Tell us two truths and a lie about yourself.
1. I am soft spoken.
2. I am a theist.
3. I dress well.
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Tell us two truths and a lie about yourself.
1. I am soft spoken.
2. I am a theist.
3. I dress well.
Posted at 01:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
There are some lessons that childbirth/child rearing teaches you:
1. Your threshold of shame/modesty is lower than you believed it was; what with every Mary, Sue and Sally prodding and poking into you on the labor bed.
2. The equatorial bulge is here to stay, and the exercise merely keeps it from getting any larger.
3. It is absolutely possible to pause eating a hearty meal, clean a dirty rear, and resume the hearty meal.
4. The only time you sit during a day is on the potty. And you drink a lot of water, so that you can have that one-minute sitting time more often.
5. It is not shameful to grovel for some measly computer time to your child.
6. You can carry out entire conversations with two or more people, one or more of which is/are your kid(s) and actually communicate meaningfully with an adult, provided the adult is a parent too.
7. You forget that people can actually arrive on time for any scheduled event.
8. You forget that people can actually pee or poop or take a bath without a miniature human being peering in.
9. You can have earworms of nursery rhymes and it does not drive you crazy.
10. How much ever you are an khadhi-toting, vegetarian, bicycle-driving environment-freak, you are secretly thankful for diapers (and feel guilty about it).
Posted at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Do you know any war veterans?
Submitted by Fightin' 6th Marines.
No. But I have a friend whose brother was (still is?) in the Indian Navy, and for a long time I felt quite proud that I knew someone who knew someone who was protecting the nation :)
Posted at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Here is my daughter's grocery list. By virtue of being her personal secretary, in addition to mom, I wrote it down in long hand as she dictated the list.
1. Eucalupstub thailam: half kilo
2. Dettol: Half kilo
3. Soap: Rs. 3
4. Vegetables: 9
5. 92 kg onion (costing Rs. 1)
6. Urad Dal 2 kg.
7. Dosa batter: quarter kilo
8. Jeeragam: half kilo
9. Rice, half kilo, costing Rs. 2
10. Curd: Rs. 3
11. Stove (?!): 3 kg
12. Butter milk: Rs. 2
13. Coconut oil: Rs. 1
14. Castor oil: Rs. 10
Posted at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
I think I am just a very simple woman. Or pathetic !
This last couple of months, I have been craving for an ice cream. And when I say craving, I mean drooling, yearning, longing, pining, dying. And I have a family that is out-of-phase with me on that. The husband and daughter just have to hear the word ice-cream, and what would follow include, in the that order, a few dozen sessions of sneezing, a couple of noses that would require a heavy duty plunger to unclog, four bottles of of cetrizine, full cough, dry cough, and a very stressed woman in the house.
So, go and eat alone? Ice cream, like misery, digs company. What use is an ice cream if you cannot savor it with someone you love, or at least like reasonably well, or at least get along with, or at least live in the same city as you? So anyway, this friend of mine, another mom of preschooler and I finally got around to getting about half an hour free time around 10.00 PM, after both our children had miraculously slept in sync. I am not sure if I need to mention that we had been planning on this mom-date for almost three and a half years now, which coincidentally is how old my daughter is. So, we sneaked out to our local coffee parlor for the ice cream. Leaving our respective husbands holding the babies.
The hot chocolate fudge sundae with Backstreet Boys in the background (alright, my taste in "Western music" is not all that sophisticated) made my day. And at the end of the 20 minute date with the sundae, I was an altered woman. I actually laughed aloud. Can you believe it? LAUGHED? And ALOUD? And at some silly joke cracked by friend? We all but rolled on the floor laughing, until the guys in the shops considered dialing for security.
It takes very little to please me, it seems.
Posted at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Dare to imagine carrying extra water on that cross-country drive to POWER YOUR CAR? It may not be that far-fetched, for all you know.
The increasing rapid consumption of oil all over the world has led even the most generous predictions to conclude that the current known oil reserves will be exhausted sometime towards the end of this century (perhaps even much earlier than that, if you are a pessimist - or would that be realist?). Hydrogen is being increasingly considered as the only viable and cleaner alternative to fossil fuel because it is renewable, does not involve greenhouse gases and above all, liberates large amounts of energy per unit weight in combustion (120 MJ/kg for hydrogen as against 46.4 MJ/kg for Automotive gasoline). Hydrogen-fueled power sources such as the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are on the edge of commercialization and are being held back by the lack of availability of a reliable and consistent hydrogen source. If a "hydrogen economy" is to be realized, extensive research is needed in the cost-effective generation of hydrogen from commonly available sources.
Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources utilizing several different production technologies. "Splitting of water" seems to be the most attractive approach towards producing hydrogen from water as it is a non-polluting, wasteless, renewable method of hydrogen (and hence energy) production. Splitting of water requires energy input, and this energy may supplied by fossil-fuel (negating the whole purpose of the hydrogen economy), heat (generation of which requires fossil fuel again), microorganisms (hydrogen-evolving enzymes or even certain algae) or LIGHT. Now, LIGHT seems like a bright idea (pun intended), provided it is feasible. And what's more, it IS.
In the Photoelectrochemical (PEC) process a suitable material absorbs light, resulting in the generation of electron-hole pairs, and thus serves as a photoelectrode. This material is most often a semiconductor that has its band gap matching the energy of the photons. These electrons and holes are consumed at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
While the approach seems neat and tidy, it is not without its own hiccups. The “Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies (HFCIT) Multiyear Program Plan” of the US-DoE lists the following challenges in the implementation of photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation.
Semiconductor photoelectrodes such as TiO2 with a demonstrated high efficiency in splitting water have large band gaps and only make use of the ultraviolet portion of the solar spectrum. Given that less than 2.5% of solar radiation reaching the earth is UV, the practical efficiency for water-splitting using TiO2 is below 0.5%, On the other hand, semiconductors with smaller band gaps that better match the solar spectral distribution, such as WO3, Fe2O3, CeO2, ZnO and ZnS either corrode or become inert in the aqueous media. Gallium indium phosphide that has a favorable band gap of 1.8-1.9 eV suffers from band edges that are too negative to effect photoelectrolysis, and susceptibility to corrosion in aqueous medium.
Current research in the the field involve attempts at reducing the bandgap of TiO2. Some promising approaches have been doping the titanium dioxide with nitrogen, carbon or narrower bandgap semiconductors such as metal sulphides. Carbon doping, for example has been found to increase total conversion efficiency to 11% with visible irradiation. Nanotechnology has also come to aid the charge transfer between the semiconductor and the electrolyte. Group III–V compounds such as CIGS with band gap matching visible radiation have also been studied for the application and found to have a PEC efficiency of 4.29%.
We are a long way from achieving satisfactory efficiencies for immediate technology transfer. But with nanotechnological developments and materials chemistry tweaks, we may get there eventually. So, instead of "Gas filling stations" we may actually have "Water filling stations" on that cross country highway.
And they may be called "Car pools".
References
G. W. Crabtree, M. S. Dresselhaus, M. V. Buchanan, Physics Today, 39 (Dec 2004)
M. Ni, M.K.H, Leung, K. Sumathy, D.Y.C. Leung, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 31, 10, 1401 (2006)
C. E. Pryor, W. H. Lau, M. A. Berding, D. B. MacQueen, Z. G. Yu, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc/, 885E (2006)
H. A. Finklea, Semiconductor Electrodes (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1998).
K. W. Böer, Survey of Semiconductor Physics, Van Nostrand Reinhold: New York, 1990.
O. Khaselev, J. A. Turner, J. Electrochem. Soc. 316, 57 (1991).
S. S. Kocha, J. A. Turner, A. J. Nozik, Electroanal. Chem. 27, 367 (1994).
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P. V. Kamat. Chem. Rev. 93, 267-300 (1993)
A. Gorzkowska-Sobasa, E. Kusiorb, M. Radeckaa, K. Zakrzewska, Surface Science, Article in Press (2006)
S. Barazzouk, S. Hotchandani, Journal of Applied Physics, 96, 12, 7744 (2004)
T. Ohno, F. Tanigawa, K. Fujihara, S. Izumi, M. Matsumura, J. Photochem. Photobiol.A 127, 107 (1999)
M. .K. Nazeeruddin, P. Péchy,, M.Grätzel, Chem. Commun. 48, 1705 (1997)
J. Papp, H-S. Shen, R.Kershaw, K.Dwight, A.Wold, Chem. Mater.5 , 284 (1993)
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A. Fujishima, T.N. Rao and D.A. Tryk J. Photochem. Photobiol. C 1 1 (2000),
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M. Paulose, G. K. Mor, O. K. Varghese, K. Shankar, C. A. Grimes,
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 178, 8 (2006)
X. Zhang, et al., J. Electrochem. Soc. 148, G398-G400 (2001)
S. Yoo, S.A. Akbar, K.H. Sandhage, , Adv. Mater. 16, 260 (2004)
T.Y. Peng, A. Hasegawa, J.R. Qiu, K. Hirao, Chem. Mater. 15, 2011 (2003)
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UPDATE ON June 15th, 2007: Richard Eisenberg at Rochester has recently reported a platinum-based complex that can photochemically generate hydrogen from water. Read about it here.
Posted at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
What item(s) do you have to prevent yourself from buying at the grocery store?
Submitted by Places Unknown.
Chocolate, mainly. Icecream. Condensed milk :)
Posted at 07:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
There is still hope ! Proud Chennai-ites (or "Madrasis", as we old-timers like to refer to ourselves) could probably save the earth by an hour or two.
The Tamil Nadu Government has set a January 2008 deadline for petrol-driven autorickshaws in the capital city to switch to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This is not a unique development. LPG has been commonly used to run automobiles in a few other countries for a few years now, it seems. All taxis in Tokyo run on "autogas". In Italy more than a million vehicles run on LPG, as do half-a-million vehicles in Australia. In France, there are tax exemptions for LPG taxis and buses. Even in India, LPG-fueled vehicles are not that rare, despite absence of Government regulations thus far. Driving schools use LPG powered cars to teach students (at least the one that taught me, did !). All autorickshaws in Bangalore and Delhi run on LPG. The Indian car-maker, Maruti Udyog Ltd. rolled out the country's first LPG-powered car - WagonR Duo, last year.
LPG is a mixture of propane, butane, ethane, methane, and other gases, that can be liquified on application of moderate pressure. The main advantages of LPG over liquid petroleum/diesel include cost savings (LPG is HALF as expensive as petrol, and gives better mileage) and environmental safety (LEAD FREE, Negligible NOx/CO emissions !). In 2004, the European Emissions Testing Programme confirmed the environmental benefits and credentials of LPG as vehicle fuel. LPG vehicles have been reported to emit one-third fewer reactive organic gases than gasoline-fueled vehicles. Nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions are also 20% and 60% less, respectively. Detractors of LPG fuelled vehicles claim that LPG possesses an energy content 70–75% that of gasoline. However, LPG’s high octane rating (around 105) enables the engine’s power output and fuel efficiency to be increased beyond what would be possible with a gasoline engine without substantial knocking, more than compensating for the lower energy density.
Although LPG, like liquid gasoline (petrol/diesel) works well in four-stroke-configuration, they require very different combustion conditions. Thus, an engine system designed for gasoline would not meet the required conditions for LPG operation. Converting a gasoline engine into an LPG engine essentially involves the following modifications:
1. Introduction of an LPG storage tank usually in the boot or under the floor in bigger vehicles. (The LPG-run cars used by the driving school that trained me, had a cooking gas cylinder in the boot to fuel it - a definite NO-NO, from a safety viewpoint). This tank is usually fitted with an automatic fill control to ensure the safe fill limit of 80%, the extra space necessary for expansion of the LPG with temperature changes.
2. Introduction of a converter/regulator to control and regulate the phase change of the fuel from liquid to gaseous vapour.
3. Installation of a special air/fuel mixer to ensure the correct mixture of LPG and air during combustion.
4. Fitting of a fuel lock to cut off the fuel supply as soon as the ignition is turned off.
In India, conversion into LPG engine costs in the range of Rs. 18,000. The auto-driver who dropped me back home today was definitely not as enthusiastic as I was, when questioned about the Government directive. The driver observed that while it was all well that such a directive would indeed improve the air we breathe, supportive measures such as subsidies for engine conversion, and loan facilities would make it less stifling for them.
Will the Tamil Nadu Government consider this plea?
Comments @ nOnoscience
Lakshmi writes on nOnoscience about the advantages of using LPG and the dilemma faced by Chennai auto drivers In India, conversion into LPG engine costs in the range of Rs. 18,000. The auto-driver who dropped me back home today was definitely not as
[…] a later post, Lakshmi describes all the good things that will happen when autorickshaws in Chennai convert to LPG engines: … The main advantages of LPG over liquid petroleum/diesel include cost savings (LPG is HALF […]
Subsidies are a bad economic idea in most cases. Setting up appropriate tax incentives (do rickshaw drivers pay taxes?) and attractive financing options would be a much better one. Switching to LPG has made a huge difference in Delhi, so it’s a step that needs to be taken.
I shouldn’t be commenting on this as I drive a petrol-guzzler.
I guess those like me living in the more backward areas will have to wait a few more years for this
I have a doubt though….
Will the notorious Chennai Autokkarans charge a little more than their
usual more-than-the-meter-rate because of the increased expenditure
that they’ll be forced to bear for the conversion?
Deepak, Autowallas do not pay taxes. Some of them pay rent on their vehicles to owners. As Vijay commented, in the absence of subsidy, the poor consumer (usually myself) would have to bear the cost of conversion in the form of higher auto fares
Vijay, Chennai Autokkarans are known to grab any excuse to jack up the fare - LPG: higher fare, Roads are bad: higher fare, National Budget session: higher fare, Hot weather: higher fare, Monsoon: higher fare, I sneeze: higher fare, HE sneezes: higher fare ! And if you are new to the city, you could as well write off all your ancestral property to take an auto ride from the railway station to our home
Lakshmi, I know what you mean.
I lived for a few months in 1996 in Mogappair Road with a few friends.
My cousin (a businessman) used to visit us often during his frequent
trips to Chennai. Because of the unplanned nature of most of his trips,
he used to travel in the unreserved compartments in trains from
Coimbatore. He used to spend more than three times the train fare for
getting to Mogappair from Central by auto
I guess with inflation and the current petrol prices, my ancestral
property might just barely cover the to & fro journey from Central
to IIT.
All
said and done, there are no LPG filling stations even at district HQs.
If I fit LPG to my car, I will have to go 55 km to Trichy (from
Thanjavur) to fill the tank!
I think autorickshaws at Delhi run on CNG not LPG. Further, WagonR Duo
is a duel fuel car- run by petrol as well as LPG. It is not yet
“country’s first LPG-powered car, since it is not powered solely by
LPG. One more point, the petrol used in India is unleaded.
Subrahmanya,
It will take time in the other cities. Chennai has about 14 LPG filling
stations. I am surprised that Trichy even has even one. I will
certainly give it a couple more years to catch on.
Delhi vehicles run both on CNG and LPG, it seems. Deepak may have more reliable information there.
I believe most (not all!) LPG cars (anywhere in the world) are dual
powered. It will remain so until people are totally weaned off petrol
by choice or compulsion.
Petrol used by some seedy bunks in Chennai, have all sorts of junk in them, I know from experience. But I agree, regulated petrol in India IS lead-free.
If Arunn were to be at Srirangam, I wouldn’t have minded going to Trichy often to fill LPG!
Not all autos in Bangalore run on LPG. Maybe 10% (thats what I think it is)
AFAIK, this is because there are only a couple of LPG filling stations, and that too, towards the city’s outskirts. Just making autos switch to LPG if you don’t provide fuel serves no purpose
In Bangalore, I don’t think there is a Govt. backed directive, people do it out of their own interest, so there is lack of interest in supplying the fuel. In Chennai, considering that the Govt. directs the show, LPG suppliers are bound to crop up to cash in. Or so one would hope.
Sooner or later, the world will turn to LNG (before turning to something else). It may not be for environmental reasons though, which is unfortunate, but because of availability reasons. Looking at reserves today, gas has a better future, even in the wake of exponential increase in demand when compared with conventional fuels today. (Disclaimer: I work for Shell and we have a thing called “The future is gas” tagline running right now. I’m sure you’ll find more just by Googling for it.)
Check out this latest article in The Hindu !
There is an interesting article in National Geographic about Bio Fuels:
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-10/biofuels/biofuels.html
There seem to be lots of alternatives to fossil fuels but are still not as green as they like them to be.
Posted at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Show us what wakes you up in the morning.
Submitted by Rob.
Posted at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
I am a hot babe these days. No, not the bikini clad, attitude maro-ing babe. Thermally hot babe.
The temperature in Madras has been hovering around 110 F this past week. 100 is fine with me, having been born and brought up in this wonderful town, 105 is bearable, 108 is ok, so long as you are inside the house. But 110 is a bit too much, even for the die-hard Madrasi such as yours truly. I hate the thought of going to the kitchen to fix meals. I even hate to get out of the bed room which is the only room that has air conditioner.
I wonder if the climate has really deteriorated over the years (global warming etc.), or the weather has been the same, but the body has become intolerant of the heat. I don't remember having felt this hot as a kid. Heck, I learned to ride a bicycle during peak summer afternoons, when I remember the tar would stick to my shoes and to the tires of the "hour cycle" that I would hire for Rs 1/hour. When I was in ninth class, a friend (Priya Chander - anyone knows her whereabouts?) and I would walk all the way from her house in T. Nagar to our computer class (that taught BASIC, and we would feel high and mighty programming in BASIC, for crying out loud !) at Nandanam, AT NOON. And I don't remember being bothered even once by the sun. (However, I distinctly remember being chased by her dog, Blacky, and having tasted eggs for the first time in my life at her house).
Is my low thermal tolerance a side-effect of aging? It may be mentioned that while I was at Syracuse a decade ago, the first winter (when the temperature dropped down to far far far below freezing, that even your saliva almost froze on your lips) did not bother me much, but subsequently, even Fall (where many of the locals would still be in sleeveless tank tops and shorts) would make my scurry for my monkey cap and snow boots !
Sometimes I think it is just me. Arunn is oblivious to the weather (usually he is oblivious to everything but his thoughts), and although he would be sweating like a broken hose, he would claim to be "mildly uncomfortable". And my three and a half year old is a classic example of Nirvana. She would be standing in the middle of the pavement, away from any sort of shade, with the sun right overhead, carrying on entire conversations with the lady at the opposite house, and just watching her in that heat would give me a stroke.
Why is it that some people are so intolerant to discomfort and pain, while others are apparently made of buffalo hide? Must be a genetic thing...
Posted at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am
over the world has led even the most generous predictions to conclude that the current known oil reserves will be exhausted sometime towards the end Posted in nOnoscience ([IMG View Technorati URL search] 138 links from 55 sites) by ommachi [IMG] Visit Source
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:18 am
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