A bouquet of links!

Past few days I have come across some links that are profound, some that are memorable and others just plain hilarious. Happiness shared is happiness multiplied and all that sentimental junk. Therefore, I put them here.

WARNING: Pursue only when you have ample time on your hands!

1) Would you like to have some coffee? I never thought that those seven words could have such powerful connotations. Here is a discussion about a female scientist who was asked for coffee by a male colleague and what followed. Of course underlying all this is the question about whether the double X and the Y chromosome can ever have a platonic relationship. (From Nanopolitan's blog)

2) Asimov has always been a perennial favourite. My deepest, darkest secret- I always wanted to be like Dr. Susan Calvin. From Arjun's blog got this amazing short story by Asimov that made me look at computers in a new light. Oooops, did I just give the ending away?

3) I like satire. One person who used to write the best satire I know, has now stopped blogging unfortunately. But then there is always David Letterman. A collection of David Letterman videos! (I actually thought I would post this as an antidote to post V-day blues.) My favourite - Ten things that would sound creepy when said by John Malkovich.

4) Also listen to the songs of Taxi No. 9211.Something different to come out of Bollywood for a change. I particularly recommend Ek Nazar Mein Bhi. I have problems with the song Azmale Azmale, when he goes, 'Beech ka parda uthale'. Huh?

Hamar blog......

Here is an article on Bhojpuri movies. about which we had a discussion some time ago.

Interesting facts

1) Two Bhojpuri movies did more buisness than Bunty Aur Babli last year.

2) Amitabh Bacchan and Hema Malini have signed up to do a Bhojpuri movie together.

3) Several foreigners have acted in Bhojouri movies including one Cambridge educated babe.

More power to the vernacular!

The Silver Lining

My experiments are not working these days and I dont know where to take them. Anyways, I will not bore you with the details.

But once in a while even a failed experiment can be a great source of pleasure. Like this one. Isn't the picture worthy of Picasso himself?

For your information that is my model system - immature fruit fly sperms!

Hilsa and other musings of the idle mind

Regular readers of the BBC may be familiar with this.

In a study carried out at Avon, it was observed that mothers with greater intake of Omega 3 fatty acids had children with more IQ. In what form did they consume this fatty acid? Oily fish!

What are oily fish? Wikipedia says that oily fish are those that have oil throughout their fillet and body cavity and not just the liver. Like a scientist you will ask, 'Give me examples, Samu!'. Oily fishes include salmon, mackerel and hold your bread.......HILSA and KATLA - the last two of which are consumed so heaviliy by the residents of Bongaland.

One wonders - is this the reason for the intellectual dominance of the Bongaland people over other less hilsa/katla loving people? Are the others doomed to wander in intellectual wilderness then?

But the tides are turning.

Recent reports indicate that the beloved hilsa is getting endangered due to pollution and heavy fishing. Will this lead to the intellectual decline of Shonar Bangla? On a more sinister note, is this a deliberate ploy on the part of the government/foreign agencies/Al-Qaeda/aliens-from-outer-space to reduce our average IQ by hitting where it matters the most?

We wait and watch.

Next: Is there a link between coconut oil fatty acids and Mallu wise cracking?

(The picture is from here.)