windchill

on a moon-lit, winding road,
the chilly, grave wind
rubs out the snow-flakes dry and round,
till they look like white-ash:
cold-burnt and marble-white

a mile away, on a shivery grassland,
wool-warmth sparks in happy, golden eyes,
chirpy pine twigs burn and burn,
merry little sparks make little clouds
and some white-ash.


--Milind

यज्ञ, मंत्र and the ozone layer? Some back of the envelope thoughts

Folks,

(Statutory warning: Arbitrary browsing could be time wasting (but fun as well :-) )

Today I got hints from some "lazy-time" wikipedia browsing that Yajna/Mantr could help replenish the ozone layer, and started thinking if there is indeed any scientific basis to that. If there was some such reaction happening in those burnings of samidha that might produce (or) stabilize ozone (or) de-stabilize the de-ozonizers such as methane, then effectively, ozone could be forming/being sustained.

Although the article seemed like a stub (Wikipedia's words!), it said that the use of ghee or घृत in Yajna helps to build and sustain the ozone layer.

With some Google Scholar, I soon got intrigued by this puzzle and got a peek down the rabbit hole !

Here are the fragments of the puzzle I found :


1. Yajnas from the Elden Days in India were performed by offering samidha(holy offerings to please Agni) to the holy fire (Agni) and Mantras were sung/ chanted at the same time. Ghee was used as an ingredient of samidha. Bovine fats, such as Ghee, is a milk product, and to my limit of knowledge about organic molecules(!), contains a lot of lipids.

2. Research exists on the effect of breathing ozone as inducing formation of "lipid hydro-peroxides" (read : = lipids + -OH bonds and the peroxide O-O bond) in the lungs of lab rats. This has been researched in the medical field in view of cancer research, as the peroxides are always carcinogenic : the extra oxygen they can give off (the O radical) can catalyze breaking of some vital bio-molecules.

3. What about the मंत्र part? Putting the chanting words aside for a little bit, an intriguing fact about Vedic Mantras is that they are sung in three specific notes (if I am not wrong, the Ni, Sa, and Re).

4. Research exists on the effect of sound waves / pressure fields on the kinetics and selectivity of some biomolecular reactions in water phase. Examples are cell wall damage, lipid oxidation (read sonochemistry here). The sound waves studied in all these papers are of ultrasonic limit (frequencies > 20 kHz, not audible). Ultrasonic pressure waves can catalyze or increase selectivity to certain lipid-oxidation products.

5. An important point here, is that the sound waves sung by the rishis would never go ultrasonic: off the cuff, Sa is 440 Hz freq, (and 78 cm wavelength) and 20 kHz being the auditive limit. Bats scream ultrasonic, we can not! This means the musical notes of Mantras would be much less in energy than the ultrasonics : Ok, so maybe they wont break cell walls : but maybe they are able to catalyze some reactions: worth exploring ..

6. So coming back to the lipids getting oxidized, a search for "ultrasonic lipid oxidation" directs to some interesting research papers in the medical field, where they are interested again in the carcinogenic effects of formation of lipid hydro-peroxides!

Now putting the two together, formation of peroxides of lipids is possible and already seen in the presence of ozone AND/OR sound waves (--where the published research is only on ultrasonics, not on acoustic range of waves.. but oh well..)

An argument then, based on the reversibility of such an oxidation reaction, would be as follows:
If after burning these peroxides rise and reach certain heights (where ozone is naturally a stable compound) to react with oxygen molecules and dissociate, ozone could form. Although a hand-wavy argument, to me this seemed far better than just doing the Yajna for the sake of it!


A complete (though rudimentary) argument would be as follows:

"A sono-catalyzed reaction (due to Mantras chanted in specific acoustic frequencies) of oxidation of bovine lipids (such as in ghee) selectively shifts towards formation of lipid-hydro-peroxides. These LHPs rise up in the air at ambient conditions and an (oxygen + peroxide) - to - (ozone + lipid) dissociation reaction takes off. An equilibrium could be reached where the peroxides get rid of extra oxygens to form stable ozone at the high altitudes. This, even if very minutely, could increase ozone layer."

Worth giving it a shot, don't you think, @biochemists? :-)

hows that!

--Milind

अ-कलेचे चांदणे

काजळ रात्री दोन चंद्र दाखवतील दिशा
कलेकलेच्या चंद्राचा कुणा भरवसा ?
आज पडलाय वारा तरी नावेत माझ्या येशील ?
तुझ्या चंद्रांना चांदणी ही हिऱ्याची घेशील ?


--मिलिंद

Figure of speech- Resume

(in school-English this is also called hyperbole or exaggeration)

(लोक resume मधे काहीही लिहितात, त्यासाठी..)


आत्तापर्यंत काहीही न केलेल्या २१ वर्षीय बबन्या च्या resume वरची ही वाक्ये :
1. Successfully revolved around the Sun 21 times (19728967187.916 Km) along with other Celestial Bodies
2. Showed competency with others in terms of speed of revolution
3. Fast learner : Picked up rhythmic breathing skills at the earliest
4. Not afraid of green ghosts that rise in elliptical fashion up Northwards
5. Ability to complete dreams through interruptions in sleep
6. Ability to draw impressive conclusions which has been proven useful in resume building


Quick question: find a post suitable for बबन्या.

लपाछपी - काही "पराग -विचार"

'लपाछपी' हा महान खेळ आहे असं नेहमी वाटतं मला.. असा खेळ तर 'शोधूनही सापडणार नाही!'
खंत मात्र एक , लपाछपी मध्ये 'लपा' आणि 'छपी' दोन्ही लपण्याचेच शब्द आहेत! सगळेच लपून कसं चालेल? म्हणून 'hide and seek' जास्त सूचक नाव वाटतं. मराठीत 'शोधा म्हणजे सापडेल' सारखं काहीतरी चाललं असतं..

इंद्राला ताक मिळत नाही म्हणतात, मी तर म्हणतो त्याला लपाछपी ची ही मजा नाही मिळणार .. शेवटी 'सगळं काही सापडलेल्या' देवागणांना कसलं आलंय लपाछपीतलं thrill ( = 'बुंगाट मजा' किंवा 'एकशेवीस च्या स्पीड ने मजा') ??

एखाद्या येणाऱ्या घटनेचं anticipation (पूर्वानुभूती?) आणि त्यातली गम्मत लपाछपी मध्ये लपली आहे. मग पुढे लपलेला प्रत्येक क्षण जर आपण असाच, अगदी एक-एक शोधत 'लपाछपी' सारखा खेळलो, तर मग रोज काय मजाच मजा!

--मिलिंद

("पराग विचार" = random thoughts - by शशांकशंकया)

inside an egg

a weak body,
trapped inside an egg,
no one to tell.

listens inwards,
figures out a beak,
breaches the walls.

There is no other God.

--
Milind

random thought

The artist, who needs a camera to hide behind, or the subject- the beauty .. who is camera shy? !!

camera is certainly the only bold one doing his work!

--
milind

phd.py

Let me get straight to the point: I am a unique Graduate student of all times. This is because, rather than doing a phd, I am writing a script that takes these inputs and just does the following 10 steps:

Input parameters:
-name of the grad student
-email-ids of thesis committee members in alphabetical order.
(Note: currently the code errors out if the id's are not in the alphabetical order.)

and, does the following:
1. defines a problem
2. reads in a library of literature data
3. proposes n physical models
4. validates all models with experiments
5. modifies the models
6. runs simulations based on these assumptions
7. keeps sending me emails of statii of simulation-jobs ('focus' plural 'foci' , then 'status' plural 'statii'??)
8. sends graphs/ interpretations via email -to my iPhone (that I plan to buy)
9. Makes power point presentations
10. sends out email invitations (template lib included) to thesis committee members after mining through their online schedules and finding a common time



So now I have to focus only on these three things:

1. complete the work on phd.py
2. learn the plural of the word 'status' : whether it is statii or statuses or something else..
3. prepare for presentation

rest all is going to be fun as well !!

--
Milind

Shadows

One Giant tree had shadows such,
that the seedlings felt so safe,
no storms, no wind,
no scorching heat,
such perfect was their fate !

therein grew a sad seedling once
who kept complaining and hissing,
for the sun, for the wind,
for the challenges,
of storms that he thought he was missing !

there was a happier bush, in the neighboring yard,
who never got a big tree,
but was stronger and greener,
though he faced the storms sooner,
he wondered, how could this be !

when the sad one asked the happy little bush
of the secret of his might,
the latter replied,
to the secure child,
that his attitudes were right !

"Use your Shadows! Build your Roots !"
said he, fetch food, get storm-fit,
as it's not much in what we have got,
it's in what we make of it !

--
Milind

सारीपाट

मी आहे बावन्न पत्त्यांमधला एक !
रोज-रोज, तेच ते लोक मला,
त्याच त्या एक्कावन्न पत्त्यांबरोबर पिसतात,
अन तोच एक डाव मांडून बसतात,
तरी त्यांना मजा येतेसं दिसतं !

आता मी आहे एक बशी !
रोज रोज माझ्यातून, तेच दोघं
तोच तो दुधाचा चहा पितात एकत्र..
कधी कधी मला एकमेकांवर फेकूनही मारतात !
त्यांच्या ह्या खेळात त्यांना मजा येत असेल का?

--
मिलिंद

अप्सरा-गन्धर्व

(एका मित्राच्या 'सत्यकथे' वर आधारित!)

विसरून दूर मजला गेलीच अप्सरैक,
सोडील साथ तनुची छाया कधी क्षणैक?
गन्धर्व मी न, तरीही म्हणतो तिला मनात,
उभया पलायन करू, जमवू 'गान्धर्व लग्न!'

--
मिलिंद

द्वैत

धरणी नं सोडलं आभाळासाठी
तिचं ते अपूर्णतेतलं निरागस, कल्पक स्वातंत्र्य
ज्याचं नेमकं आभाळाच्या लेखी काssही नाही !
आणि आभाळानं त्यागली
त्याची ती निर्गुण, आत्म-मग्न संपूर्णता
त्याचं नेमकं धरणीच्या लेखी काssही नाही !

तरीही येतात एकत्र दोघं..
तो चिडतो, गडगडतो, गारा आणि वीज पाडतो,
ती ही संतापानं थरथर कापते,
ज्वालामुखी फुटतो कधी कधी,
पण बनवतात एकत्र - एक उद्याचं क्षितिज !

--
मिलिंद

देवाचे प्रयोग

(स्वत:लाच कधी कधी स्वत:चा एखादा गुण आवडत नाही, त्याबद्दल..)

एकदा ना एक गम्मत झाली,
एका सिंहाच्या आत्म्याने शेळीचा जन्म घेतला,
चारा त्याला गिळ्वेना, डरकाळी काही फुटेना,
मनातली डरकाळी ऐकू जात नसे कुणाला

त्याचं मन खात होतं त्याला,
की एक सिंह एका शेळीला खाऊन सुखी होता?

एकदा अजून एक गम्मत झाली,
एका शेळीच्या आत्म्याने सिंहाचा जन्म घेतला,
सिंह-पुरात गवत खातो म्हणून वेडा ठरवला गेला,
आणि शेळीचं मांसही कसा खाणार बिचारा?

स्वत:ला खायला स्वत:च शोधत फिरणारा
हा असा कसा भुकेला कस्तुरी-मृग ?
--
मिलिंद

Our India - Our Choice!

In India, it takes no longer than sipping down a cup of Tea on a fine afternoon, to hear something like:
"अरे कुछ नहीं हो सकता, शर्माजी! हमारा सिस्टम ही बर्बाद है।"
This is a short account of my thoughts on this experience. I am sure all of you must have heard this very often.

A team is more than a collection of people. Having all 11 Tendulkars in Indian cricket team does not make it the Champion team. There is something more to it, a dynamic factor, that is subtle, yet very important. It is the interpersonal interaction, the bonds. It decides how strong the team is.

It is true that India has had its share of smart people who had a great vision, opportunities and keen abilities and who made their dreams come true. Although it is not just the presence of such individuals (the 'Avatars' of our own mythology) that make great nations. In my opinion, robust societies make a nation thrive even through its most troubled times. Great societies make nations great.

Coming to think of the fundamental unit of such a society, it is often thought and passed on, that it is the individuals and the families! I differ!! In my opinion a more relevant part of society starts outside the family, and extends further to make the People of a country. The unit of society (that matters), then, is the inter-personal interaction. This is a more subtle and a dynamic unit.

When we keep hearing about the screwed up system from our friends, colleagues, office-clerks, street hawkers and what not, we are actually participating in this unit of the society. Such trillions of everyday interactions, then, get a form, often called the common mind, or the undercurrent of a society.

In our everyday interactions with people, when we say and hear only about so much negativity, the never-ending corruption and exploitation in our system, and not about our strengths, we are helping it propagate as a common understanding of the present in the society, or the society's mind. How so subtle and ineffective such an interaction may look like, it does build the system from within. We are ruining the system ourselves by always sharing only the negative thoughts ! I blame not the politicians, they are doing perfectly fine, accumulating and using the undercurrent of the society, as that is what they are there for! It is not them politicians who are ruining it! It's us! We are and we make the system !

Can we decide to always share some good things, strengths and uniqueness of our Indian society? If we start doing it, we will soon start to discover such strengths no-one ever observed. This should work similar to how positive thinking works for an individual. This, is thinking positive for India!

So can we change? Do we still think that our sharing positive thoughts with each others is not going to help build a stronger India ?

It is really our choice!


--
Milind

तक़रार

सूखा दिल, भरी-सी आँखे, मंजिल नज़र आए क्यूँ?
और सूख गयी आँखे जब, तो जिंदगी रुलाए क्यूँ ?

पूछते हो की तेरी कोई चाहनेवाली क्यूँ नहीं
अँधा हुआ हूँ चाहत में, चहेती नज़र आए क्यूँ?

सपने ऐसे देखे हीं क्यूँ, जों सुबह हुए- भूल गये
और रात भर जों जगाए, सपनें उन्हें बुलाएं क्यूँ ?

कहते हो की दर्द भी नहीं है सीने में, ना पाने का

नशा-ए-दर्द ही बने दवा, तो दर्द नज़र आए क्यूँ?

थी एक धड़कन दिल की, थम सी गयी, खो बैठा,
जलाकर आग मिट भी गयी, बुझाने आंसूं बहाए क्यूँ?

--
मिलिंद
(मंदार और गायत्री के मार्गदर्शन के लिए उन्हें धन्यवाद!)

वेड

एक वेडा त्याचं वेड असं की
तो सारखं 'कबड्डी कबड्डी' म्हणायचा !
अजून एक वेडा त्याचं वेड असं की,
तो सारखं स्वत:शीच बोलायचा !

तसेच होते दोन वेडे,
एक तो नि एक ती,
त्यांचं वेड असं की,
सारखे एकमेकांशी बोलायचे!
आणि गम्मत म्हणजे,
एकाच वेळी वेड लागलं होतं म्हणे त्यांना!

--
मिलिंद

ओवी ला त्रास

कुणीसं म्हटलंय (मीच म्हटलंय),
'भावनांच्या सूक्ष्म छिद्रातून' शब्द ओवले की ओवी तयार होते!
दुष्काळात गोवल्या गेलेल्या काही ओव्या अश्या :

-
कड्यावर कोणी
किडे करू जात
कड्या कपारीत
कोसळला.

--
खरी खरी खीर
खोटी खसखस
खाई दोन्ही घास
खारुताई.

---
गगन गंभीर
गर्जत गाजत
गारांना गाडत
नव्या गारा.

----
घोरत्या घशात
घुसले घुबड
घुबडही गोड
घोरु लागे.

-----
चिमणा चिमणी
निघाले चराया
छोट्या चिऊला या
भीती वाटे.

------
छे !

:मिलिंद
♫

'पाऊस'

तरुण तृणार्द्र,
तमोघन तृप्त,
तरीही तृषार्त
मन तुझे.

--
मिलिंद

माझे नावडते शिक्षक

न आवडणाऱ्या शिक्षकांसाठी खास.. (कवी अनिलांची क्षमा मागून),


कुणी जाल का सांगाल का
सुचवाल का त्या शिक्षकां
काहीतरी सांगू नको,
भरवू नको नुसता फळा!

तव शास्त्र-बाता झेलुनी
आधीच पोरे गांजली
बघ अंत खडुचा पाहता
तज्जन्म झिजुनी संपला..

अमुचा हि त्रास न वेगळा ..
खडुशी जमे समवेदना
म्हणुनी च का रे सांगना
म्हणती 'खडूस' मुले तुला?

फुलती वनी झेंडू फुले
बाकांवारी तितुक्या 'फुल्या'
रचितो अता नामावली
'कुसहस्रनाम' जपायला !

--
मिलिंद