Wednesday, September 28, 2011

രസതന്ത്രം-നമ്മുടെ ജീവിതം നമ്മുടെ ഭാവി -Mathrubhumi dated 28 Sept


Posted on: 28 Sep 2011
ഡോ. ടി.ഡി. രാധാകൃഷ്ണന്‍നായര്‍


ആഗോള വ്യാപകമായി ഈ വര്‍ഷം (2011) അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര രസതന്ത്രവര്‍ഷമായി ആഘോഷപൂര്‍വം ആചരിക്കുകയാണ്. മാനവരാശിയുടെ നന്മയ്ക്കായി രസതന്ത്രത്തിലൂടെ ലഭ്യമായ സംഭാവനകളെ അനുസ്മരിക്കുന്ന ഈ വര്‍ഷാചരണവേളയില്‍ ലോകക്ഷേമത്തിനായി രസതന്ത്രത്തിലൂടെ ഇനിയും എന്തെല്ലാം ചെയ്യാന്‍ പറ്റുംഎന്ന് ചര്‍ച്ചചെയ്യപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഈ വര്‍ഷാചരണത്തിന്റെ ഔദ്യോഗിക മുദ്രാവാക്യം തന്നെ 'രസതന്ത്രം-നമ്മുടെ ജീവിതം, നമ്മുടെ ഭാവി' (Chemistry-our life, our future) എന്നാണ്.

ചരാചരങ്ങളിലെ വസ്തു (Matter) ക്കളില്‍ സംഭവിക്കുന്ന മാറ്റങ്ങളെ അവയുടെ തന്മാത്രകളുടെ ഘടനാ സവിശേഷതകളുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെടുത്തിയാണ് രസതന്ത്ര ശാസ്ത്രപഠനവും ഗവേഷണവും നടക്കുന്നത്. ആ രീതിയില്‍ ഇക്കാണുന്ന പ്രപഞ്ചത്തെയും അന്തരീക്ഷത്തെയും മനസ്സിലാക്കാന്‍ രസതന്ത്രം ഏറെ പ്രയോജനപ്പെടുന്നു. തന്മാത്രാ പരിണാമങ്ങളിലൂടെ വസ്തുക്കളുടെ മാറ്റംവഴി ഭക്ഷണസാധനങ്ങള്‍, ഔഷധങ്ങള്‍, കീടനാശിനികള്‍, ബഹുതന്മാത്രകള്‍, ലോഹവസ്തുക്കള്‍, നിര്‍മാണ സാമഗ്രികള്‍, രാസത്വരകങ്ങള്‍, നാനോ മെറ്റീരിയലുകള്‍ തുടങ്ങി നാനാവിധ പദാര്‍ഥങ്ങളുടെ സൃഷ്ടി രസതന്ത്രത്തിന്റെ പരിധിയില്‍ വരുന്നു. അതുപോലെത്തന്നെ പരിസ്ഥിതി സംരക്ഷണം, മാലിന്യ നിര്‍മാര്‍ജനം, ജലശുദ്ധീകരണം, ടെക്‌നോളജി വികസനം എന്നുവേണ്ട രസതന്ത്രസ്പര്‍ശനമേല്‍ക്കാത്തതായി ഈ പ്രപഞ്ചത്തില്‍ ഒന്നുംതന്നെ അവശേഷിക്കുന്നില്ല. സുന്ദര വര്‍ണവസ്തുക്കളും സുരഭില സുഗന്ധദ്രവ്യങ്ങളും ഇതില്‍പ്പെടുന്നു.

ശാസ്ത്രവിഷയങ്ങളില്‍ രസതന്ത്രത്തിനുള്ള സ്ഥാനം അദ്വിതീയമാണ്. സൃഷ്ടി, സ്ഥിതി, സംഹാരങ്ങളുടെ നിര്‍വഹണ നിയന്ത്രണം രസതന്ത്രനിയമങ്ങളനുസരിച്ച് സംഭവിക്കുന്നു. 'രസ'വും, 'രാസ'വും 'പ്രപഞ്ച'വുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നതിനാല്‍ 'പ്രപഞ്ചലീല' തന്നെയാണ്‌രസതന്ത്ര പ്രക്രിയകളിലൂടെ ആവിഷ്‌കരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത്. വസ്തുക്കളുടെ നിര്‍മാണവും നശീകരണവും രാസപ്രക്രിയകളിലൂടെ നടക്കുന്നു എന്നോര്‍ക്കുക. അതെങ്ങനെ സംഭവിക്കുന്നു എന്ന് കൂടുതല്‍ ആരാഞ്ഞാല്‍ മറുപടി ലളിതമാണ്. സൃഷ്ടിനടക്കുമ്പോള്‍ പരമാണു 'ബന്ധന'ങ്ങള്‍ (bonds) വഴി വസ്തുക്കളുടെ തന്മാത്രകള്‍ രൂപപ്പെടുന്നു. സംഹാര പ്രക്രിയയില്‍ വസ്തുവിലുള്ള തന്മാത്രകളിലെ 'ബന്ധന'ങ്ങള്‍ ഭാഗികമായോ മുഴുവനായോ വിച്ഛേദിക്കപ്പെടുകയോ ജ്യാമിതീയ മാറ്റത്തിന് വിധേയമാക്കപ്പെടുകയോ ചെയ്യുന്നു അത്രമാത്രം. വസ്തുത ഇത്ര ലളിതമാണെങ്കിലും തന്മാത്രാ രൂപവത്കരണവും അവയുടെ വിശ്ലേഷണവും മിക്കവാറും സന്ദര്‍ഭങ്ങളില്‍ സങ്കീര്‍ണങ്ങളായ പല പല പടികള്‍ കടന്നായിരിക്കും നടക്കുന്നത്. വളരെ ചുരുക്കം ചില രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങളിലേ ലഘുവായ രീതിയില്‍ പരമാണു ബന്ധനങ്ങളും ബന്ധനമോചനവും നടക്കുന്നുള്ളൂ. തന്മാത്രയിലെ ഈപരമാണു ബന്ധനങ്ങള്‍ പരമാണുക്കളുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട ഇലക്‌ട്രോണുകളുടെ സാന്നിധ്യത്തിലോ ഭാഗികമായ അഭാവത്തിലോ ആണ് നടക്കുന്നത്.

ഒരേ വസ്തുവിന്റെ പരമാണുക്കള്‍ വിവിധങ്ങളായ ബന്ധനങ്ങളാല്‍ തന്മാത്രാ രൂപവത്കരണമോ വസ്തുനിര്‍മാണമോ നടത്തിയാല്‍ ലഭിക്കുന്ന വസ്തുക്കള്‍ വിവിധ സ്വഭാവ ഗുണങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയവ ആയിരിക്കും. അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ അവയുടെ ഉപയോഗക്ഷമതയും വ്യത്യസ്തമായിരിക്കും. കരിക്കട്ടയും വജ്രവും ഗ്രാഫൈറ്റും കാര്‍ബണ്‍ നാനോ ട്യൂബും എല്ലാം കരിയുടെ (Carbon) പരമാണുക്കളാല്‍ മാത്രം നിര്‍മിതമാണ്. എന്നാല്‍, അവയുടെ രൂപം, ഗുണം, നിറം, ഉപയോഗക്ഷമത എല്ലാം വിഭിന്നങ്ങളാണ്. വജ്രത്തിന്റെ വെട്ടിത്തിളക്കവും കാഠിന്യവും കരിക്കട്ടയ്ക്കില്ല. വ്യാവസായിക ഇലക്‌ട്രോഡായും ഘര്‍ഷണ ലഘൂകരണത്തിനും ഗ്രാഫൈറ്റ് ഉപയോഗിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ അത്യന്താധുനിക ടെക്‌നോളജിയുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട മൈക്രോ ഇലക്‌ട്രോണിക്‌സിലും ചാലക ബഹുതന്മാത്രാനിര്‍മാണത്തിനും നാനോ കാര്‍ബണ്‍ ഉപയോഗപ്പെടുന്നു. വസ്തു (Matter) മെറ്റീരിയല്‍ (Material) ആകുമ്പോള്‍ സൃഷ്ടിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ഘടനാസവിശേഷതകളാണ് അവയെ ടെക്‌നോളജി രംഗത്ത് ഉപയോഗക്ഷമമാക്കുന്നത്. അതുപോലെത്തന്നെ 'തന്മാത്രായന്ത്ര'ങ്ങളും പൂര്‍വസ്ഥിതി 'ഓര്‍മ'യുള്ള ലോഹവസ്തുക്കളും മര്‍ദനമേറ്റാല്‍ വൈദ്യുതി പുറപ്പെടുവിക്കുന്ന വസ്തുക്കളും വൈദ്യുതി കടത്തിവിടുന്ന കാര്‍ബണിക ബഹുതന്മാത്രകളും എല്ലാം ഈ വിഭാഗത്തില്‍പ്പെടുന്നവയാണ്. 'മെറ്റീരിയല്‍' കെമിസ്ട്രി കൂടുതല്‍ വികസിതമായിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങളില്‍ ഉത്പന്നങ്ങള്‍ ലഭിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ പലപ്പോഴും 'താപോര്‍ജം' ഒരു ഉപഉത്പന്നമായി ലഭിക്കാറുണ്ട്. അടുക്കളയില്‍ പാചക വാതകവും മണ്ണെണ്ണയും മറ്റും കത്തിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ 'കാര്‍ബണ്‍ ഡയോകൈ്‌സഡ്', 'കാര്‍ബണ്‍ മോണോകൈ്‌സഡ്', ജലം തുടങ്ങിയവയ്ക്കു പുറമെ ഊര്‍ജവും താപരൂപത്തില്‍ ലഭിക്കുന്നു. എന്നാല്‍, സൂര്യനില്‍ നിന്നും ലഭിക്കുന്ന താപം ഇത്തരം ജ്വലനത്തില്‍ കൂടിയല്ല ഉണ്ടാകുന്നത്. അവിടെ ഹൈഡ്രജന്‍ തന്മാത്രകള്‍ ഉരു(എൗശെീി)കിച്ചേരുമ്പോള്‍ ഉണ്ടാകുന്ന പിണ്ഡനഷ്ടത്തിലൂടെ അതിഭീമമായി ഊര്‍ജം ഉത്പാദിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുകയാണ്. പരമാണു കേന്ദ്രവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട ഈ ഊര്‍ജ ഉത്പാദനത്തെപ്പറ്റി ന്യൂക്ലിയര്‍ രസതന്ത്രത്തില്‍ പ്രതിപാദിക്കുന്നു. ഊര്‍ജം ഉത്പാദിപ്പിക്കുന്ന രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനമാണെങ്കിലും അല്ലെങ്കിലും പ്രതിപ്രവര്‍ത്തനം പൂര്‍ണമാകാന്‍ അഭികാരക(ൃലമരമേി)േതന്മാത്രകള്‍ക്ക് പ്രതിപ്രവര്‍ത്തനത്തിന്റെ പാതയില്‍ ഒരു ഊര്‍ജപ്രതിരോധത്തെ മറികടക്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. അതിനുവേണ്ടി ഊര്‍ജാഗിരണം നടത്താനുള്ള സാഹചര്യം ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കണം. ഈ ഊര്‍ജപ്രതിരോധത്തെ (ലിലൃഴ്യ യമൃൃശലൃ)അതിലംഘിക്കാനുള്ള ഏറ്റവും കുറഞ്ഞ 'ഉത്തേജക ഊര്‍ജം (activation energy) വിവിധതരം രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് വിവിധങ്ങളാണ്. അതിന്റെ അളവ് കുറവാണെങ്കില്‍ പ്രതിപ്രവര്‍ത്തനം താഴ്ന്ന ഊഷ്മാവിലും വേഗത്തില്‍ നടക്കും. അളവ് കൂടുന്നതനുസരിച്ച് പ്രതിപ്രവര്‍ത്തനത്തിന്റെ വേഗവും കുറയും. അപ്പോള്‍ കൂടുതല്‍ ഉയര്‍ന്ന താപനിലയിലേ പ്രതിപ്രവര്‍ത്തനം ആവശ്യമുള്ള വേഗത്തില്‍ നടക്കുകയുള്ളൂ. രാസത്വരകങ്ങള്‍ (catalysts) ഉപയോഗിച്ച് ഈ ഉത്തേജക ഊര്‍ജത്തെ ലഘൂകരിക്കാന്‍ പറ്റും. 'രാസപരിണാമ പുരോഗതി'യില്‍ (reaction co-ordinate) ആര്‍ജിക്കേണ്ട ഉത്തേജകഊര്‍ജം പൂജ്യമായിരുന്നെങ്കിലത്തെ അവസ്ഥ വിചിത്രമായിരുന്നേനെ. ഈ പ്രപഞ്ചവും മനോഹരമായ ഈ ഭൂവിഭാഗവും ഇന്നിവിടെ കാണുന്നതുപോലെ ആകുമായിരുന്നില്ല. സൃഷ്ടിയും സംഹാരവുമായി രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങള്‍ തലങ്ങും വിലങ്ങും നടന്നുകൊണ്ടേ ഇരുന്നേനെ. സന്തുലിതാവസ്ഥ എന്നൊന്ന് ഉണ്ടാകുമായിരുന്നില്ല. പ്രകൃതി ശക്തിയുടെ സങ്കല്പസവിശേഷത അപാരം എന്നേ പറയേണ്ടൂ!

രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങളില്‍ താപോര്‍ജം ലഭിച്ചത് തന്മാത്രാ ബന്ധനങ്ങളുടെ വിച്ഛേദനങ്ങളിലൂടെയാണ്. തന്മാത്രകളിലെ പരമാണു ബന്ധനങ്ങളില്‍ സംഭരിച്ചിരുന്ന ഊര്‍ജം ബന്ധനമറ്റപ്പോള്‍ താപോര്‍ജമായി പുറത്തേക്കുവന്നു. പെട്രോള്‍ ഗ്യാസിലെയും മണ്ണെണ്ണയിലെയും കാര്‍ബണ്‍-കാര്‍ബണ്‍ പരമാണു ബന്ധനങ്ങളും കാര്‍ബണ്‍-ഹൈട്രജന്‍ പരമാണു ബന്ധനങ്ങളും കത്തല്‍ മൂലം വിച്ഛേദിക്കപ്പെടുകയും അവയില്‍ സംഭരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്ന ഊര്‍ജം താപമായി പുറേത്തക്കുവരികയുമാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്. വസ്തുവിന്റെ (matter) രാസമാറ്റത്തില്‍ ഊര്‍ജ(energy)ത്തിന്റെ ശക്തമായ ഇടപെടലാണ് നാം ഈ സന്ദര്‍ഭങ്ങളില്‍ കാണുന്നത്.

രാസ പ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങള്‍ ചലനാത്മകങ്ങളാണ്. അവ ഊര്‍ജവുമായി (enrgy) അഭേദ്യമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ കാലഗതിയുമായും സുദൃഢബന്ധം പുലര്‍ത്തുന്നു. ചലനമില്ലെങ്കില്‍ കാലത്തിനെന്തുപ്രസക്തി? ചലനാത്മകമായ രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങളുടെ കാലം അഥവാ സമയം അതിസൂക്ഷ്മം നിരീക്ഷിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. സമയത്തില്‍ നിയന്ത്രിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനത്തിന്റെ വേഗനിര്‍ണയവും പ്രവേഗ നിര്‍ണയവും പടിപടിയായി പുരോഗമിക്കുന്ന അതിന്റെ രൂപരേഖ (mechanism) വരച്ചു കാട്ടാന്‍ വളരെ ആവശ്യമാണ്.

രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനം നടക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ഉത്പന്നങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ടാകുന്നതിനുതൊട്ടുമുമ്പ് അഭികാരക തന്മാത്രകളിലെ ഊര്‍ജം അവയുടെ സ്വതന്ത്ര ചലന വ്യവസ്ഥകളില്‍ (degree of freedom of movement)പുനര്‍ വിതരണത്തിനു വിധേയമാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അപ്പോള്‍ ഊഹിക്കാന്‍ പോലും പറ്റാത്തത്ര ഞെട്ടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന വേഗത്തില്‍ പരമാണുക്കളും ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട ഇലക്‌ട്രോണുകളും സ്ഥാനചലനങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് വിധേയമാകുകയും പഴയ ബന്ധനങ്ങള്‍ വിച്ഛേദിക്കപ്പെടാനും പുതിയവ രൂപപ്പെടാനും തുടങ്ങുന്നു. ഈ സാഹചര്യം സത്യാന്വേഷിക്ക് പിടികൊടുക്കാത്ത മായയായി (elusive)നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന ഒരു 'സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥ'(transition state)യെ സംജാതമാക്കുന്നു. അഭികാരകങ്ങളുമായി സദാസമയവും ചലനാത്മക സന്തുലിതാവസ്ഥ പാലിക്കുന്ന ഈ സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥയില്‍ നിന്ന് ഉത്പന്നങ്ങള്‍ നിശ്ചിത വേഗത്തില്‍ രൂപപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഒരു നിശ്ചിത സമയത്ത് സംക്രമണാവസ്ഥയിലുള്ള തന്മാത്രകളുടെ അളവും അതി സൂക്ഷ്മമമാണ്. അതുകൊണ്ട് സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥയെ വേര്‍തിരിച്ചെടുക്കുന്നതിനോ വിശ്ലേഷണ വിശകലനത്തിനു വിധേയമാക്കുന്നതിനോ സാധ്യമല്ല. സൈദ്ധാന്തികമായി സാംഖിക ബലതന്ത്രത്തിന്റെയും ക്വാണ്ടം ബലതന്ത്രത്തിന്റെയും അടിസ്ഥാനത്തില്‍ സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥയുടെ അളവിനെ ഒരു ഗണിതസമവാക്യത്തിലൂടെയാണ് പ്രകടമാക്കുന്നത്. സിദ്ധാന്തപരമായി പ്രവേഗ നിര്‍ണയത്തിന് ഇതുപയോഗിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. മായയ്ക്കു സമാനമായ ഈ അവസ്ഥാവിശേഷം പെട്ടെന്ന് മനസ്സിലേക്കെത്തിക്കുന്നത്''നിന്നുടെ സന്നിധി മാത്രേണ മായയില്‍..... നിന്നു ജനിക്കുന്നു നാനാ പ്രജകളും'' എന്ന രാമായണത്തിലെ ഈരടികളാണ്.

രാസപ്രവര്‍ത്തനത്തില്‍ സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥ രൂപപ്പെടുവാനെടുക്കുന്ന സമയം ഏതാണ്ട് നൂറോ നൂറ്റമ്പതോ 'ഫെംറ്റോ' സെക്കന്‍ഡുകള്‍ മാത്രമാണ്. ഒരു സെക്കന്‍ഡിന്റെ ഒരുലക്ഷം കോടിയില്‍ ഒരംശമാണ് നൂറു 'ഫെംറ്റോ' സെക്കന്‍ഡുകള്‍. ഇത്രയും സൂക്ഷ്മമായ കാലയളവില്‍ രൂപപ്പെടുന്ന സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥയെ ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിന്റെ അവസാനത്തില്‍ കുടുക്കിയത്രേ! അതിവേഗ ലേസര്‍ സ്‌പെക്‌ട്രോ സ്‌കോപ്പി പരീക്ഷണത്തിലാണ് സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥയെ 'മരവിപ്പിക്കാന്‍' സാധിച്ചത്. സമയത്തെ വെല്ലാനുള്ള ഓട്ടത്തിന്റെ അവസാനമാണിതെന്ന് രസതന്ത്ര ശാസ്ത്രജന്മാര്‍ കരുതുന്നു. വിജയകരമായ ഈ ശാസ്ത്ര പര്യവേക്ഷണത്തിന് അതിന്റെ പിന്നിലെ ബൗദ്ധിക സ്രോതസ്സായി നിലകൊണ്ട കാള്‍ടെക് പ്രൊഫസര്‍ ഡോ. അഹമ്മദ് സിവെയ്ല്‍ നൊബേല്‍ പുരസ്‌കാരത്തിന് (1999) അര്‍ഹനാവുകയും ചെയ്തു. ഈ 'ഫെംറ്റോ' സെക്കന്‍ഡ് സ്‌പെക്‌ട്രോ സ്‌കോപ്പിയുടെ വിജയത്തിനുശേഷം ഫെംറ്റോ കെമിസ്ട്രി എന്ന ശാസ്ത്രശാഖയും ആവിര്‍ഭവിച്ചു.

കാലത്തിന്റെ തോളിലേറി തന്മാത്രകള്‍ അനുകൂല സാഹചര്യത്തില്‍ സഞ്ചരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ നൊടിയിടയില്‍ സൃഷ്ടിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന സംക്രമണ വ്യവസ്ഥയിലൂടെ അഭികാരകങ്ങള്‍ ഉത്പന്നങ്ങളുടെ മനോഹര താഴ്‌വരയിലെത്തിച്ചേരുന്നു. വിശ്വവശ്യമായ ഈ പ്രക്രിയയെ നിയന്ത്രിക്കുന്ന രസതന്ത്രശാസ്ത്രം സാര്‍വലൗകികവും സര്‍വാദരണീയവുമാണ്. അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് രസതന്ത്രവുമായി ഒരു ബന്ധവുമില്ലാത്ത സാഹചര്യങ്ങളെപ്പോലും രസതന്ത്രത്തിന്റെ പേരില്‍ വിലയിരുത്തുന്നത്. സംഗീതത്തിന്റെ കെമിസ്ട്രി, സിനിമയുടെ കെമിസ്ട്രി, നൃത്തത്തിന്റെ കെമിസ്ട്രി എന്നൊക്കെയുള്ള പ്രയോഗങ്ങളുടെ പ്രചോദനം രസതന്ത്രത്തിന്റെ സൗന്ദര്യം തന്നെയാണ്.

ഭാരതീയരും രസതന്ത്രത്തിന് ശക്തമായ സംഭാവനകള്‍ നല്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. പ്രാചീന ഭാരതത്തില്‍ രസതന്ത്രവിജ്ഞാനം ഉയര്‍ന്നസ്ഥാനം നിലനിര്‍ത്തിയിരുന്നു. 2009- ലെ രസതന്ത്രത്തിനുള്ള നൊബേല്‍ സമ്മാനം ലഭിച്ചത് ഭാരതീയ വംശജനായ പ്രൊഫസര്‍ വെങ്കിട്ടരാമന്‍ രാമകൃഷ്ണനാണ്. 'മോളിക്കുലാര്‍ മെഷീനുകള്‍' ജീവശാസ്ത്ര രസതന്ത്രം, ഇലക്‌ട്രോണ്‍ പരികലനം, നാനോ ടെക്‌നോളജി, തുടങ്ങിയ അത്യന്താധുനിക വിഷയങ്ങള്‍ ഈ വര്‍ഷത്തെ രസതന്ത്ര നൊബേല്‍ പുരസ്‌കാരത്തിനായി കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നു. ശാസ്ത്രവിജ്ഞാന സീമകളെ അതിലംഘിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് രസതന്ത്ര ഗവേഷണപഠനങ്ങള്‍ കൂടുതല്‍ ശക്തിയോടെ മാനവരാശിയുടെ നന്മയ്ക്കായി മുന്നേറും. സാധ്യതകള്‍ അനന്തമാണ്.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Gold coins to a cat.

About this proverb...

Gold coins to a cat. — One of the meanings of this proverb could be… Giving a gift to someone who can’t appreciate it; A useless gesture; “Pearls before swine.” According to superstition, cats love round, shiny objects like coins even though they’re ignorant of their true use, so this proverb also carries the connotation of an objective pursued without completely comprehending it. (This is a Japanese proverb, saying, or idiom)
-K A Solaman

5 Secrets of Slimming Exercise

Aside from diet, the next most powerful tool in your weight loss arsenal is exercise. Sure, any exercise is better than no exercise, but there are some important nuances to exercise that’ll help you achieve more impressive weight loss results. That’s why it pays to understand some of the secrets of slimming exercise. The tips that follow are based upon proven results.

SLIMMING EXERCISE SECRET 1: More elbow grease. If you’re not able to make it to the gym or unable to engage in any conventional exercise due to a schedule conflict, the next best thing you can do is to put more resistance in your daily activity. For instance, instead of using the lift you may choose to walk up to the floor in a building. Instead of parking near the shop you’re going to, you may choose to park further away so you’ll have to walk. If you’re doing house or garden work, you may choose to move at a faster pace to burn more calories.

SLIMMING EXERCISE SECRET 2: Engage in regular exercise. To see the benefits of slimming exercise in your life it’s important to regularly exercise. Ideally three or more times a week. Some people exercise twice one week, then four days the next week, then once the following week and they wonder why their weight plateaus. Every little thing you do counts so stick with a consistent schedule each week.

SLIMMING EXERCISE SECRET 3: Refuse temptation. I have seen many people who start exercising regularly eventually quit because they start cheating on their diet. They start thinking that since they’re doing tough workouts that they can bend the rules a bit. But the end result is, after cheating occasionally, they start to see a lack of results for the tedious exercise they’re doing week after week and eventually drop out of the program. So don’t short circuit the effort you put into exercise by cheating.

SLIMMING EXERCISE SECRET 4: Fit your personality. Most people aren’t used to following a consistent exercise program. Their efforts tend to be sporadic at best. Once you make a commitment to start your slimming exercise routine, then you must exert tremendous will power to stay with it. The question is, how can you maintain that intense will power if you’re doing exercise that doesn’t particularly interest you? The key is to engage in an exercise activity or sport that you enjoy. Ideally, you want to look forward to your exercise so you won’t be tempted to quit when the going gets tough.

SLIMMING EXERCISE SECRET 5: Cardio & strength train at first. In the beginning, it’s often a good idea to follow an exercise program that’s a combination of aerobic and weight training exercises. The reason why is because this type of exercise program burns extra calories and helps you increase your muscle to fat ratio which raises your metabolism to make it easier to lose weight and keep it off. Once you reach a certain weight loss benchmark, and are able to maintain your diet, then you may want to transition to other exercises or sports activities that are more enjoyable to you.

K A Solaman

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Happy Onam to all !








Happy Onam to all physicists and all world citizens !

-K A Solaman

Monday, September 05, 2011

Quotes from Einstein










Einstein's smiling countenance inspires everyone- no matter what their social style, gender, or title. He left behind an incredible amount of powerful quotes

1. "The only real valuable thing is intuition."

2. "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

3. "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."

4. "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."

5. "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

6. "The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge."

7. "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

8. "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

9. "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."

10. "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."

11. "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

12. "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

13. "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

14. "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."

15. "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That's relativity."

16. "If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts."

17. "What really interests me is whether God had any choice in the creation of the world."

18. "A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be."

19. "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?"

20. "A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?"

21. "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."

22. "Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."

23. "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

24. "Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them."

25. "I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."

26. "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

27. "I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right."

28. "The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive."

29. "Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

30. "We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us."

31. "You ask me if I keep a notebook to record my great ideas. I've only ever had one."

32. "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

33. "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

34. "Not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted counts."

35. "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

List of things named after Albert Einstein.











This is a list of things named after Albert Einstein.

Scientific and mathematical concepts

Higher-dimensional Einstein gravity
Einstein solid
Einstein force
Einstein's constant
Einstein–de Haas effect
Einstein relation (kinetic theory)
Stark–Einstein law
Einstein–Hilbert action
Einstein–Cartan theory
Bose–Einstein condensate
Bose–Einstein statistics
Einstein field equations
Einstein's radius of the universe
Einstein coefficients
Einstein synchronisation
Einstein notation
Einstein tensor
Einstein manifold
Einstein ring
Einstein Cross
Einstein radius
Einstein (unit)
Einstein refrigerator
Zebra Puzzle, also known as Einstein's Puzzle or Riddle
Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox
Einstein syndrome

Einstein Syndrome is a term Thomas Sowell used to describe exceptionally bright people with a slow development of speech (unlikely to have conversations before age four).

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Demand of government staff unjust








It is the never ending demand of Kerala government employees including school- college teachers to get their retirement age raised from the current 55 years. Their demand is unjust and unfair as the state has 4.3 million educated unemployed.
The main grievance of the employees is that Kerala is the only state in the country where state government employees and school and college teachers retire at 55 years and other states, the retirement age is 58 years. Nevertheless they deliberately hide the situation that Kerala is only State where the percentage of job seekers is the highest. According to the latest economic review tabled in the state assembly early this year, the number of job seekers till June 2010 stood at 4.32 million, including 161,641 professional and technical workers and 4.16 million others.

K A Solaman

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Fermat's Last Theorem- The World's Most Difficult Math Problem.











Why Pierre de Fermat is the patron saint of unfinished business

In 1637, French mathematician Pierre de Fermat jotted a cryptic conjecture in the margins of a textbook. On Fermat's 410th birthday everyone should celebrate Fermat's Last Theorem, which managed to drive mathematicians bonkers for the next four centuries.

Fermat's Last Theorem, jotted in the margins of a ancient Greek mathematical text by Pierre de Fermat in 1637, vexed mathematicians for 358 years before it was solved.

Most of history's great thinkers are remembered for their completed works. Think of Newton's Principia, Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, or Darwin's Origin of Species. These are people who slaved away for decades, each producing works that are today widely regarded as masterpieces.

Not so for 17th century French mathematician Pierre de Fermat. To be sure, Fermat accomplished many feats. He helped develop analytic geometry along with fellow Frenchman René Descartes. He planted the seed that would blossom into differential calculus. He made important contributions to optics, probability theory, and most of all, number theory. He was fluent in five languages. And he managed all of this while holding down a job as a lawyer.

But Fermat is best remembered not for what he did, but for what he left undone. One day in 1637, while perusing his copy of an ancient Greek text by the 3rd century mathematician Diophantus, Fermat jotted a note in the margins that would drive mathematicians crazy for the next four centuries.

Fermat's marginalia, which was written in Latin and later discovered by his son after he died, read: "It is impossible to separate a cube into two cubes, or a fourth power into two fourth powers, or in general, any power higher than the second, into two like powers. I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain."

In other words, a^n + b^n can never equal c^n , as long as a, b, and c are positive integers and as long as n is greater than two.

Go ahead and plug in some numbers for a, b, c, and n, and you'll see that they don't add up (or just take our word for it). But it turns out that coming up with a mathematical theorem proving it for every integer greater than two is really, really, really hard.

Even though he lived for another 28 years, Fermat never got around to sharing his "truly marvelous proof" with anyone, as far as we know.

Subsequent generations of mathematicians chipped away at it. Fermat himself had inadvertently proved it for n = 4, in his only surviving mathematical proof. By the beginning of the 19th century, it had been proven for n = 3, n = 5, and n = 7, but a general proof was nowhere in sight. In 1815, the great French mathematician Sophie Germain proved it for a special class of prime numbers now called Sophie Germain primes, which opened the door to further proofs.

By 1993, Fermat's Last Theorem had been solved for all prime numbers less than four million, but the universal proof remained elusive. For many years, Fermat's conjecture held a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Most Difficult Math Problem.

It was finally solved in 1994 by British mathematician Andrew Wiles, whose proof took seven years to complete and ran over 100 pages. Wiles, who was knighted for his efforts, deployed advanced algebraic geometry that was not available to anyone in the 17th century, suggesting that Fermat took a different approach in his unpublished proof. That or he was completely full of it.

Still, if Fermat had somehow managed to publish his proof during his lifetime, he would probably not be nearly as famous as he is today. So the next time someone asks you about the dishes in the sink, the half-written novel in the desk drawer, or that '67 Camaro sitting on blocks on your lawn, simply think of Fermat, and respond that you have a truly marvelous plan to finish your project, but that the day is too narrow to contain it.
-K A Solaman

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

2010 Nobel Prize in Physics-Graphene













Graphene is an allotrope of carbon, whose structure is one-atom-thick planar sheets of sp2-bonded carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. The term graphene was coined as a combination of graphite and the suffix -ene by Hanns-Peter Boehm, who described single-layer carbon foils in 1962. Graphene is most easily visualized as an atomic-scale chicken wire made of carbon atoms and their bonds. The crystalline or "flake" form of graphite consists of many graphene sheets stacked together.

The carbon-carbon bond length in graphene is about 0.142 nanometers. Graphene sheets stack to form graphite with an interplanar spacing of 0.335 nm, which means that a stack of three million sheets would be only one millimeter thick. Graphene is the basic structural element of some carbon allotropes including graphite, charcoal, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. It can also be considered as an indefinitely large aromatic molecule, the limiting case of the family of flat polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2010 was awarded to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene"

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Right to Service Act to be extended to Universities.













This year’s Independence Day, is an auspicious occasion not because it is the usual August 15 but it is the day for states like Punjab, Bihar, Kerala etc to implement the Right to Service Act. With this Act government officials who do not perform the common man’s jobs within a stipulated timeframe will face a fine that can go up to Rs.5000. With the implementation of the Right to Service Act, people will no longer have to run around government offices to get their work done, it is learnt. The officials who do not do common the man’s work within a stipulated timeframe should be punished.

This move to hasten the delivery of services should not be restricted only in government offices but to be extended to corporations, boards, colleges and universities etc where salary is paid from government coffers. For instance, I have to point out that in establishments like Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, it takes a year or more for approving the posts of assistant professors duly recruited by statutory boards constituted by affiliated colleges for the purpose. The candidate and his/her parents have to run pillar to post to get the post approved by the University Syndicate. The Syndicate is often ruled by some academics with political sponsorship and those privileged ones with political backing get their jobs done by the Syndicate immediately. And those with no political support have to go finally to judicial forums for get the job done. The cases lost by the University and now pending in the High Court are indications of the callous act of the University Syndicate. There is none to pin down the corrupt officials and one hopes that the Right to Service Act possesses adequate teeth to contain the corrupt. And in that case amount of fine should be enhanced from Rs 5000 along with sending the corrupt officials to prison.

I hope the Right to Service Act would be a big relief to people who run from pillar to post and are forced to pay bribes to get their work done in government offices.
K A Solaman

Thursday, July 28, 2011

K A Solaman
















K A Solaman as on 28-7-2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

How To Be the Best Teacher











Teaching may sound like an easy task but it is as daunting as any job. Having taught for several years, I have tried a bit of everything of how it is to be a teacher.

There are different strokes for different folks. That is true. For the many students and their levels that I have taught, I found special kids to be the most challenging of all. However, each student is different. There are even talented kids who could be more difficult. Coming from different backgrounds, and culture, a child’s personality is formed into something unique and complex. It is a great challenge for the teachers then to uncover the child’s strengths provided by these circumstances.

So, how do we become the best teacher there is? No, this is not a popularity contest. This is about performing on the job and giving justice to your profession. As we struggle to trudge along that path, we find ourselves building guide posts so that the next time we stumble into a crossroad so similar, we know which road to take. By building these posts, we do not aim to be recognized, but simply to satisfy ourselves. Seeing our products – our students – excel and succeed or simply hand over a comment of thanks is more than enough satisfaction for us.

This is an article devoted to teachers like me – beginners and pros alike – who are on their way to self-discovery, to greatness and to understanding the real essence of being who we are today.

The following points would be guide posts I have stood in my seven years of teaching. These posts remind me to become the teacher I wished I had once upon a time.

1) Make your class rules and goals clear.

Do this at the beginning of the year. By pointing out which you expect them to do and not do, you run into less trouble of encountering these situations in the future. My class rules, however, are not so strict. These include a U-shape seating arrangement where I can see everyone, and a 'talk to me' policy once a week; I need to hear a student talk in the form of recitation or question. It is also a must that students talk to me in Malayalam since that is what I teach. Right before the major exams are conducted, I also ask students which lessons they are confident about. I tally the majority and set up free classes at the end of the week where anybody who feels they need to hear it one more time can attend.

2) Understand what you are teaching.

Teaching is not just going in front and mimicking the book. My first rule is to never teach what I do not know or understand, or I will be in danger of misinforming my students. You also avoid running into risks like answering questions you are not sure how to reply to. I also try to explain concepts in my own words and let students do the same. Also, it is easier to check if they understand the lesson or not.

3) Get savvy with the Internet.

If you are not, now is the time! A modern teacher should be knowledgeable about using computers and the Internet. You are missing out on a lot of information that could help you improve your teaching if you are not. I get most of my articles from the web. I get interactive activities from various sites to implement in my classes, which they enjoy very much.

4) Listen to students when they talk.

Be it a complaint, an answer to a recitation, an impolite question about the subject topic or something not related to the subject matter, just listen! These are ways that students communicate with you and an opportunity to find out more about them. I never tell a student that he/she’s got the wrong answer. And I never get irritated when they say they don’t understand my lesson. I see all of these as a room for improvement for both of us. Students also seem more open to you when you do this. If a student and a teacher have a comfortable relationship, more learning takes place.

5) Do not insult students.

I had been insulted by my teachers many times when I was in school and all of these instances have never helped me become a better individual. Instead, I developed a fear of humiliation. I had good use of this experience though -- I never try insulting students. A quick, sharp look is so much better than discriminating words. You would be amazed how a smile could even obligate children to focus. These and other strategies which are not demeaning are good ways to demand discipline. Also, you are not held responsible for instilling a low self-esteem in them. Reverse psychology works best especially with problem kids. You should try it. It worked well for me!

6)Evaluate your class’ strengths and weaknesses.

Assess your class by their performance and determine the gray areas that you need to tap into once in a while. My students are particularly having a difficult time in grammar and once a week, I make sure I have tiny, short lessons meant for it. A whole straight week of grammar could be boring. So, I try to stretch it into pieces. I make interactive activities to help them absorb it. There are many helpful materials online that you can use. You just need to find them.

7) Make great tests.

To define a test in my manner of understanding would be difficult. It would probably take another How To article to discuss it fully. But to characterize a great test would be easy! It should not only prompt students to recall details such as names, dates and processes, but also it should move them to discriminate possible answers. This exercises their ability to analyze.

While some would say that giving an essay question is being lazy, if the question is carefully concocted, it would actually be a good occasion for the student to organize his thoughts and write! As a teacher, I am often unpredictable. I give objective tests and essays. In so doing, I have seen how my students improved in their writing and way of thinking. I am also fond of injecting recitation into my strategies. Students fear it at first, but as time goes by, they have learnt to deal with this fear and turn it into something constructive. Later, I see more hands raised up in the air when I throw them a question, and even more guts to ask me questions when I am discussing.

Also, never duplicate exams. This happens mostly when a teacher is teaching the same subject to several sections. By doing this, we are encouraging our students to cheat!

8) Recognize talents and efforts.

It is very easy to recognize talents of children who are gifted. Also, the school gives them honors for being smart every end of each semester. But the real hard work and what we as teachers must be concerned about is to really recognize talents in problem kids. My strategy is to always notice troublesome kids. I believe that smart students would perform anyway even if you leave them alone. So, I put much effort into children needing my attention. You would be surprised at how much talent and skills they have. And provided they are recognized, they will start to listen to you more.

Recognition could be in the form of talking with them once in awhile.
I talk to these kids everyday. I give them roles and leadership obligations once in awhile and I do not take no for answer! I always see them trying, hoping not to disappoint me. I make sure that I communicate to them the trust I have for them and that they can do what I am passing on to them. Mind you, I have seen several kids improve on this strategy alone. And when tasks are done, I give benefits when they deserve it.

9) Take careful note of students' progress and let them know about it.

Before I return a major exam’s test papers, I always jot something below addressed to the student. It’s like “Dear Pete, you did wonderfully in Test 1. I knew you could do it! But maybe you should study more so you could answer essay questions better! Maybe, just listen more to me during class because that’s where you find most of the answers!” My children become very excited when I give them back the test papers. They know I would always have my ‘love note’ for them. Yes, it takes more time that it should, but the results are worth it!

10) Talk with parents.

For sure, a teacher cannot successfully teach a child without a parent’s cooperation. It is therefore important to establish a good relationship with your student’s parents. You could do so in PTA meetings. Or simply give them a call if their child performs well in school and not just because they misbehaved. I have come to learn this very important aspect of teaching children when I started to teach special kids. These children develop knowledge by routine and experience. A child only spends a few hours in school, thus, without a parent’s help, the kids will never learn.

- K A Solaman

Dr K S Sibi Ph D






Dr K S Sibi. He has been awarded Ph D in Physics by the University of Kerala in May 2011. Dr Sibi was a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Electron Microscopy, NIIST(CSIR), Thiruvananthapuram. Presently he is working as Assistant Professor, Govt College of Engineering,Thiruvananthapuram

Best teacher -National Award 2011 Winner- Smt M Vijayamma

















Best teacher -National Award 2011 Winner- Smt M Vijayamma with her family members

Best teacher -National Award 2011 Winner- Smt M Vijayamma








Best teacher -National Award 2011 Winner- Smt M Vijayamma, with Sri M A Baby, former Minister of Education, Kerala. Smt Vijayamma is presently working as HM, Govt School, Konattussery, Cherthala, Alappuzha Dt.

Friday, July 22, 2011

മഹാത്മാ ഗാന്ധി സര്‍വകലശാല വക ജനിക്കും മുമ്പേ ജാതകം



No Ac1/S/4711/Faculty/2005, M G University notification, Dated 9-2-2010
Amendment to the Mahatma Gandhi University Statutes, 1997

ഇത് കോട്ടയം മഹാത്മാ ഗാന്ധി സര്‍വകലശാലയുടെ ഒരു ഉത്തരവ് . ഇത് പ്രകാരം സര്‍വകലശാലയുടെ കീഴില്‍ അഫീലിയറ്റു ചെയ്തിട്ടുള്ള ഐടെഡ്‌ കോളേജുകളില്‍ അധ്യാപക നിയമനത്തിന് മിനിമം പ്രായം 23. സര്‍ക്കാരു കണക്കില്‍ 22 മതി. 9-2 -2010 -ല്‍ ഇറക്കിയ ഉത്തരവിന് 1 -1 -2006 മുതല്‍ മുന്‍കാല പ്രാബല്യവും ഉണ്ട്.

കുട്ടി ജനിക്കും മുമ്പേ ജാതകം എങ്ങനെ എഴുതാമെന്നു ഈ അമേണ്ട്മെന്റ്റ് നമുക്ക് കാട്ടിത്തരുന്നു.
ജുഡീഷ്യല്‍ റീവ്യൂവില്‍ നിലനില്‍ക്കുന്നതല്ല ഈ ഓര്‍ഡര്‍ എന്ന് ഹയെര്‍ എജുക്കേഷന്‍ സെക്രട്ടറി ഉത്തരവ് നല്‍കിയിട്ടുപോലും നിയമനം കിട്ടിയ ആള്‍ കോടതിയില്‍ പോട്ടെ എന്നാ നിലപാടിലാണ് സര്‍വകലശാല.

- കെ എ സോളമന്‍

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Redefining hydrogen bond-The Unique bond









What’s in a bond? Everything, if it’s the amazing hydrogen bond which raises water’s boiling point high enough for a cuppa or binds the DNA into a double helix. Interestingly, the bond has been redefined and a new explanation of why hydrogen atoms build or break bridges with other atoms that has been arrived at could open up new avenues in production of drugs and fabrication of material among other things. Researchers are also looking forward to many more spin-offs with advances in this technology.

The changed definition of the hydrogen bond stems from research and analysis carried out by a team led by Prof Elangannan Arunan of the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science and has been accepted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). It will soon make its way into the Gold Book, the encyclopaedia of chemical nomenclature.

The Indian team's path breaking acheivement, which coincides with the International Year of Chemistry being observed by the United Nations General Assembly and the centenary of Marie Curie winning the Nobel prize for Chemistry in 1911, signals an end to the controversy over hydrogen bonding which was debated for decades after it was spelt out by Nobel laureate Linus Pauling in 1931. A number of previous efforts by task forces across the world were rejected because they either lacked experimental evidence or could not answer questions raised by the community of chemistists. “I had to pour over several research papers and scores of records on earlier definitions to be able to answer this controversial question. But at this point, it’s difficult to predict the upshot of our definition,” says Prof Arunan.

The breakthrough came at the end of five years of research which included building a microwave spectrometer to decipher why hydrogen builds bridges with other atoms or breaks them. “When we started our work, some were pessimistic that we would not be able to give a new definition because we had to refer to a 100 year-old history and scores of papers on the hydrogen bond,” recalls the professsor. Previously, the definition suggested that hydrogen bonds were ‘electrostatic interactions’ and that the hydrogen atoms bore a slightly positive charge that was attracted by a slightly negatively-charged bonding partner. The new definition, however, allows for an element of covalent bonding, where electrons are formally shared between the atoms.

Deccan Chronicle Dated July 13, 2011

Thursday, July 07, 2011

മഹാത്മാഗാന്ധി സര്‍വകലാശാല ചുവപ്പുനാടയുടെ പിടിയില്‍ !













കോട്ടയത്തെ മഹാത്മാഗാന്ധി സര്‍വകലാശാല ചുവപ്പു നാടയുടെ കലശലായ പിടുത്തത്തില്‍ ആണെന്ന് കരുതണം. വിദേശത്ത് എഞ്ചിനീയറിംഗ് കോളേജ് സ്ഥാപിക്കാനുള്ള തത്രപ്പാടില്‍ ഇവിടെ കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ അല്പം മന്ദഗതിയിലാണ്. ഇങ്ങനെ പറയാനുള്ള കാരണം, ഈ സര്‍വകാല ശാലയുടെ കീഴിലുള്ള അഫിലീഎട്ടെദ് കോളേ ജുകളില്‍ നടത്തിയ നിയമനങ്ങള്‍ ഒന്നും തന്നെ സര്‍വകലാശാല അങ്ഗികരിച്ചു കൊടുക്കുന്നില്ല. " ലക്ഷങ്ങള്‍ കൊടുത്തല്ലേ കേറുന്നത് പിന്നെ ഒന്നോ രണ്ടോ ലക്ഷങ്ങള്‍ ഞങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് കൂടി തന്നലെന്ത്? '' , എന്നൊക്കെ ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥര്‍ ചോദിച്ചതായി തെളിയിക്കാന്‍ ഇമ്മിണി പ്രയാസമുണ്ട്.

ഏറണാകുളം സെന്റ്‌ തെരേസാസ് കോളേജില്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞ സെപ്റെമ്ബറില്‍ നടത്തിയ നിയമനങ്ങള്‍ ഇതുവരെ അങ്ഗീകരിച്ചു കൊടുത്തില്ല. എനിക്ക് എത്രയും പ്രിയപ്പെട്ട ഒരു കുട്ടിയുടെ നിയമനം തടഞ്ഞു വെക്കാന്‍ സര്‍വകലാശാല കണ്ടു പിടിച്ച കാരണം കുട്ടിക്ക് പ്രായപൂര്‍ത്തി ആയില്ലെന്നതാണ്. പ്രായപൂര്‍ത്തി ആകാത്ത പെണ്‍കുട്ടികളുടെ കാര്യത്തില്‍ ചാനലുകള്‍ക്കും, നാട്ടു കാര്‍ക്കും സര്‍ക്കാരിനും ഉള്ള ഉത്കന്ഠ സര്‍വകലാശാലയെയും പിടി കൂടിയിരിക്കുന്നു!

സര്‍വകലാശാല നിയമം പ്രകാരം അസിസ്റ്റന്റ്‌ പ്രൊഫസര്‍ ആയി നിയമനം ലഭിക്കാന്‍ 18 വയസ്സ് മതി. 2009 -ല്‍ നിയമനം ലഭിച്ചപ്പോള്‍ കുട്ടിക്ക് 22 കഴിഞ്ഞിരുന്നു, പക്ഷെ 23 ആയിരുന്നില്ല. 2010 - ല്‍ സര്‍വകലാശാലക്ക് ഒരു നിയമ ഭേദഗതി ഉണ്ടത്രേ, മിനിമം പ്രായം വേണ്ടത് 23 എന്ന് . സര്‍ക്കാര്‍ കോളേജുകളില്‍ മിനിമം വയസ്സ് 22 മതി എന്ന് നിര്കര്ഷിക്കുംപോളാണ് സര്‍വകലാശാല 23 വയസ്സ് വേണമെന്ന ന്യായം പറഞ്ഞു അന്ഗീകാരത്തിനുള്ള അപേക്ഷ നിരസിച്ചത്‌. മാത്രവുമല്ല , നിയമനുസരണമായി 2009 -ല്‍ നിയമനം നടത്തിയ മാനേജ്‌മന്റ്‌ 2010 -ല്‍ സര്‍വകലാശാല വക ഇറങ്ങാനിരിക്കുന്ന ഉത്തരവിനെ കുറിച്ച് എന്ത് കൊണ്ട് ആലോചിച്ചില്ല എന്നാ വാദവും നിരത്തുന്നു. നിയമനം നടത്തുന്ന മാനേജുമെന്റും നിയമനം തേടുന്ന ഉദ്യോഗാര്‍ഥി കളുംആദ്യം കാണേണ്ടത് ജോത്സ്യന്‍ മാരെയാണ് - സര്‍വകലാശാലയിലെ ചില ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥര്‍ കരുതുന്നു .

ഡിഗ്രിയും പോസ്റ്റ്‌ ഗ്രാജുഎഷനും ഒന്നാം റാങ്കോടെ പാസ്സയിടുള്ള കുട്ടി സി എസ്‌ ഐ ആര്‍ ഫെല്ലോഷിപ്പോട് കൂടിയുള്ള ഒരു വര്‍ഷത്തെ ഗവേഷണ പരിചയവും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാണ് കോളേജില്‍ ചേര്‍ന്നത്‌. കോളജധ്യപികയുടെ ജോലി ലഭിച്ചതിനാല്‍ സ്റ്റേറ്റ് ബാങ്ക് ഓഫ് ഇന്ത്യയില്‍ ലഭിച്ച അസിസ്റ്റന്റ്‌ മാനേജര്‍ ജോലിയും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു .ഗേറ്റ് പരീക്ഷയില്‍ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്ന ഉയര്‍ന്ന സ്കോറും പ്രയോജനപ്പെടുത്താന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞില്ല. ഇപ്പോള്‍ കുട്ടി കണ്ണീരിലാണ്. പെണ്കുട്ടികുളുടെ കണ്ണീര്‍ ഒരു തുള്ളി പോലുംവീഴാന്‍ യാതൊരു കാരണവശാലും അനുവദിച്ചു കൂടെന്നു പത്രത്തില്‍ വരി എഴുതുന്ന വൈസ് ചന്സേല്ലര്‍ക്ക് കുട്ടിയും പിതാവും അപേക്ഷകള്‍ അയച്ചിട്ടും പ്രയോജനമുണ്ടായില്ല.

അതിവേഗം തീര്‍പ്പാക്കാന്‍ ബെഹു. മുഖ്യമന്ത്രിക്ക് കുട്ടിയുടെ പിതാവ് അയച്ച ഈ-മെയില്‍ അപേക്ഷ വൈറസ്‌ ആക്രമണത്തില്‍ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട മട്ടാണ്. എങ്കിലും അതിവേഗം ബഹുദൂരം എന്ന് വിശ്വസിക്കുന്ന മുഖ്യമന്ത്രിയും വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ മന്ത്രിയും മഹാത്മാ ഗാന്ധി സര്‍വകലാശാല യിലെ കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ കൂടി അല്പം വേഗത്തില്‍ ആക്കാന്‍ നിര്ദേശിക്കണം . പ്രൈവറ്റ് കോളേജുകളിലെ അധ്യാപക നിയമനങ്ങള്‍ സമയബന്ധിതമായി അംഗീകരിച്ചു കൊടുക്കാന്‍ നടപടി സ്വീകരിക്കണം. . അധ്യാപക നിയമന പ്രായപരിധിക്കു സര്‍ക്കാരിന് ഒരു നിയമം , സര്‍ക്കാരിന്റെ തന്നെ ശമ്പളം നല്‍കുന്ന പ്രൈവറ്റ് കോളേജുകള്‍ക്ക് വേറൊരു നിയമം -ഇതെങ്ങിനെ അംഗീകരിക്കാന്‍ കഴിയും ? പ്രായ പരിധിക്കു മുന്‍കാല പ്രബല്ല്യം എന്ന തുഗ്ളക്ക് നിയമത്തിന്റെ ഉറവിടവും അന്യോഷിക്കപെടണം

-കെ എ സോളമന്‍

Friday, June 24, 2011

A white paper needed for private college recruitment.








The Minister of Finance for Kerala K M Mani when he has to say about the publication of a white paper on the state of the finances of the State, I was seeking the meaning of this paper. Now only I understood that it is a report that helps to solve a problem. White papers are used to inform readers and help people make decisions and are often requested and used in the technical and political sectors.

So is the case, I request the Government to publish a white paper on recruitment of assistant professors in all Aided colleges in Kerala, where the salary is paid from the State Exchequer. I place this before the authority because the management of the NSS College invited fresh applications from candidates for the appointment in colleges under it. Previous notification to this effect was only nine months earlier and the number of candidates that they have appointed is a puzzle. Unlike other management who collect Rs 500 or 700 as application money the NSS collect a nominal fee, Rs 235 per application which is quite affordable as it is equal to the cost of only kg a star fish. Nevertheless, the most intriguing question is no candidate of other beliefs is named in NSS College, even if the money from candidates of other castes is acceptable.

The experience of the candidate who went for the interview at Perunna has an interesting story to tell. He told me that when he submitted his certificate at the desk person handling it he said “Why do you waste money by sending such applications? Appointments, like other private managements, whether Inter Church and SN Trust, are done for a price and here it is reserved for only those names ending with a tail ‘nair, pillai, menon, kurup, panicker etc,.” “ But Sir, my marks, Ranks!” the candidate asked. “ Who need them?. Yes, you came all the way from your place to here. Take the coffee and attend the interview. The world never ends in Perunna. There are a good number of colleges and a few of them are not money mongers. Best wishes”.

The candidates, their parents and the vast populace are, therefore, eager to know what is happening in these colleges. Would the government ask these Managements to publish a white paper stating the names with caste of the candidates appointed in these colleges? Of course the money they collected is a business secret, nevertheless, if they publish the actual names of the candidates, the new aspirants could take a judicious decision about where to apply and when. Could a management, as a fund collection campaign, often issue notifications for appointment without making any appointment ? I hope a white paper in this direction would tell all the details.

K A Solaman

Monday, June 20, 2011

Red tape biting in M G University, Kottayam








The Mahatma Gandhi University has erected bureaucratic hurdles against certain affiliated colleges by denying the approval for the post of teachers appointed in colleges under it. For instance, the approval all teachers appointed in St Teresa’s College, Ernakulam in last September is still under red tape in MGU. Is there any time limit for disposing a file in MG University?

The reason for denying approval of the post one candidate is obviously curious that according to University she is under aged. At the time of appointment, her age was below 23 (of course above 22) and as per University statutes the minimum age required is 18. The University denied the approval stating that the College which made appointment in 2009, has not complied with University statute amendment in 2010. How could an affiliated college or any other appointing authority make appointment anticipating the contents of future orders of the university? The University order issued in 2010 stipulates minimum age limit for appointment in affiliated colleges as 23 and the order has retrospective effect from 2006 according to University. This inquisitive order was issued by the University when the Government stipulates minimum age as 22 for appointment in Government colleges.

The action of the University has been a most frustrating experience for the candidate as she joined the college after giving up her CSIR fellowship and one year research work. The University modifying the requirements for approval of the post of teachers with an order that originated quite later is questionable and it would not stand before judicial review.

If our Universities are centres of discontent and red-tapism MGU is another one. This leads to academic excellence falling prey to fake administrative norms. And this sort of negative attitude will only discourage young intelligent individuals not to choose the post of teachers in affiliated colleges. I wonder why the MG University has made an unfounded order about minimum age of appointment with retrospective effect. The ludicrous amendment instituted by the MGU has created unnecessary pressure on a gifted girl, with first ranks in degree and PG and also with JRF and Gate score.

K A Solaman

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Scientists Create 'Living Laser'





Scientists have been genetically engineering organisms that glow for years, but now a team at Massachusetts General has taken the technology to a new level—to create a "living laser." They aren't blasting death rays (yet), but scientists have coaxed single cells, derived from human kidneys, to emit directed green laser light, reports the BBC. Far more than just scientists playing Dr. Frankenstein, this technology holds several real-world possibilities, especially in light-based and imaging therapies, perhaps opening the way to deeper and less intrusive diagnostic and medical techniques.

The cells were given green fluorescent protein first found in jellyfish to create the light source, then were placed between two tiny mirrors, just 20 millionths of a meter apart, to bounce the light repeatedly. When the cells were then bathed with a blue light, they could emit directed and intense laser light. The process did not kill the cells, and, in fact, if the light-generating protein is injured, the cell can produce more

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Cell phone signals create cancer --WHO






Though the World Health Organization officials are of judgment that mobile phones are a cause for health hazards ranging from vomiting to cancer the Indian counter parts are not convinced with it. They would present their paper only after a thorough study and when would they complete the study is known to none. Cell phone is a convenient gadget which makes life easy and (sometimes miserable too) nevertheless latest research in this direction are not at all favourable. The harmful radiation of microwave frequency or less might cause cancer in the brain. Why can’t one bear in mind the heating property of microwave oven where food stuffs are cooked by passing microwave through water soaked food material? The region around one’s ear contains blood and the microwave from a cell phone in fact cooks the flesh round one’s ear. In addition these electromagnetic radiations create cancerous cells in the brain.

The mobile phone companies by their lavish spending in channels and news papers keep media promoters friendly. And that is why studies adversely affecting the sale of mobile phones are not seeing light. However, in the wake of UN study the mobile users have to make an introspection and restrict the use of mobile phones for their own health. What is the use a cell phone once the brain cells are tampered? It is unwise to depend on mobile phone manufacturers for remedy as they are never going to provide any solution for the radiation hazard.

It is not for the first time warning about radiation hazard is being published. However, this sort of warning took a dimension only now with WHO findings. If people are unwilling to give up their bad habit of extensive use of cell phones, they should alone bear the brunt.
K A Solaman

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Heaven, afterlife are beyond human mind-K A Solaman

Stephen Hawking believes there is no heaven (No afterlife, no heaven: Stephen Hawking, May 17). The Cambridge-based scientist said that the belief in heaven or an afterlife is a “fairy story” for people who are afraid of death. Being a scientist, it is natural for Mr Hawking to look at everything from a scientific perspective. But death and afterlife are abstract ideas and are beyond the ability of the human mind to fully comprehend. The renowned astrophysicist’s observation is unlikely to affect the prospects of clergies and swamis who live by preaching about life after death and heaven.

K.A. Solaman
Kerala
The Asian Age daily, London 31 May 2011

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Question Paper 2011 June Batch
Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics
The question paper contain 3 parts
Part A contains 20 questions. Answer any 15 questions (Each question carries 2 marks)
Part B contain 20 questions and all are compulsory (Each question carries 3.5 marks)
Part C contains 25 questions. First 10 are compulsory and from remaining 15, answer any 10 questions (Each question carries 5 marks)
There will be negative marks @ 25% of each wrong answer.

Time : 3hrs
Marks: 200

PART A
For polyatomic gases such as hydrogen the corresponding Phase Space would be ------- dimensional.
3N
3Nf
2Nf
6N
On a (T -S)) diagram, i.e., temperature (T) entropy (S), the isothermals are ---
Parallel to S axis
Parallel to T axis
May have any orientation
Some parallel to T and some parallel to S axis
In a gas the expression for the average speed of the molecule is given by----
√(2kT/m)
√(3kT/m)
√(8kT/πm)
√(kT/m)
Specific heats of a gas at constant volume (Cv) and at constant pressure (Cp) are related as
C_p/C_v =1-R
C_p-C_v=R
C_p-C_v=1/R
C_p+C_v=R
The expression for Maxwell’s distribution of velocities, δn/δc is
4πn (m/2πkT)^(3⁄2) e^(-(mc^2)/2kT) c
4πn (m/2πkT)^(3⁄2) e^(-(mc^2)/2kT) c^2
4πn (m/πkT)^(3⁄2) e^(-(mc^2)/2kT) c^2
4πn (m/2πkT)^(3⁄2) e^(-mc/2kT) c^2
A reversible heat engine can have 100% efficiency if the temperature of sink is-
Less than that of source
Equal to that of source
0oC
O K
In a gas the relative magnitudes of the most probable speed (v_p), the average speed (v ̅)and the root mean square speed(〖 v〗_rms) of the molecule are related by an expression
√2:√(2/π):√3
√2:√(4/π):√3
√2:√(8/π):√3
√2:√(8/π):√6
The combined form of the first and second law of thermodynamics is given by-
TdS=dU+PdV
dQ=TdS+PdV
dU=TdS+dQ
TdS=dU-PdV
A system has N distinguishable particles. Each particle can occupy one of the two non-degenerate states with an energy difference of 0.1 ev. If the system is in thermal equilibrium at room temperature, the approximate fraction of particles in the higher energy state is
exp (-10)
exp (-4)
exp (-2)
Zero
The work done W during an isothermal process in which the gas expands from an initial volume V1 to a final volume V2 is given by
R(V_2-V_1)〖log〗_e (T_1/T_2)
R(T_2-T_1)〖log〗_e (V_1/V_2)
RT〖log〗_e (V_2/V_1)
RT〖log〗_e (V_1/V_2)
Consider the Fermi-dirac distribution function F(E) at room temperature (300 K) where E refers to energy. If Ef is the Fermi energy, which of the following is false?
F(E) is a step function
F(E_f) has a value of ½
States with E F(E) is large and tends to infinity as E decreases much below Ef.
The change in entropy is-
Positive in a reversible change
Negative in an irreversible change
Positive in an irreversible change
Negative in a reversible change
In a micro canonical ensemble, a system A of fixed volume is in contact with a large reservoir B. Then
A can change only energy with B
A can change only particles with B
A can exchange neither energy nor particles with B
A can exchange both energy and particles with B
If a system is in thermal equilibrium separately with B &C, then B and C are also in thermal equilibrium with each other. This statement is –
Zeroth law of T D
First law of T D
Second law of T D
Third law of T D
In a canonical ensemble, a system A of fixed volume is in contact with a large reservoir B. Then-
A can change only energy with B
A can change only particles with B
A can exchange neither energy nor particles with B
A can exchange both energy and particles with B
In a cyclic process-
Work done is zero
Work done by the system is equal to quantity of heat given to the system
Work done does not depend on the quantity of heat given to the system
The internal energy of the system increases
In a grand canonical ensemble, a system A of fixed volume is in contact with a large reservoir B. then-
A can change only energy with B
A can change only particles with B
A can exchange neither energy nor particles with B
A can exchange both energy and particles with B
The ratio of specific heat of a diatomic gas is-
1.66
1.33
1.40
1.52
In case of Bose- Einstein Condensation-
Number of particles increases in lower energy levels at low temperatures and high pressures
Number of particles decreases in lower energy levels at low temperatures and high pressures
Number of particles increases in lower energy levels at high temperatures and low pressures
Number of particles decreases in lower energy levels at high temperatures and low pressures
Which of the following is not Maxwell’s thermodynamic relation?
(∂S/∂V)_T=(∂P/∂T)_V
(∂S/∂P)_T=〖-(∂V/∂T)〗_P

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Heat transfer-Objective questions and answers

KAS Physics
Thermal Physics Test number 202

1. Radiation is the chief method of energy transfer
*a. from the sun to an earth satellite b. from a gas flame to water in a teakettle
c. from a soldering iron to metals being soldered. d. from water to an ice cube floating in it e. from a mammal to the surrounding air.

2. of the processes below, the one in which practically all the heat transfer is by conduction is: a. from the sun to an earth satellite b. from a gas flame to the top layer of water in a teakettle. *c. from a soldering iron to metals being soldered d. from the bottom of a glass of water to an ice cube floating in it. e. from a mammal to the surrounding air.

3. two kg of water are heated by stirring, if this raises the temperature of the water from 15˚C to 25˚C, how much work, in joules, was done to the water by the stirring?
a. 20,000 b. 40,000 c. 60,000 *d. 80,000 e. 100,000

4. In a certain steam engine, the average pressure on the piston during a stroke is 50 N/m2. The length of each stroke is 12 cm, the area of the piston is 120 cm2 and the diameter of the flywheel is 5m. the amount of work done on the piston during each stroke is, in N-m, approximatelyy
a. 250 *b.0.072 c. 0.54 d.1.63 e. 12.62

5. the work done by a system is characterized as
*a. Positive b. Negative c. either positive or negative d. indeterminate
e. of no consequence

6. which of the following can actually lower the internal energy (cool) a room?
a. Fan b. refrigerator with door open
c. refrigerator with door closed d. an air conditioner in the middle of the room
*e. an air conditional partially exposed to the outside

7. 30 joules of heat flow into a system. the system in turn does 50 J of work. The internal energy of the system has
a. increased by 80 J b. decreased by 80 J c. increased by 20 J d. decreased by 20 J
*e. remained constant

8. dark, rough objects are generally good for
a. Conduction *b. Radiation c. Convection d. Reflection e. refraction

9. dark plastic handles are often used on kitchen utensils because
a. the black material is a good radiator *b. the plastic is a good insulator
c. The plasticic is a good conductor d. the plastic softens gradually with excessive heat.
e. the material is thermoplastic

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Golden Ratio and Beauty in Art








The Golden Ratio has a great impact on art, influencing artists' perspectives of a pleasant art piece. Have you ever wondered why Da Vinci's Mona Lisa looks so beautiful? Da Vinci, a sculpture, painter, inventor and a mathematician, was the first one who first called Phi the Golden Ratio. And scientifically, her face actually appears in a golden rectangle, which also makes her face appear more beautiful to human eyes. Also another masterpiece, the Last Supper, contains Golden Ratios. The French Impressionist painter George Seurat is famous by his new technique of drawing - Pointilism, he is said to have "attacked every canvas by the golden section."
Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa's face is a perfect golden rectangle, according to the ratio of the width of her forehead compared to the length from the top of her head to her chin.

The golden ratio = 1.61803399

Saturday, May 14, 2011

General Science MCQ and A

Here are some general science quiz questions along with answers to increase your general knowledge about science.
General Science Quiz Questions

1. Which instrument is used to measure pressure?
1. Saccharimeter
2. Ammeter
3. Manometer
4. Lactometer

2. What does Angstrom measure?
1. Quantity of liquid
2. Length of light waves
3. Length of cables
4. Speed of ships

3. Light year is related to
1. Energy
2. Speed
3. Distance
4. Intensity

4. Match the following columns
Column 1 Column 2
A. Relative 1. Pyrometer humidity
B. Anemometer 2. High temperature
C. Navigation 3. Hygrometer
D. Direction of wind 4. Chronometer
1 2 3 4
a. B D A C
b. D B A C
c. A D B C
d. C A D B

5. Which of the following instruments is used to measure pressure of gases?
1. Barometer
2. Manometer
3. Ammeter
4. None of these

6. Joule is the unit of
1. Temperature pressure
2. Energy
3. Heat

7. How many Dynes are there in one gram weight?
1. 900
2. 375
3. 981
4. 250

8. How many Ergs are these in 1 Joule?
1. 102
2. 104
3. 106
4. 107

9. The unit of current is
1. Ohm
2. Watt
3. Ampere
4. None of these

10. The unit of energy in MKS system is
1. Volt
2. Erg
3. Ohm
4. Joule

11. The intensity of an earthquake is measured with a
1. Barometer
2. Hydrometer
3. Polygraph
4. Seismograph

12. Centigrade & Fahrenheit scales give same reading at
1. - 40°
2. - 32°
3. - 273°
4. - 100°

13. Match the following columns
Column 1 Column 2
A. Anemometer 1. To measure underwater depth using sound
B. Aneroid barometer 2. To measure very small distances
C. Micrometer 3. Find out wind speed
D. Fathometer 4. Find out direction of wind
5. Measure atmospheric pressure
1 2 3 4
a. A4 B5 C3 D1
b. A3 B5 C2 D1
c. A5 B1 C3 D4
d. A3 B1 C5 D2

14. Who among the following described protoplasm as the physical basis of life?
1. T. H. Huxley
2. Leeuwenhoek
3. Rudolf Virchow
4. J. C. Bose

15. The scientist who first discovered that the earth revolves round the sun was
1. Newton
2. Dalton
3. Copernicus
4. Einstein

16. Alexander Fleming discovered
1. Penicillin
2. X-ray
3. Streptomycin
4. Telephone

17. Who among following invented the steam engine?
1. Marconi
2. James Watt
3. Thomas Savery
4. Wright Brothers

18. Who invented typewriter?
1. Shockley
2. Pascal
3. Sholes
4. Waterman

19. Match the following columns:
Column 1 Column 2
A. Proton 1. Chadwick
B. Neutron 2. Millikan
C. Charged Electron 3. Goldstein
D. Shelled nature of atom 4. Rutherford
5. Madam Curie
a. A1 B2 C3 D5
b. A2 B1 C4 D3
c. A2 B3 C1 D4
d. A4 B2 C3 D1

20. Who discovered circulation of blood in human body?
1. Edward Jenner
2. Joseph Lister
3. William Harvey
4. Jonon Esals

21. The first attempt in printing was made in England by
1. James Arkwright
2. James Watt
3. William Caxton
4. Isaac Newton

22. Who was the surgeon who pioneered antiseptic surgery in 1865?
1. Edward Jenner
2. Joseph Lister
3. Henry William
4. John Sleeman

23. The credit of inventing the television goes to
1. Faraday
2. Baird
3. Edison
4. Marconi

24. The credit of developing the polio vaccine goes to
1. Jonas Salk
2. Alb E. Sabin
3. Selman Waksman
4. None of these

25. Mark the wrong combination
1. James Watt: Steam Engine
2. A.G. Bell: Telephone
3. J. L. Baird: Television
4. J. Perkins: Penicillin

26. Choose the correct combination
1. Typewriter: Remington
2. Dynamite: Dunlop
3. Evolution: Darwin
4. Aeroplane: Harway

27. Who invented the ball point pen?
1. Waterman
2. Oscar
3. Wilson
4. Lazlo Biro

28. Blaze Pascal is associated with
1. Calculating machine
2. Computer
3. Cinema
4. None of these

29. Wright Brothers are regarded inventors of the
1. Balloon
2. Bicycle
3. Aeroplane
4. None of these

30. Which of the following pairs is incorrect?
1. Roentgen: X-ray
2. Newton: Law of gravitation
3. Faraday: Diffusion of gases
4. Pasteur: Bacteriology

31. Philology is the
1. Study of bones
2. Study of muscles
3. Study of architecture
4. Study of languages

32. Anatomy is the branch of science which deals with
1. Structure of animals and plants
2. Functioning of body organs
3. Animal behavior
4. Cells and tissues

33. Study of earthquakes is known as
1. Ecology
2. Seismology
3. Numismatics
4. None of these

34. Ecology deals with
1. Birds
2. Cell formation
3. Relation between Organisms and their environment
4. Tissues

35. Meteorology is the science of
1. Weather
2. Meteors
3. Metals
4. Earthquakes

36. Oncology is the study of
1. Birds
2. Cancer
3. Mammals
4. Soil

37. Study of life in outer space is known as
1. Endobiology
2. Exobiology
3. Enterobiology
4. Neobiology

38. Numismatics is the study of
1. Coins
2. Numbers
3. Stamps
4. Space

39. Eugenics is the study of
1. Altering humans beings by changing their genetic components
2. People of European origin
3. Different races of mankind
4. Genetics of plants

40. Ornithology is the
1. Study of bones
2. Study of birds
3. Study of smells
4. None of these

41. Who invented the Doctor’s thermometer?
1. Fahrenheit
2. Edison
3. Galileo
4. None of these

42. The velocity of light was first measured by
1. Einstein
2. Newton
3. Romer
4. Galileo

43. Who proposed the chemical evolution of life?
1. Darwin
2. Lammarck
3. Oparin
4. Haechel

44. The telephone was invented by
1. John Logie Baird
2. Alexander Graham Bell
3. Thomas Elva Edison
4. James Watt

45. Who among the following evolved the concept of relationship between mass and energy?
1. Einstein
2. Planck
3. Dalton
4. Rutherford

46. Match the following columns:
Column 1 Column 2
A. Radioactivity 1. Planck
B. Periodic Table 2. Thomson
C. Quantum Theory 3. Rutherford
D. X-Rays 4. Mendeleev
5. Roentgen
6. Becquerel
a. A1 B3 C5 D2
b. A6 B5 C3 D5
c. A3 B2 C1 D5
d. A6 B4 C1 D5

47. Match the following columns:
Column 1 Column 2
A. Marconi 1. Radio
B. Darwin 2. Natural selection theory
C. Laennec 3. Orthogenesis theory
D. Baird 4. Stethoscope
5. Television
a. A1 B3 C4 D5
b. A5 B4 C3 D2
c. A1 B2 C4 D5
d. A3 B5 C2 D4

48. Robert Koch worked on
1. Tuberculosis
2. Cholera
3. Malaria
4. Diabetes

49. Who discovered Uranus?
1. Herschel
2. Ganleo
3. Copernicus
4. None of these

50. Who among the following is associated with the invention of computers?
1. Edison
2. Babbage
3. Mac Millen
4. Rangabhashyam

Answers to General Science Quiz Questions

1. c 2. d 3. c 4. a 5. b
6. c 7. c 8. d 9. c 10. d
11. d 12. a 13. b 14. a 15. c
16. a 17. b 18. c 19. c 20. c
21. c 22. b 23. b 24. a 25. d
26. c 27. d 28. a 29. c 30. c
31. d 32. a 33. b 34. c 35. a
36. b 37. b 38. a 39. a 40. b
41. a 42. c 43. c 44. b 45. a
46. d 47. c 48. a 49. a 50.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Wafer-thin majority of UDF cheers none.










The wafer-thin majority of two seats in the 140-member Assembly for Congress-led UDF cheer none in the front and the people who wished to see the end of misrule of LDF for last five years. UDF won only 72 seats, crossing the magic figure of 71 required for a simple majority. It is all with Achuthanandan’s propaganda the LDF succeeded in staving off the anti-incumbency trend against the government, which was reflected in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and civic elections last year. Pinarayi and coterie have no contribution to the 68 seats of the LDF.

Oommen Chandy and company are on the way to Raj Bhavan, however, sleepless nights await Chandy. It is very tough to sail over with Virendra Kumar, Shibu Baby John, T M Jacob and all other ministerial berth mongers of the UDF.

-K A Solaman

Thursday, April 28, 2011

എസ്‌.എസ്‌.എല്‍.സി ഫലം ഇന്ന്‌ 3.30ന്‌







Posted On: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
തിരുവനന്തപുരം: എസ്‌.എസ്‌.എല്‍.സി പരീക്ഷാ ഫലം ഇന്ന്‌ വൈകിട്ട്‌ 3.30ന്‌ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിക്കുമെന്ന്‌ പൊതുവിദ്യാഭ്യാസ ഡയറക്‌ടര്‍ എ.പി.എം മുഹമ്മദ്‌ ഹനീഷ്‌ അറിയിച്ചു. നാലരയ്ക്ക്‌ പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുമെന്നായിരുന്നു നേരത്തെ അറിയിച്ചിരുന്നത്‌.
ഇന്ന്‌ ഉച്ചയ്ക്ക്‌ പരീക്ഷാ ബോര്‍ഡ്‌ യോഗം ചേര്‍ന്ന്‌ ഫലത്തിന്‌ അന്തിമരൂപം നല്‍കും.

മന്ത്രി എം.എ. ബേബി സെക്രട്ടേറിയറ്റിലെ പബ്‌ളിക്‌ റിലേഷന്‍സ്‌ ചേംബറില്‍ വാര്‍ത്താസമ്മേളനം നടത്തിയാണ്‌ ഫലം പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുക. ഉടന്‍ www.results.itschool.gov.in എന്ന പോര്‍ട്ടലില്‍ ഫലം ലഭിക്കും. മാര്‍ക്ക്‌ ഷീറ്റിന്റെ പ്രിന്റൗട്ടും കിട്ടും. പ്‌ളസ്‌വണ്‍ പ്രവേശനത്തിന്‌ അപേക്ഷിക്കാന്‍ ഈ പ്രിന്റൗട്ട്‌ മതി.

Cooment: No meaning in saying it a result. It is after all a promotion list of all students. The time 3.30pm is best suited for publication of result as it is just after 'Raahu'(1.30 to 3.30pm)
K A Solaman

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Momentous life of Sri Satya Sai Baba.





Spiritual leader Sri Sathya Sai Baba is no more. He entered into the last phase of man’s life. Many broke down in tears as his exodus gave deep sorrow to millions of followers worldwide. Celebrities expressed sadness at the Baba’s departure. Baba was a great pious personality who worked selflessly to help others. As the honourable Prime Minister pointed out “Baba’s death is an irreparable loss to all’’ especially the ailing and the poor.

He is truly the re-embodiment of god not in the sense of making rings, watches and "vibhuti" from nowhere but for making an asset of worth Rs 40000 crore from emptiness for helping the poor. His life was incredibly momentous.

K A Solaman

Thursday, April 21, 2011

RTI Act is not a cure-all



RTI Act 2005 gives citizens a right to get information from public authorities. However petitions filed against defaulters are not well attended by many commissioners functioning with the Commission. Many of them are appointed on the basis of their association with political parties and this connection reflects in most of their verdict. The illiterate and the labourers get little remedy from RTI Commission.
Persons with moral strength having no political or trade union affiliation should be considered for appointment in the post information commissioners.

K A Solaman

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The bright and the dark sides of the election







The bright side of this election is the able management of the conduct of election by Chief Electoral officer Nalini Netto. Strict adherence to Voter ID card or Election Commission issued slip is a bold step. The dark side is the mutual fight by party followers.

K A Solaman

Sunday, April 03, 2011

India-the World Champions!








Pakistan lost, Sri Lanka lost and finally India won. Indian Cricket Team will now be known as ‘The World Champions’ every time they play a One Day International. People all over the world viewed the classic event. While the affluent thousands applauded the team sitting at Mumbai Wankhade Stadium, the less privileged ones cheered before home TV and street TVs. The final game was not won because of Sachin Tendulkar but was won for Sachin Tendulkar by his young colleagues. Notably, the win spells out that Indian cricket is in safe hands under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Some prayed for India’s victory and some others for Sri Lanka in the final. Some prayers were heard and others including that of Sri Lankan President were rejected. Perhaps the Indian God discarded the prayer of Sri Lankan President against India. Nevertheless, the media hype given to this game is avoidable. The people drank thousands of gallons of liquor and spoiled their money,health and valuable time. We need an alternative game like football in the place of cricket to save the people from spoiling themselves with what is called the ‘rich man’s game’.

K A Solaman