Dreams 2047 Feb 2011 English

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Dream 2047, February 2011, Vol. 13 No. 5

Editorial

E-mail: [email protected]

Editor : Er Anuj Sinha

Address for Vigyan Prasar, C-24,

correspondence : Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110 016

Tel : 011-26967532; Fax : 0120-2404437

e-mail : [email protected]

website : http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in

Vigyan Prasar is not responsible for the statements and opinions

expressed by the authors in their articles/write-ups published in

Dream 2047

Articles, excerpts from articles published in Dream 2047 may

be freely reproduced with due acknowledgement/credit, provided

periodicals in which they are reproduced are distributed free.

Published and Printed by Dr. Subodh Mahanti on behalf of Vigyan Prasar, C-24, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110 016 and Printed at Aravali

Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd., W-30, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi-110 020. Ph : 011-26388830-32 Editor: Er Anuj Sinha

o Anuj Sinha

An advisory note has been prepared

by the Committee on Freedom andResponsibility in the Conduct of Science.This was drafted when the committeeconvened about three months back in Bogota,Colombia to reflect on the responsibility ofscientists for effective communication ofthe research they do. International Councilof Science Unions has constituted thiscommittee and has circulated the advisorynote for consultation and debate.

The glaring disconnect betweenperception of the common man and theresearch in universities and laboratories is

worrying the scientific community. Thisrealisation is an important step and thecharter to the committee is therefore veryimportant and timely. A more activist camphas been arguing that scientists have themoral responsibility to publicly discuss thesocial implications of their research and thismust include warnings of potential dangers.

There are complexities anduncertainties in communicating science as

well as new opportunities, as the electronicand digital media television, radio, internet,

CD ROMs, etc. become accessible. Mostscientists have remained silent about theirwork even in sectors where the public has beeneager to understand a natural phenomena ora man-made development. This has givenspace to political commentators to debate onsubjects with inadequate comprehension ofthe subject or description of the implicationsof the work or emphasis on trivial issues whilethe major issues have attracted inadequateattention. Only scientists, however, can bestdescribe the importance of their work andhow research is conducted; the ways how

Why should scientistscommunicate with lay persons?

funds are sourced; the impact of their work;

and the importance of peer review.The debates on GM foods,

environmental clearances for large projectsand energy generation based on nuclearroute in the last few years have beenengaging the public in India as well as manyother societies. Commentaries in the printand electronic media have largely beenmonopolised by a few who are basing theirarguments on selected data and ideologicalinterpretation. There may be vested interestsbehind the reports designed to create a biasin the reader/ viewer for strategic gains. An

informed public would be empowered toanalyse such reports and reach their ownconclusions.

Improving the level of understandingof science among the lay people is achallenge. Very few scientists social ormaterial are trained in the various stagesof such a study. We have not given adequateattention to developing expertise among theyouth for developing a self-enlarging systemof research, publications, mentors, institutes,etc., in this area.

A social science academy deliberatedon this among other issues at Guwahati inDecember last. The sentiments expressedby the delegates at seminars, symposiaand plenaries need to be formalised intoresolutions for specific institutions anddepartments for action. Outreach of scienceand technology was discussed because of theimportance it has acquired over the last twodecades.

Scientists must overcome negativefeelings for journalists even if earlierexperience has been not always positive.

Journalists must obtain the views oscientists and researchers and present theselogically without tilting statements to allowmisinterpretation.

The advisory note by the Committeeon Freedom and Responsibility proposesdraft guidelines on effective communicationPapers in research journals do not test skillsneeded for reaching out to the non-specialistThis is a responsibility towards the public whoultimately support civil, strategic, or defenceresearch. Achieving a balance betweencomplacency and alarm, when commentingon emergency developments, is emphasisedIt calls for training in communicationsto be made a key component of scienceeducation.

Perhaps, the last recommendationshould form a component in formal sciencecourses at universities, as has been adoptedin Business Administration or Law. Is therean opportunity for Vigyan Prasar and othersuch central organisations to give the issue

an early consideration and shape an initiativethat meets the requirement of the communityand is attractive to active scientists?

The scientific community is willing toview science communication as an integrapart of its responsibility. The professionalsocieties and science academies can take alead in the process. Institutional and othersupport would be possible from VigyanPrasar.

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Alfred Werner was the first Swiss citizenand also the first inorganic chemist towin the Nobel Prize (1913). He was awardedthe Nobel Prize in recognition of his workon the linkage of atoms in molecules, by

which he has thrown fresh light on oldproblems and opened new fields of research,

particularly in inorganic chemistry. It wasWerners coordination theory which formedthe basis for modern coordination chemistry.His work on the spatial relationships of atomsin inorganic complexes led to the foundationof inorganic stereochemistry. In fact, Wernerfor the first time demonstrated that thestereochemistry is a general phenomenon andnot merely confined to organic chemistry.

Coordination chemistry is a branchof chemistry that describes the chemistry ofmetals and metal ions in their interaction

with other molecules or ions. A coordination

complex (also called metal complex) usuallyrefers to a structure containing a centralatom or ion (usually of a metal) bonded to anumber of molecules or anions called ligandsor complexing agents. The particular atomof the ligand involved in direct bonding withthe central atom or ion is called the donoratom. A ligand can donate more than onepair of electrons.

A coordination compound is acompound that contains a coordination

complex. The terms coordination complexand coordination compound are oftensynonymously used. It may be noted thatthe terms coordination compound andcoordination complex are somewhatflexible in the sense that their meanings have

evolved and changed with the developmentof inorganic chemistry.

The term coordination refers tothe coordinate covalent bonds betweenthe ligands and the central atom or ion. In

coordinate covalent bonds a ligand donateselectrons from a lone pair into an emptymetal atom orbital. There can be organicligands; for example, alkenes whose pbonds can coordinate to empty metal atomorbitals. Zeises salt K+[PtCl

3(C

2H

4)]- is a

coordination complex in which ethane, anorganic group, acts as ligand.

Many metal complexes have spectaculacolours and are used as pigments. Such

spectacular colours result from the electronictransitions by the absorption of lightChemists were familiar with coordinationcomplexes like Prussian blue and coppervitriol much before they understood theirchemical nature.

Werner was born on 12 Decembe1866 in a small town of Mulhouse(Mulhausen) in Alsace (which was then partof France but it was annexed by Germany in1871). His father J. A. Werner was a foundry

worker and locksmith and his mother waSalome Jeanette Werner (neeTesche). At an

early age Werner developed an interest inchemistry.

Werner began his education inMulhouse; first at the Ecole Libre deFeres (1872-1878) and then at the EcoleProfesionelle (1878-1885). The latte

was a technical school, where he studiedchemistry. During his one-year compulsorymilitary service in the German army(1885-1886), Werner took some organicchemistry courses at the Technical University(Technische Hochschule) in KarlsruheIn 1886, he joined the Federal Institute oTechnology (Eidegenossische TechnischeHochschule) in Zurich, Switzerland. He didvery well in chemistry but his performancein mathematics was poor. In 1889, Wernerreceived a degree in technical chemistry andcontinued to work for his doctorate degreeunder the supervision of his teacher ArthurHantzsch, an eminent organic chemist.

Werner received his doctorate degreein 1890. His doctoral thesis was titled Onthe spatial arrangement of atoms in nitrogen

1913 was a memorable year, Rabindranath Tagore became the first Indian to receive theNobel Prize for creating sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse. And Alfred Werner became

the first Swiss chemist to win it for throwing new light...on the linkage of atoms inmolecules. The poet eulogised the mind that is without fear. Such was the mind of

Werner who shook chemistry to its utmost foundations at the turn of the century.Animesh Chakravorty in Resonance, September 1999

From 1892 he (Werner) worked on the inorganic complexes of metals. This large class ofchemical compounds had seemed confused; the sort of structure theory that had served

well in organic chemistry did not appear to apply, and neither did ordinary valence rules.Werner brought a new view to them.

Dictionary of Scientists, Cambridge University Press, 2003

Alfred Werner belonged to the same generation of chemists as those who erected the beautifulstructure of modern chemistry on the foundations laid by the old guards. Remember, that

when these chemists built their molecular structures during the late nineteenth century,involving molecules containing sometimes several dozens of atoms, the concepts aboutelectrons were still nebulousmany were not even sure of the real existence of atoms.

What they relied on were basically had experimental facts, and clear logic.N. C. Datta in The Story of Chemistry, Universities Press (India) Limited, 2005

Alfred Werner

Founder of coordination chemistry

Subodh MahantiE-mail: [email protected]

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Alfred Werner


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compounds. The thesis, written under thesupervision of Hantzsch, was a true classicof science writing on stereochemistry.It extended the concept of tetrahedralcarbon developed by Joseph Achille LeBell and Jacobus Henricus vant Hoff tothe nitrogen atom. In inorganic chemistryit was real a breakthrough. As AnimeshChakravorty wrote: An inherent lack ofbelief in authority...and an urge towardsthe truth drove him. The edict of spatialorientation of bonds (stereochemistry) as aspecial feature of carbon alone did not soundlogical to him. And he took to the mission

of liberating stereochemistry from a merespeciality to an all-pervading generality.Werner was inventing a new paradigm inchemical science.

After receiving his doctorate degreeWerner decided to pursue an academic career.He did not get an opportunity immediately.He went to Paris where he worked during1890-1891 under Berthelot at the Collegede France. In 1893, Werner was appointedassociate professor at the University ofZurich, and in 1895 he was promoted to fullprofessor. Werner became a Swiss citizen in

1894. He taught organic chemistry till 1902.After that he started teaching inorganicchemistry, but he continued to teach organicchemistry as well.

Before Werner, the understandingof valence bonding and geometry in metalamine complexes such as Co(NH

3)

6Cl

3,

which were also called molecularcompounds, was really very confusing.In 1847, Frederick Augustus Genth, who

worked with the German chemist Robert

Bunsen at Marburg, Germany synthesiseda number of ammonia-cobalt compounds.Genths results were published in 1851by which time Genth had moved to USA.

Wolcott Gibbs, an American chemist startedinvestigations on the compounds synthesisedby Genth. In 1856, Genth and Gibbs jointlydescribed the syntheses and analyses of 35

ammonia-cobalt compounds. The unusualproperties and striking colours reportedby Genth and Gibbs posed a challenge totheoretical chemists.

The first attempt to describe thestructures of the ammonia-cobalt complexesprepared by Genth and Gibbs was made byChristian Wilhelm Blomstrand, a Swedishchemist in 1869. Blomstrand proposed achain theory by making use of the variablevalence of nitrogen. Blomstrands structuralmodel was further modified by the Danishchemist Sophus Jorgensen. According tothis model the ammonia molecules (NH

3)

in ammonia-cobalt complex are linkedin a chain as CH

2 groups are linked in a

hydrocarbon compound. Cl

CoNH3NH

3-NH

3NH

3Cl

Cl Blomstrand-Jogensen formula

for [Co(NH3)

4]Cl

3

Jorgensen prepared and examinedmore new ammonia complexes withmetals like chromium, rhodium, platinumand cobalt and determined their physicalproperties.

Werner in his Nobel Lecture said:During the great era of development of

organic chemistry, during which the theoryof structure was perfected, the moleculacompounds had become stepchildren, andattention only continued to be given to afew of them because they were of practicainterest. This neglect can be ascribed to thefact that it was impossible to develop theconstitution of these compounds on thesame valence principle as the constitution oorganic compounds.

Werner published his coordinationtheory in 1893, which postulated thasingle atoms or molecules could be joinedand grouped around a central atom. It

is said that in the middle of night in late1892, Werner woke up suddenly aftervisualising the solution for the structureof coordination complexes in a dreamThroughout the remaining night and thenext day he wrote down the details of hiscoordination chemistry, which he publishedin his legendary paper On the constitutionof inorganic complexes. August Kekule also

worked out the structure of benzene in hidream. It is interesting to note that beforeformulating the coordination theory Wernedid not carry out a single experiment in the

field of coordination chemistry.Werners theory not only explained

the properties of known compounds whichcould not be done earlier with the helpof the then existing theories, but it alsopredicted the existence of many unknowncompounds. The important postulates othe coordination theory of Werner are:1. In coordination compounds, centra

metal atoms exhibit two types ovalencyprimary valency and

International Year of Chemistry 2011

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Joseph Achille Le Bel

Jacobus Henricus vant Hoff

Frederick Augustus Genth


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secondary valency. The primaryvalency, also called principal, ionisableor ionic valency, corresponds to theoxidation state of the metal ion. Thesecondary valency, which correspondsto coordination number, is non-ionicand it is satisfied by either negativeions or neutral molecules.

2. Every metal ion has a fixed number ofsecondary valencies or, in other words,has a unique coordination number.

3. The metal atom tries to satisfy bothprimary and secondary valencies.

4. The secondary valencies are directed

towards fixed directions in spaceresulting in a definite geometry ofthe coordination compound. Basedon this postulate Werner proposedthat compounds having coordinationnumber six would have octahedralconfiguration and compounds havingcoordination number four a squareplanar or tetrahedral configuration.Geometrical arrangements of different

ligands result from the coordination number.The most commonly observed geometriesare listed below:

Coordination Observed geometrynumber2 Linear3 Trigonal planar4 Tetrahedral or square

planar5 Trigonal bipyramidal or

square pyramidal6 Octahedral (orthogonal)

or trigonal prismatic7 Pentagonal bipyramidal

8 Square antiprismatic9 Tri-capped trigonal

prismaticWerners theory also predicted that

different kinds of isomerism, namelycis-trans isomerism, facial-meridionalisomerism, optical isomerism, and structuralisomerism, may be observed in coordination

complexes.To validate his theory Werner had to

work for nearly 25 years and in the processhe prepared more than 8,000 compounds.In 1907, Werner prepared a compound,an ammonia-violeo salt, predicted by hiscoordination theory. In 1911, he resolved acoordination compound into optical isomers

which helped to establish his theory.Werners ideas not only revolutionised

inorganic chemistry but soon it foundapplications in many other fields, namelyorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry,physical chemistry, biochemistry,geochemistry and mineralogy.

Werners life was totally devoted toscience. He not only himself worked hardbut he made his co-workers work very hard.He was a real hard taskmaster. He wrote twoclassicsNew Ideas in Inorganic Chemistryand Textbook of Stereochemistry. The books

were originally written in Swedish and bothwere published in 1904.

Werner was corresponding member ofthe Royal Society of Sciences at Gottingen

and of the Physico-Medical Society ofErlangen and Chemical Society of London.He was a permanent member of the ImperialSociety of Friends of Natural History,

Anthropology and Ethnography of Moscow.

International Year of Chemistry 2011

The Chemical Society of France (SocieteChimique) awarded him the Leblanc Medal

A street in Werners hometown Mulhoushas been named after him.

Werner died on 15 November 1919 aan early age of 53.

References1. Cotton, F. Albert and Wilkinson

Geoffrey, Advanced InorganiChemistry: A Comprehensive Text(2ndEdition), New Delhi: Wiley EasternPrivate Limited, 1970.

2. Chakravorty, Animesh, Alfred

Werner, Resonance, pp.2-3Resonance, September 1999.

3. Datta, N.C., The Story of ChemistryHyderabad: Universities Press (IndiaPrivate Limited, 2005.

4. The Cambridge Dictionary of Scientist(2nd Edition), Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press, 2001.

5. A Dictionary of Scientists, OxfordOxford University Press, 1999.

6. 100 years with Nobel Laureates, NewDelhi: Encyclopaedia Britannica(India) Pvt. Ltd., 2001.

7. Available Sources on the Internet.

(The article is a popular presentation of the importanpoints of the life and work of Alfred Werner availablin the literature. The idea is is to inspire the youngegeneration to know more about Alfred Werner. Thauthor has given the sources consulted for writingthis article. However, the sources on the internet arnumerous and have not been individually listed. Theauthor is grateful to all those authors whose workhave contributed to writing this article and thesources of the pictures reproduced here.)

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Wolcott Gibbs

Christian Wilhelm Blomstrand

Sophus Jorgensen


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E

numerating innumerable numbers isa difficult task indeed as the current

attempts of those planning the new Indiancensus know. Think how much moredifficult it is to establish the identityof everyperson living in India. Undeterred, Indiais attempting to do what no other nationhas done before: assign a 16-digit uniqueidentification number to each individualliving in India. The name of the project is'AADHAR'. The broad plan is to cover thebillion-plus people in the country by allottingeach person, a unique number and creatinga data base containing their photographs,

biometric information, and details such asname, sex, and age.Biometric-parameters are personal

physical/physiological measurements of anindividual such as height, weight, and hair/eye colour. These particular measurementscan give a correct description about anindividual, but the problem is that morethan one individual can fit description basedon the above parameters. Biometrics datashould therefore be:l highly unique to each individual,l easily obtainable,

l stable; i.e., should not significantlychange over time,

l easily transmittable for storage/retrieval and study,

l non-intrusively obtainable,l possible to study easily without too-

much special training.Biometric parameters are of two types:

Physiological and Behavioral.Physiological biometrics involves the

study of the physical traits of a person suchas fingerprints. These generally remainconstant over time.

Behavioral biometrics involves thestudy of characteristics such as voice or evensignature. These may change over time.

Why establish identity?In todays troubled times it is imperative thata fool-proof identification process be put inplace. It is only too easy to hack computerdatabases, as many, whose identity has beenstolen, know to their dismay. With computertools easily available it is childs play to

morph photographs, and instances of suchfoul play are too many to quote here.

Although identity-theft is assumingalarming dimensions, it is by no means a newcrime. In the pre-Internet era, identity theftinvolved theft or forgery of paper documentssuch as passport or driving license. Thesimplest way was to forge a signature which,(although it may change over time) is a basicmeans of identification. Identity theft hasnow evolved to exploit Internet-based oreven ATM transactions.

Unfortunately, although stealinganother persons identity is apparently

becoming easier every day; being able toprove ones identity is not as easy as it sounds.Often when applying for a ration card/passport or other official papers the question,How can we be absolutely certain aboutyour identification? has to be answered. Thisquestion is actually two questions in one. Thefirst question is, Who are you? The secondquestion is, Are you really who you say youare? Especially for the uneducated or thepoor, an inability to prove identity is one ofthe biggest barriers preventing them fromaccessing societal benefits. Even those who

do not come under this category, often haveto run from pillar to post because differenttypes of identification may be required. Thus,depending on the job required, the cycle ofidentity verification may change.

Why biometrics?Biometric identification is a fool-proof wayof proving ones identity. This is becausemany physical markers that are unique andspecific to an individual remain constantthroughout life. These cannot be duplicatedas these are biologically part of a personand inseparable from the body. Thus abiometric parameter is the inborn andintrinsic property of an individual. It cannotbe stolen/copied/forged or shared. It cannotbe forgotten or misplaced either. Biometricparameters can be used either independentlyfor single-factor authentication or be usedin combination with other authenticationstandards for multi-factor authentication.

What better method to establish identityand to authenticate it?

Exploring biometricIdentification in IndiaThe AADHAR project aims to collect all tenfingerprints from the individual, a photo andan iris (eye) scan as part of the biometric datacollection. The first set of numbers is expectedto be released around January-February2011 after the completion of field testingby July 2010. Once the AADHAR projectis fully implemented, India will be the firs

country to have implemented a biometric-based unique ID system for its residents onsuch a large scale. A single, universal identitynumber will help in eliminating fraud andduplicate identities.

It is interesting that a recent newspaperarticle (Deccan Herald 25 April 2010) hareported that India is also going ahead witha database for biometric identification ofhardcore criminals. The Automated FingePrint Identification Systems (AFIS) for thepurpose of identification of criminals hasbeen introduced in 22 states and the UnionTerritory of Puducherry. Police stationare creating, maintaining, and using thisdatabase to enable easy sharing of real-time information across police stationsand districts at the state-level as well a

national-level, thereby resulting in improved

Establishing identity:the biometric way

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Sukanya Datta

E-mail: [email protected]


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investigation, crime prevention, bettertracking of criminals.

The report also says that, under theCrime and Criminal Tracking Network andSystem (CCTNS) Project, (mission-modeproject under the National e-GovernancePlan) every police station in India willbe provided with fingerprint reader.

Fingerprints are just one of the many waysin which a criminal with a past record canbe tracked. Fingerprinting is possibly thebest known form of biometric identificationand it is firmly associated (in the mind ofthe common man) with police casework. Somuch so that it is tempting to quote DavidSedaris who said, All of us take pride and

pleasure in the fact that we are unique, but Imafraid that when all is said and done the policeare right: it all comes down to fingerprints.

FingerprintingThe patterns of ridges on the fleshypart of our fingertips are unique: notwo individuals even identicaltwins have fingerprints that areexactly alike. Sir Francis Galtonsuggested the first basic system forclassifying fingerprints based ongrouping the patterns into arches,loops, and whorls. This has since evolvedtremendously.

Fingerprint ridges are formedduring the third to fourth month of foetal

development and persist lifelong. Thesepatterns of ridges and valleys leave impressions(fingerprints) on whatever they touch. Theprints clearly show up when the fingers aredirty. However, even when not visible to theunaided eye, latent prints are left behind

which can be "lifted" using well-establishedtechniques. Injuries such as minor burns orcuts do not wipe out or change the pattern the new skin grows displaying the samepattern. This is what makes fingerprints souseful in establishing identity even thoughcases where hardened criminals have used

cosmetic surgery to eliminate all fingerprintsare known.

An interesting bit of related informationis that the chemotherapy drug capecitabinecan, over time, lead to the loss of fingerprints.This fact gained prominence in 2009 whenMr .S, a 62-year-old Singaporean cancerpatient was detained at an American airportbecause he could not be fingerprinted, as hisfingerprints had vanished!

The art and science of fingerprinting

has a history closely associated with India!Many know that it was in 1788 that Germananatomist Johann Christoph Andreas Mayerrecognised that fingerprints are unique toeach individual. However, few know that it

was in Hooghly (close to Kolkata), in 1858that Magistrate Sir William James Herschelinitiated fingerprinting in legal matters. He

used fingerprints on contracts, etc., andalso documented pensioners' fingerprintsto prevent collection of money after theperson's death. He also fingerprintedprisoners on sentencing to prevent fraudsaimed at avoiding a prison sentence.

The first ever Finger Print Bureau in theworld was established at Writer's Building atCalcutta (now Kolkata) in 1897. It is widelybelieved that Khan Bahadur Azizul Haqueand Rai Bahadur Hem Chandra Bose did

most of the work that became thebasis of the system for fingerprintclassification. Unfortunately, thecredit went largely to their senior, SirEdward Henry. The Central FingerPrint Bureau came into being in 1955in Kolkata. Today, The FingerprintSociety (UK) awards the Aziz ulHaque and Hem Chandra Bose prizefor an innovative project in the area

of forensic identification with high potentialto make an impact in the field.

Face recognition

Look at me, we say and when we say so,look at my face, is what we mean. It isthe face we recognise first and facial featuresare what we primarily use to distinguishbetween one person and another. While thisis an innate ability, computer technology hasonly recently reached a level where it canrecognise faces albeit the ability is not atpar with ours (as yet).

Basically, computers study relativedistances between common landmarks onthe face to generate a unique "faceprint."Biometric facial recognition systems usually

analyse the overall structure, shape andproportions of the face taking into accountthe distance between the eyes, nose, mouth,and jaw edges; upper outlines of the eyesockets, the sides of the mouth, the locationof the nose and eyes, the area surroundingthe cheekbones, etc. To prevent a photofrom being used to defraud it, face-biometricscanners make the user smile/blink/nod theirhead. Also, facial-thermography technique isused to record the heat of the face so that a

Cutting Edge

34

mask cannot be used to trick it.This technique can be used from a

distance so that the person may not evenbe aware of it. It is usually a good tool forauthentication as opposed to identification.

Voice analysisThe analysis of the cadence, pitch, tone, andfrequency of a person's voice can be used toidentify a person. It is used as a password

where the lock will open only when theauthorised person gives a voice commandIt is also used to identify bank customerphoning in as an addition/alternative toconventional passwords. Basically, it workby taking a sample of a customer's voicestoring its pattern and then matching when

the customer calls again. However, it isalmost sure that the poor customer who haa sore throat and is calling from a place wherebackground noise level is high or has a faultyphone line will have trouble establishingidentity!

Hand-geometryHand-geometry involves the measuremenand comparison of the different physicacharacteristics of the hand. The shape of thehand changes with age, arthritis and otherdeformities -- even weight gain/loss. Finge

length, thickness, and curvature, etc, are thunot used so much for identification but forauthentication. However, hand-geometrydevices have been in use since the early1980s. Although these cannot differentiatebetween a living hand, a hand that has beenchopped off, and a cadavers hand, still, iis the first biometric measurement to enjoy

widespread computerised use, especiallywhen used along with fingerprinting.


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Palm vein authenticationAs the blood vessels crisscross under ourskin these give rise to a definite and uniquepattern that can be used to identify a person.Infrared beam is used to penetrate the handand the veins in the persons palm showup as black lines which can be matched toan earlier "recording. Palm vein matcheshave a high level of authentication-accuracy

because the vein patterns of the palm arecomplex in design. Since contact is notnecessary to study the vein patterns, themethod is hygienic. Also, palm-vein patternscannot be forged. This method worksequally well in situations where 1:1 or a 1:many matches are required. ATM kioskssometimes use this technology as do somesophisticated computer mouse.

Retina scanA retina scan involves the use of low-intensity light to study the pattern formedby the capillary blood vessels located in theback of the eye. The best part is that thispattern remains unchanged throughout life.

A retina scan cannot be faked as it is not(yet!) possible to forge a human retina. Also,the retina taken from a dead person decaystoo rapidly and cannot be used trick a retinalscan machine (despite what best-sellingnovels depict). It is reported that a retinalscan has an error rate of 1 in 10,000,000.Retina biometrics systems are best suited formeeting high security requirements and havehad a long history of use in the military orsecurity vault locking systems in banks.

Form IV (see rule 8)

Details of the ownership and other facts relating to monthly newsletter DREAM 2047.Place of Publication : New Delhi

Periodicity of Publication : Monthly

Name of the Publisher&the Printer : Dr. Subodh Mahanti (on behalf of Vigyan Prasar)

Nationality : Indian

Address : Vigyan Prasar C-24, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016

Name of the Editor : Er Anuj Sinha

Nationality : Indian

Address : Vigyan Prasar C-24, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016Name & Address of the owner : Vigyan Prasar C-24, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016I, Subodh Mahanti do hereby declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief, factsmentioned above are true.

Sd/-Subodh Mahanti

Iris scanThe iris is the pigmented, connective tissuethat controls the pupil. It is formed in earlylife and once fully formed, it remains stablethroughout life. The iris of the eye has patternthat is unique to an individual. An iris scananalyses over 200 points of the iris andcompares it with a previously-recorded imagetemplate. Glasses, contact lenses, and even

eye surgery does not change the iris pattern.The Iris scanner cannot be deceived by using aphoto or even an iris taken from a dead personbecause iris-scanning systems vary the lightand check if the pupil is dilating or contractingas it should in response to the light.

Iris scans were proposed in 1936,but it was not until the early 1990's thatalgorithms for iris recognition were created.This system is highly accurate and reportedlythere is no known case of a false acceptance

for iris recognition. It is also non-intrusiveand hygienic and necessitates no physicacontact. It is perfect for passports andborder/prison//access security control.

Future scanBiometric systems are slowly and surelycoming into their own and replacing the moretraditionally used systems of identification/

authentication. Currently biometric-systemare expensive and only larger organisations/governments use them extensively. Howeveras with almost all technology solutionsless-expensive versions are on their wayIt is therefore to our advantage if we areaware about the strengths and weaknesseof these systems because sooner or later we

will be asked to cooperate on identificationauthentication drives as nations gear up toimprove security.

Cutting Edge

33

n


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Carbon is a unique element; in fact, itis one of the most intriguing elements

in the Periodic Table. The entire livingworld is built around carbon thanks to itsunique ability to join together to make longchains. Carbon exhibits remarkableproperties, some of which areparadoxical. For example, one of itsallotropes diamond is the hardestnaturally occurring substancesknown, while another graphite isone of the softest substances known.Both are three-dimensional forms

of carbon. During the past two-and-a-half decades new allotropeslike fullerenes (zero-dimensional),and nanotubes (one-dimensional)have been discovered.

The discovery of a two-dimensional allotrope of carbon

was first reported in the journalScience in 2004 by a group ofphysicists from Manchester University, UK,led by Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselovof Institute for Microelectronics Technology,Chernogolovka, Russia. The paper described

the existence of a new class of materials strictly two-dimensional atomiccrystals which can be seen asindividual atomic layers pulled outfrom bulk crystals. This single layerof carbon atoms densely packedinto a benzene-ring structure wasnamed graphene. In other words,graphene is a two-dimensional,giant, flat sheet of carbon atoms

which is still only one-atom thick.Geim and Novoselov have beenawarded the Nobel Prize in Physics

for 2010 for groundbreakingexperiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene.

Two-dimensionalcarbon sheetsGraphene is a unique material. Theplanar, hexagonal arrangementof carbon atoms in graphene canbe considered as nothing but asingle layer peeled off from the three-

dimensional graphite crystal. Interestingly,

it is probably the best-studied carbonallotrope theoretically the starting pointfor all calculations on graphite, fullerenesand carbon nanotubes. The single-layered

honeycomb structure of graphene makes itthe mother of all carbon-based systems: thegraphite used in pencils is simply a stack ofgraphene layers; carbon nanotubes are made

of rolled up sheets of graphene; and fullerene

molecules, or buckyballs are nanometre-sizespheres of wrapped-up grapheneThese forms of carbon were isolatedlong before graphene and havebeen used in many applicationsbut their electric, magnetic andelastic properties all originate in theproperties of graphene.

Numerous attempts to

synthesise two-dimensional atomiccrystals of carbon had been madein the past, till success finally camein 2004. The team at ManchesterUniversity used a very different andat first glance, even naive approachto obtain graphene. One millimetreof graphite actually consists o

three million layers of graphenestacked on top of one another. The layers are

weakly held together and are therefore fairlysimple to tear off and separate. It happens

when we write something with an ordinary

pencil; sometimes only a single layer ofatoms, which is nothing bugraphene, happens to end up onthe paper. Geim and Novoselovused adhesive tape to rip ofthin flakes from a larger piece ofgraphite in a more methodicamanner. In the beginning theygot flakes consisting of manylayers of graphene, but whenthey repeated the tape-trick tento twenty times the flakes gothinner and thinner.

It may be mentioned thagraphene-like structures werealready known of in the 1960sbut there were experimentadifficulties in isolating singlelayers. In fact many scientistthought that it would beimpossible to isolate such thinmaterials: they would becomecrinkled or roll up at room

temperature, or even simply

Graphene - Two-dimensional

carbon sheets

Biman Basue-mail: [email protected]

Andre Geim Konstantin Novoselov

Graphene is the basic structure different forms ofwhich produce fullerenes and nanotubes.

32


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completely vanish. This is when Geimand Novoselov got their second brilliantidea: in order to be able to see the resultsof their meticulous work, they decidedto attach the flakes to a plate of oxidisedsilicon, the standard working material in thesemiconductor industry. They started withthree-dimensional graphite and extracted a

single sheet (a monolayer of atoms) using atechnique called micromechanical cleavage.They began by converting graphite intographite oxide in an aqueous solution. Thisfamiliar process adds oxygen-based chemicalgroups to the graphitesurface and leads to thebulk graphite beingcompletely separatedinto single sheets. Thesheets remain separatebecause they repel eachother thanks to theoxygen-based chemicalgroups, which have anexcess negative charge.

According to theresearchers, this approachallows easy productionof large (up to 100 min size), high-qualitygraphene crystallites.

Currently, differenttechniques of epitaxialgrowth, used to create

various semiconductormaterials, are the mostpromising as regardsproducing graphene foruse in the electronics industry. Rolls of 70-centimetre wide sheets of graphene are thelargest produced so far.

Exceptional stabilityWhat is most surprising about graphene isits stability. It was long believed that two-dimensional atomic crystals cannot bestable under ambient conditions because

of thermodynamic constraints. But theManchester team, for the first time,demonstrated that they are not only fairlyeasy to make but also quite stable.

Initially, Geim and Novoselov couldonly obtain micro flakes of the new material.However, despite the miniscule size theycould begin to investigate the two mostremarkable traits of graphene, which bothinfluence its electrical properties. The firstis the nearly perfect arrangement of carbon

atoms in graphene due to the strong bondingof the atoms. At the same time, the bonds areflexible enough to allow the web to stretchby up to 20% of its original size. The latticealso enables electrons to travel long distancesin graphene without disturbance.

In normal conductors, electrons oftenbounce like the ball in a pinball machine,

which weakens the performance of theconductor. But in graphene the electronsbehave like particles of light. Electronstravelling in graphene behave as if they didnot have any mass and move ahead at a

constant speed of about one million metresper second. This opens up the possibility ofstudying certain phenomena more easily ona smaller scale, i.e., without the use of a largeparticle accelerator.

In addition graphene has severalother remarkable mechanical and electricalproperties. For example, it is much strongerthan steel, yet it is very stretchable. Its

thermal and electrical conductivity is alsohigh. As a conductor of electricity it performsas well as copper. As a conductor of heat itoutperforms all other known materials. It isalmost completely transparent, yet so densethat even helium, the smallest gas atom,cannot pass through it. Geim and Novoselov

were thus able to produce, isolate, identify,and characterise graphene.

The uniqueness of graphene makesit an attractive material for a number of

electronics applications. Already scientisthave discovered remarkable electronicproperties of the new material that could beused in place of silicon for making ultra-fasand stable transistors.

Future scenarioThe extremely large conducting ability o

graphene has spurred a great deal of interesin commercial circles. Graphene transistorare predicted to be substantially faster thanthose made out of silicon today. In order focomputer chips to become faster and more

energy efficient theyhave to be smallerSilicon atoms beinglarger than carbonhave a lower size limibelow which theycannot function. Thelimit for graphene

which is made ocarbon atoms, is evenlower; so graphenecomponents could bepacked on a chip moretightly than possible

with silicon.One milestone

was passed a few yearago when a graphenetransistor wadeveloped that wa

as fast as its siliconcounterpart. Maybewe are at the thresholdof yet another era o

miniaturisation of electronics that will leadto computers becoming even more efficienin the future. So far, graphene computers arestill only on the drawing board, althoughpaper-thin transparent computer monitorsthat can be rolled up and carried in a handbag have already appeared in commercialfor tomorrows consumer electronics.

The perfect structure of graphene

also makes it suitable for the productionof extremely sensitive sensors that couldregister even the smallest levels of pollutionEven a single molecule adsorbed to thegraphene surface would be discovered. Thelist of possible applications for graphene islong and it is too early to predict what liein future. But there is little doubt that therelentless activity that began following itdiscovery six years ago will eventually moslikely bear fruit.

Folded sheets of graphene on a silicon plate. The image was madewith a scanning electron microscope, magnified about 5,000 times.

(Credit: University of Manchester. Science, 15 May 2009)

Nobel Prize in Physics 2010

31

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Er Anuj Sinha was invited to an Indo-UKWorkshop on Holisitic and SustainableDevelopment in Uraban and Rural India and

UK. The meet was held in mid-December2010 at Aston University, Birmingham,UK.

Prof. Robert F. Berry, Executive Deanof Applied Science and Engineering, AstonUniversity graciously agreed to an interviewfor DREAM 2047 despite his very busyacademic and administrative load.

AS: Thank you for accepting myrequest for a discussion with readers ofDREAM-2047 despite your very tightschedule over the period. The print version

of this monthly magazine has a circulationof over 50,000 and is brought out in Englishand Hindi. There is an electronic version

with several thousand more readers. Couldyou tell us about the significant gains fromyour recent visit to Delhi in early December2010?

RB: Research Council UK and theDepartment of Science and Technology, Indiahad jointly organised a workshop in Delhi toassess impact of collaborative projects. We

were able to share our experiences, identifybarriers and propose policy amendments

to facilitate future collaborations. A verypositive leadership in both organisations isfacilitating this collaboration. During thisvisit I was also able to visit the IBM Researchfacilities at New Delhi and connect with oldcolleagues after a gap of almost two years. Ihad worked for IBM in the US and the UKfor about 22 years.

As Dean (Engineering), AstonUniversity, I am particularly keen to developstrong connections between researchers inIndia and the UK and several proposals werediscussed that may develop into meaningful

projects. The vast spread of the mobilephones in India has the potential for beingharnessed in the development programmesover and above its obvious functions oftelephony and text messaging. This has beenflagged by Mr. Sam Pitroda recently and

we should develop better utilisation of thishighly available and accessible technology.

AS: Aston University organised thediscussion on sustainable development in UKand India with experts from both countries.

This has been an opportunity for me to beable to visit Birmingham and interact withyou. What is your assessment of the gains

from this symposium? How could this havebecome more productive?

RB: Your independent advice on thesubject under discussion was very important.

For example, highlighting the difference

between India and UK regarding the natureof losses and wastes in the food value supplychain. We need to focus on the problemsof the population at the bottom of thepyramid.

Reaching science to people andempowerment of the poor, particularly

women, is key to any intervention. Thechallenge to explore how this can becomemore productive for people from the poorerdistricts of Rajasthan or Bihar is extremelyhelpful.

Such symposiums serve many

important functions by bringing expertstogether. In future, to make these kinds ofdiscussions more productive we should buildin more time for reflection and informaldiscussions. Such breakout time is simplynot possible in a virtual or video conference,and is precisely the reason we need to meetphysically together.

AS: Research projects in engineeringfaculty at Aston are influenced by theinteraction with experts from India who are

seeking solutions to problems that are highpriority there. How do you view this trendand how can there be more reciprocity byengineering research institutes of excellencein India?

RB: Part of the answer may be foundin increasing the level of exchange ofaculty and researchers and enabling joinsupervision of research. For example, we ar

working on one particular faculty exchangebetween IIT-Ropar and Aston University inComputer Science for a period of six weeksin 2011. Developments in CommunicationTechnology are opening more opportunitiesat affordable costs for intense and frequen

exchange among experts geographicallyseparated. For this trickle to become a flowwe will have to develop stronger personachemistry. I refer to the process of definingproblems, finding solutions and tacklingissues across the two societies as a brokeragechallenge. We need to work on this moreintensely to be able to institutionalise it. Threal challenge is to find those problems tha

we can solve only by working together.AS: The solutions developed by

experts laboratories here in Aston need pilotesting before dissemination in the field

What measures are in place or are proposedto make this more effective?

Let me illustrate this with an exampleSamples of biomass in India are beingcollected, labelled, packed and dispatchedfor characterisation at Aston. An industrypartner could potentially develop similarcharacterisation facilities at much lescost in India. This could be useful in theexperiment and save time. It could also findmarket in the UK as well as other countriesThis low-cost replication manufacturerequires engagement with several partner

institutions. We are working with Indianindustries; partners today and exploring thikind of opportunity in the context of currenand future research projects.

Engagement with industry would beto a great advantage in many other areas forexample in utilising sewage sludge; a materia

we clearly cant be shipping overseas! We areworking at expanding and strengtheningsuch networks.

AS: There have been very encouraging

Higher Technical Education and Potential

Opportunities for Collaborative Research

30

Prof Robert F. Berry, ExecutiveDean of Applied Science andEngineering, Aston University


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collaborative research and developmentprojects in applied areas at Aston. Aresolutions developed by laboratories at Astonand other UK institutes, in your opinion,reaching the community for which these havebeen developed? What are the constraints inUK and how do these differ vis--vis India?

RB: I will limit the response to the

area of energy. At IIT-Ropar, we haveidentified the issue of open field burning ofrice straw in Haryana and Punjab and howthe waste can be used for producing energy.

We hope to be able to devise a system thatgives farmers some return by generating anentrepreneurial activity to raise revenue forthe villages. Incidentally, experiments inbiomass utilisation in the UK require manymore clearances than in India. But equallyimportantly in this case we hope to be ableto bring the scientific developments to thepeople a challenge presented to us all byDr Ramasami, Secretary DST at a recentseminar in Delhi.

In another experiment with differentalgal strains the researchers require to drythe algae for combustion experiments andenergy content analysis. A dewateringcentrifuge from India that would have costmany times as much in the UK was adoptedfor this purpose. Collaborative research will,as in this example, bring costs down.

AS:You have a significant role in theinitial phase of growth of IIT-Ropar. How

do you envisage this relationship to evolve?What will be the takeaways for Aston becauseof this equation?

RB:Six decades back when the IndianInstitutes of Technology were being setupa similar mentoring scheme was in place.It was tremendously successful, and peopleremember it to this day.

However, the relationship with thedeveloped world institutions was muchdifferent than what it is today. I am veryproud of my role in this phase of growth ofIIT-Ropar. The mentor-mentee relationship

will undergo metamorphosis and ten yearsdown the line we will see the real value suchpartnership has brought both to the IIT andto Aston. Scholars from Ropar are vyingfor internship at Aston and their work will

jointly be supervised by a faculty from boththe institutions. A reciprocal relationshipis likely to emerge shortly. The networkingbetween supervisors will open up new

windows of opportunity for collaborativeprojects. Already we have agreed to establish

Professor Robert Berry

Executive Dean of Engineering & Applied Science

Throughout his career, Professor Robert Berry has successfully bridged the gap betweenacademic and industry, and it was his experience working with universities that inspiredhim to join Aston in 2008. Robert graduated with a BA in Computer Science from the University of Texas in

1978 and received his PhD in Computer Science in 1983. He spent more than twentyyears at IBM, where he held a number of positions, most recently Chief TechnologyOfficer for Messaging Technology. Robert is an IBM Distinguished Engineer anexecutive position for technical leaders in the company. He has been a member of theIBM Academy of Technology since 1999 and was Vice-President of the Academy between2005 and 2007 serving Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Areas of interestRoberts current areas of interest include instrumentation and analysis of complex systemssoftware, systems performance, quality of service for complex systems software and eventprocessing systems. His teaching activity includes middleware integration concepts.

Memberships and fellowshipsRobert is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery and a fellow of theBritish Computer Society.

a joint research facility with IIT-Ropar toexplore renewable energy for North WestIndia.

We will be exploring similarcollaborative arrangements with PunjabTechnical University and other suchinstitutions of academic excellence.

AS:You have spent the early part ofyour career in industry and then moved to

academics. Does such lateral movementresult in better learning/teaching forundergraduate and graduate students? Howcan more professional movement fromacademics to industry and vice versa befacilitated?

RB: No question about it. Real lifeexperience is always interesting and has ahuge influence on the teaching-learningprocess of the class room. Even appliedresearch benefits from such long yearsin the industry. If there are several suchmembers of the faculty who bring a broad

spectrum of experience, the employability ofthe graduates improves. We give weight toresearch experience in the industry when werecruit faculty members.

And for the members of the facultywe allow one day a week that can be usedfor consultancy that has a positive impact onteaching. At Aston the School of Engineeringhas an Industrial Advisory Board whichmeets at least two times annually. Thishas a wide spectrum of experts, largely

from the industry who review our teachingprogramme, research curriculum and studeninteraction. Some become involved inparticular projects, some give guest lecturesthrough the year and these are particularlyappreciated by the students.

Aston is not unique in this regard. Afocus on industrial engagement and impactis more important in the UK University

research landscape. Aston is doing well inthis regard and it contributes to making ouprogramme among the best in the country.

AS: How does teaching engineeringand technology differ in the two countries?Can there be early lessons for either of oursystems from the other?

RB: Its incredibly hard and ratherdangerous to generalise but Ill try a little!

The joint entrance examination for theentrants to undergraduate exams at IITs andsome other institutions filters students as pemerit and it is really the cream that enters the

IIT. Other institutions in India do not havesuch a benefit. Students we bring over to theUK from the IITs are incredibly strong mystaff compete with each other to have themto work on projects!

But we do find that while technicallystrong espcially in the basic sciences andthe theory of more applied sciences eg.computing they sometimes lack the extenof hands-on practical work experience thatstudents we produce here at Aston have.

Interview

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Perhaps this is due to a lack of accessto equipment and laboratories; more

probably it is the consequence of a curriculardecision.

One of the challenges in the UKis there appears to be a declining trend inaccomplishment of incoming studentsin subjects like physics andmathematics and we need to remedythis situation.

AS:Availability of energy andwater appear to be priority areasfor research under the collaborativeresearch effort. Which are theproblems, in your opinion, that

deserve to be taken up in the secondlist if there are more resources?

RB: The discussion at therecent RCUK/DST symposium inDelhi has helped identify areas ofpriority. We need to address issuesof health, nutrition, sanitation,etc., in the immediate future. Theissue of waste of food as flaggedby you is another problem forresearchers.

The rapid expansion of highertechnical education in India will requireclose attention; Mr. Kapil Sibal has indicatedthat 500 million people must be skilled upby 2020 or so. This is a massive challenge.Our research efforts must attempt to addressaspects of this challenge though, as hepoints out, commercial investment will beneeded to help address the massive scale.

AS:Have you been able to visit Indiaas a tourist in the recent past? What havebeen your impressions of the developments

in the society?RB:Yes, I do sometime stay on extra

weekends and try to visit friends in Jaipurand sometimes do some sightseeing. Inmy last visit, I took the new Metro serviceand spent time at Chandni Chawk in OldDelhi. I have also visited non-tourist areas in

Mumbai and the experience is moving. Thesmells, sounds, sights everything hits you. Ifind it incredibly stimulating and humblingat the same time.

The area of greatest concern is alsothe area receiving enormous investment:infrastructure. There seem to be hugecontrast between the new shopping centres

which are all steel and glass and theneighbouring slums that co-exist. The firstcity that I visited in India about a decadeback was Bangalore. While there is the

IT Park with the most modern designedbuildings the neighbourhood has beenneglected with shoddy infrastructure anddilapidated buildings that may actually beonly 10 years older. The worry is that thenew buildings and investment in roads andother transport infrastructure will fall intodisrepair in only 10 more years. That clearlycannot be allowed to happen for the upfroncosts on the scale required are astronomical

Living in the UK one is very insulatedfrom such contrasts and disparities. Plannerand policy makers will have to address theissues of this contrast and do so quickly.

AS: Has the level of publicunderstanding of science in UK been amatter of the development discourse? Whatis the disparity in different regions? Is therural urban divide a function of this? Is thibeing addressed adequately?

RB:I do not know much about thisquestion for India, however, in the UKschools and the media appear to be thepreferred channels for promoting publicunderstanding of science. Science oriented

programmes on the BBC are creativeand interesting. How much of thiactually results in being internalisedby the viewers across the differentregions of the country is a matter forstudy.

There are some regionadisparities in access. Just a couple

of years ago I helped initiate andthen execute a Royal Academy oEngineering study on ICT for theUKs Future. Even then we foundsignificant gaps in broadband accessacross regions in the UK. This isimproving now but a gap still existsThis will have consequences forscience communication of course.

In general, more is neededOur students still arrive at University

with less than ideal general scienceunderstanding; I often think our educationasystem in the UK is too narrowing, too earlyin ones development.

AS: Thank you for your time, DrBerry. I know you have had a hectic day andyet you gamely went through with this crosexamination.

RB: Thank you very much. Manyquestions have pushed me into reflecting onmy work and our institution. I hope youreaders will find value in this interaction.

Interview

Aston University

Founded in 1895 and a University since 1966, Aston is a long established research-led University known for its world-class teaching quality and strong links to industry,government and commerce.

Aston University is based in the centre of Birmingham, home to over 65,000students and one of Europes liveliest and most welcoming cities.

It has a 40 acre campus that houses all the Universitys academic, social andaccommodation facilities for over 9,500 students.It is ranked 13th out of 113 UK Universities by the 2010 Complete University

Guide, and 19th in the Guardian rankings 2010, good jobs, with 82% finding graduatelevel employment within six months of graduation, compared to a national average of lessthan 70%.

Aston offers a range of undergraduates and postgraduates degree programmes, andalso works with the public and private sector to develop tailored Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment and Foundation Degree programmes.

28

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Prof Robert F. Berry with Er Anuj Sinha duringinterview at Aston University, Birmingham, UK


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Most pregnancieshappily go to termfulfilling the dream of anexpectant mother withoutmuch ado. Few peoplemay recognise, however,that nearly 15 per centof the normal seemingpregnancies simplygo waste, ending in amiscarriage.

If this happens,disappointment is natural,but the mission is to easethe woman out of themedical emergency andnurse her through theagony. Even though thetinsel world makes us believe that in thissituation either the mother or baby cansurvive, in real life it is generally only themother who benefits with promptmedical care and attention.

For an expectant mother, amiscarriage can be very difficult to

come to terms with. She may feelangry, or guilty, wondering what shedid wrong. She will almost certainlyfeel a sense of loss.

However, if this happens toyou, just remember, that it certainly isnot the end of road for you. You maygrieve over the lost baby, especially ifthe miscarriage has happened at anadvanced stage of pregnancy, but themost important act to put together atthis time is to nurse yourself back tonormalcy.

What causes miscarriage?Miscarriages are quite common during thefirst 12 weeks. Statistically, the world over,at least one in six pregnancies end in this

way. At this early stage a miscarriage usuallyoccurs if there is something wrong with thefertilised egg. Often, the egg has a geneticfault and if so, it is best that it ends this

way. Sometimes, however, the egg does notembed properly, and it is for this reason, that

the pregnancy aborts.A mid-pregnancy

miscarriage usuallyhappens for one of thetwo reasons: either theplacenta does not functionproperly, or the cervix is

weak and lax and opens fartoo early. Several seriousillnesses can equally bea culprit. These includesevere high blood pressure,toxaemia, endocrine glanddefects, and sexuallytransmitted diseases likecytomegalovirus, herpessimplex or Mycoplasmahominis infection.

Be whatever the cause, a miscarriageis rarely anyones fault. Many people believethat love making during pregnancy can

cause a miscarriage. This is very unlikely. If a

couple make love and then the woman soonafter has a miscarriage, it may seem as thoughintercourse was the cause, but it does nothappen that way. Some couples unnecessaryblame themselves in this situation whenthere is absolutely no reason for them to doso.

Many couples ask the question of howcertain activities or life-style may affect therisk of miscarriage. With more and more

women taking up jobs, the effect of work

on pregnancy is one such area of concernIn general, women who wish to work maycontinue do so, close to or actually up tothe end of their pregnancy, if they feel weland have no medical reason to quit and takerest.

People often worry also about physicaexercise. While a certain amount of exerciseis most certainly good for all normapregnant women, there is, obviously, a neednot to overdo. Trivial physical trauma suchas travelling in a rickety bus has also oftentaken the blame, and wrongly so. Sometimesa woman remembers a minor accidenthat immediately precedes miscarriage andconcludes a cause-and-effect relationshipHowever, there are many documented case

where despite a severe trauma, and thewoman incurring multiple fractureof the pelvis, has gone on to deliver ahealthy baby without the least of aninterruption.

Symptoms and SignsA miscarriage is a natural abortion. Iis a termination of a pregnancy beforethe 28th week. Once the 28th weekhas passed, a baby has a good chanceof survival if it is nursed carefullyfollowing its birth.

An early miscarriage oftenhappens around the time that you

would have expected to have a periodIt can be rather like a period, with

bleeding and a similar sort of aching pain. A

later miscarriage after the first three monthis more like labour itself. Thats because bynow the foetus has taken its form.

What to doAny bleeding in pregnancy could be thestart of a miscarriage. If you begin to bleedconsult your doctor as soon as you canimmediately if you are losing a lot of blood.

You would probably be advised completerest in bed. In about 50 per cent women

When the PregnancyGoes Wrong

Tiding Over the Woes of MiscarriageDr Yatish Agarwal

e-mail: [email protected]

27

What sweet dreams

Quietly fill her being

Songs of great rejoice

Revel her soul!

Spread out I would

A bed of nectar for him

Rocking the cradle

I would caress him

Jaishankar Prasad

in Kamayani (translated

by this author from Hindi)


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who experience bleeding and cramps earlyin pregnancy the bleeding will stop andthe pregnancy will carry on quite normally.But in other cases the miscarriage cannot beavoided and becomes inevitable.

When the miscarriagein inevitableThat is called an inevitable abortion. Insuch case, the bleeding becomes heavier andcramps are more severe. On examination,the doctor may be able to feel the cervixbeginning to open up and dilate and theproducts of conception lying at the externalopening of the cervix. A pelvic ultrasoundexamination can settle the diagnosis. Atthis time the changes that have occurred areirreversible, and no therapy will prevent theabortion.

Incomplete miscarriageSometimes the miscarriage is incomplete,

and some products of conception are notexpelled. Such an incomplete abortionparticularly happens in pregnancies beyondthe 6th and up to the 14th week. Very oftenthe foetal tissues are unrecognisable becausefoetal death may have occurred a number ofdays or weeks before expulsion.In this case cramping will range frommoderate to severe, and bleeding may bevery extensive and actually life threatening.The bleeding may well continue until all ofthe remaining placental tissue is removed.The uterus will be able to contract only

then, cutting off the blood vessels thatare producing the haemorrhage. A pelvicultrasound examination can diagnose thecondition.

Missed abortionOccasionally, a fertilised egg simply stopsgrowing and dies but, for some unknownreason, labour does not ensue immediately.This is a missed abortion. In this type ofabortion, the egg or the empty yolk sac may

remain in the uterine cavity, sometimes foras long as eight weeks.

There is usually a clinical history ofearly bleeding that stops spontaneously orafter some form of therapy. However, thebreasts revert back to the non-pregnant state,and the size of the uterus not only ceases toincrease, but actually decreases with time.Ultrasound can easily pick the condition.

What the doctor will doIf a woman has suffered a miscarriagethe doctor would usually take her in for acleaning job. This simple operation is calleda D & C that is, dilation and curettageThe aim is to clean the womb. The cervixis gently opened and the lining of the wombscraped or sucked away. At the same time

medication in given for the uterus to contracso that the bleeding stops.

What if youreRhesus negativeIf a woman is Rhesus negative, it is veryimportant for her to remember that shemust receive the anti-D shot. Failure to doso may result in Rhesus sensitivity, whichcould affect future pregnancies and causeblood incompatibility (mismatch) betweenthe mother and foetus leading to serioucomplications.

The futureA miscarriage does not mean that a womanwill not be able to bear children in the futureIn fact, if you have only had one miscarriageyou have a very good chance of having asuccessful pregnancy the next time. It is upto you whether you try to get pregnant againnow or after a while. Generally, a gap of atleast three to six months allows the body andmind the time to heal and be prepared forthe responsibility of taking on the rigours o

pregnancy.

[This column is primarily intended to educate thereader about the basics, and the dos and dontsin a medical situation, and not as a substitutefor professional medical advice. Before startingany form of treatment, please consult youphysician.]

Mediscape

26

Vigyan Prasar and DECU/ISROJointly presents

Science Video Serial

AISA HI HOTA HAITelecasting from 2nd January 2011 in Lok Sabha TV at 09.30-10.00 am.

Science Video Serial AISA HI HOTA HAI will Telecasting from 2nd January 2011 in LokSabha TV at 09.30-10.00 am. 42 part video serial AISA HI HOTA HAI Jointly producedby Vigyan Prasar, and DECU/ ISRO. Each episode is devoted to a specific topic, say, surfacetension, magnetism, friction, buoyancy and so on. The two-minute short programmetowards end of each episode is an animation film dealing with environmental concerns,say, pollution, food chain, biodiversity etc. End of every episode one quiz for viewers alsoattractive feature of programme. Vigyan Prasar will send attractive prizes to winners.

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Recent developmentsin science and technology

Scientists trap antimatterIn the thrillerAngels & Demonsnovelist DanBrown spins the story of a rogue priest whotries to destroy the Vatican with a vial ofantimatter. In reality, however, the amountof antimatter created till date would notbe enough to release sufficient energy toheat a pot of coffee! But recently physicistsat CERN, the European particle physicslaboratory near Geneva, havesucceeded in creating and holdingdozens of antihydrogen atoms fora fraction of a second, far longerthan ever before. The success

is considered a significant steptoward making antimatter stablelong enough to make it possiblefor scientists to study how it differsfrom ordinary matter.

Antimatter is matter is madeup of particles with electric chargesopposite those of ordinary matter.For example, antihydrogen is the antimattercounterpart of hydrogen. Ordinary hydrogenatom is made up of a negatively chargedelectron going round a positively chargedproton at the centre. In contrast, an atom of

antihydrogen consists of a positively chargedelectron or positron going round a negativelycharged antiproton. A positron has the samemass as an electron but the opposite charge.Similarly, an antiproton has the same massas a proton but a negative charge.

The existence of antimatter waspredicted by the Englishphysicist Paul Dirac in1931. Work with high-energy antiparticles is nowcommonplace and anti-electrons or positrons are

used regularly in the medicaltechnique of positronemission tomography (PET)scanning. But in presence ofordinary matter, antimatteris highly unstable because

when matter and antimattermeet, they annihilate eachother instantaneously. Theorysuggests that equal amounts ofmatter and antimatter should

have been formed in the Big Bang, nearly14 billion years ago, and physicists have long

puzzled over why only matter exists today.Several experiments at CERN seek

to explain matters predominance usingan antiproton decelerator that slows theparticles down to about a tenth the speed oflight. Using this facility CERN physicists firstmade a few fleeting atoms of antihydrogen

in 1995. In 2002 two teams reported waysto make lots of antihydrogen atoms at lowenergies.

The new results come from the labsALPHA experiment a collaboration of

scientists from eight countries in which astream of antiprotons is cooled into a cloudof about 40,000 particles. The antiprotonsare created in an accelerator by smashinghigh-energy protons into a stationary target.The antiprotons are then slowed down andcooled in a series of steps involving a storage

ring and electromagnetic traps. The cloud ofantiprotons is then introduced into a cloudof a couple of million positrons chilled to 40kelvin ( 233C). The positrons are producedby a radioactive source and then accumulatedand cooled in a special trap. About once ouof 10 times, an antiproton and a positroncombine to make an antihydrogen atomFor roughly every 100,000 antihydrogen

atoms made, researchers managedto trap just one of them usingstrong magnetic fields. CERNscientists succeeded in trapping38 antihydrogen atoms for abou

170 ms before they escaped andannihilated themselves againsthe matter in the sides of thecontainer. The actual trappinginvolves a magnetic bottle, whichconfines the antimatter particles

within a strong magnetic fieldThis was the first time antimatte

atoms had been stored for long enough tomeasure their properties in detail (Nature17 November 2010).

Soon after, in a significant step forwardphysicists at CERN also carried out the firs

spectroscopic measurements on a beam oantihydrogen atoms (Physical Review Lettersdoi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.243401).The beams were used to carry out the firsdetailed studies of the energy levels inantihydrogen. The breakthrough came just

weeks after researchers succeeded in trappinga few dozen antihydrogenatoms. Taken together, the tworesults represent major advancein studies of antimatter.

Measuring in detail theenergy levels in antihydrogen

is important because theStandard Model of particlephysics says they should beidentical to those of hydrogen

Any slight differences inthe fine structure of thelevels compared to ordinaryhydrogen could shed light on

why there is so much morematter than antimatter in the

universe.

25

Atomic structure of hydrogen and antihydrogen.

Antiprotons and positrons are brought into the ALPHA trap from oppositeends and held there by electric and magnetic fields to form antihydrogen.


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Mystery of Saturn'srings solved

What distinguishes Saturn fromthe other planets of the solarsystem is its majestic ring system.Three other planets Jupiter,Uranus and Neptune also haverings, but they are insignificant

when compared to Saturnsextensive ring system.

First observed by GalileoGalilei 400 years ago, whocould not make out whatthey were, Saturns rings longremained a mystery till theDutch astronomer ChristiaanHuygens suggested in 1655 thatthe planet was surrounded by aring. But no one had any idea of

what the rings were made up of.Detailed study by the Voyager 1and Voyager 2 spacecraft in the1980s found a lot of details, butthey only increased the mystery.

There are billions of particles ofvarying sizes that constitute Saturnsextensive ring system. With a thickness ofabout 1 kilometre or less, they span up to282,000 km, about three quarters of thedistance between the Earth and the Moon.The ring particle sizes range from tiny, dust-sized icy grains to a few particles as large asmountains.

There are several theories to explain theorigin of Saturns rings. One theory suggeststhat the ring particles are leftover debris fromthe formation of the planet itself. Anotheridea is that the rings are debris from a satellitethat for whatever reason was unable to form.Probably the most likely theory isthat the particles are the result ofan icy satellite that was shatteredby an impact with a comet. Aclosely similar origin is proposed ina recent paper published online inthe journal Natureon 12 December

2010 (doi:10.1038/nature09738).According to the author of thepaper, planetary scientist RobinCanup of the Southwest ResearchInstitute, Boulder, Colorado,USA, Saturns rings might be theremains of a giant lost moon that

was stripped of its icy shell beforeit crashed into the planet.

Using detailed computersimulations, Canup arrived at a

scenario which suggests a violent origin forSaturns rings. According to her, as the planetcoalesced during the birth of the solar systemmore than 4.5 billion years ago, the swirlingdisk of gas surrounding it included severalmoons of various sizes. But gravitationalinteractions with the gas caused the moonsorbits to shrink, and one by one the moonsentered death spirals and plunged into the

planet. Todays ring system is the remains ofa large moon, thousands of kilometres wide roughly as large as Saturns biggest moon,Titan that crashed on Saturn, pulledby its immense gravity. The fragments ofthat final doomed moon, each originally

between 1 and 50 kilometres acrossprobably formed an icy ring systemas much as 1,000 times as massiveas todays rings. In the subsequen4.5 billion years, innumerablecollisions between these largechunks produced the much smallerring particles that now orbit Saturn

Some of the ice would have spreadinward and collided with Saturn

while some material that scatteredoutward could have clustered overtime to form Saturns oddly icyinner moons.

According to planetaryscientists, this new theory is the firsthat is really comprehensive andconsistent with the facts of Saturnrings and its satellites.

Bacteria thriving onarsenic discoveredFrom the tiny bacterium Escherichia

coli to elephants, all forms of life on Earthdepend on the same six elements: carbonhydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphurand phosphorus. These six elements areconsidered essential; it was believed lifeas we know it cannot exist without themPhosphorus is critical to terrestrial lifebecause phosphorus and phosphates arekey parts of the double-helix backbone

of DNA and the energy transport moleculeATP. At the same time, arsenic the elemenbelow phosphorus in the same group ofthe periodic table has been known to behighly toxic to living beings. But now aNASA-funded research has found a strain o

bacteria named GFAJ-1, isolatedfrom a salt lake in CaliforniaUSA that can grow on arsenicseemingly in lieu of phosphorusin its DNA and other vitabiomolecules (www.sciencexpressorg/ 2 December 2010). The

newly discovered microbe strainGFAJ-1 is a member of a commongroup of bacteria, called theGammaproteobacteria (a class oseveral medically and scientificallyimportant groups of bacteria thatincludes E. coli).

Interestingly, althougharsenic is highly toxic andphosphorus is not, the two elementhave many similarities. Belonging

24

New Horizons

alse-colour digitally reconstructed image of Saturns rings showingdifference in particle size. Purple indicates ring particles larger than5 centimetres, while the green indicates regions with ring particlesless than 1 centimetre in size. The white band indicates that the

density of ring particles is too high to make a good determination.

Other radio observations indicate that some ring particles can beas large as several metres across. (Credit: RSS, JPL, ESA, NASA)

Mono Lake is an extremely saline and highly alkalinelake in California, which also has one of the highest

natural concentrations of arsenic in the world.


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New Horizons

to the same group in the periodic table,arsenic and phosphorus possess similar atomicradii as well as identical electronegativity.The most common form of phosphorusinvolved in biological processes is phosphate(PO

43-), which behaves similarly to arsenate

(AsO43-) over the range of biologically relevant

pH. In fact, it is this similarity that makesarsenic toxic to life on Earth because whenincorporated in place of phosphate, arsenateprobably interferes with normal metabolicprocess. It was to test this hypothesis that ateam of scientists led by geomicrobiologistFelisa Wolfe-Simon of NASA Astrobiology

Institute decided to study a strain of bacteriacollected from the bottom of Mono Lake,an extremely saline and highly alkaline lakein California. Mono Lake also has one ofthe highest natural concentrations of arsenicin the world. Wolfe-Simon had speculatedthat some microbes might be able to adaptto using arsenic.

To test her hypothesis, Wolfe-Simoncollected mud from Mono Lake and culturedthe microorganisms from it in increasingconcentrations of arsenate. No phosphateor other phosphorus-containing compounds

were added to the growth medium. Whenthe growing bacteria were later tested they

were found to have incorporated arsenicin the protein, lipid, nucleic acid, andmetabolite fractions of the cells. DNAseparated from the bacteria was also found tocontain arsenic. In other words, the bacteriasubstituted arsenic for phosphorus in its cellcomponents and still survived.

The results of this study are likely totransform ongoing research in many areas,

including the study of Earths evolution,organic chemistry, biogeochemical cycles,disease mitigation and Earth system research.These findings are also expected to open upnew frontiers in microbiology and otherareas of research.

Lightfoil generateslift from light

American researchers have demonstratedfor the first time the optical analogue of anaerofoil that makes aeroplanes fly. Called alightfoil, the device is a transparent object

with specially shaped surfaces that produce a

lift when passing through a beam of light,in a manner similar to an aerofoil. A teamof scientists led by Grover Swartzlander,a physicist at the Rochester Institute ofTechnology, New York have used laser beamspassing through curved lenses to generatelift just like aerofoils (Nature Photonics |doi:10.1038/nphoton.2010.266). The effectis tiny that no one expects to make airplanes

fly via laser beams. But it is possible thathis effect could be useful when movingnanoscale objects, or perhaps manoeuvringsolar sails in outer space.

The principle of a lightfoil is similarto that of an aerofoil: both require thepressure to be greater on one side than theother, which generates a force, or lift, in tha

direction. With an aerofoil, the pressuredifference arises because air must pass fasterover the longer, curved side to rejoin the airpassing underneath. With the lightfoil, thepressure comes from light rather than airSuch radiation pressure was theorised byphysicists James Clerk Maxwell and AdolfoBartoli in the late 19th century, and existbecause photons impart momentum to anobject when they reflect off or pass throughit. It is the reason, for example, that cometails always point away from the Sun, becausethe Sun's rays push them that way.

Grover and his colleagues carried oucomputer analyses to learn how light raysrefract and reflect as they enter differenshaped objects and to find out if radiationpressure could generate lift in a lightfoilSuccess came in the form of a rod with semicylindrical cross-section, which showed fromthe analyses that a large portion of incidentlight rays should leave in a perpendiculardirection. The side where they leave wouldexperience the greatest radiation pressureand, therefore, lift.

To test this prediction, Grover andhis group created tiny rods shaped kind olike airplane wings flat on one side androunded on the other. When these micronsized lightfoils were immersed in water andhit with 130 milliwatts of light from thebottom of the chamber, they started to moveup, as expected. But the rods also beganmoving to the side, a direction perpendiculato the incoming light. It was this latterperpendicular motion that, the researcherclaim, proves the existence of optical liftTiny symmetrical spheres didnt exhibit this

lift effect, the team found.One application of the lightfoil could

be to control the direction of space vehiclethat rely on radiation pressure for thrustsuch as the experimental solar-sail spacecrafLightSail-1, which the Planetary Societya public space organisation based in USAis planning to launch later this year. Thelightfoil concept could also be used to powermicromachines, or transport particles inliquids.

A scanning-electron micrograph image of arsenic-eating bacteria, which NASAsays has redefined the quest for life in the universe. (Credit: Science/AAAS)

Time-lapse images show the progressionof the lightfoil lifted by light.

(Credit: Nature Photonics)

23

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19/20


Your opinionDream 2047has been inviting your opinion on a specific topic every month. The reader sending the best comments will receive a popularscience book published by VP. Selected comments received will also be published in Dream 2047. The comments should be limited to400 words.

This months topic:Has the teaching of science in schools helped in removing the scourge ofsuperstitions and irrational beliefs existing in our society in any significant manner?

Response should contain full name; postal address with pincode and email ID, if any; and should be accompanied by a recent passportsize photograph. Response may be sent by email ([email protected]) or by post to the address given below. If sent by post,Response: Dream 2047February 2011 should be clearly written on the envolope.

Vigyan PrasarA-50, Institutional Area, Sector-62, Noida 201 307 (U.P.)Phone: 91-120-240 4430/35 Fax: 91-120-240 4437Email: [email protected] Website: www.vigyanprasar.gov.in

Kunal GuptaClass-X-D6-B-4, Pawanpuri, South Ext.,Bikaner - 334 003 (Raj.)The standard of school education would certainly be raised by adoptinga single curriculum for the entire country. Mathematics and science,

which are the most important subjects, are almost common but insome states the standard is somewhat low. Some topics are coveredin class IX whereas some topics are covered in class X. Similar is thecase with geography, economics and civics. But a common syllabus inHistory may create problem because history syllabus is state specific.So, the adaption of a single curriculum may require minor changes,but the benefit will be immense. A single curriculum at school level

would facilitate common evaluation for the country as a whole andwould save a lot of duplicity and labour for framing separate curriculafor different provinces. This will not only increase the standard ofeducation but would also be a unifying force to understand the cultureof all the states by the students. At present, NTSE (National TalentSearch Examination conducted by NCERT) and all-India level examsare conducted on a single curriculum. So, the same principle of single

curriculum may be adopted for school education for the entire countryformed by eminent educationists.

*****

C. K. Biju,H.S.A.- Physics,S.N.V. Sanskrit. H.S.S.,N. Paravur, Ernakulam (Dt.)Kerala 683513In our country, there are different curricula and

syllabi like CBSE, ICSE, NCERT and other state boards. Some ofthem are considered better than the others. This is not a good concept.It is better to adopt a single curriculum for the entire country. But thechosen single curriculum must be flexible and easy to handle at variousparts of the country. This means the activities and strategies chosenfor the curriculum transaction may be different with respect to thecircumstances. This will raise o

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Dreams 2047 Feb 2011 English