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.

Curiosity versus Insecurity driven learning

My working space at my Tokyo residence I think learning/growth in most individuals can originate from two sources, namely, curiosity-driven and insecurity-driven learning processes. Let me first talk about curiosity-driven learning, herein, a mind is self-directed, focused on personal goals, and uses the available knowledge to succeed in their goal. Moreover, the mindset is driven by intrinsic thoughts, with a motivation of growth and free from external pressure or comparison. Such an approach fosters originality, leading to the development of unique ideas and work. In contrast, a n insecure mind more often follows others, always seeks external validation and avoids risks, leading to a path defined by external influences rather than personal aspirations. It is mostly guided by induced thoughts, moreover, ideas are shaped by the expectations and achievements of others. With this mindset, we may have career growth, but we may lose the authenticity and the originality. Howe...

Science: Creating Knowledge or Solving Societal Problems?

Picture from Okinawa island in Japan I want to share my perspective on research, particularly in basic science. I’ve noticed that many renowned scientists, especially physicists, often choose research problems that fascinate and excite them. Interestingly, many of these scientists also have a deep interest in the humanities and arts. They dedicate their resources and efforts to these pursuits, ultimately publishing their findings. Along the way, they develop quantitative and analytical tools or physics-based models to better understand the problems they are investigating. For example, I recently attended a talk by a well-known physicist from the UK who was studying literature from the medieval era. I approached the talk with curiosity but found my interest waning as it progressed, likely due to my limited understanding of literature. However, what really lingered with me was the question: Is this an important problem to study? Should leaders in the fiel...

Live to improve

Pokhara Lake, Nepal In today's society, it's common to be constantly bombarded with images and messages of people who seem to have it all together. From social media influencers with perfectly curated feeds to celebrities with seemingly perfect lives, it's easy to fall into the trap of wanting to prove ourselves to others. However, I believe it's much more important to live to improve rather than prove. Living to prove implies a constant need for external validation. We might feel like we must constantly prove ourselves to others by achieving certain milestones or reaching certain goals. While there's nothing wrong with striving for success, it can be dangerous to base our self-worth solely on the opinions of others. When we live to prove ourselves, we essentially give others control over our lives, which is never a good thing. On the other hand, living to improve means that we're constantly striving to be better versions of ourselves. We're not focused on...

hisay lama

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