What's in a name ?

Ankur Khare, Bangalore

“What's in a name...” Wrote Shakespeare and wrote his name below it.

Names are a unique thing and you just seem to relate to a person by that name. Sometimes you even make a character sketch based on the name. At least I do and presume that others also do though the sketch may differ based on their personal experiences.

But names have been so confusing that it's about time I stop making a character sketch (CS) using a name. One of the names I used for my first CS was Ram. I had seen Ramayana like everyone else in my age group those days on television. That helped me make an image of the name. I always thought of people with name Ram as the one with characteristics of Lord Ram. Till one day one of the friends named Ram hit me with a missile stone and all my perceptions changed. I couldn't imagine myself being Ravana and the missle being a Brahmastra.

The moment you hear someone's name as Amitabh you imagine him to be a tall personality with a thundering voice and yet a polite person, until you meet Amitabh Singh of Chhatarpur who is 5 ft and has a feeble voice ala Sachin Tendulkar. That brings me to another CS. Sachin...A great cricketer. At least the person with this name should have something to do with cricket. But no, Sachin Gupta dint even know there are 6 balls in an over. The funnier part is I had made a CS of my name as well, till I met my namesake (nemesis) who spoilt my belief about the name Ankur.

The most ample opportunities I had for making a character sketch was for the name Rajneesh. Well I had a classmate, three college mates, and one office friend by this name. Not that I am telling anything new here but all of them were completely different from each other .Yet I have a CS even for this name. Next time I meet a sixth Rajneesh I will be ready with an image in my mind for that person as well. And I can tell you that image will do anything but resemble Acharya Rajneesh Osho. That's how our system works. Again I take the privilege of being a writer and making pretty much generalized statements and using the word ‘our’ systems.

I have this friend named Ashraf on whose blog I write all this crap. I presume those reading this would have an image or CS of him. So whenever I see any terrorist in the news with a name as Ashraful or Ashraf, I start looking for a researcher-cum-poet and a great friend in his eyes. Though I also sometimes wonder how many people search a terrorist in ‘our’ Ashraf's eyes. Ask the American embassy who rejected his visa. I, therefore, always tell him “Tera to Sirf Naam hi Kaafi Hai...”

My poetic inspiration

Never, ever I saw such a splendor
That has lead me to the way of renunciation
A denial of any magic that is greater
Than the one I experienced

Never, ever I heard such a thunder
That has lead me to the way of silence
A denial of any musical that is more captivating
Than the heavenly orchestra

Never, ever I felt such an ecstasy
That has lead me to total numbness
A denial of any sensation that is classified
In terms of joy and sorrow

Never, ever I tasted such ambrosia
That has lead me to total replete
A denial of any assortment of flavor
That is superior to heavenly nectar

Never, ever I fell for a beauty
That has lead me to write these verses
A denial of any existence of rhyme
That surpasses praises of her glory

The defining moment

There is no easier way to make fun of yourself than to post something foolish in your blog. That is what I am going to do by posting this piece which I wrote couple of years back, and which happened even earlier.

The memory of this particular event is still fresh in my mind. The year was 1993. I was in seventh standard.

Back then I was this happy-go-lucky lad who would delay anything (including studies for exams) to the last minute. Although I wouldn’t claim I have changed my attitude much, but times were different then. I, usually, used to study only the last day for any exams. I know it’s not the kind of secret you would want to share with people at this stage of your life. People normally do this when they become successful, which by any standard I am not.

Anyway, I was under the impression that the physics exam was on the day next to the actual day (I realized that later), so I didn’t study anything, having a strong confidence in my night-out-before-examination strategy. I only knew the things that had been taught in the classroom, as I was a good listener even then...Just kidding.

On the examination morning, a certain twist of fate happened (that has forced me to believe in destiny sometime) and I saw some students going to the school (it helped to live near the school). It was enough to put me in doubt. I rechecked my time table and realized the blunder I have made in exam dates. I got frightened thinking I will definitely get failed. Only those who have experienced something similar can understand how I must have felt. However, I recollected myself, told about this to my parents ...they had a lot of faith in me that’s why they never checked my exam schedule…that was end of it... and studied whatever I could in those 30 min. or so, and gave the exam.

My father on his own level tried to persuade my physics teacher through his friend (who was friends to my physics teacher), knowing very well that it is very important for me to pass this exam if he wants to keep my morale high. He also knew that I wasn’t a bad student, but a little careless. I didn’t know what happened behind the curtains, but I managed to clear that exam (on my own as told by my physics teacher later) albeit with minimum passing marks.

But, I was very happy and relieved, and thanked that hidden power who got me up early in the morning and forced to go to my house’s rooftop and stare at the road going towards my school, and made me see students (in uniform) to put me in doubt about the exam date. The probability of this sequence of actions happening in my life is zero. Mathematically, I should have missed my physics exam.

In retrospect when I think about this incident I feel foolish, but also a tad bit of proud, having cleared “the physics exam” with only 30 min. of study. That was then. Later, when I really got to know studies, physics became fun.

Whenever I think about this incident, I get a feeling that this may well be the defining moment of my life. If I would have flunked that exam, I wouldn't be doing any research.

Alas! That didn't happen.

The way

Prosperity o prosperity
Do not mock at my luck
I have always made a choice
In favor of my wandering spirit

It may have steered me to an existence
Full of unbridled anomalies
But I live with the vigor of a habitant
Who is supremely content

I do not trust prominence
An outcome of social existence
A reality based on strange collective tendencies
An eventuality which is non existent in higher dimension
Although it tends to show its face by its cruel deeds

So, I decided, not to make an alliance
With the deceitful enemy- the destiny
But only on one condition, which I know, is impossible
If it wants to accompany me
I need the entire life’s declaration

I know that time will change,
Not that I want it to
Circle of life will run through day and night
But I will be the way I should be
And you should be the way you want to be

An ode to father

One relationship that is
Devoid of much attention
Is a complex relationship
Between father and son

Half of our creator
As we know is our father
But he doesn’t get the same glory
As his counterpart-the mother

Mother can exhibit openly
Their affection and love
But father has to maintain
His image of being tough

His love in no way
Is lesser or conditional
It’s just that his stature
Is conceived a bit traditional

He provides a safety net
For us to breed and prosper
He is the first one to understand
When our ideas are good or improper

He endows us with the whole river
When it’s just a glass of water we need
He is the first one to say an indifferent no
When it’s one of those life’s lesson he wants to teach

He may always lose
The ranking game with his complement
But let’s agree on one thing
He is best of all the elements

A letter to my readers and co-bloggers

Dear readers and co-bloggers

It gives me great joy to inform you all that my blogging experience in the last month (which is also the first month of my active blogging) has been tremendously eventful. Although the number of comments were not record breaking, yet the number of visits were far more than expected. The blog has 1119 pagevists from 372 visitors (including 79 unique visits) from 37 cities across the five continents.

I hope that you guys will keep on visiting my blog, and would like to request for more participation and support in comment posting.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you.

Yours truly
Ashraf

Kangaroo NOT on the table

My last post on kangaroos had me in trouble for showing kangaroos in bad taste (literally). The idea is to amend that mistake for good by posting this picture and avoiding any troble from PETA or Menaka Gandhi...Hoping that this picture is worth thousand words.

Note: The kangaroo in the last picture has strong reservation about being seen with me. I had no choice but to remove it.

Microlen part II - Classification

Microlens, as discussed in my post “Microlens part I” is one of the most important elements in the field of microoptics. Based on the refraction or diffraction phenomena at the optical interface, it can be classified as refractive microlens or diffractive microlens. In refractive microlens, the light is manipulated by analog phase element of considerable thickness in relation with the optical wavelength. In diffractive microlens light is diffracted at the periodic microstructure of the element.

Fabrication techniques for diffractive microlens have a good control over process parameters, and produce microlenses with good reproducibility and uniformity, which is a difficult task in refractive microlens production. However, from a system point of view, refractive microlens offers several advantages such as: reduced wavelength sensitivity as compared to diffractive microlens (a necessity for broadband applications), possibility of realizing large numerical aperture, and high light efficiency.

Now there is another kind of microlens which is called Graded Index microlens, and is basically a different type of refractive microlens. Rather than being refracted at the surface profile, in GRIN lenses, the light is deflected by a refractive index gradient within the surface. This in general leads to superior aberration characteristics of GRIN microlenses than that of conventional refractive microlenses. However, the major drawback with these kinds of lenses lies in the difficulty in fabrication. The precise formation of pre-specified graded index profile requires a very complex technology. Based on the terminology of GRIN lenses, we can define refractive microlens with a varying surface profile as Graded Thickness Microlenses. The idea seems appropriate since grading of thickness is the most prominent feature here, and the reason for the functionality of these lenses. It also helps to draws an analogy with GRIN lenses.

Both the diffractive microlenses and the graded index microlens have particular benefits, and can be used for certain type of application. However, as a best compromise between simple manufacturing techniques, high speed, low cost and good quality of microlenses produced, gives graded thickness microlens an edge over other kind of microlenses.

Mourned celebrations

Your glimpse is like an ephemeral
Gesture of indifferent weather
It surrounds, it caresses and then
Flees like a frothy feather

But I can feel your sweet fragrance
In time and space everywhere
My heart recites your thoughts
With an innocence of a child’s prayer

My beloved do not blame my faithfulness
When your are surrounded by cruel desolation
I have mourned your absence
Even in my overwhelming celebrations

I know that you are my only messiah,
And I am your supreme creation
I worship you knowing that someday
You will come for my absolute demolition

First among equals

Found this interesting picture on the net. Looks like all the great scientists were born within a span of 30 to 40 years. I guess the title for first among equals should go to Einstein. But, who according you is the second most favourite scientist among these equals ?

Your thoughts

I was alone and thinking clear
Then I thought about my lovely dear
Having your thoughts brought me joy
But, my thinking process was no more clear

I thought that I was your subject of affection
If you didn’t think then may be I wasn’t
It’s just the wishful thinking that I always do
Or it’s the truth you never tell, or you wouldn’t

Thinking aloud I screamed for illumination
I even thought your thoughts in absolute silence
I imagined you with all my senses
I lost my senses in your absence

Reaching this state I demand the truth
Challenge me with the battle I fought never
I lost everything for my ultimate alliance
So I decided to win you, or lose your thought forever

Who am I?

I enjoy my pain
I cry my laughter
I die my birth
I live my slaughter

I plan my entry
I decide my departure
I am the one who lived in me
I am the one who abandoned it after

I am my own critic
I am my own opinion
I am my own journey
I am my own destination

I am my reassurance
I am my apprehension
I exist with the one
Who is beyond comprehension

Guess the caption I

Whosoever identifies this picture and gives the best caption will win a dinner for one in River Walk Tandoor-Clark Quay, Singapore. Competition is open to all, and the winner can claim his/her price from me @ MMC-MAE, NTU.

Answer will only be accepted in the form of comments in my blog. I will be the only deciding factor for the competition. Based on the responses I will post more of my (work) pictures to further the game, and prizes.

Dinner can be claimed not more than 1 week later after the winner is announced, unless I agree to do so. Any doubts, discrepancy, controversy over the choice of winner will not be entertained, unless I agree to do so.

Microlens part I - Introduction

Warning: It's a technical post

In my article, “what are POEMS, technically?” I discussed about the different emerging fields (some of them are already commercially viable) based on the miniaturization of the various mechanical, electronic and optical component, along with the changes in approach in terms of processes, techniques and materials. Albeit superficially we mange to get some idea about the vast (but very small) fields of MEMS, MOEMS and POEMS.

Today I will try to enlighten you about microlens, which can be considered as one of the most important components in the field of microoptics.

Starting with the definition: Simply speaking microlens is a lens whose geometrical size or aperture is less than 1 mm. So, most of the time when we say microlens, we mean lens which is small...smaller than the conventional lens. That’s that for the time being. I will introduce complexities in the definition later.

Having understood about the basic defining criteria for a lens to be known as microlens, let me throw some light on how it all started. I mean the background: Conventional lenses have been an area of interest for long. Even in the mid of 17th century, geniuses like Robert Hooke had already produced their own lenses. However, it was not until the arrival of fiber optics that brought with itself the trend of miniaturization for optical components. The important fabrication techniques, nevertheless, were still based on classical way of grinding and polishing. More recently (1970s), the development of IC fabrication techniques and its adaptation in the field of optics, has helped the idea of miniaturization to be realised, which in turn helped to generate optical components in the micrometer range.

The synergy of fiber optics with IC fabrication techniques, along with their potential applications, produced the basic thrust that lead to idea of producing smaller dimension optical components, (microlens being most important of them).

Which team are you with ?

Written by Ankur Khare, Bangalore

Sachin, Shahrukh, Lee, Akhtar, Symonds, Bhajji, Mallya, Ambani, Warne, Murli, Gilly, Veeru, Jaysurya all at one place. Fireworks are a must. Well not neccesarily. On the forefront it does seem it's the quality of players, teams and power of BCCI that made IPL a big success unlike ICL.

But if you go a little deep, you got to get impressed by the way IPL tournament was promoted and packaged. Was difficult to get this league thing accepted in India, after all which team a common man will support? He likes Sachin, but he likes Sehwag too, he likes Yuvraj but also Dhoni. The Biggest challenge!!! Get this format accepted. But How...how to sell it ??

But then came the ads and promos.

Bollywood !!! It does sell cricket. A specially designed catchy promo was the "Kab aayega ranjan aur manu ka baap?" It was a typical ad that promoted the tried and tested bollywood masala, twins, father missing, mother taunted and teased by society…and finally coming the "Aaa gaya manu-ranjan(implying manoranjan) ka baap…DLF IPL CUP".

It was not that cute little ad that everyone watches and forgets even the name of the product...it did give the desired effect, created the curiosity with words...'kab aayega …kab aayega...ranjan aur manu ka baap' and then flats it out with a very comic ending. People criticized that advertisement a lot but the important thing is they discussed and that was the idea. To make it a topic for tea time discussion.

After all which team will he support and on what basis, what logic. No country, no state, nothing to identify with. Then again came the ads for the rescue.

The dentist asking the patient "which team are u with " and poor patient not knowing the team of dentist replies innocently Delhi Daredevils and then in a low voice doctor reveals that he supports Kolkata Riders. Nurse suggesting doctor to get one tooth removed of the patient. "Ek kyon paanch daant nikaliye...kaafi daring aaadmi hai...daredevils"...was the punch line. Then came a series of promos which created a curiosity and a support for different teams and in turn the tournament.

Some lady blaming a guy of teasing just because he was a Mumbai Indian supporter and she a Bangalore Royal Challenger supporter, another place a boy not giving a place to an aged fellow just because boy is a Chennai Super King's supporter and the aged guy is wearing a band of Deccan Charger.

"Which team are you with...?" was the buzz word....who are you supporting...No logic was required. These ads were conveying the idea, forget the logic, pick any team with emotions and support with passion.

90 % of the reason why I am watching IPL is these ads only and rest is obviously cricket. But saying that ads alone made the tournament a big success is too big a statement to be made in a society that is not used to be called easily influenced specially by cheap ads and therefore I will leave it at that.

Till the society starts accepting facts, keep enjoying the front foot of daredevils and dhol of Punjabi kings XI. And yes don't forget asking "Which team are you with...?"

A musical love story

Beauty by birth,
Sleekness by choice
She is a companion in deed
Who I always prize

She is intelligent a lot,
She is stubborn a tad
But she sings for me,
When I am in mood bad

She makes me speed high
With me on my motor bike
She companies me on my trips
As well on mountain hikes

She hums like a connoisseur,
On music of her like
But behaves cutely ignorant,
When the playlist is otherwise

Of all the musical gadgets
She will be my soprano
And I declare that my love
Is most for ipod nano
(And you thought otherwise)

To have her as a companion
Is an honour, love and fun
To lose her over something,
Would be a damage never undone
(Actually damage would be SGD 200)

A million dollars or knighthood

Recently a friend of mine asked me a question, what would you choose between a million dollars or knighthood and why? He needed to answer the question for his application in one of the business school. His motives were altogether different from mine; however, the question got me thinking. This is what I came up with for an answer:

To be very honest my answer to this question has changed a couple of time since I first read the question. In retrospect when I analyze my thoughts I find that my answer has gone through four distinct stages to reach the final conclusion.

The first thought that crossed my mind after reading the question was, “Can’t I have both a million dollars and knighthood!”. I think that’s a typical self-indulgent answer, though if you look at it deeply, it has some traces of honesty to it. However, I cannot go with it since it would be silly to break the rule of choosing just one option. Isn’t it?

Having rejected my first answer, I started making choices as I always do. In this mode “a choice between a million dollars and the knighthood” was no different from other popular choices like Coke or Pepsi, physics or mathematics, Godfather the book or Godfather the movie. I chose a million dollar, and why? Probably, I like being rich more than being famous, or it’s just the first option I always go for, which is quite evident from my liking for Coke, physics and Godfather the book. Even so, I cannot go with this answer as it is completely based on my whim.

In search for more concrete logic, I did some research comparing numbers of millionaires and people with knighthood in the last decade, and found knighhood to be a rarer breed. While this is true, people with knighthood are already millionaires in almost all of the cases. This leaves me with only one logical choice of opting for knighthood.

Having decided on knighthood gave me a temporary satisfaction of supporting my choice with some solid research and logic. But, soon enough I realized that I still need to go with my first instinct, however, this time the prize (both million dollars and knighhood, or anything for that matter) has to be acquired with hard work and intelligent thinking. I know the answer is still self-indulgent (a bit boring also), but no more silly. Probably, the answer is based on my long time belief that it’s the journey that matters and not the destination.