Idlings of an idle mind

GE's Innnovation Equation

2009-08-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

(Imagination/Risk) *sweat² = Breakthrough ideas

Amounts to a risk-averse, crawling organization that contrary to the culture that it touts, encourages an un-innovative environment in its workplace.

Having said that though, I must congratulate and commend those individuals who have navigated through the underlying GE bureaucracy and managed to stay innovative and imaginative.

Uplifting

2008-08-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

Attended Pt. Rajan Sajan Mishra's concert today. It was, to say the least, mesmerizing. Hearing them touch the high chords with the lower ones with such an elegant finesse and consistency was very refreshing. I was in such a meditative trance that I almost felt that I was riding those chords with them. I always wonder how much practice/riyaaz and focus/sadhna do such performances require. One almost feels humble in the presence of such greatness.

More on their concert here.

At the same time, I was aghast at the snobbish attitude of some in the audience. They were there only because it was it was almost like a ritual for them to attend an indian classical concert just because there was one in the area. Their purpose there was to let people know that they have a discernible ear to differentiate between raag nand and raag durga. Granted its a difficult art to master, however, I think somewhere in their pursuit, they have forgotten the first lesson of Indian classical music, and that is humility. To prove my case, I am presenting an example of that great (and therefore humble) vocalist, Ustaad Amir Khan. They were giants, and as Carl Sagan would say, in comparison, we are nothing but a speck of dust:

In other words:
"laalayeet adhRoN se jisne haaye nahiN choomi haala
harshit kampit kar se jisne haay madhu ka chooaa pyaala
haath pakaD kar lajjit saaqi ko paas nahiN jisne kheencha
wyarth sukha Daali jeewan kee usne mahdumay madhushaala"

Leap of Faith

2007-12-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

Following a relatively moderate success at the Duke start-up challenge 2007, I have now decided to take the start-up idea head on. My absence from this blog may, therefore, be considered as deep breath before the plunge.

Together with my advisor, Dr. Ehsan Samei, I have now founded a company: AcuMage, LLC. The company is presently based on an x-ray multi-view stereoscopic imaging system that can provide a complete 3D view of an object (or anatomy) . But lets not focus on that. This post was meant to log my trials and tribulations with the bureaucracy of establishing a business in a country largely touted to be "entrepreneurial-friendly". By logging my experience, I am trying keep a record for myself, and at the same time, also hope to provide directions to a budding entrepreneur looking for tips on the internet.

1) The first step is to of course finalize a name for the company. After dabbling with 3S (acronym for 3D Stereoscopic Screening Systems), Advanced Imaging, and later AcuteMage, we iterated to AcuMage. The next step is to decide if its going to be an LLC or Inc. This decision is simple since an LLC provides tax benefits that Inc. does not. But if VC funding is sought, the business has to an Inc. However, an LLC can later be changed to Inc. without much ado.

2) At this point, the owners and their percentages need to be decided. It is required that at least 51% of the company be owned by a US citizen. Since I am an Indian citizen, I own 49% of the company. I am not sure about the implication of this ownership but I understand that this matters when we are trying to take an exit from the business.

3) Contact a lawyer and have him register the name with the secretary of state. This is a surprisingly easy task, but may get expensive if the company has to be founded in a rush (as was in our case).

$150 to the state, $125 to the lawyer, having your own company: priceless!

Duke Start-up challenge

2007-03-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

We are one of the seven winning teams to make it to the finals of the Duke start-up challenge! It has been one heck of a roller coaster ride. Ah the academic world! Once more unto the breach...

Pink Floyd: the 23rd day of september 2006

2006-09-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

"And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?": Went to Roger Waters Concert this weekend. I still can't believe I saw him in flesh and blood. The venue was huge and my first guess of the turn-up would be around 20000! In the first half, he performed numbers ranging from different albums, animals, wish you were here and I guess a couple of his new songs chiding Bush on the war on terror and what not. These were topped off, in the second half, with the dark side of the moon- the whole works! The music accompanied with the characteristic floydian background images and pyro-works had transformed the whole atmosphere. I think I was in trance and the rest is really history!

On a related note, here's a video of David Gilmour live in concert:

A big day for me

2006-09-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

wrote my first pitch as an assignment for a business course that I am taking in Fuqua, appropriately named Medical Device Commercialization. The pitch is for a a new device that I am working on for my PhD. Hope it sees the light of the day.

On other fronts, got my IRB. I am officially working on my Army grant now! Also started a conversation with Christ-al.

Birha Da Sultan

2006-05-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

The legendary, Jagjit Singh, was here in Raleigh recently. He has a shorter stature than I always imagined him to have. It was great to see him in flesh and blood and be soaked in live transcendental music.

IRB Certification...almost there

2006-05-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

tapestry of intrigue

2006-05-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Finished the 24 set puzzles on google's davinci quest. Hopefully I'll be one of the finalists and get one of their cryptexes/cryptices(?).

As an aside, got to know today that I have been adjudged as the most valuable reviewer for the journal of digital imaging for year 2005 (its a mystery, who were the reviewers for that!). Not sure how does this help except may be a plaque that I get to keep in my office. Sometimes I am disillusioned about these awards/recognitions...but what the heck at least I get a freebie.

A primer on ghazals

2006-04-17T12:44:00.001-07:00

hai aur bhi duniya mein sukhanwar bahut acche,
kehte hai kee ghalib ka hai andaz-e-bayan aur!

For more on him, follow this link. A more theoretical analysis on ghazals can be found here:

This one's my favorite shair {Ref: Umrao Jaan}:

Na jiski shakl hai koi, na jiska koi naam hai,
ik aisee shai ka kyon hamein azzal se intezaar hai!

which translates to:

that which has no face, that which has no name,
I have been waiting for so long for that one oasis in my life!

This one's courtesy my kavi friend, ravi, who composed it:

zindagi ka safar to taveel tha dost,
zindagi ko to mukhtsar dekha

which translates to (sounds oxymoron if taken at face value):

the journey of life was a long one, my friend,
I saw life, however, in a blink!

This one read by Ustad Amir Khan in the documentary on him by the Films Division of India:

Gunche (O' flower) teri zindagi pe dil hilta hai
Sirf ek tabassum (smile) ke liye khilta hai?
Gunche ne kaha...kee baba
Is duniya mein ye ek tabassum bhi kise milta hai!

Another one, I hear recently:

Jeest se tang ho ai daag, to jeete kyon ho
Jaan pyari bhi nahin, jaan se jate bhi nahin

Politically correct?

2006-04-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

I found the following comment in the introduction to a paper in one of the leading conference proceedings :

"Along with Western countries, the incidence rate of breast cancer, one of the highest-risk cancers in women, is steadily increasing in Japan due to a change in life style — westernization."

Have we then found a solution to breast cancer?

IRB appoval

2006-04-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

I have to get an approval from DUKE IRB for me to get money from the army grant I got last year. This approval is essentially telling the exchequer that the project will involve human subjects and that it will be my responsibilty to make sure that the protocol I use on the subjects is safe for them etc. This is a tedious process and takes a lot of "bandwidth". Here's how they try to be instructive and helpful in some way. I found it quite interesting - to say the least:

Common Consent Form Errors

Use "study drug" not "study medication" when the drug is investigational and also when a placebo is used. The word "medication" or "medicine" should only be used if the drug is commercially available for that particular condition.

Do not use "treatment” or “therapy”" if a placebo is involved or if an investigational drug is involved. Words to use in place of include, “study drug regimen” or “study procedure.”

Use "study doctor" (more understandable to a lay person) instead of “principal investigator."

Do not capitalize "sponsor."

Define the word "placebo" when first used. Examples of placebo definitions are: “sugar pill," "inactive substance," "inactive substance in the same form as the active drug."

Use "research study," instead of "trial."

Use the word "subject" throughout instead of “patient” since this is research. However, it is applicable to use “patient” if you are referring to the person prior to his/her entering the study.

When a placebo and active drug are involved, clarify for the subject that when the consent refers to the study drug, the study drug means "placebo or active drug."

Begin the consent form with, "You are being asked to take part in this research study because (insert condition here)" and then information about what is research.

Do not use the word “invite” (for example, “You are invited to participate in a research study.”) Instead use, “You are being asked to participate in a research study because (insert condition here).”

When describing randomization for 2 groups use, “like the flip of a coin,” for more than 2 groups, use "like drawing numbers from a hat."

Do not use i.e. or etc., use instead, "for example," "so forth."

Do not use CAPS or bold items unnecessarily. For example, “WE CANNOT AND DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PROMISE THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE ANY BENEFITS FROM THIS STUDY.

If the FDA may approve the study drug while the research study is in process, let subjects know if they will be responsible for paying for the study drug if it is approved.

Use lists instead of strings of items.

Use simple vocabulary – swallow a pill vs. oral administration