. This result derived by Bose laid the foundation of quantum statistics, as acknowledged by Einstein and Paul Dirac.
Though Nobel Prize in Physics awards have been awarded in connection with research in this domain, many find it strange that Satyendra Nath Bose himself was not awarded one. But having an elementary particle named after oneself is an honour that far outstrips any award. A Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded every year. But nomenclature of an elementary particle lasts till the end of time.
Also one needs to keep in mind that the theoretical existence of Higgs boson was proposed in 1964 by the group of scientists led by Peter Higgs. So that way, Bose did not play any direct role in this respect. His impact on this entire Higgs boson saga is much of an inspirational and generic one, a fact that is often lost in the face of jingoism.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

MySnaps : A Visit to Wai, near Pune

Wai is about 100 kms from Pune is situated on the banks of river Krishna. It is difficult to imagine how this modest river musters force to travel over 1300 kms to Tamil Nadu and become several times bigger. 


A picture of the temple complex. The complex was constructed by Nana Phadnavis on the banks of the Krishna  in the  second half of the 18th century .Nana was an influential member of the Maratha Empire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_Fadnavis) . About him , it was said by the Britishers  "The able minister of your state, whose upright principles and honourable views and whose zeal for the welfare and prosperity both of the dominions of his own immediate superiors and of other powers were so justly celebrated.This temple complex has also featured in a few Hindi movies including Swades, Mrutyudand, Gangajal .

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Another view of the temple complex , with the Nana Residence in the back ground.

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The forlorn back entrance to the what was once an important wada ( residence) in India ......

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A tree on the bank and its reflections.....

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Opposite the Shiva Temple is a temple like structure housing a huge 650 kg bell, made by using five alloys ( panch dhatu).This bell was captured from a cathedral in the Portuguese fort at Bassein( Vasai) near Mumbai. Dated 1707, the bell bears a picture of Mother Mary Carrying Infant Jesus.


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Unusual Words and Good Graphics !




Acersecomic

A person whose hair has never been cut.
acersecomic


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Fanfaronade

Swaggering; empty boasting; blustering manner or behavior; ostentatious display.

fanfaronade 
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Tarantism

A disorder characterised by an uncontrollable urge to dance.
tarantism 
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Ultracrepidarian

A person who gives opinions and advice on matters outside of one's knowledge.
ultracrepidarian
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Zugzwang

A position in which any decision or move will result in problems.

zugzwang 

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Yonderly

Mentally or emotionally distant; absent-minded.
yonderly 
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Welter

A confused mass; a jumble; turmoil or confusion.

welter 
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Scripturient

Possessing a violent desire to write.

scripturient 

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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Maha Bharat :: Animation Story




Mahabharat (Part 1) - English [Animated Stories]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUU5l-2ZRwk&list=PLCECBD4C6161187B4&feature=plpp&context=C496e44fFDvjVQa1PpcFPwTr2AynHFKNei-KB1wl4B2-TIlFJGXqE=

Animated Stories - Mahabharat (Part 1) - English. Watch out for this wonderful video piece on 'Mahabharat', the most ancient and popular legend that takes us through the greatness and the sincerity of King Bharata who ruled the subjects of Hastinapur. The simple and lucid narration used in the video will surely interest your children and help them to understand this mythological tale that explores the conflicting nature of human mind. 

Click http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL188BA30B6DFF0D40 to watch more animation Stories.

Mahabharat (Part 2) - English [Animated Stories]

Click http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL188BA30B6DFF0D40 to watch more animation Stories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk7EDDV_7gA&feature=relmfu

MySnap : Pune Sky






Monday, July 2, 2012

Fix It Generation .......