Documentation and Knowledge Industry

Today I would like to share a short story on my experience with the synthesis of micron-sized colloidal particles.

I have started synthesizing particles of various shapes since February 2014, while working with Prof. Basavaraja at IIT M. There, I was successful to synthesize hematite ellipsoids after five attempts which nearly took four months of mine time. After a successful synthesis, Prof. Dillip suggested, that I should record the complete protocol for synthesis in a very detailed manner and I did so.

Thereafter I saw a miracle. Anyone trying to synthesize the hematite ellipsoids were able to do it in their first attempt. I was always delighted about their success because it makes me feel that as if I succeded in synthesizing the particles.

After a long time, then I tried to synthesize micron-sized hematite particles that too was also successful in the first attempt. I recorded the protocol again in a similar way. After a few months later a researcher assistant, named, Megha was synthesizing cylindrical rods. She succeeded in the synthesis after several attempts. I remember, the day she was successful in synthesizing the particle. She was very happy. I asked her to record the protocol and she exactly did it. And Imagine what happened? I attempted the synthesis and was successful in my very first attempt. The electron microscopy image of this silica rod is below in Fig.1. This synthesis was my first experiment at IBS center for soft and living matter located in Ulsan (South Korea)

I am very confident to say that documentation is important to produce a reproducible result. I can say that such documentation helps us as well as others looking for our research. I can surely say that it saves the time of an individual if he/she is performing similar experiments routinely.

Fig.1 Scanning electron microscopy image of silica rods taken at UCRF facility, UNIST South Korea

So I will say...Always write what you do in experiments regularly. I know its kind of boring but believe me, it will indeed be very helpful to everyone who is working in the knowledge industry.

Concept of K-I-H-L

The pursuit of excellence is often attributed to a combination of four factors: Knowledge, Intelligence, Hard Work, and Luck. However, attaining all four may not be entirely feasible, particularly given that Intelligence and Luck are beyond our control. Despite this, I firmly believe that Hard Work, a factor entirely within our purview, serves as a cornerstone for success. Furthermore, a diligent effort has the dual capacity to not only propel one's work ethic but also to actively contribute to the accumulation and enhancement of Knowledge. While certain factors may remain elusive, the steadfast commitment to hard work can empower individuals to navigate and shape their paths to excellence.

Way to Move Forward

While climbing Mt. Takao in Tokyo, Japan. A midst this life journey, an important and critical philosophical aspect that continuously haunts my mind is, "understanding oneself". This self-awareness can potentially provides the necessary vision to progress, navigate amid obstacles, and move freely. Further, there is another important concept that comes in; "Ignore and explore". By this, I mean ignoring what we feel is unimportant and exploring the uncharted aspects of life. However, there is often a situation where we can't do anything except wait and wait until external events unfold and show us a path to move. O ften resulting in a state of hallucination where we can get lost in a cycle of thoughts, finally forcing us to embark on something completely new. Therefore, initiating new endeavours in life and accepting the changes should be ubiquitous activities. Besides, it's also important to note that many aspects of life lack quantifiable ...

Experience: A valuable possession

View of Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, Japan For much of our life, we pay significant efforts in excelling in our careers, building relationships, making good friends, having good teachers, being good students and make good relations. I believe having all of them is a great blessing, but unfortunately, all of us are not so lucky or well-deserved to have them all. Working for them has always been difficult for everyone; sometimes, we may give up. But, whether we succeed or fail, we keep accumulating an important thing during our journey, it is called an "experience". For every individual, it is different, and mine is unique too. As I grew old, I discovered that "experience" is my most valuable possession . It may be filled with happiness, sadness, struggle, or whate...

hisay lama

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