Due to credit to the originator(s).
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Sunday 16 September 2018
The intellectual property metro
A succinct info graphic about intellectual property development, paths and hurdles from here.
Due to credit to the originator(s).
Due to credit to the originator(s).
Thursday 8 February 2018
Monday 29 February 2016
Feature article: Success rates in Horizon 2020 – funding for all or only a selected few?
I haven't had time to keep up monthly publications on rumtumbleweed. But I have been reading as usual. Here's one that's both fascinating and informative. A must for anyone interested in Research funding.
"Feature article: Success rates in Horizon 2020 - funding for all or only a selected few?
Over the past 40 years, there has been a tremendous focus on stimulating education, research and innovation in Europe. Lead by the European Commission, funding of these strategic areas have been through numerous EU Research Framework Programmes (FP1 – FP7), and through the current Horizon 2020 programme, the EU's largest and most considerably funded research initiative to date. However, most of these funds seemingly go to a select few countries, organisations and people. Considering the €56 billion spent in FP funding between 2007 and 2013, and the current €80 billion budget for the six years of Horizon 2020, we must consider to what extent these programs actually contribute to education, research and innovation throughout all of Europe.
The latest FP7 monitoring report by the European Commission shows that €3 billion of the commission's funding went to just 10 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Europe, five of which are located in the United Kingdom. In addition, there has not been significant change across funding periods in the makeup of the top 50 HEIs that have received funding. A similar trend exists amongst other FP7 beneficiaries, whereas the top 10 research organisations received €3.5 billion in funding. This would indicate that more than a tenth of the total FP7 budget went to only 20 organisations, representing a disappointing 0.00027 percent of all applicants.
It is important to note that we are not debating whether excellence should be rewarded, nor are we lobbying for an even distribution of funds throughout Europe. However, it is nonetheless shocking to see how large a budget share is disbursed to these top organisations, even though they represent a dishearteningly minuscule fraction of the entire applicant pool. It was still worthwhile for a “non-elite” organization to write proposals when there was a twenty-two percent success rate in FP7, but with the success rate having dropped to twelve percent in Horizon 2020, many organizations are now thinking twice.
With the Erasmus+ programme (Europe’s grant programme for furthering education, training, youth and sport through transnational partnerships) showing similar and even lower success rates–with some such as the Knowledge Alliances programme registering success rates of less than 5 percent—the question of whether the current funding distributions in Europe are actually stimulating education, research and innovation throughout, or whether they do so simply within a few specific countries and amongst a few selected top-tier organisations, remains unanswered.
So, a high proportion of European funding is going to elite universities and specific nations. Why is this a problem?
Generally speaking, in comparison to most European universities, elite universities have well developed and diverse funding channels. Let us take Oxford University as an example, the largest HEI beneficiary of European funding with 437M€ and nearly 1% of the entire FP7 funding allocation. According to Oxford University website “£522.9m (€672.9M), which accounts for 43% of total income comes from external research funding, from bodies such as research councils, charities, trusts, foundations, and industry”. A further “15% comes from government grants through the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the National College for Teaching and Leadership.” and “Other income includes annual transfers from Oxford University Press, income from the commercialisation of research, and philanthropic support (19% or €297.3M) with only 21% (€328.6M) coming from academic fees, from both undergraduates and postgraduates". Compared with your average European university, these are exorbitant numbers.
Furthermore, much like finances drive success, which drives finances in European football, the same cycle ensures that elite and financial universities stay ahead of others. This is because universities already receiving large levels of funding have well developed systems and a great level of experienced personnel available to prepare bids, thereby creating substantial economies of scale for European funding.
To improve the low amount of cooperation between universities and business in Europe a much more equal distribution of finances should be made to encourage excellence in different forms, not such research quality which will inevitable end up in the hands of a few. Whether it is excellent of smaller or more focussed HEIs or HEIs focussed on student employability, lifelong learning, entrepreneurship or other forms of collaborative activity, a more diverse approach will allow a greater amount of committed HEIs to develop their own excellence.
Authored by Arno Meerman (CEO of University Industry Innovation Network) and Todd Davey (Director International Projects at Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre)"
sourceWednesday 30 September 2015
Einstein visits Colombo
I stumbled upon a fascinating article written by Prof. Kirthi Tennakone, published on 21st of January, in 2011, on the The Island newspaper, Sri Lanka. Here is an exact copy of what I read;
The most acclaimed scientific celebrity Albert Einstein had visited Sri Lanka in 1922 en route his journey to Japan. Archival information on the subject being scanty and it appears that his visit to Ceylon has not received publicity at that time or subsequently. The fact that Einstein and his wife Elsa were riding on rickshaws in Colombo October 28th 1922 will surprise everyone.
Arrival of Einstein and his wife Elsa in Colombo and Rickshaw Ride
On invitation of Yamamoto Sanehiko, the Manager of a Publishing House in Tokyo, Albert Einstein and his second wife Elsa Lowenthal boarded the Japanese steamer Kitano Maru on October 8th 1922 at Marseilles in France to visit Japan. The ship was destined for stops in Port Said, Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai before entering Japan at the Port of Kobe. Einstein’s trip was meticulously planned and funded by the host Yamamoto and also sponsored by the Japanese government and the scientific community. The Ship Kitano Maru carrying Einstein and Elsa among the passengers sailed through Suez arriving in Colombo 28th October 1922. Notes Einstein scribbled during the trip describe in some detail how they were escorted to rickshaws and Einstein’s candid impression of what he saw in Colombo.
Einstein says, moment he and Elsa stepped out of the deck, a fine-boned man with a proud look and brown saliva trickling from the mouth, hauled him away exclaiming "all-round two rupee" and sat him on a rickshaw. Einstein, pointing the finger to a near by ship’s official, has protested vehemently as if it had been a fault of this officer , expressing his reluctance to get driven in a carriage pulled by a man. The official had told Einstein, what you said is true, but now you are in the Orient. In the meantime another rickshaw puller got Einstein’s wife Elsa seated and began running. Einstein shouted "stop" and asked Elsa to get down. The official intervened again, once he explained the procedure, both got into the rickshaws and were driven to streets of the Colombo City. A note in the Einstein’s diary dated 28th October 1922 reads "We rode on small one man carriages drawn at trot by men of Herculean strength, yet of delicate built. I was bitterly ashamed to be a party to the abominable treatment accorded to fellow human beings, but the circumstance did not permit me avoiding it". However, Einstein’s wife being naturally more practical had remarked "For these men to earn a living, they need our patronage".
Einstein’s candid impressions of his experience in Colombo
Einstein says dwellers in Colombo living in poverty need little and does little but looks noble exhibiting pleasing bodily features. Unlike in the Port Said the society he saw in Colombo, seemed to be peaceful and serene but certain amount of submissiveness was noticeable. In observing these people closely, one tends to loose the taste for more degenerate, coarse and greedy European attitudes which unfortunately account for their superiority to conceive and manage big things. These inhabitants give the impression that climate eliminates the necessity of thinking about future or past for more than one quarter of an hour and wonders whether same would happen if people in his region of the world were in a similar environment. Einstein described Colombo Harbour as a busy place with workers loading and unloading cargo and divers displaying their courage and comments that they sacrifice physically to satiate others who are mean enough to enjoy . Einstein has also said that he was deeply moved when a slender man with grey beard from the Colombo harbour who came to deliver a collection of cablegrams addressed to him, impassively asked for a tip.
It is not clear how long Einsteins stayed in Colombo and which parts of city they toured. Undoubtedly, on their way from the harbour they should have passed through the affluent business area of Colombo Fort, but make no mention of it and concentrates on what he refers to as the areas where natives lived, reflecting Einstein’s concern for humanity. A question also arises, why they were not officially received upon arrival in Colombo. Presumably, Einstein and Elsa got out of deck and went out for sight seeing. However, judging from the political situation in Europe aftermath World War I and support extended by the British scientific establishment to Einstein, it is difficult to assume that the Colonial Government in Colombo was unaware of Einstein’s visit.
Prof. Einstein interviewed by a reporter from Colombo: Christmas Island Eclipse
Professor Einstein was interviewed by a reporter from Times of Ceylon on board. It is interesting to note that the well informed reporter had questioned him of the result of the experiment conducted in Christmas Island 21st September 1922 at the time of the total solar eclipse to test his Theory of General Relativity. Einstein had stated he was unable to say anything definite about the Christmas Island experiment, as the weather conditions there at the time of the eclipse had been unfavorable. However, he is hopeful that a conclusive result may have been obtained by the astronomers who went to Australia to observe the same eclipse.
Eclipse experiments and ascent of Einstein to worldwide fame
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity predicts that just like material objects, light is also attracted towards massive bodies but to a lesser extent. In 1916 Einstein suggested that this effect could be tested at the time of a total solar eclipse as a shift of the apparent position of a star appearing near the solar disc. Einstein firmly believed the validity of his prediction. Once asked what his reaction would be if the test disproves his theory. Einstein replied, I feel sorry for the dear Lord. Nearly two years before his trip to East, British astronomer and theoretical physicist Sir Arthur Eddington announced that observation of a total eclipse visible to Brazil and West Africa confirmed Einstein’s prediction. Eddington’s proclamation gave much publicity to Einstein, many newspapers all over the world giving front page coverage. On 7th November 1919 London Times ran the headline "Revolution in Science- New theory of the Universe- Newtonian ideas overthrown". Despite public excitement, positive reception of many physics stalwarts at the time and his own confidence, Einstein was concerned of the necessity of further tests to gain acceptance of his theory by the scientific community at large and the Nobel Prize Committee. There was criticism from some circles that Eddington’s measurement is erroneous or biased. The statement Einstein gave to the reporter from Times of Ceylon indicates state of his mind at a decisive moment. At the time Einstein was in Colombo, the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics had not been announced. Awards are normally announced early October, a delay possibly because the Nobel Committee was anticipating the result of the September 21st eclipse experiment.
From Colombo, Einstein and Elsa went to Singapore reaching the Singapore Port 2nd November 1922. When they disembarked, a crowded of several hundreds greeted him and a grand reception was held in the same day evening in the residence of a wealthy Jewish businessman living in Singapore. While in Singapore, Einstein initiated a campaign to raise funds for the University of Jerusalem.
Einstein disembarks in Shanghai and hears the news of Nobel Prize
Continuing the voyage, Einstein and Elsa arrived in Shanghai via Hong Kong on 13th November 1922 and welcomed by Chinese scientists and dignitaries. At this occasion, the Consul General of Sweden presented a telegram from Stockholm to Einstein, declaring that 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to him. On the same day evening a banquet was held in the residence of the famous Chinese painter Wang Yiting to honour Albert Einstein.
Nobel Prize awarded to Einstein was not for his work on theory of relativity as everyone expected but for explaining the Photoelectric Effect. If the results of the September 1922 eclipse experiments had been finalized earlier, almost certainly the prize would have been for the work on relativity. The team from Licks Observatory in California who went Australia to observe the 1922 eclipse reported a result in quantitative agreement with the Einstein’s prediction but this was in April 1923 as data processing had taken a long time. Einsten’s interview with the reporter from Times of Ceylon indicates that he was anxiously expecting a positive result.
It is said that Einstein was somewhat ill during the long passage from Marseilles through Suez to Colombo and looked after by a Japanese doctor on board .The news of much awaited Nobel Prize relieved Einstein and he happily proceeded to Japan. On arrival in Japan Einstein got a tumultuous welcome and invited to a banquet at the Imperial Palace hosted by the Japanese Emperor and Empress. When he visited the British High Commission in Tokyo, he was greeted with cannon salute. After lecturing in many institutions, Einstein and Elsa went to Palestine and Spain before returning to Berlin. During the return journey also the ship had stopped in Colombo.
In his travel diary crowded with equations and incidental remarks , Einstein wrote he saw nobility among people of Ceylon , a pureness of soul among Japanese and magnificent intellectual and moral caliber among Palestinians. It is said that even after migrating to United States from Germany Einstein often recollects his experience with Colombo rickshaw men. It is heartening to note that the greatest physicist in a casual visit to Sri Lanka in 1922 has sensed the true good nature and reality of ground level society of the country at that time and expressed his candid opinion.
Prof. K Tennakone, Jan 21, 2011
source
The most acclaimed scientific celebrity Albert Einstein had visited Sri Lanka in 1922 en route his journey to Japan. Archival information on the subject being scanty and it appears that his visit to Ceylon has not received publicity at that time or subsequently. The fact that Einstein and his wife Elsa were riding on rickshaws in Colombo October 28th 1922 will surprise everyone.
Arrival of Einstein and his wife Elsa in Colombo and Rickshaw Ride
On invitation of Yamamoto Sanehiko, the Manager of a Publishing House in Tokyo, Albert Einstein and his second wife Elsa Lowenthal boarded the Japanese steamer Kitano Maru on October 8th 1922 at Marseilles in France to visit Japan. The ship was destined for stops in Port Said, Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai before entering Japan at the Port of Kobe. Einstein’s trip was meticulously planned and funded by the host Yamamoto and also sponsored by the Japanese government and the scientific community. The Ship Kitano Maru carrying Einstein and Elsa among the passengers sailed through Suez arriving in Colombo 28th October 1922. Notes Einstein scribbled during the trip describe in some detail how they were escorted to rickshaws and Einstein’s candid impression of what he saw in Colombo.
Einstein says, moment he and Elsa stepped out of the deck, a fine-boned man with a proud look and brown saliva trickling from the mouth, hauled him away exclaiming "all-round two rupee" and sat him on a rickshaw. Einstein, pointing the finger to a near by ship’s official, has protested vehemently as if it had been a fault of this officer , expressing his reluctance to get driven in a carriage pulled by a man. The official had told Einstein, what you said is true, but now you are in the Orient. In the meantime another rickshaw puller got Einstein’s wife Elsa seated and began running. Einstein shouted "stop" and asked Elsa to get down. The official intervened again, once he explained the procedure, both got into the rickshaws and were driven to streets of the Colombo City. A note in the Einstein’s diary dated 28th October 1922 reads "We rode on small one man carriages drawn at trot by men of Herculean strength, yet of delicate built. I was bitterly ashamed to be a party to the abominable treatment accorded to fellow human beings, but the circumstance did not permit me avoiding it". However, Einstein’s wife being naturally more practical had remarked "For these men to earn a living, they need our patronage".
Einstein’s candid impressions of his experience in Colombo
Einstein says dwellers in Colombo living in poverty need little and does little but looks noble exhibiting pleasing bodily features. Unlike in the Port Said the society he saw in Colombo, seemed to be peaceful and serene but certain amount of submissiveness was noticeable. In observing these people closely, one tends to loose the taste for more degenerate, coarse and greedy European attitudes which unfortunately account for their superiority to conceive and manage big things. These inhabitants give the impression that climate eliminates the necessity of thinking about future or past for more than one quarter of an hour and wonders whether same would happen if people in his region of the world were in a similar environment. Einstein described Colombo Harbour as a busy place with workers loading and unloading cargo and divers displaying their courage and comments that they sacrifice physically to satiate others who are mean enough to enjoy . Einstein has also said that he was deeply moved when a slender man with grey beard from the Colombo harbour who came to deliver a collection of cablegrams addressed to him, impassively asked for a tip.
It is not clear how long Einsteins stayed in Colombo and which parts of city they toured. Undoubtedly, on their way from the harbour they should have passed through the affluent business area of Colombo Fort, but make no mention of it and concentrates on what he refers to as the areas where natives lived, reflecting Einstein’s concern for humanity. A question also arises, why they were not officially received upon arrival in Colombo. Presumably, Einstein and Elsa got out of deck and went out for sight seeing. However, judging from the political situation in Europe aftermath World War I and support extended by the British scientific establishment to Einstein, it is difficult to assume that the Colonial Government in Colombo was unaware of Einstein’s visit.
Prof. Einstein interviewed by a reporter from Colombo: Christmas Island Eclipse
Professor Einstein was interviewed by a reporter from Times of Ceylon on board. It is interesting to note that the well informed reporter had questioned him of the result of the experiment conducted in Christmas Island 21st September 1922 at the time of the total solar eclipse to test his Theory of General Relativity. Einstein had stated he was unable to say anything definite about the Christmas Island experiment, as the weather conditions there at the time of the eclipse had been unfavorable. However, he is hopeful that a conclusive result may have been obtained by the astronomers who went to Australia to observe the same eclipse.
Eclipse experiments and ascent of Einstein to worldwide fame
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity predicts that just like material objects, light is also attracted towards massive bodies but to a lesser extent. In 1916 Einstein suggested that this effect could be tested at the time of a total solar eclipse as a shift of the apparent position of a star appearing near the solar disc. Einstein firmly believed the validity of his prediction. Once asked what his reaction would be if the test disproves his theory. Einstein replied, I feel sorry for the dear Lord. Nearly two years before his trip to East, British astronomer and theoretical physicist Sir Arthur Eddington announced that observation of a total eclipse visible to Brazil and West Africa confirmed Einstein’s prediction. Eddington’s proclamation gave much publicity to Einstein, many newspapers all over the world giving front page coverage. On 7th November 1919 London Times ran the headline "Revolution in Science- New theory of the Universe- Newtonian ideas overthrown". Despite public excitement, positive reception of many physics stalwarts at the time and his own confidence, Einstein was concerned of the necessity of further tests to gain acceptance of his theory by the scientific community at large and the Nobel Prize Committee. There was criticism from some circles that Eddington’s measurement is erroneous or biased. The statement Einstein gave to the reporter from Times of Ceylon indicates state of his mind at a decisive moment. At the time Einstein was in Colombo, the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics had not been announced. Awards are normally announced early October, a delay possibly because the Nobel Committee was anticipating the result of the September 21st eclipse experiment.
From Colombo, Einstein and Elsa went to Singapore reaching the Singapore Port 2nd November 1922. When they disembarked, a crowded of several hundreds greeted him and a grand reception was held in the same day evening in the residence of a wealthy Jewish businessman living in Singapore. While in Singapore, Einstein initiated a campaign to raise funds for the University of Jerusalem.
Einstein disembarks in Shanghai and hears the news of Nobel Prize
Continuing the voyage, Einstein and Elsa arrived in Shanghai via Hong Kong on 13th November 1922 and welcomed by Chinese scientists and dignitaries. At this occasion, the Consul General of Sweden presented a telegram from Stockholm to Einstein, declaring that 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to him. On the same day evening a banquet was held in the residence of the famous Chinese painter Wang Yiting to honour Albert Einstein.
Nobel Prize awarded to Einstein was not for his work on theory of relativity as everyone expected but for explaining the Photoelectric Effect. If the results of the September 1922 eclipse experiments had been finalized earlier, almost certainly the prize would have been for the work on relativity. The team from Licks Observatory in California who went Australia to observe the 1922 eclipse reported a result in quantitative agreement with the Einstein’s prediction but this was in April 1923 as data processing had taken a long time. Einsten’s interview with the reporter from Times of Ceylon indicates that he was anxiously expecting a positive result.
It is said that Einstein was somewhat ill during the long passage from Marseilles through Suez to Colombo and looked after by a Japanese doctor on board .The news of much awaited Nobel Prize relieved Einstein and he happily proceeded to Japan. On arrival in Japan Einstein got a tumultuous welcome and invited to a banquet at the Imperial Palace hosted by the Japanese Emperor and Empress. When he visited the British High Commission in Tokyo, he was greeted with cannon salute. After lecturing in many institutions, Einstein and Elsa went to Palestine and Spain before returning to Berlin. During the return journey also the ship had stopped in Colombo.
In his travel diary crowded with equations and incidental remarks , Einstein wrote he saw nobility among people of Ceylon , a pureness of soul among Japanese and magnificent intellectual and moral caliber among Palestinians. It is said that even after migrating to United States from Germany Einstein often recollects his experience with Colombo rickshaw men. It is heartening to note that the greatest physicist in a casual visit to Sri Lanka in 1922 has sensed the true good nature and reality of ground level society of the country at that time and expressed his candid opinion.
Prof. K Tennakone, Jan 21, 2011
source
Monday 31 August 2015
Peace of Mind
Once Buddha was traveling with a few of his followers.
While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples,
"I am thirsty.
Do get me some water from the lake."
The disciple walked up to the lake.
At that moment,
a bullock cart started crossing through the lake.
As a result,
The water became very muddy and turbid.
The disciple thought,
"How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?"
So he came back and told Buddha,
"The water in there is very muddy.
I don't think it is fit to drink."
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back
to the lake.
The disciple went back,
and found that the water was still muddy.
He returned and informed Buddha about the same.
After sometime,
again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.
This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear.
So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,
"See what you did to make the water clean.
You let it be,
and the mud settled down on its own,
and you have clear water."
Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed,
just let it be.
Give it a little time.
It will settle down on its own.
You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down.
It will happen.
It is effortless."
Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job,
it is an effortless process, so, keep ur mind cool and have a great life ahead...
Never leave Your close ones.
If you find few faults in them just close Your eyes
'n Remembr the best time You spent together...
because
Affection is More Important than Perfection..!
Neither you can hug yourself....
nor you can cry on your own shoulder....
Life is all about living for one another,
so live with those who love you the most...
Relations cannot be Understood by the Language of Money...
Bcoz,
Some Investments Never Give Profit
But They Make us rich...!
"Family n Friends are such Investments"
Credits to the original author.
While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples,
"I am thirsty.
Do get me some water from the lake."
The disciple walked up to the lake.
At that moment,
a bullock cart started crossing through the lake.
As a result,
The water became very muddy and turbid.
The disciple thought,
"How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?"
So he came back and told Buddha,
"The water in there is very muddy.
I don't think it is fit to drink."
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back
to the lake.
The disciple went back,
and found that the water was still muddy.
He returned and informed Buddha about the same.
After sometime,
again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.
This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear.
So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,
"See what you did to make the water clean.
You let it be,
and the mud settled down on its own,
and you have clear water."
Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed,
just let it be.
Give it a little time.
It will settle down on its own.
You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down.
It will happen.
It is effortless."
Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job,
it is an effortless process, so, keep ur mind cool and have a great life ahead...
Never leave Your close ones.
If you find few faults in them just close Your eyes
'n Remembr the best time You spent together...
because
Affection is More Important than Perfection..!
Neither you can hug yourself....
nor you can cry on your own shoulder....
Life is all about living for one another,
so live with those who love you the most...
Relations cannot be Understood by the Language of Money...
Bcoz,
Some Investments Never Give Profit
But They Make us rich...!
"Family n Friends are such Investments"
Credits to the original author.
Friday 31 July 2015
Tuesday 30 June 2015
Pangea - the supercontinent that existed 300 million years ago
This month, I came across an artists impression of Pangea, the super-continent that existed 300 million years ago. Massimo Pietrobon drew the political demarcations with respect to the world in 2012, but also admits that he was forced to take artistic liberty in order to force the giant jigsaw to fit together. What interesting however is what the world looked like 300 million years ago, where all countries were united in one giant landmass. Read more about it here.
[source]
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