Speed of smell

Long back, sometime during my 9th Standard in school I and my neighborhood friend tried to find out the speed of smell. The story of that so called discovery follows!

I was sitting on the gallery watching outside. Hm… You are correct; I did not have any other better activity to do that day. I got this thought on “rate at which the smell propagates”. If we have some rational value for Speed of light and sound, why there is no such value for speed of smell? May be it is there? If it is, then sure that would be included in our physics syllabus! (Ah… I din know google at that time to key-in a search). So I assumed it is not found yet!!

At that time my friend Manoj came to my home. I told him about this thought; he was thinking for a while and asked me about experimenting it!! May not be accurately possible, but still a rough figure can be found; we decided to ditch cricket and give it a try.

We took a stop watch, a measuring tape and a perfume spray. We closed all the doors and windows. He stood some 15 feet away and once I spray the scent he will start the stop watch timer. As soon as he senses the smell he will stop the timer and note down the time taken! Repeat the process with different distance, location and perfume. We came to a consensus that this would be a nice way to start.

We took the first reading and found some X feet per second as speed. Then we started unleashing our dream devils. One devil said we will become like Newton and Einstein if we can successfully find the speed of smell. Other devil said; let’s not call the unit as feet per second. It should be in Bhojs (Bhavan + Manoj). If Kg-m/s2 is Newton and N/m2 is Pascal why not speed of smell be measured in Bhojs. Very Valid!!

M: Okay, but to do this firstly we need to get a patent after finding this Bhavan?

B: Okay Manoj, we can ask help from our Physics teachers.

M: But Bhavan, it is risky to leak this out. They would just give some minor suggestions and finally steal all credits form us. We would just be projected as their assistants. Even I heard Sir CV Raman’s Nobel Prize invention was actually his assistant’s work.

B: Sir CVR is my maternal grandmother’s relative, you know! I have heard that allegation. Or even I would say it a grapevine. But sure people are not that cheap da…

M: Which era are you in da. Majority of people are trying to use and exploit whenever possible. In my cousin brother’s company, he did some new creative work and his seniors just took the credit of it. Moreover, they presented it to the manager as their work just in front of my cousin. Only option he had was to keep mum. Never say about this to anyone da. Just be silent.

B: Hm.. Okay then, let’s carry on with readings. (But in 1 hour I leaked it out to atleast 3 people. Keeping a secret is next to impossible for Bhavan!!)

After taking five set of readings, we found there was no linearity and felt some more readings can give a clear picture. A week rolled on and at different places, different time and with different perfumes, we took a page full of data. There was much of a variation. For same distance the reading was different at different location.

Then we understood something fundamental. Unlike Sound or Light, it is not a self propagating wave. It depends on the medium that carries it (air in our case). Smell mixes witht he molecules of air and is propagated through that. If the air circulation is better, the so called speed of smell is faster. But through this I can confront anyone saying speed of sound as 330m/s. It is not always so. Again depends on the air circulation. Speed of sound varies from zero to even more than 330 m/s, depending on parameters like air circulation, composition, ect. When air circulation in nil (vacuum) the speed of sound is zero!! As air circulation varies the speed of sound will change (close to 330m/s though)!!

When I first said that the speed of sound cannot be taken just like that as 330 m/s, my physics teacher was not convinced. Rather she felt I am just thinking something crazy and wasting the time of whole class. I told it depends on the air circulation and composition of air and if the circulation or composition changes, the speed of sound will change, at least by a very meager proportion. She asked me a question after hearing me. I write the word hearing specifically because; she just heard (difference b/w hearing and understanding) what I spoke. If she would have understood, the discussion would have been different. “Bhavan, when there is heavy wind (blowing from speaker to the listener) can the listener hear the person speaking with same clarity as you hear me now (in this closed room)”. Hm… I was not having an answer that time. Rather i can put it this way too. Was not interested to discuss more! Clarity is a quality parameter of sound. It has nothing to do with the speed of sound wave. In heavy wind, there is a lot of disturbance and the clarity of the speaker’s voice is lost. Clarity rather depends on the energy of the sound created. It has nothing to do with the parameter called speed, my dear teacher!! I can prove it with a small example. Sound travels faster in steel than air. Reason: density of steel in more than that in air. When air circulation/ composition changes, the density of the medium will change and will affect the speed of propagation!!

A Corporate Lesson

I was on the final year of my graduation. As a move to help our department juniors and get them prepared for campus selection, we conducted mock placement interviews. We religiously followed the campus selection process. All the 65 people underwent a technical written test. Then we conducted GD and finally there was a technical and HR interview. Our college had MBA course and we sought help from the HR Spec students. In one panel myself, my professor and a HR student were interviewing my juniors. We recorded the whole interview in camera so that it can be discussed as case study with others and general learning points can be drafted.

One guy entered the panel and he had a decent score in written test. Also he had a fair knowledge on his area of interest. My professor was happy to pass him through technical interview. Now the HR student will be conducting the interview. She asked him some personal questions. He did quite ok.
HR Student: What’s your memorable day in Life?

Junior: What do you mean by that? Like?

HR Student: I mean the ever cherishing one, an event that you will never forget.

Junior: Well, I can just remember one incident that happened in my school days. When I was in 10th a group opposite to me got punishment from my principal blah blah blah…. and I enjoyed that thoroughly!

Finally after my junior left I saw the HR interview comments. Nothing was mentioned about this “memorable day” answer! I asked the HR student, and I got a different reply. She just told his attitude is positive for the company.

Bhavan: How come? I thought you would atleast say that was an immatured answer?

HR: Let it be. But it is good for the person who manages him. He has a good technical knowledge and you guys approved it. Also his marks reflect his commitment. His expectations are very little. He would be satisfied if his boss comes and just says “You did a good Job”. I can keep him satisfied by just giving lower perks.

It took me two and a half years of corporate life to understand what she said that day!!!

Brand Killing

It was a fine Saturday evening. I and my friend Sashi decided to watch a movie(London Dreams). We started at 8:10pm and we reached the nearest theater (Fame, Fatima Nagar, Pune) at 8:25pm. We saw a pizza hut near by and decided to have dinner before watching the movie. I went to the ticket queue and he went inside pizza hut to grab a table. I got the ticket and he was standing outside pizza hut. He had just booked a table and our waitlist number was 3. Hm… Okay even if we get a table at 8:35, it would hardly take 15 minutes to eat and anyways our movie was at 9:15. Worth waiting!!

Finally as planned we went in at 8:35. A waiter came to our table with a big grin. And here comes a conversation.

Waiter: Good evening sir! Welcome to pizza hut sir... Sir... Sir bla bla bla sir... (A sir for each sentence. Is this a fast food chain or a swish restaurant??? Anyways I thought the franchise wanted to attract local people who love such hospitality!)

Bhavan: Could you bring an Exotic Pizza and Garlic bread (Of course pizza itself is exotic to us). Also two cokes as soon as possible.

Waiter: Your order would take 20 minutes Sir.

Bhavan: Sorry. Can you please bring it in 5 minutes? We got to rush for a movie

Waiter: Not possible sir… Sir… Sir… Sir… Sir bla bla bla sir...

Sashi was smiling sarcastically… I know the reason for that smile. We many times had conversation about how a manufacturing engineer and a quality engineer would deal things. I also know he will demonstrate the “quality engineer’s” way of dealing.

Sashi: Cancel everything (Just like saying nothing has passed the quality test. Scrap everything). What ever you can bring in 5 minutes, just bring that.

Waiter: So you will be having only two cokes?

I just started laughing usuriously seeing how Sashi’s dealing became a flop! The waiter’s face became pale and to sustain the aura around I told the waiter that you have a great sense of humor! Waiter became very happy. Hm... It’s a curse that men carry! If someone says to a man that he is very humorous he would start jumping with josh to the extremes!!

Bhavan: Please bring us the previous order. But a bit quick! 20minutes is too long!

Sashi was speaking in phone to someone and I was left out with my thoughts. Its obviously not the waiter’s wish to call everyone sir 10 times. Also this hospitality is least expected from a fast food chain. All we need is to get the food in seconds! That’s the basic need and if this franchise is not meeting this expectation what is the use of hospitality. Next time I would prefer Inox to Fame. The reason is because of Mc Donald’s and Central Park near to Inox. If i should have food and if the movie starts in 10 minutes I can go to Mc D or if the movie is after 2 hrs I can spend that time in Central Park (where just to bring the bill, they take minimum 15 minutes). That’s a big positive point which Inox has.

I am not a full supporter for Mc D though. It introduced the 1minute service or free coke deal and this has been a bigger trouble, atleast to me. You either get your order within 1 minute or you stand there for next 5 minutes. If the “turn around time” for your order crosses 1 min, then 2 mins or 10 mins it just costs one coke to the franchise. The waiters will be concentrating on others who’s TAT has not crossed 1 min and you just gotta wait… I wrote this in their feedback form! Also mentioned, the deal has to be reframed as one coke for delay in each minute. Means, if you are waiting for 5 minutes you get 5 cokes :-)


Okay Let us come back to the story in pizza hut. We got the order in less than 10 minutes. Infact the guys who came before us and sitting in the neighborhood were looking at the ceiling still! Our waiter came back with the order and shared a couple of Poor Jokes… I remembered what my friend Bala told!

In this era if you want to be a successful business man, its only possible
through creating an emotional bonding with customers. Technology or innovation
can just bring great business. But sustaining is more on this emotional bonding.
It works well with any living thing for that sake!!

Even my company’s one of the core policies “Integrity” is based on what our customers (mostly US farmers) value more. WOW! I really felt it today. Unexpectedly we just appreciated our waiter’s humor sense and that did create a sense of closeness. He made sure we do not get delayed for our movie!!

Humour - (Courtesy ~ Rams and chain emails!)

Jeppiar, the chairman of Satyabama Engineering College and some other colleges (in Chennai) started his career as a police constable. He was the right hand of MGR and due to his political power he started an engineering college. He named it after MGR’s mother Satyabama. Now, enjoy these English sentences from Jeppiar . Friends they are extemely funny and you might burst into laughter. These are a few comedies about Jeppiar. Mind u. These are facts!!!!! Nice to read…read it fully..u will really enjoy it.

# About his family :
——————–
I have two daughters. Both of them are girls…(?)
# At the ground :
—————–
* All of you, stand in a straight circle.
* There is no wind in the balloon.
*The girl with the mirror please come her…{Meaning girl with specs).
# To a boy, angrily :
———————
* I talk, he talk, why you middle middle talk ?
# Giving a punishment :
———————–
* You, rotate the ground four times…
* You, go and under-stand the tree…
* You three of you, stand together separately.
* Why are you late – say YES or NO …..(?)
# Sir at his best :
——————-
Sir had once gone for a movie with his wife. By chance, he happened to see one of his students at the theatre, though the boy did not see them. So the next day at school… ( to that boy ) – “Yesterday I saw you WITH MY WIFE at the Cinema Theatre”
Inside the Class :
——————
* Open the doors of the window. Let the atmosphere come in.
* Open the doors of the window. Let the Air Force come in.
* Cut an apple into two halves – take the bigger half.
* Shhh…Quiet, boys…the principal just passed away in the corridor
* You, meet me behind the class. (meaning AFTER the class .. )
* Both of u three, get out of the class.
* Close the doors of the windows please. I have winter in my nose today
…
* Take Copper Wire of any metal especially of Silver…..
* Take 5 cm wire of any length….
********************
once jeppiar had come late to a college function, by the time the function had started, so he went to the dais, and said, sorry i am late, because on the way my car hit 2 muttons (Meaning goats).
This is the way his english will be but let me tell u some of the dialogues heard during Sathyabama college day 2001 -
“This college strict u the worry no … u get good marks, i the happy,
tomorrow u get good job, jpr the happy, tomorrow u marry i enjoy”
St joseph freshyears day 2003 -
“No ragging this college. anybody rag we arrest the police”
One of his famous sayings “girl girl talk,boy boy talk, but no boy girl talk”.

For Mani!

Mani... If i would have heard this name before June of 2007 sure my mind would visualize only the currency (Money)! My roommate in pune till Oct 4th 2009! I hardly watched 10 movies in theater till 2007. But this theater freak made me to watch close to a dozen of movies each month*** We sometimes think why not to shift from Kumar paradise to Inox or E-square theaters... A good soul helped a lot in my self realization journey! We have had a lot of arguments, fights and many days have gone without exchange of words... Many great and ever cherishing moments as well. We challenged our maturity frequently and i confess we both have lost miserably!

We have a lot in common.. For instance i did not cry when my grandmother passed away.. I was her first and favourite grandson and to me she was more than my mother! Mani had a grandfather and when he expired he did not cry!! Demonic aren't we... Yes for the sensible world! We actually did a transformation of energy that works well for the laziest of mankind! We did not cry but we kept all the feelings inside and did achieve what they wanted us to be and what would make our raisers proud! He has shown a lot of caring in me like an elder bro and Bhavan never liked others' caring and sympathy... but actually loved his way! Many time he has perfectly demonstrated the Big B atti! If i speak with X what the heck causes you pain da...

He ofcourse has a deep worry! Our age difference is close to 4 yrs and he wittingly feels i don't give him the respect for age!! So let me write "Mani Anna".. Poruma DAAA!! Great knowing you Mani Hariharan...

A Poem that inspired me to a greater extent.. Suppose to be written sometime b/w 300BC to 300AD.

__________________________

யாதும் ஊரே, யாவரும் கேளிர்,

தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா,

நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன

சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே, வாழ்தல்

இனிதுஎன மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே, முனிவின்

இன்னாது என்றலும் இலமே, பின்னொடு

வானம் தண் துளி தலைஇ ஆனாது

கல் பொருது இரங்கும் மல்லல் பேர்யாற்று

நீர்வழிப் படுஉம் புணைபோல் ஆருயிர்

முறைவழிப் படுஉம் என்பது திறவோர்

காட்சியின் தெளிந்தனம் ஆதலின் மாட்சியின்

பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே,

சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே.

(கணியன் பூங்குன்றன், புற நானூறு, 192).

In English:

To us all towns are one, all men our kin,

Life's good comes not from others' gifts, nor ill,

Man's pains and pain's relief are from within,

Death's no new thing, nor do our blossoms thrill

When joyous life seems like a luscious draught.

When grieved, we patient suffer; for, we deem

This much-praised life of ours a fragile raft

Borne down the waters of some mountain stream

That o'er huge boulders roaring seeks the plain

Tho' storms with lightning's flash from darkened skies.

Descend, the raft goes on as fates ordain.

Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !

We marvel not at the greatness of the great;

Still less despise we men of low estate.

Kaniyan Poongundran, Purananuru - 192(Translated by G.U.Pope, 1906)

A Good Conversation!

A Bit of Background Information: 1998, Summer holiday – I just passed my 7th Grade in School.
It was a good summer vacation and as usual I was in my Grand Parent’s home. Unexpectedly I was joined to a meditation course by my dad’s old man! It was an ashram in mid of a vast garden surrounded by few water bodies. I expected a very old man in a saffron dress with long beard as I saw the outlook of that ashram. But my guess was 66.66% correct. He was a very old man with long white beard, but just wearing a simple white dress. He was my grand dad’s friend (through some RSS link) and he spent a considerable part of his life in Japan. It was really a great experience that shaped my life and what follows is one of the conversations we had during that experience!

I started from my home with my grandfather and he dropped me at the entrance. From there till the ashram it was close to a mile, which I have to walk. I was the last one to enter inside the hall like how it happens daily. He was in middle of the lecture to some 10 odd disciples and I just crept in without any shame. It extended for a long time today and each day’s lecture will be more interesting than the previous day’s. I was the only kid there and so I had no reservations to ask questions. I was just eagerly waiting to ask him few of my doubts even on that day. He is a good mind reader and asked me if the questions can wait till the meditation session is over. There is a record which repeats “ahhhh - uuumm” for some 100minutes and we meditate sitting on our legs, folded behind as shown in that picture.

After the session was over few people said they saw a blue light and some saw different colour lights. I saw nothing because I was not meditating. I cannot sustain for more than 10 minutes. Some or the other thoughts always come inside my mind and again i will start fresh.

So this became my first question to Guruji when we met after the meditation session. At what stage of Meditation will I see a blue light in between my eyebrows? I was hoping he will say some kind of percentage data. He asked me, “Why are you here?”

Me: I don’t know. My grandfather joined me here

Guruji: Why did he join you here?

Me: May be because I am unmanageable at home and he wants to reduce his responsibility atleast for the day time (in a humorous sense)

Guruji: I was told your temper is becoming uncontrollable and you are easily getting bogged down seeing initial failures. Also you have less interest to study? He wants to try if meditation can be of some help.

Me: What else did he say????

Guruji: That is not the point. So if this meditation can help you in channelizing your mind and if it can control your anger and make you concentrate on your studies, I would say it is a success.

Me: How do you measure it then? Can you tell me with some examples?

Guruji: That you will have to tell me. You have been here for this whole vacation and do you feel any difference because of this? Is there any change observed!

Me: I don’t see any major changes.

Guruji: I do see but! The question you asked “How to measure it” shows there is some change as expected. You joined here without any vision of what you need and why you are doing this meditation without spending the vacation just playing and having fun with friends. But now you atleast like to quantify something that you were doing the whole 30 plus days. It is indeed a start of mind’s channelization towards objectives.

Me: Who are the best mediators? What objectives did they achieve?

Guruji: I learnt this meditation from Japan and I was told Japanese are the best, especially the Samurais.

Me: The Ancient Warriors, right?

Guruji: They represent the warrior clan in Japan and the Japanese are said to invent the martial arts and swordsmanship through very deep meditation.

Me: How can that be an outcome of meditation? Isn’t that a bloodthirsty person’s aid?

Guruji: So what? Meditation will be of use to what you want. One has different objectives and meditation will help in achieving that. Their mind will be focused on this objective. Meditation is just a tool to channelize your mind and the results will reflect in daily life and it is upto the person in using his channelized mind.

Me: But won’t meditation change or refine their mind from a wrong way to the right way?

Guruji: You are too young to understand this. But I will try telling to you since you brought this up. There is nothing right or wrong. Whatever you feel like doing and if it is beneficial for a bigger group then it will evolve as a right thing and vice versa for a wrong thing. Doing the same thing eventually will cause boredom and that time to keep the life interesting the wise ones will do a different thing. Others will enjoy a bored life!

Me: Ok. So do you mean to say nothing is wrong?

Guruji: Yes. You can do anything. But doing mutually beneficial thing will keep you at a proper position in the society. They usually call the other acts which do not have any benefit to groups as unethical! So the degree of wrongness depends on the position that you seek in society!

My grandfather came back to take me home. He too said there has been some better change in my behavior. With that they both started talking something else and I will be returning back to Coimbatore in a couple of days.
After that summer vacation I never met him! My grandfather sometime says he enquired about me and also wished a very good future. As years passed, both my grand father and grand mother left this world. I reduced my visits to meet my relatives and cousins there. Eight years passed and I did not get a chance to meet my Guru. I decided I will meet him this year and went there with full of eagerness. There was no ashram and a big concrete structure like a palace stood there. I was informed by the security that he passed away two years back and his sons sold that property to some other person! He brought in some marvelous changes in me. Till my 7th grade, I almost fail in all subjects except History (my mom is a history professor) and Mathematics (never below 90%). But this meditation eventually brought me into Honour roll! I now know how to control and direct my mind towards achieving some objectives. I know what to do so that my mind will stop longing for something. Thanks for everything! I wanted to reintroduce myself and tell these things along with lot many things that happened in that eight odd years to the person who helped me knowing my mind! I don’t want to blame my fortune. I am convincing my mind whenever it asks me why you didn’t meet him before!! Still I feel its agony in this aspect! Memories still come in whenever I meditate.....

Why food courts are crowded in malls?

The other day, an economist, spent some time at a shopping mall where he observed interesting consumer behaviour. The food court was more crowded than the other shops. Why do people spend more money at the food court than at other shops?
Behavioural economics can throw some light on the subject. Suppose you visit a shopping mall on a Saturday evening with your family. Your intention is to spend a nice evening and not much money. Of course, your intention is never achieved — at least, not when it comes to visiting malls with your family!
You climb more than a dozen shops but refuse to cow down and buy stuff ranging from exotic toys, designer clothes, organic-foods to brain-stimulating books. You feel wretched for not buying enough stuff at the mall. Your not buying enough was an economic decision. Goods are after all more expensive at the mall.
Reason to dine
Then, there is the food court. We feel hungry when we are at the mall. “Grabbing a bite” is part of mall experience. Again, prices are expensive compared with restaurants outside. But the absolute prices are lower than, say, buying designer clothes or toys. And that is a compelling reason to spend.
For some, dining at the mall is a way to pacify a family that was moderated in its consumerism. Remember, you mentally debited some money into recreation account when you decided to visit the mall. Not having spent much on designer-wear and other (unwanted?) stuff compels you to spend at least some money at the mall. So you dine, which requires lower absolute outlay.
Good day of consumerism
These factors, perhaps, explain for the large crowd at the food court. The phenomenon is the same in India as in North America.
What of those who splurge on exotic goods at the mall and yet go to the food court? These people have already spent lot of money. Eating at the food court simply rounds off a good day of consumerism! Either way, the food court is busy. And that makes it a good business proposition!
Courtesy: Business Line
Thought for the day: After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box - Italian Proverb

Patriot

Is Patriotism a Natural Feeling?

Why should i love just the soil if there is no Love between fellow Homo Sapient. A question that was provoked when i met a group of Army men. They said they fight, kill the enemy(who has the same mind, soul, even the same blood flowing in veins) and sometime die to protect the borders and citizen of this country! Is that an act of pride and honour? If we are a five sense animal, it is absolutely agreeable. After living with the gifted sixth sense for thousands of years why is this insecurity and fear still exist? Why is killing on battle ground appreciated and honoured?

A new born baby is so pure and Blissful. As it grows it takes up some position in society. It becomes an adult working on Cutting edge technology(Ctr+X/C/V), a scientist, a doctor, a rebel like me, terrorist, and many... As the baby grows it thrives to gain something called a respectful position in the society by sacrificing its Bliss. The environment moulds the baby with its two great tools. Fear and Guilt! In some religion it is even said, we are born as human beings because of the mistakes that we did somewhere?? But my religion is so diversified and if can speak something fuzzy i will be accepted as a Guru! One of the scriptures says "Humans are Brahmans!" the representation of God(s). Similar to what "Conversations with God" series tells us. What about Lions, Tigers, Deers & other animals? Are they the angels? There are no answers to these thoughts! But the point is if i am Brahman why should i have fear and guilt of doing anything! All i know is i have lost my natural feeling and Bliss that i had during infancy and stand before the world as a human follows some duties religiously to earn daily bread, suppress my natural feelings again because of fear and guilt, just fool around abandoning my soul and do what pleases the society! What is best then? If am here for some 70 plus years(optimistically!) should i have to live a life that is like prison. Do some work so as to keep myself busy and just pass the days? Again this has no one word answer!

Swami Vivekananda once said give me 100 young men. I will change the fate of this COUNTRY. Even he was narrow minded to think only about country. Give me 100 expert Psychologists! There has to be a way to induce the feeling of true and fool proof love upon other creatures in this world which will bring what is called Bliss on earth. I don't hate to visit a Pakistani restaurant in US and the waiter will not give me a week back rotten egg! People do not hunt other creatures just for fun! They use advance tissue growing technology that still produces meat without committing animals. People start loving other people and animals, no VISA requires to visit other country, eventually it is just the world as one, understand there is nothing equivalent to restoring and sustaining freedom and just moving towards the feeling of love on everything. A true patriot is the one who tries to establish this Bliss! I call ALL those who have love for other beings on this planet as Patriots!