Malini's Musings

In my previous post, I wrote about the solar cookers, around which most of my fascination was centered. In another exhibition hall,and around the campus, there were some more interesting things on display... And I'm going to write about them in this post... Solar LED Lanterns: The solar panels placed on the window harness the sun's energy and store it. When the lanterns are switched on, the stored energy powers the LEDs. Electric Bicycles and Tricycle: These were designed for use by people residing in rural areas, where heavy loads are carried on bicycles, which are to be riden on kaccha roads. It is envisaged that the vehicles can be charged electrically at home or at a charging station. Approx. cost of making the bike is around Rs. 12.9 k... cant remember exact figure. This is something that needs to be looked into... A Merry-Go-Round that actually generates energy: When you spin it, the kinetic energy powers a music system. If you spin it fast enough, music...

On 23rd November, 2009, our entire class of 7th semester BT students were taken for a visit to MGIRED (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Develpoment). The primary focus of this visit was biofuels. And most interactions revolved around how biofuels are made from non-edible oil (edible oil is not used for the sake of food security)... But what fascinated me the most were the solar cookers. I initially mistook them for a sattelite dish, much to the amusement of my friends, but then, I got very much involved with the solar cookers, and lost track of time there. This was the first one that I saw, which I mistook for a sattelite dish. And another one... Both of them belong to a class of solar cookers designated as "Curved Concentrator Cookers" or "parabolics". They cook fast at high temperatures but they also require frequent adjustment and supervision for safe operation. Then I saw these cookers... The "Box Cookers" or "Heat Trap Boxes"......

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a Nobel-prize winning nucleic acid amplification technology that allows minute amounts of genetic material to be amplified into billions of copies in just a few hours. It has enabled many significant advances in the Genome projects, DNA fingerprinting and in the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis. Beyond its wide medical applications, PCR has been used to help in our understanding of evolution, human migration and even for use in food safety, archaeology and forensics. In 1983, Dr. Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation conceived of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). PCR is a simple yet elegant process that enables the production of virtually unlimited copies of genetic material in the laboratory. For the conception of PCR, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to him in 1993. In 1985, Cetus filed the first PCR patent application. The same year, the first publication of PCR by Cetus Corporation appeared in Science. This is the ...

Since the 1980s, DNA analysis has been used for medical purposes and to resolve disputes of parentage. It was in 1988, that DNA was first admitted as evidence in court in the case of Florida vs. Tommy Lee Andrews. From 1989 onwards, FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) started accepting casework from Forensic Labs. As a new technology , DNA Analysis had to be shown to satisfy certain well established standards for admissibility of novel scientific evidence. The most common standard is the Frye Rule, although a few courts use the Relevance Test, which is based on the Federal Rules of Evidence. Both standards address the question of admissibility of novel evidence, and rely on expert testimony on matters related to specialized experience and knowledge. Since DNA analysis was already in use for medical applications, the courts quickly accepted that it satisfied Frye Rule. As of today, DNA evidence is admissible in courts of law of all nations, and has been used effectively, especially in...