Education, Research and Innovation News from India

March 2015 Introduction Welcome to the March 2015 edition of the Education, Research and Innovation News from India. In this edition we inform you of international recognition to two distinguished environmentalists from India, a special segment on sustainable phosphorus management and its implications for India, news from the more successes for India in space and some humour. If there are other areas you would like to see covered in this newsletter, please let us know. Happy reading! Contents Recognition for Indian researchers ................ .................................................................................................................... 3

The water man of India wins 2015 Stockholm Water Prize ............................................................................. 3

Dr Madhav Gadgil awarded the 2015 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement ........................................ 3

Education and skills development .................. .................................................................................................................... 5

UGC encouraging career-oriented courses in colleges, universities ................................................................................... 5

Labour ministry unveils certificate repository in move to curb fraud...................................................................................... 5

Health ............................................ .............................................................................................................................................. 7

Molecular profile of Indian prostate cancer patients ............................................................................................................... 7

A new universal JE vaccine? .................................................................................................................................................... 7

Probe for tracking mitochondria, ATP ...................................................................................................................................... 8

Aptamers for cancer therapeutics ............................................................................................................................................ 9

Environment ....................................... ................................................................................................................................... 10

Sustainable phosphorus management: The Indian scenario in a global context .......................................... 10

Poor genetic diversity bane for last surviving population of Kashmir red deer ................................................................. 12

Physics ........................................... ......................................................................................................................................... 15

High-performance, lightweight supercapacitors .................................................................................................................. 15

Chemsitry ......................................... ...................................................................................................................................... 16

Nanospheres reveal secrets of nerve diseases .................................................................................................................. 16

Materials ......................................... ......................................................................................................................................... 17

Nanoalloys for lithium ion batteries ........................................................................................................................................ 17

Lead-free thin films for memory devices ............................................................................................................................... 17

Space ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

PSLV-C27 Successfully Launches India's Fourth Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1D ....................................... 19

Mangalyaan mission extended by six months .................................................................................................................... 19

Astronomy and astrophysics ........................ .................................................................................................................... 21

TIFR: star sound discovered? ............................................................................................................................................... 21

Miscellaneous...................................... .................................................................................................................................. 22

Humour on Einstein as expressed in limericks ............................................................................................... 22

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Recognition for Indian researchers The water man of India wins 2015 Stockholm Water Pr ize Rajendra Singh of India is named the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate, for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those most in need. Mr Singh, born 1959, lives and works in the arid Indian state of Rajasthan, where he for several decades dedicated himself to defeating drought and empowering communities. The results of his tireless work are without equal: in close cooperation with local residents, he and his organization have revived several rivers, brought water, and life, back to a thousand villages and given hope to countless people. In its citation, The Stockholm Water Prize Committee says that “today’s water problems cannot be solved by science or technology alone. They are instead human problems of governance, policy, leadership, and social resilience. Rajendra Singh’s life work has been in building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and technical approaches and upending traditional patterns of development, resource use, and social norms.” About Stockholm Water Prize The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1991 and presented annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to an individual, organisation or institution for outstanding water-related achievements. The Stockholm Water Prize Laureate receives USD 150,000 and a specially designed sculpture. H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is patron of the prize. Source: Stockholm International Water Institute press release For full text please visit http://www.siwi.org/prizes/stockholmwaterprize/laureates/2015-2/ Dr Madhav Gadgil awarded the 2015 Tyler Prize for E nvironmental Achievement The 2015 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is awarded to Dr Madhav Gadgil, a D. D. Kosambi Visiting Research Professor in Interdisciplinary Studies at Goa University, in recognition of his achievements in ecological research and the promotion of environmental stewardship. He shares the prize with Dr Jane Lubchenco, a University Distinguished Professor

and Advisor in Marine Studies at Oregon State University Dr. Gadgil's work in quantitative ecology and population biology is widely recognized in his field and his efforts in applied science and strengthening the social aspects of environmental awareness have been truly impactful. Throughout his career, he has sought to bridge the political divide between environmental wellbeing and economic pressures while maintaining a high standard for sustainability and justice. As a multi-talented figure in the environmental community, Gadgil's career has run the gamut from quantitative research to sociological studies to government advisement. His theoretical work is impressive on its own, but the hallmark of Gadgil’s career has been his ability to synthesize these ideas for practical policy-based solutions. Dr. Gadgil was born in Pune in the state of Maharashtra, India in 1942. In 1965, he graduated from Bombay University with a Master’s Degree in Zoology. From there, he went on to Harvard University, where he received a Ph.D. in Biology for his thesis in mathematical ecology, which quickly became a citation classic. This work earned him an IBM Fellowship at the Harvard Computing Center, and he stayed on at the university as a lecturer in biology. In

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1971, Gadgil returned to India to support the practical and scientific applications of ecological research in his home county. He began this work as a scientific officer for the Maharashtra Association for Cultivation of Science in Pune. In 1973, he helped set up the Centre of Theoretical Studies at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, where he went on to establish the Centre for Ecological Studies in 1983. He worked at the Indian Institute of Science for more than 30 years, taking on roles that range from Assistant Professor to Chairman. About the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement John and Alice Tyler decided in 1972 to create a new international award to recognize those individuals who have contributed in an outstanding manner to the scientific knowledge and public leadership to preserve and enhance the environment of the world. During its forty-two year history, the Prize has recognized outstanding, world-class environmental accomplishments and contributions of sixty-eight individuals and four organizations. Those recipients encompass the spectrum of environmental concerns, including environmental policy, environmental health, air and water pollution, ecosystem disruption, loss of biodiversity, population, energy and food resources. This distinguished group of people have been passionate about their work, and their feelings about the importance of their environmental contributions have been reinforced by being awarded this premier international prize. Source: The Tyler Prize pages at the University of Southern California. For full text please visit http://www.tylerprize.usc.edu/laureates.html

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Education and skills development UGC encouraging career-oriented courses in colleges , universities The University Grants Commission is encouraging implementation of skill-based and career-oriented courses in colleges and universities through several new schemes, HRD Minister Smriti Irani has said. Replying to questions in Lok Sabha, she said a scheme called 'Introduction of Career Oriented Courses' (COCs) was being implemented, under which the UGC provides financial assistance to eligible universities and colleges to introduce COCs at certificate, diploma or advance diploma levels which would run concurrently with conventional degrees like BA, BCom and BSc. To give a push to skill-based vocations, the UGC has also revised its guidelines in accordance with the National Skills Qualification Framework for integrating skill and vocational development with mainstream general education in universities and colleges. The Minister said the UGC was also providing grants to universities and colleges under two schemes namely 'Community Colleges' and 'B.Voc Degree Programme' which offer employment-oriented skill based vocational courses wherein an industry partner is associated for curriculum development and assessment of learners. A scheme called 'Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Kaushal Kendra' has also been approved by the Commission. The UGC has decided to approve 100 Kaushal centres under this scheme in universities and colleges across the country during the XII plan period. These centres will impart skill based education from the certificate to post graduate level, she said. Irani said as per the UGC guidelines for Credit Framework for Skill Development (CFSD), 60 per cent weightage is given to skill component in course curriculum of vocational courses. "Further, the skill component of these courses is to be assessed and certified by the concerned sector skill council, which is being recognised for award of certificate, diploma, advance diploma or degree from college and universities," she added. Source First Post http://www.firstpost.com/politics/ugc-encouraging-career-oriented-courses-colleges-universities-smriti-irani-tells-rajya-sabha-2160299.html

Labour ministry unveils certificate repository in m ove to curb fraud India’s labour ministry has launched an online repository that will allow potential employers to check the credentials of students who have graduated from skill development centres run by the ministry. The database, delayed by some four years, is expected to benefit 2 million people a year who undergo vocational training in 11,000 industrial training institutes (ITIs) and other centres. From exam management to electronic certificates, the new initiative is expected to be a comprehensive platform that will be part of the larger labour market information system that the government intends to introduce. The ministry will link the repository to the revamped employment exchanges once they are ready to bring jobs and job-seekers on to one platform. Labour minister Bandaru Dtttatreya said his ministry has a mandate to train 10 million people by 2017. The repository will help transparency, improve the visibility of trained manpower and apprenticeship services, and catalyse demand through better market information and advocacy.

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The repository will help ITI graduates get apprenticeship training and those eligible for cash benefits under the new apprenticeship scheme can get it directly in their bank account. The repository shall provide better analytics for decision-making, both by the government as well as during hiring by companies, said Anita Mittal, principal consultant at National Institute of Smart Governance, an organization that helps improve e-governance models. Source: LiveMint. For full text please visit http://www.livemint.com/Politics/ZbyNTfPagv2FrkwRuZOeaN/Labour-ministry-unveils-certificate-repository-in-move-to-cu.html

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Health Molecular profile of Indian prostate cancer patient s Researchers claim to have undertaken the first ever molecular characterization of prostate cancer patients from the Indian sub-continent1. The molecular profiling data could help clinicians diagnose and surgically treat prostate cancer patients as also select appropriate therapeutic interventions for this population. Molecular stratification of prostate cancer based on genetic aberrations are useful in prognosis and diagnosis of the disease. Patients of prostate cancer frequently show gene rearrangements involving ETS (E26 transformation-specific) transcription factors and frequent pathogenetic somatic events. Such rearrangements have been earlier reported in Caucasian patients. However, the occurrence of these gene rearrangements in Indian patients has remained largely understudied. The researchers, therefore, set out to study the prevalence of such ETS and RAF (rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma) kinase gene rearrangements, SPINK1 (serine peptidase inhibitor, Kazal type 1) over-expression, and PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) deletion in a multi-centre study. They studied 121 prostate cancer specimens from four major medical institutions in India. The researchers used immunohistochemistry, RNA in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization for sectioning the tissues and for molecular profiling. They found that ETS gene rearrangement and SPINK1 over-expression patterns in the North Indian population studied were largely similar to Caucasian populations but differed from Japanese and Chinese prostate cancer patients. "This will help clinicians define better protocols for treatment of Indian prostate cancer patients," says one of the researchers Bushra Ateeq from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Reproduced from Nature India: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.38 Ateeq, B. et al. Molecular profiling of ETS and non-ETS aberrations in prostate cancer patients from northern India. Prostate. (2015) doi: 10.1002/pros.22989 A new universal JE vaccine? An indigenous Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine JENVAC could be universally active against the mosquito-bred brain inflaming virus of different geographic or genetic origins, claims a recently published phase 2/3 trials report on the vaccine1. In October 2013, when India's former health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad launched Bharat Biotech's JENVAC, the vaccine was not approved for use in children. However now, through these trials, Bharat Biotech and researchers from the National Institute for Virology report that JENVAC could be safe to use both in adults as well as in children. These two-year trials were conducted in over 600 patients at 9 sites in India — 3 each in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad and 1 each in Jaipur, Kolkata, and Mysore. Between June and November of 2011, the researchers gave JENVAC to 450 patients, ranging from 1-50 years of age. The rest of the patients were only adults, who were given a single dose of SA-14-14-2, another JE vaccine that is not yet approved for use in children. With a single dose, the authors report, JENVAC keeps the JE virus at bay. The researchers found protective antibodies in patients even after a year of vaccination. When they gave a booster dose one month after the first shot, they found JENVAC’s efficacy only improved, but did not wane. With minimal side effects, the authors show that JENVAC is better than SA-14-14-2, though only slightly.

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The researchers also found that sera collected from JENVAC-protected patients nullified other JE virus strains. These strains of viruses were reported to have caused JE in different countries at distinct time periods in the past. This finding led the researchers to claim that JENVAC could be universally active against JE virus of distinct origins and genetic make up. “JENVAC produced protective levels of antibodies that were better than that of the comparator vaccine against all the major genotypes of the virus tested”, says Nagendra R. Hegde, the corresponding author. JENVAC can stay active in very high temperatures making it easy for health care practitioners to transport the vaccine to remote areas. Scott Halstead at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA, feels that the trials’ results are skewed by the comparison of JENVAC, a killed vaccine, with SA-14-14-2, a live attenuated vaccine. He says, the researchers should have compared the response of their vaccine to that to the Vero-based JE vaccine produced globally. However, he feels that JENVAC is a promising vaccine, though not really better than other available vaccines. Reproduced from Nature India: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.37 1. Singh, A. et al. A Japanese encephalitis vaccine from India induces durable and cross-protective immunity against temporally and spatially wide-ranging global field strains. J. Infect. Dis. (2015) doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiv023 Probe for tracking mitochondria, ATP Researchers have synthesized a fluorescent probe from two organic compounds that can selectively track mitochondria and the energy-storing molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in living cells1, making it useful for monitoring important cellular events. The probe can also be used to better understand ageing and diseases related to the dysfunction of mitochondria. The researchers synthesized the probe from two organic compounds, 1-bezhydryl-piperazine 2 and bischloromethylanthracene 3, in the presence of potassium carbonate. They found the probe to be stable under ultraviolet irradiation. The probe also permeated the cancer cells and positioned itself very close to mitochondria, while giving off bright blue fluorescence. It showed a greater affinity for mitochondria than for other cellular organelles, such as endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi bodies. The researchers prepared a solution containing ATP and other phosphate-based molecules. When the probe was added to this solution under ultraviolet radiation, it selectively detected ATP over other phosphate molecules, changing the color of the solution from a dark blue to a fluorescent blue-green. Reproduced from Nature India: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.36 1. Srivastava, P. et al. Highly sensitive cell imaging “Off–On” fluorescent probe for mitochondria and ATP. Biosens. Bioelectron. 69, 179–185 (2015) Abstract: A smart Off-On molecular scaffold/fluorescent probe 1 has been designed and synthesized. The probe has shown considerable photostability, cell permeability, organelle specificity and selectivity for ATP. The multicolor live cell imaging experiments in HeLa cells showed high selectivity of probe 1 for mitochondria with fluorescence "turn-on" response. As a proof of concept and promising prospects for application in biological sciences probe 1 has been utilized to detect ATP sensitively in a partial aqueous medium and intracellularly in HeLa cells. The favorable interaction between triphosphate unit of ATP and piperazine N atoms of probe 1 is attributed to synergistic effects of H-bonding and electrostatic interactions that encouraged the CH-π and π→π stacking between anthracene and

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purine rings. Consequently, the observed enhanced "turn-on" emission and a naked-eye sensitive blue-green color in the medium is attributable to arrest in photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process.

Aptamers for cancer therapeutics Scientists from National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Mohali, have described the molecular mechanism of an RNA aptamer which specifically targets drug resistant and metastatic cancer cells1. Aptamers – single stranded nucleic acids – have emerged as contemporaries to antibodies due to their high affinity for target cells and researchers worldwide are working on aptamer-based drug delivery systems. The NIPER researchers selected the RNA aptamer through Cell-SELEX process. The aptamer shows high specificity towards its target gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells and spares the normal lung cells. They used this aptamer to deliver gefitinib-loaded nanoparticles synthesised earlier2. Aptamer conjugated geftinib nanoparticles (GNPs) showed higher internalization and retention within the resistant cell type as compared to normal GNPs. Due to this the anti-cancer activity of the bio-conjugate was also higher. They did not observe any internalization of bio-conjugate within normal lung cells and saw higher efficacy of the delivery system in xenograft mice with tumours. “The bio-conjugate alleviates tumour growth. It also significantly lowers body weight loss in bio-conjugate treated animals as compared to animals treated with gefitinib and GNPs,” says lead researcher Kulbhushan Tikoo. The researchers used bioinformatic approach to identify the aptamers’ target and were intrigued to find that the aptamer was identifying Ets-1, an oncogenic transcription factor, as its target. Through extensive transfection and co-localization assays, they showed that the high specificity of their aptamer towards drug resistant cells was due to the presence of high levels of Ets-1 in these cells. Their selected aptamer also internalized within other Ets-1 expressing metastatic and drug resistant cancer cells like H23 lung cancer, MDA-MB231 breast cancer and DU-145 prostate cancer cells. The delivery system, they say, is well suited for not only carrying pharmaceutical cargoes within Ets-1 expressing metastatic cancer cells but also for the diagnosis of highly progressive cancer cells. Reproduced from Nature India http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.33 Kaur, J. & Tikoo, K. Ets-1 identified as a novel molecular target of RNA aptamer selected against metastatic cells for targeted delivery of nano-formulation. Oncogene (2015) doi: 10.1038/onc.2014.447

Kaur, J. & Tikoo, K. p300/CBP dependent hyperacetylation of histones potentiates anticancer activity of Gefitinib nanoparticles. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1833, 1028-1040 (2013)

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Environment Sustainable phosphorus management: The Indian scena rio in a global context This issue presents a special section on sustainable phosphorus management which impacts India’s agriculture, fisheries and animal production systems along with Pflux to major Indian rivers and air–sea deposition to a portion of the Indian Ocean. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient, an irreplaceable element and a building block of all life forms. It controls net primary productivity and species composition in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, P cycle is one of the most anthropogenically perturbed biogeochemical cycles. In spite of being the 13th most abundant element on the Earth’s crust, it is a highly reactive element that moves from sedimentary rock through the agricultural and animal production systems and ultimately dissipates in the sea causing eutrophication and biodiversity changes, from where recovery of P is highly uneconomical at present. Globally, phosphorus needs are currently met from geological sedimentary rock formations available in select areas of the world. These are finite resources that will not last forever, even though estimates vary on whether they will exhaust in half a century or a few centuries, depending on whether we take into account currently accessible sources of P in the world or the total resources that exist. Rock phosphate mining in 2011 amounted to 191 Mt, corresponding to 25 Tg P yr–1. Overall, 82% of the mined P is required for fertilizers, 7% as a nutrient in feedstock and 11% for pharmaceuticals, detergents, fire crackers and other and industries. The future demand for P is anticipated to increase at 2.3% p.a. largely due to increasing food demand in the developing world, a shift towards meat-based diet (which consumes more P than vegetarian diet) and increasing biofuel production. The future supply will depend on declining stocks, quality deterioration of rock-phosphates and increase in the cost of P extraction apart from geopolitical factors and the potential for monopoly pricing. Agriculture and food security in the developing world would be worst hit by the availability and/or affordability of P inputs. India also suffers from the lack of geological reserves of high-grade P and is dependent on imports to meet up to 90% of its domestic P requirement. The need to address P deficiency in Indian soils and increase agricultural production, enhanced the consumption of P fertilizer in India from 0.053 Tg (1960–61) to 7.3 Tg (2009–2010) and is expected to reach 14.0 Tg by 2030–2031. The country witnessed steep increases in the prices of P fertilizers in the recent years and this scenario is not likely to change dramatically in the future and efficient usage of P to minimize wastage/loss remains the only option. In this background, the Society for Conservation of Nature, a registered NGO of scientists had earlier addressed issues of sustainable management of reactive nitrogen under the ‘Indian Nitrogen Group’ (ING-SCON) brought out a special section of Current Science (volume 94, issue 11, 2008). Now, a critical analysis of the sustainable P management scenario for India and the emerging future challenges as presented in this special section. As would be obvious from the 12 articles in this special section, our knowledge of the P-cycle in the Indian context is less understood and at best tentative due to the huge diversity of soil types, nutrient demands, ecological conditions and developmental challenges of the country. India will have an increasingly important role to play among the countries of the South and South- East Asia, which share not only common international waters but also related concerns on land–ocean connections apart from the common concern to continue producing enough food through their agricultural system to feed the growing population. In order to encourage and ensure sustainability of P use, it is essential to introduce need-/evidence-/researchbased policies of P management based on an integrated understanding of the complete biogeochemical cycle of P in India. The various options include: (i) Active recycling of P locked in organic residues and enhanced release of unavailable-P fractions. (ii) Development of P-efficient crop cultivars. (iii) Development of microbial/mycorrhizal P solubilization in the rhizosphere. (iv) Recycling P from within the human food chain for fertilizer. (v) Recovering P lost as pollutant from sewage, wastes and water bodies. In the inaugural article of the section, Scholz et al.

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(http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1237.pdf) describe Global TraPs (2010–2015) project, a transdisciplinary venture that is expected to bring together ‘practice’ (producers, traders, users of phosphorus, sewage plant operators, recycling companies, public agencies, NGOs, etc.) along with those facilitating their efforts (such as policy makers, development organizations) and ‘science’ (researchers from various disciplines with an interest in phosphorus) to work towards a common aim of ensuring future P usage to a sustainable basis. Mazumdar and Banerjee (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1237.pdf) describe phosphogenesis of an early Cambrian phosphorite deposit in the Krol belt of lesser Himalaya in terms of mineralogy and petrography. Based on the available early Cambrian oceanographic models, it was suggested that a repeated influx of P and organic-C rich water on to the shallow platform resulted in the precipitation of amorphous calcium phosphate from the shallow water column overlying the sediment water interface and subsequently modified to microsphorite (micritic phosphorite). Geochemical evidences support marine phosphate source possibly via upwelling/ transgression of phosphate-rich anoxic water over the shallow depositional milieu during early Cambrian. In view of the dependence on large-scale import of phosphorus, Subba Rao et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1253.pdf) studied whether lack of phosphorus would affect the future food security of India. Using P-fertilizer requirement calculations, they showed that 2.92 million tonne of P2O5 was removed through crop uptake (in 2000–2001), whereas additions due to fertilizers, manures and deposition were 5.24 million tonne, thus the overall P balance remains positive. In addition to ensuring adequate P additions, techniques need to be developed to harness the otherwise fixed or unavailable P in soil so as to reduce the P addition. In the following article, Sanyal et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1262.pdf) take stock of the available information on the P dynamics in soil, P management in important cropping systems for enhancing its use efficiency, soil testing for plantavailable P to prescribe fertilizer P application and losses of P through erosion and runoff. Plants possess a number of adaptive mechanisms to cope with P stress leading to changes at morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular levels. Elanchezhian et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1271.pdf) in their article collate a comprehensive understanding of these adaptive responses and engineer them to improve the efficiency of uptake, partitioning and utilization of P, together with other agronomic approaches that would result in meeting the P challenge in agriculture sustainably. Adhya et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1280.pdf) reiterate the role of microorganisms in mobilizing inorganic and organic P in the soil and the rhizosphere. They suggest that increasing availability of soil P through microbial inoculation will necessitate identification of the most appropriate strains, preparation of effective formulations, and introduction of efficient agronomic managements to ensure delivery and survival of inoculants and associated improved P efficiency. In the following article, Bagyaraj et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1288.pdf) discuss the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in the uptake of P from soil solution. It is now proved beyond doubt that AM fungi greatly enhance plant growth that is mainly attributed to uptake of diffusion limited nutrients such as P, Zn, Cu, etc. from soil. Field studies have shown that inoculation with efficient AM fungi not only increases growth and yield of crop plants but also reduces the application of phosphatic fertilizer by nearly 50%. Further, low grade rock phosphates available in India can be used with AM fungi as a potential source of P for crop plants. P entrapped in soil complex is often driven by erosion and ends up in riverine transport, ultimately reaching the ocean. Ramesh et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1294.pdf ) examined the major forcing functions that affect the riverine composition of phosphorus (P) in the Indian context. The flow of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and particulate inorganic phosphorus (PIP) to the coastal ocean from Indian rivers is estimated to be about 190 103 tonnes yr–1 and 1,367 103 tonnes yr–1 respectively, which is more than twice the concentration for other rivers in the world.. Such increased nutrient input into the riverine system reflects the imbalances and alterations in terrestrial sources emphasizing the need to monitor the quantity and quality of

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nutrient input to the rivers. Ocean being the ultimate sink of all the nutrients including P carried through the sediments, Srinivas and Sarin (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1300.pdf) summarize sources and atmospheric pathway of phosphorous to the surface ocean as a case study from the Northern Indian Ocean. Estimates of P-deposition to the Northern Indian Ocean were found to be comparable to the deposition in other oceanic regions and were also consistent with the model-based projections for the Northern Indian Ocean. These results reiterate need for quantification of intrasystem P fluxes leading to release of P to the outer ocean. In the following article, Vass et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1306.pdf) indicate that in India, harnessing water productivity through fishery and aquaculture is a major food production activity. However, our current knowledge of phosphorus dynamics in diverse aquatic ecosystems is very fragmentary. In fish/prawn culture using both inorganic and organic source of P, it was observed that maximum P gets loaded into pond sediments and about 60% of total P lost was primarily through discharge water (everyday water exchange – 56% and pond drainage – 4.5%). Prasad et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1315.pdf) in their article indicate that phytate in the animal feed of plant origin and the inability or limited ability of monogastric animals such as poultry and pigs to degrade phytate in gut results in the excretion of large amounts of P in the excreta causing eutrophication. Desired dietary level of P in ruminant and monogastric animals and improving gut bio-availability using better bio-available inorganic sources and balancing of different micronutrients and phytase supplementation needs intense research attention to enhance P-utilization for better animal production and environmental sustainability. In the final article, Kundu et al. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1320.pdf) while describing eutrophication of surface water in India emanating from the use of detergents, indicate that the current estimated annual consumption of phosphatecontaining laundry detergents in India is about 2.88 million tonnes and the total outflow of P is estimated to be 146 thousand tonnes per year. With increase in population and associated urbanization in India total out flow of P to the sewage system will also increase remarkably in near future. Currently, with a population of ~1.3 billion, India is estimated to release 0.38–1.02 Tg P per annum to the environment. Thus, there is a need to complete the P biogeochemical cycle through policies and practices for effective recovery and recycling of phosphoruscontaining wastes (including human wastes) into agriculture to enhance food production. There is undeniable resource, economic and environmental justification for society to reduce its reliance on mined (fertilizer) P and increase its efficiency of use. Heavy reliance on imported inorganic fertilizers to balance crop P offtake in countries such as India is perpetuating an oversupply of P to a very inefficient food chain. This will only get progressively larger as crop yields are increased to meet the food and fuel demands of an expanding population. While the articles in the special section of this issue are by no means a comprehensive picture of the Indian scenario, they are at best indicative of the issue to draw attention of the planners to this critical aspect of nutrient use. It is expected that such articles published by Current Science, a uniquely placed interdisciplinary forum, will activate appropriate research and policy initiative that would better voluntary alliances among scientists, policy makers, industry and other stakeholders unhindered by disciplinary or organizational boundaries. Yash P. Abrol Nandula Raghuram Tapan Adhya Reproduced from Current Science http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/07/1235.pdf Poor genetic diversity bane for last surviving popu lation of Kashmir red deer Scientists studying the last surviving species of hangul red deer in the Indian subcontinent have found that their current population of a little above 200 in the Jammu and Kashmir state

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of India shows relatively low genetic diversity as compared to other red deer populations of the world1. This, they say, makes them a truly precarious species and calls for a rethink in ongoing conservation efforts. The hangul — or Kashmir red deer (Cervus elaphus hanglu) — has long been at the centre of conservation efforts as it is the only subspecies of red deer in the Indian subcontinent and endemic to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The study of this Kashmir stag’s genetic diversity by scientists from the Wildlife Institue of India (WII), Dehradun, also points that regardless of historical mishaps, the hangul population has sustained a sufficient number of effective breeders. The population seems to have an inherent genetic potential to bounce back with proper law enforcement and habitat quality enhancement. The genetic diversity study supports a previous analysis2 of a population of Chinese red deer that bridged the gap in the understanding of divergence, evolution and dispersal of red deer from South East Asia to Europe and North America. The WII researchers have resolved the hangul’s phylogenetic status and delineated its taxonomic boundaries among other red deer subspecies of the world. The scientists collected DNA samples from shed pneumatic hairs of hangul in the Dachigam National Park near Srinagar. DNA analysis revealed that hangul were clustered in the Central Asian Tarim group and were genetically closer to Bactrian deer than Yarkand deer found in this region. Trends indicated ancestral movement of deer between the Tarim and Western populations. However, the Tarim group is geographically closer to the Eastern population. Similar studies have also been carried out recently by another group of scientists on the tissue and blood samples of hangul to corroborate this closer resemblance of the deer’s lineage to Bactrian and Yarkand deer than the European. “Regardless of the historical consequences and mishaps, the hangul population sustained a sufficient number of effective breeders and seems to have an inherent genetic potential to bounce back to its historic numbers if proper protection, law enforcement and habitat quality enhancement is imposed,” says lead researcher Mukesh Thakur from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. The hangul population has experienced several constraints in the past due to environmental and anthropogenic pressures. These have negatively influenced the population, resulted in severe decline in numbers and restricted its distribution range. Historically, the hangul occupied fairly large area of Western ranges of Himalayas comprising Kashmir, Chenab valley and some parts of Chamba valley of Himachal Pradesh. Now it is largely confined to the Dachigam landscape spanning over an area of around 1000 square kilometres including the protected areas of Dachigam National Park. The hangul population has shown noteworthy fluctuation in the past few decades. According to the researchers, the population was about 3,000 to 5,000 in the1900s. It dramatically reduced to 700 by 1987 due to unknown reasons, then plummeted to 120 by 1994. Stringent conservation efforts had increased the hangul population to 375 by 2002. This, however, declined next year to 212. The most recent population size was estimated to be somewhere around 218 in 2011. “The decreasing trend in hangul population and ever-increasing threats necessitated this genetic analysis,” Thakur says. The researchers say that rapidly changing land use in the Dachigam landscape has led to land fragmentation affecting deer corridors and restricted animal movement, which is crucial for maintaining genetic diversity and gene flow. The scientists emphasise the need to map, protect and enrich important forest patches that are potential hangul habitats in Dachigam. They say that conservation breeding and reintroduction should be done only after strengthening the in-situ conservation and management efforts.

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Khursheed Ahmad, a wildlife scientist from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, has been monitoring a long-term research project on hangul movement patterns using GPS satellite collars in Dachigam. He says the project, funded by the India’s ministry of environment and forests, had collared one male hangul for the first time in 2013 and is hoping to collar 4 to 6 more hangul this year. Ahmad says the decline in hangul population could be reversed by controlling factors responsible for fawn mortality, grazing pressure, control of pariah or domestic dog population in Dachigam and discontinuing the release of leopards in the area. “There is an urgent requirement to initiate a conservation breeding programme to augment hangul population in the wild.” Besides, some isolated areas outside the Dachigam National Park, where relic populations are found, could become potential sites for new breeding programmes and provide some ideal corridors for the hangul to disperse, Ahmad says. The hangul is listed under Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978 and is one among the top 15 species that receives high conservation priority by the Indian government. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has not accorded any special status to this subspecies of red deer and has listed it as having ‘least concern’ along with the other red deer subspecies of the world. The scientists strongly advocate that IUCN confer a conservation status to hangul distinct from other red deer subspecies of the world to draw more attention from national and international bodies. Reproduced from Nature India: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.35 1. Mukesh et al. Pragmatic perspective on conservation genetics and demographic history of the last surviving population of Kashmir red deer (Cervus elaphus hanglu) in India. PLoS One (2015) doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117069 2. Mahmut, H. et al. Molecular phylogeography of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations in Xinjiang of China: comparison with other Asian, European, and North American populations. Zool. Sci. 19, 485–495 (2002) doi: 10.2108/zsj.19.485

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Physics High-performance, lightweight supercapacitors Researchers have fabricated novel electrodes by using core–shell hybrid nanostructures made from nickel, iron and the oxides of both metals1. These electrodes can be used to produce supercapacitors that can store large electrical charges, making them potentially useful for use in lightweight electronic fuses, backup power systems and camera flashes. To produce supercapacitors with high power densities, the researchers synthesized porous, core–shell hybrid nanostructures consisting of nickel, iron and the oxides of both metals. The hybrid nanostructures consist of approximately 25-nanometre-thick shells that homogeneously coat the surfaces of core nanowires, which are made of nickel and iron and have diameters of around 100 nanometres. The researchers made the supercapacitor electrode from these core–shell hybrid nanostructures and found them stable on a long-term. The supercapacitor retained nearly 95% of its initial capacitance after 3,000 cycles of charging and discharging. “In addition, it showed low resistance, indicating its high electrical conductivity and a rapid ion-charge transport during electrochemical reactions at the contact of electrode and electrolyte,” says co-author Ashutosh Singh. Reproduced from Nature India: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.34 Singh, A. K. et al. Engineering of high performance supercapacitor electrode based on Fe-Ni/Fe2O3-NiO core/shell hybrid nanostructures. J. Appl. Phys. 117, 105101 (2015) For full text please visit http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/117/10/10.1063/1.4913218 Abstract: The present work reports on fabrication and supercapacitor applications of a core/shell Fe-Ni/Fe2O3-NiO hybrid nanostructures (HNs) electrode. The core/shell Fe-Ni/Fe2O3-NiO hybrid nanostructures have been fabricated through a two step method (nanowire fabrication and their controlled oxidation). The 1D hybrid nanostructure consists of highly porous shell layer (redox active materials NiO and Fe2O3) and the conductive core (FeNi nanowire). Thus, the highly porous shell layer allows facile electrolyte diffusion as well as faster redox reaction kinetics; whereas the conductive FeNi nanowire core provides the proficient express way for electrons to travel to the current collector, which helps in the superior electrochemical performance. The core/shell Fe-Ni/Fe2O3-NiO hybrid nanostructures electrode based supercapacitor shows very good electrochemical performances in terms of high specific capacitance nearly 1415 F g−1 at a current density of 2.5 A g−1, excellent cycling stability and rate capability. The high quality electrochemical performance of core/shell hybrid nanostructures electrode shows its potential as an alternative electrode for forthcoming supercapacitor devices.

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Chemsitry

Nanospheres reveal secrets of nerve diseases Researchers have found that replacing specific amino acids in polyglutamine peptides alters the pathways by which these peptides aggregate, causing them to form amyloid nanospheres. These nanospheres could be used for studying amyloid-induced toxicity in neurological disorders1. The researchers synthesised two polyglutamine peptides — one containing positively charged lysine and the other negatively charged glutamate. They probed the aggregation pathways of these polypeptides, both separately and in a mixture, in solutions of phosphate-buffered saline maintained at 37 degrees Celsius. Imaging revealed that when allowed to aggregate separately, the lysine-containing polypeptides formed tape-like fibres and the glutamate-containing polypeptides formed fibre bundles. In contrast, when mixed, both polypeptides formed amyloid-like nanospheres. The researchers attribute this nanosphere formation to an intermolecular salt bridge that forms due to the interaction between lysine and glutamate. The scientists found that changing the pH levels of the solutions disrupted the formation of nanospheres. In an acidic solution, the glutamate lost its interaction with the lysine, destroying the salt bridge, whereas in a slightly alkaline solution, a salt bridge formed, leading to nanosphere formation. “This study would help tweak the fibre-forming paths that could spawn amyloid structures of different shapes and strengths,” says lead researcher Ashwani Thakur from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Reproduced from Nature India: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.41 Mishra, R. et al. Amyloid nanospheres from polyglutamine rich peptides: assemblage through an intermolecular salt bridge interaction. Org. Biomol. Chem. 13, 4155–4159 (2015) doi: 10.1039/c4ob02589j Abstract: We have shown the conversion of an amyloid fiber forming nucleation pathway of polyglutamine (polyGln) to a non-nucleated pathway, generating nanospherical amyloid particles. This is achieved by engineering an intermolecular salt bridge interaction between the positively charged lysine and the negatively charged glutamate residues, in two polyGln rich peptides. The mechanism of their formation is characterized by chromatography, infrared, fluorescence and imaging methods.

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Materials

Nanoalloys for lithium ion batteries Researchers have synthesised nanoalloys from the metals tin and antimony that are suitable for producing lithium ion batteries, which are important for powering portable electronic devices such as cameras and laptop computers1. The researchers synthesised the nanoalloys by reducing solutions of stannic chloride and antimony chloride with solutions of sodium hydroxide and sodium borohydride. They then coated a slurry of the nanoalloy on copper foil and nickel mesh electrodes. Finally, the researchers made lithium ion batteries by using a coated copper foil or nickel mesh electrode as the anode, the lithium metal electrode as the cathode and lithium hexafluorophosphate as the electrolyte. The scientists performed electrochemical measurements by applying various voltages to the batteries. Both copper foil and nickel mesh electrodes showed excellent stability at the applied voltages. The nanoalloy-coated nickel mesh electrode had a lower resistance than the copper foil electrode, indicating very fast lithium ion transport in the nickel mesh electrode. The copper foil electrode had a higher charge retention capacity than the nickel mesh electrode. In addition, lithium ion transport was very fast in the nanoalloy-based lithium ion batteries, even after 50 cycles of electrochemical measurements. Reproduced from Nature India http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.40 Nithyadharseni, P. et al. Electrochemical investigation of SnSb nano particles for lithium-ion batteries. Mater. Lett. 150, 24–27 (2015) Abstract: The nanosized SnSb alloy was synthesized by a reductive co-precipitation method using NaBH4 as a reducing agent. In order to get fine powder with uniformly distributed particles, the final product was sonicated and stirred for 48 h with isopropyl alcohol, dried at 100 °C and characterized by various techniques. Gal vanostatic cycling results showed initial reversible capacities of 1300 and 1500 mA h g−1 respectively for Cu foil and Ni mesh current collector, at a constant current density of 60 mA g−1 in the potential range of 0.005–1.5 V. Upon increasing the potential window from 1.5 to 3 V, the initial reversible capacity of Cu foil increased to 1400 mA h g−1 whereas for Ni mesh, the same capacity of 1500 mA h g−1 is obtained. However, the capacity fading is found to be significantly lower in the Ni mesh compared to Cu foil. The coulombic efficiency of the Cu foil and Ni mesh current collector is better maintained at 99% in the potential window between 0.005–1.5 V in comparison with 0.005–3 V. The electrochemical impedance studies imply that the kinetic properties of Li+ are very fast even after 50 cycles. Lead-free thin films for memory devices Researchers have fabricated thin films from lead-free ferroelectric materials. These films could be used to fabricate non-volatile memory devices, which are potentially useful for high-speed, low-power electronic applications1. The researchers synthesised ferroelectric materials from barium carbonate and oxides of titanium, niobium and copper. They then used a laser to deposit a thin ferroelectric film on a hafnium-oxide-coated silicon substrate in an oxygen-rich environment at high temperature. By applying an external voltage to the films, the scientists investigated their effectiveness for use in non-volatile memory devices. At positive voltages, silicon released free electrons, which were trapped in the ferroelectric film. These trapped charge carriers could be used to program memory devices. At negative voltages, electrons trapped in the ferroelectric film moved back to silicon. This property could be used to erase programs from memory devices.

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The films did not show any change in memory window and exhibited little charge leakage at high voltages. The films also had good charge retention, with high and low capacitances remaining after 11 days. The researchers say that this study opens up the possibility of embedding memory devices based on ferroelectric thin films in any electronic device by using current metal–oxide–semiconductor processing technology. Reproduced from Nature India: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.39 Kundu, S. et al. Integration of lead-free ferroelectric on HfO2/Si (100) for high performance non-volatile memory applications. Sci. Rep.5, 8494 (2015) For full article please visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4329549/

Abstract: We introduce a novel lead-free ferroelectric thin film (1-x)BaTiO3-xBa(Cu1/3Nb2/3)O3 (x = 0.025) (BT-BCN) integrated on to HfO2 buffered Si for non-volatile memory (NVM) applications. Piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM), x-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were employed to establish the ferroelectricity in BT-BCN thin films. PFM study reveals that the domains reversal occurs with 180° phase change by applying external voltage, demonstrating its effectiveness for NVM device applications. X-ray photoelectron microscopy was used to investigate the band alignments between atomic layer deposited HfO2 and pulsed laser deposited BT-BCN films. Programming and erasing operations were explained on the basis of band-alignments. The structure offers large memory window, low leakage current, and high and low capacitance values that were easily distinguishable even after ~106 s, indicating strong charge storage potential. This study explains a new approach towards the realization of ferroelectric based memory devices integrated on Si platform and also opens up a new possibility to embed the system within current complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor processing technology.

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Space PSLV-C27 Successfully Launches India's Fourth Navig ation Satellite IRNSS-1D ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C27, successfully launched the 1425 kg IRNSS-1D, the fourth satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) today evening (March 28, 2015) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the twenty eighth consecutively successful mission of the PSLV. The 'XL' configuration of PSLV was used for this mission. Previously, the same configuration of the vehicle was successfully used seven times. After the PSLV-C27 lift-off at 1719 hrs IST from the Second Launch Pad with the ignition of the first stage, the subsequent important flight events, namely, strap-on ignitions and separations, first stage separation, second stage ignition, heat-shield separation, second stage separation, third stage ignition and separation, fourth stage ignition and satellite injection, took place as planned. After a flight of about 19 minutes 25 seconds, IRNSS-1D Satellite was injected to an elliptical orbit of 282.52 km X 20,644 km (very close to the intended orbit) and successfully separated from the PSLV fourth stage. After injection, the solar panels of IRNSS-1D were deployed automatically. ISRO's Master Control Facility (at Hassan, Karnataka) took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, four orbit manoeuvres will be conducted from Master Control Facility to position the satellite in the Geosynchronous Orbit at 111.75 deg East longitude with 30.5 deg inclination. IRNSS-1D is the fourth of the seven satellites constituting the space segment of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. IRNSS-1A, 1B and 1C, the first three satellites of the constellation, were successfully launched by PSLV on July 02, 2013, April 04, 2014 and October 16, 2014 respectively. All the three satellites are functioning satisfactorily from their designated orbital positions. IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. IRNSS would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - provided to all users - and Restricted Services (RS), provided to authorised users. A number of ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, satellite ranging and monitoring, etc., have been established in many locations across the country. In the coming months, the next satellite of this constellation, namely,IRNSS-1E, is scheduled to be launched by PSLV. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2016. Source: Indian Space Research Organisation press release: http://www.isro.org/update/28-mar-2015/pslv-c27-successfully-launches-indias-fourth-navigation-satellite-irnss-1d Mangalyaan mission extended by six months The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Mars Orbiter Mission has been extended for another six months to further explore the Red Planet and its atmosphere. As the 1,340 kg Mars Orbiter has sufficient fuel (37 kg) to last longer than it was intended earlier. The historic mission has completed six months of orbiting the Red Planet.

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Of the five payloads onboard, the Mars Colour Camera (MCC) has been the most active, taking several stunning images of the red planet’s surface and its surroundings, including valleys, mountains, craters, clouds and dust storms. The other four instruments have been conducting experiments to study the Martian surface, its rich mineral composition and scan its atmosphere for methane gas to know if it can support life. The four instruments are Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM), Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP), Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA) and Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS). MSM measures the natural gas in the Martian atmosphere with PPB (particles per billion) accuracy and map its sources. LAP is studying the atmospheric process of Mars and measure the deuterium (isotope) and hydrogen ratio and neutral particles in its upper atmosphere. MENCA and TIS are analysing the neutral composition and measure the temperature during day and night to map the surface composition and mineralogy of Mars. Source: The Hindu. For full text please visit http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/mangalyaan-mission-extended-by-six-months/article7027834.ece

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Astronomy and astrophysics TIFR: star sound discovered? An experimental work by a team of researchers at the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) may have led to the discovery of the sound of stars. The results were published recently in the journal Physical Review Letters. In a table-top experiment, scientists at TIFR were able to produce a very hot (millions of Kelvin), solid density plasma, much like that found in stars. A femtosecond laser of very high intensity was used to produce the star-like object. “We were able to produce the star-like object for hundreds of picoseconds (10) to nanoseconds (10) using the laser,” said Amitava Adak, Research Scholar at the Ultrashort Pulse High Intensity Laser Lab, TIFR. He is the first author of the paper. The sound was inferred by using a very simple technique called the pump-probe. The pump is the main laser that produces the star-like object and the probe, which is a tiny part of the laser itself, helps in studying the evolution of the object. Source: the Hindu. For full text please visit http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/tifr-star-sound-discovered/article7032496.ece Terahertz Acoustics in Hot Dense Laser Plasmas, Amitava Adak, A. P. L. Robinson, Prashant Kumar Singh, Gourab Chatterjee, Amit D. Lad, John Pasley, and G. Ravindra Kumar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 115001 Abstract: We present a hitherto unobserved facet of hydrodynamics, namely the generation of an ultrahigh frequency acoustic disturbance in the terahertz frequency range, whose origins are purely hydrodynamic in nature. The disturbance is caused by differential flow velocities down a density gradient in a plasma created by a 30 fs, 800 nm high-intensity laser (    ). The picosecond scale observations enable us to capture these high frequency oscillations (    ) which are generated as a consequence of the rapid heating of the medium by the laser. Adoption of two complementary techniques, namely pump-probe reflectometry and pump-probe Doppler spectrometry provides unambiguous identification of this terahertz acoustic disturbance. Hydrodynamic simulations well reproduce the observations, offering insight into this process.

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Miscellaneous Humour on Einstein as expressed in limericks Albert Einstein (1879–1955) spent the final 35 years of his life as the most recognizable scientist of the 20th century. Though limericks were (are) conventionally associated with bawdy themes, limerick poets did prove that even Einstein’s physics can be tackled with such poems. In this study, I analyse 22 limericks which describe Einstein’s theories of relativity, quantum field theory, his personality, his brain and an unsuccessful attempt to disprove his theory. I conclude that the internet had liberated limericks to an extent that it may not be wrong to conclude that Einstein fans can anticipate numerous limericks in the future as well. Limericks on special and general theories of relativity There was a young lady named Bright Who traveled much faster than light She set out one day, In a relative way, And came back the previous night. To her friends said the Bright one in chatter ‘I have learned something new about matter: As my speed was so great, Much increased was my weight, Yet I failed to become any fatter.’ There once was a brainy baboon, who always breathed down a bassoon, for he said, ‘It appears that in billions of years I shall certainly hit on a tune.’ Said the patent clerk, ‘Barman Al, ein Groses Bier in my favorite stein.’ ‘Right away, Bert’, spoke Al, ‘Hear you’re moving on, pal.’ ‘Ja, physics will be my new line.’ A photon’s a quantum of light Which is countable: Count some! You might On a sun-dappled stroll Count as a high as a mole: That’s an Einstein (a grower’s delight) Coordinate-based calculation Is eased by the Einstein notation: It’s short and so sweet: See an index repeat? All its values are meant for summation! Albert Einstein developed this theory That was weird to most laymen, and eerie, Where m times c-squared On the right side compared To the left side, which had but a mere E.

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Where E equals m (times) c square, It describes relativity where Time and space are involved – And who got this resolved? We know: Albert Einstein. So there. Einstein proposed that time Was flexible and most sublime, Go near fast as light, And to you delight, You’ll get home while still in your prime. Albert Einstein had quite a proclivity Towards pondering on relativity His theorems they say Still hold water today Proving his was no quantum ability. [Linda Magruder] There once was a man called One Stone Who had an informative moan About worship of Reason: ‘It doesn’t grow peas on And dogs prefer rubber or bone’. Einstein, the frizzy-haired Proved E equals Mc squared. Thus, all mass decreases As activity ceases. Not my mass, my ass declared! A limerick on the cosmological constant: Einstein’s ‘biggest blunder in my life’ Though Einstein’s equations were firm There was one thing that did make him squirm A cosmos expandable Was not understandable, So he tacked on that ill-fated term. Limericks on quantum field theory Said Albert, ‘I tell you now, twice Good physics is balanced, and nice; The uncertainty quantum Is certainly phantom I know now, God doesn’t play dice.’ Dear Bertie, you’re tied to the mast, A Ulysses who’s bound to the past; Our God does throw dice And its’s scary, not nice that Our God is the die that is cast. Old Albert’s incredibly nice And his gods never seem to play dice, But with hickory dickory Point-of-view trickery,

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Clocks run down relative mice. Limericks on Einstein’s personality There is a strange family called Stein There’s Ep and there’s Gert and there’s Ein Ep’s statues are junk Gert’s writing is punk And no one can understand Ein! Now I never thought of Epstein as naughty And Einstein seemed ever so haughty Now Gertrude Stein Was a lady fine She was undoubtedly, doughty Were a brain salesman’s prices confused? ‘Einstein’s: 25 cents’, he enthused ‘For this pol’s: twenty grand’ No, those prices were planned – The politico’s hadn’t been used! Naughty Limericks on Einstein Said Einstein, ‘I have an equation Which science might call Rabelaisian Let P be virginity Approaching infinity, And U be a constant, persuasion ‘Now if P over U be inverted And the square root of U be inserted X times over P, The result, Q.E.D. Is a relative,’ Einstein asserted. A limerick on the ‘neutrino travels faster than light experiment’ fiasco Ever since time first began Light traveled as fast as it can Al’s theories still thrive (Except for warp drive) ‘Cause he’s f***ing Einstein, man! Conclusion Using the merits possessed by the internet, limerick poets have posted numerous new limericks in their websites and blogs for open viewing. However, rather than openly identifying themselves, many hide behind masks of nicknames/handle names. I make two conclusions. First, that Einstein himself was a humorist was proven by the fact that he enjoyed composing doggerels in German. A sample of these doggerels had appeared in the works of his biographers. Thus, had he been living, Einstein would have enjoyed the limericks which had been accumulating at his expense. Secondly, internet had liberated limericks to an extent that limerick poets have embraced this medium to promote their humorous thoughts on Einstein’s contributions to physics without restrictions that prevailed during the pre-internet era. If this trend prevails, it may not be wrong to conclude that Einstein fans can anticipate numerous limericks served to them aplenty. Source: Kantha, 2015, Curr. Sci, , v. 108, pp. 1170-1172 Only the limericks have been reproduced here. For full text please visit http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/06/1170.pdf

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Disclaimer The information in this newsletter is an opinion excerpt of news material from India and gathered to the best knowledge of the writers. The newsletter tries to provide information without any news preferences, and takes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information. No legal liability or responsibility can be taken. The information is provided for informational purposes only. No part of the newsletter may be used for any commercial or public use. Open disclosure of this newsletter is not permitted. Contact Indraneel Ghose Anju Edgar Senior Thematic Advisor for Education, Manager - Communications & Community Research and Innovation Management Embassy of Switzerland in India swissnex India indraneel.ghose@eda.admin.ch anju.edgar@swissnexindia.org http://www.eda.admin.ch/newdelhi www.swissnexindia.org Please follow the Swiss Embassy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Swissembassyindia Please follow swissnex India on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swissnexIndia