“The Intern” _ Brainy Perspective

“I am old, Thus I cannot learn! ” Is the standard go to phrase of the lazy aging adults!, well  “The Intern” and Neuroscience findings tell a different tale altogether!

Neurogenesis – The process by which new neurons are generated in our brain!

Synapses – The interconnections between neurons in brain.

The Brain, a complex 3 pound heavy organ, with million billion neural network, demanding 10 times more energy by weight in comparison to other organs, is an expensive organ indeed, but its remarkable feats are truly breath taking just like Ben Whittaker in the movie “The Intern”

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  Human Brain- The world’s largest electric circuit

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  The schematic representation of Synapses in Brain!

Beating the usual Stereotype that Old people can’t learn,  Ben Whittaker proves to the contrary, that learning new skills, staying fit and a deep organized sleep cycle can help in the new synapses, the spiny knobs, in the below pic, which shows the increased neural activity after learning process.

Formation of new synapses post training indicates healthy Neural activity!

A healthy neural activity, is associated with cheerful attitude, reducing anxiety, depression and radiates coolness and calmness just like Ben Whittaker, who puts his mind and charm to anything life throws at him with a smile!.

An excerpt from the article Think You’re Too Old to Learn New Tricks?  on Scientific American

“The take-home message: not only can older adults learn multiple new skills at the same time in the right environment and with the right beliefs, but doing so may improve their cognitive functioning considerably.

The intervention brought older adults out of their comfort zones, and made them feel fearless about new challenges. At the start of the intervention, many older adults thought they could barely walk a mental mile, but they completed a triathlon.”

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/think-youre-too-old-to-learn-new-tricks/

New neurons for life? Old people can still make fresh brain cells, study finds  that even people long past middle age can make fresh brain cells, and that past studies that failed to spot these newcomers may have used flawed methods.

Which brings us to the question!

What stimulates Neurogenesis and new Synapses?

1. Learning new skills
2. Healthy Diet
3. Adequate sleep
4. Running / Working out
5. Sex ( Well as long as it doesn’t interrupt with the Adequate sleep 😉 )

The highlighted food, indeed kick up the neurogenesis at a huge rate and can be termed as “Brain food” without hesitation!

Ben fist bumping as he adjusts into new Workspace, taking the challenges head on!

And thats my take on “The Intern” from the (my limited) Neuroscience perspective. The way brain functions and organizes the information and retrieves from the complicated million billion network never failed to fascinate and amaze me!.

Will see you on another post with another interesting movie seen on a different light! Until then Adios Amigos!

P.S : Credits:

“Learning How to Learn” – an amazing course on Coursera

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/think-youre-too-old-to-learn-new-tricks/

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/new-neurons-life-old-people-can-still-make-fresh-brain-cells-study-finds#:~:text=Old%20people%20can%20still%20make%20fresh%20brain%20cells%2C%20study%20finds,-By%20Emily%20Underwood&text=One%20of%20the%20thorniest%20debates,a%20process%20known%20as%20neurogenesis.

And the amazing video on Neurogenesis by Sandrine Thuret, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_tjKYvEziI&t=375s

The UPSC – Sprinting Marathon

Well, How well can you sprint a marathon?, is what the honourable UPSC tests of its aspirants, eying for Engineering Services, Administrative services, and other handful and mouthful number of services.

To be precise and accurate as it’s an innate quality of a mechanical engineer, there are 23 services which include Postal Service, Railway service, Accounts service and what not.  A good number of IITians and NITians get lost in these numerous services which are neither as powerful nor as stylish as the esteemed IAS IPS, which all eye for.

The absolutely fair and impeccable way UPSC conducts the exams all over INDIA with the precise delivery of results is impeccable and I take a bow.

From the outset as a candidate my focus was on the preparation of technical subjects, now looking it from a distant perspective, the intricacies of UPSC fascinates me.

Giving everyone a fair second chance, and factoring in karma, patience and perseverance. It’s truly indeed the mother of all exams.

The control equation would be,

Selection = f(Right knowledge, adaptability, smartness, KARMA, Patience, perseverance)

How strong is your vision and how long would you fight for your dream, how capable and skilful you will be in your battle, in D-DAY is what UPSC sees from you.

It’s not if you are rich or poor or know x or y or z, your acceptance into government service is by the only way which is FAIR FAIR FAIR, it was it is and it will always be the pride of INDIA.

Jai Hind

Engineering an MBA

Engineering is about doing the best what you can with the limited resources and facility, goes the saying, which is raw truth. Being fresh out of college one might aspire to build a space ship or build an iron man suit, or even building an invisible aircraft carrier like the one in The Avengers,.! (Trust me I seriously tried to do all of these :D)

It all seemed very doable and all one needs is perfect, disciplined scientific and engineering knowledge and world seemed a calm place and I gave a fuck about very few people and I didnt bother about others. Thats how world was from my perspective as an Mechanical Engineer right out of College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, one of the prestigious college of India. (Little bragging about my institution does no harm right!!?)

Well, coming back, with such high ambitions and hopes entered the corporate world. The induction program was amazing and the oath taking about the ideals and ways we work were astonishing and brilliant. After getting into work and facing real world and real life PEOPLE and REAL fking problems which were put up against me, I was like WTF!!

Real world welcomed me with “Hey, The amazing rocket science technology, invisible flight carrier, and suits you imagined you would build, fuck them., nobody gives a damn about them and we cant make money out of it !! and we dont operate in that segment and our products and customers are way in different end. so fck it and focus on making money and adding value to company”

Was little hurtful and shed few tears, but thinking about the reality and business world, I came to realize thats the bitter truth, at least in this current stand point in my life. Any business ANY business for that matter is about staying competitive and CREATING value for company.

R&D, production, sales, marketing, whatever department and position you may be in, if you don’t bring meat to table, nobody gives a damn about you and regardless of your department your contribution must reflect in balance sheet of the company, thats when you get to be the STAR. The sooner you realize and move around, the better, or else its doomed.

That’s how the corporate giants operate.! The higher the pay the higher the risks, stakes to manage and deliver results, simple philosophy. I wish I was given a stint about this logic and the approach strategy in college, thereby things could have been learnt in a different and more serious way.

Starting as an engineer and working the way up the ladder becomes some time too much. That’s when I realized MBA boost up pack on resume and would be the facility to shift careers in life. But the stakes and money spent in getting an MBA from premier institutions are way huge like 15L  and upwards thus immediate job after it becomes an compulsion and the rate at which you manage your earnings and repay your loan debt with interest matters.

All roads leads to business, thats what I feel personally, after being hit by a brick wall called life. And Money is what world, your relatives, parents, friends RESPECT and worship. Possession of which is perceived as success and flair. Wondering where this common notion would end.

Cutting the crap,.thinking about mastering business administration.

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War Flower

The first job always offers exciting and equally some weird OMG, WTF moments. When the mix is in right proportion (Spending too extensive or rather intensive 😛 😀 training phase, has taken its toll on me ) and if you are bold and brave enough to accept the sudden change and move along with it, well congratulations, Welcome to corporate world, your rat race is yet to begin, make yourself accustomed to the new principles and new people and start on,.

Well, if you are one of the very few who didn’t explore the people and the world around you enough, this new environment, people, their behavior and their approach would put you in so much mental and emotional agony,.make you feel all alone like in an island, like if you are made to float free in space. Hope will be the only one left. How long you persist and hold on to it and CHANGE THINGS AND MAKE THINGS GO YOUR WAY is up to you and only you.

Because as history has taught us, Change is usually brought by an individual who had the will and courage to stand by the values and TRUTH. But the main prerequisite for the ONE who wishes to bring the change is to be right and ideal. Most importantly the clarity and the values that one holds on to. .

Some times the same values and principles may be more of a liability and stop you from moving ahead with your life, may even eat your inside out. Implode you,. Living becomes extremely difficult then. . .

Cutting the crap, Well,  like all I had a totally different expectation from my first job and obviously wanted to learn a lot and become somebody important in the company. . And the experience and the people I ve met so far is a great mix of REAL world, which Rocky Balboa perfectly put it as CRUEL and ruthless. . But that’s the way the world is right?

At first I thought, I ll get used to it and it would be a joyous journey like college one, where though I barely had very few close friends, yet I never felt alone. . Whereas here its quite different. .as it goes, day by day, week by week, my interest towards the subject is waning steadily and its mind wrecking and heart crushing sometimes. . People whom you care the most and trust your secrets with ratting on you and not giving a damn about you and being busy when you are literally brain fcked I thought were the stuffs for movies,.

But seeing it and feeling it in real time, for the first time is somewhat extremely painful and difficult to endure. . But there are some people who are extremely interesting, knowledgeable who go out of their way and job to help and teach the concepts, to whom I owe a great respect and I hope to become one like them in the years to come. .

Coming to the brighter side, instead of focusing and lamenting on how things could have turned out, how people should have cared, how good it would have been, if it had been that. . and so on. .

Its wise and good to focus on building a new world for myself, with the same values and principles with some up gradations in such a way I can adapt. Survival of the fittest I ve heard, But I guess here it takes more that just fitness to survive. .

Anyway, following religion sincerely always has its advantages. . I am a staunch believer of a saying,

God may always test his children, but he never abandons and hurts them like worldly people. .He will ultimately save them and nurture them dearly. .

Ending it on a positive note, Sincere efforts never fail, so I hope I get out of this stronger. .

Change is the only thing constant in the world isn’t it. .

P.S: Embrace yourself More blogs are coming. 🙂

Long time

Its been really long time, since i blogged. So many things have changed since then. But some problems and their puzzling nature remains the same.  Got calls from CUMI regarding medical check ups to be taken.  Started watching Two and Half men, its really hilarious and cool. As the general elections are around, the canvassing is crazy over here in India and its gonna be a historic one in country’s after independence, as the obsolete and sickular congress is about to be overthrown. The revolutionary and a leader with impeccable record for good governance is going to bring back India in track of growth and development again. 

Its good to blog again. Will post more

Ironic India

The tagline used to attract tourists is Incredible India, but ironically I wonder what is really incredible in India. Being an Indian I shouldn’t sound so cruel of my own country but the momentary despair makes me to use such strong words. Of course there are a million things and more importantly generous, lovely people who are truly incredible. But its so sad they are ruled by irresponsible, insensitive and totally unjust government.

Well it may sound usual to most, because blogging has become a common way to vent the anger  but there is a deep rooted issue, which is affecting the lives of poor millions living in my country. I truly feel very sorry and sad for them.  Every country has its issues and people fighting for justice. After some years or so, it gets solved or a civil war begins.

But India, with its diverse Linguistic population of 1.2 billion, divided into 28 states is totally a different story. Its people are different, their cultures, and life style is so diverse, so uniting them for fighting against a common cause, or making them understand a certain issue is close to impossibility. Everyone has their own perspectives and looks for the welfare of the state.

Most of the people, associate themselves closely with their STATE rather country and same is with the language, though Hindi is the national language, ofcourse most/ nearly all state people know Hindi, certain states like Tamil Nadu has boycotted it, when it was forced initially during 1930s.

Whenever an issue/ problem involving 2 or more states pop up, each state try to benefit themselves, irrespective of what’s the justice.  I don’t know when Indians who are known for their kindness, became so inhuman and insensitive to fellow human beings. Its so disgusting in some situations. For example, if you are about to travel in a public transport get prepared to be pushed all around by fellow standing passengers, scoldings from conductor, if you happen to be a girl it gets even worse.

I am really sad for this nature among the people, and no surprise Humanity is about to end soon.

Though U.S people are not happy with their government, they should be very happy because their government is doing a far far better job than the Indian counterpart.  More funds are allotted to R&D, comparatively less CORRUPT,  court trials take place in a fair manner, There is no hereditary monarchy, etc.,

The recent Devyani Khobragade’s arrest has only heightened the image of U.S in my mind and the belief I have on God and Karma. The crooked diplomat, was a illegal beneficiary of Adarsh housing flat, which was built to house Kargil war widows and Indian war veterans.  Several rules were bent, and lot of signatures were got in a haste and illegal manner during this project.  I wonder how and why Devyani was owning flats in it .

Questions over her integrity don’t stop there,  her selection as IFS officer itself was because of lot of backdoor work done by her powerful IAS father, who has lot of political connections.

So when the whole Indian government is crying high for U.S to drop charges, its looking so DISGUSTING AND DISTURBING for me as an Indian citizen, and also making me feel as if I am jailed in this merciless, truth-less, corrupt country.  😦 😦

Hoping for a big time CHANGE in government and people’s attitude. 🙂

And to conclude, I thank U.S sincerely for performing their duty despite the offence was committed by an  foreign diplomat.  Especially for holding the stance that charges wont be dropped off. . Salute U.S 🙂

Jai Hind!! . Justice for ALL

Related articles

• Devyani Khobragade owns 11 properties including a flat in Adarsh society (ibnlive.in.com)
• No retroactive immunity for Devyani, says U.S (thehindu.com)
• India Moves to Protect Devyani Khobragade From US Government (economicpolicyjournal.com)

First Job

I think this what people call a Miracle.  The sequence of events which took place still makes me wonder how it happened. So let me rephrase them.

I am a final year Mechanical engineering student, of Anna University, Chennai. Like many of my fellow colleagues, I neither had a excellent GPA or desire to pursue higher studies immediately after under graduation and on the other hand I was really looking to work in an industry and apply the engineering skills I acquired and which will also support my family’s unsteady income. 

Unlike other colleges of Tamil Nadu, Anna University is the best in engineering, so we were assured of lot of companies visiting our campus and recruiting far more students than from other colleges.  But still the numbers weren’t as great as last year because of recession.  

Even of the IT giants such as Infosys, IBM, TCS, Wipro, CTS, Accenture,  only Infosys and Accenture came around this year. Sad part is they came at the beginning of the placement season when people were high on confidence and believed that they could land on a core job. So many didn’t take them seriously, and some wise farsighted serious people got placed in them. .

But then as expected the core companies slowly started to come in good numbers, While very few companies took 3 or 4 students, most of the companies stuck with 2. The strength is approximately 250, (Actually it should have been 150 at max, but because of few corrupt officials, over 100 additional students came in, by greasing various palms, typical Indian system 😦  )  ofcourse the eligible and willing people were around say 180 students.

Just imagine, the 2 people per company, it would take life long to get all students placed and never so many companies have visited our campus too. 

So the desperate students prepared hard and gave their best shot at each company, but most companies looked at just GPA and either they didn’t even bother to ask technical questions or the questions were away from area of interest. 9 pointers and the 8 pointers were getting placed quickly and 7 pointers faced the heat, and I was among them.

There were few companies which did a fair job by giving equal opportunities I would say, or purposely selected 7 pointers, to be precise, 2 companies L&T  and Carborundum Universal Ltd, each selected one seven pointer. And luckily I was one among them.

Carborundum Universal Ltd. is the one which trusted this first graduate 7 pointer.  Will give my best to them. When the results were announced, I just couldn’t believe it, After receiving offer letter, called my mom and said her, and went to Lord Ganesha temple, which was at the other end of the campus, and drove back to home. 

I believe God always helps us, the only thing he asks is to follow his principles and to love all, If one follows him, he will definitely look after us, though the going may seem difficult.  I saw it in my own eyes, after getting rejected by more than 20 companies, I was terribly depressed and feeling low,  and the Carborundum came like a breeze and relieved me. 

I wish my other friends who are trying hard to get placed soon, I know eventually they will, But I hope they get placed soon, so that they can enjoy the final days of college, without any pressure. 

 

An Engineer’s problem

Once upon a time in India, when every student who completed High school final examinations successfully with high marks opted for medicine and the others chose arts and literature. . . And SOME, SOME really interested or LUCKY ones got into engineering. . Then came the demand. . Which was huge as there were meager number of students, and the progress in manufacturing started to improve at good pace. .

And then came the ILLUSION or misconception that students who studied engineering got high pays and got settled in no time. .bla bla. .Which takes us to next stage, Many students joined engineering, not as many but somewhat higher than the usual. .And as the industrial growth and economy was also developing all along, was capable of absorbing the few more excess students. .

Thus our people, the Indian parents formed a strong opinion or believed that studying ENGINEERING = settled life, hefty salary package, and most importantly it takes just 4 years to study, unlike medicine where you have to study atleast 10 good years to earn as much as an engineer would do. .

So the craze was on and the rich goons and mafias understood the situation and started x, y, z engineering colleges, and pocketed the hard earned money of middle class parents who sent their sons to those colleges to study. That was the first step of quality degradation. In span of just few years, there were 500 colleges in just MY STATE, Only god knows how many are in whole India.

Quality of Engineering was eroding exponentially, and thus leaving many new fresh engineering graduates clueless, and most importantly JOBLESS. Thats when IT Information Technology kicked in, it absorbed engineers from all disciplines, like chemical, agricultural, mechanical, electrical, electronics, civil etc. . and trained them in some software and employed them..  As most of the clients were MNCs located abroad, the pay package was decent too. . 

But the crucial or more threatening problem is the engineering discipline which one majored went USELESS. . But no body seemed to care all the parents and students want was a decent job, Engineering degree, and settled life. . .

The even  worst thing was, this became a TREND. . Many of my school friends who were sharp, and intelligent are delighted and sharing statuses on facebook that they got placed in some IT concern. . I was happy that they got a job, But at the same time, I was deeply worried that, these guys deserve much more, and they could have achieved more. .

But sadly life is not all what we want or what we wish isn’t it. .    

Coming to my story. .

Me, Nearly going to complete Mechanical engineering, in the so called most privileged college in my state or one among the best in country, the The great CEG, Anna University.  

Being @ last semester, looking back at the 4 year course, It taught me much more than just Engineering. The IT giants came in and recruited bulk number of students in our campus too. .  

As I said earlier some bright minds of my class and college,  got slipped into it too. . . The core companies visiting the campus are few in number and the number of students they recruit are even few. . . Wishing to get placed soon. .. .

Solar Refrigeration

Our design and fabrication Project, is about to come to an END. . Though initially there were few hiccups proceeding with this project, on seeing the big picture, I am satisfied to some extent. We learned and experienced few new things, met new people and got new contacts, got to know about various places in coll, which we earlier thought never existed. .

Had been the DC compressor arrived in time, it would have been AWESOME, the additional costs coz of getting an inverter and battery would have been saved. . roughly 8000 bucks. . 

Day after tomorrow is the final review and viva, and tomorrow is the last day for getting the thesis signed by our guide and the head of the department. 

We: myself, Abish, Naveen, Benz, have stood up for each other all time and though I cant say everybody has worked equal hours 😉 The support each one provided for one another was tremendous, and whenever one or 2 of us had work, the other 2 would chip in and do the work.  .  in crucial times. . Thats how a great TEAM would work.  ..

We are more like Avengers, a team of superstars. .Each having a unique potential and power,. .Very happy to be part of such a cool team. . 

Looking forward for Next Semester project. .