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EINSTEIN AWARD FOR ASHTEKAR
diaspora
THE WORLD MUSIC FOUNDATION’S EINSTEIN PRIZE FOR CLASSICAL CONCERT Ustad Aashish Khan & Sandip Burman - Page 15
ABHAY ASHTEKAR
MIDWEST EDITION | EAST COAST EDITION | Volume 9 • Issue No. 484, OCTOBER 19, 2018 | THE COMMUNITY FIRST The prestigious prize for 2018, which carries an award of $10,000, is scheduled to be announced on October 23
Kerala tense over O Sabarimala BY MAYANK CHHAYA, CHICAGO
ver four decades after he began his scientific engagement with gravitational science, Professor Abhay Ashtekar is set to receive the prestigious Einstein Prize conferred by the American Physical Society (APS). The prize for 2018, which carries an award of $10,000, is scheduled to be announced on October 23. Its citation reads: “For numerous and seminal contributions to general relativity, including the theory of black holes, canonical quantum gravity, and quantum cosmology.” Ashtekar is professor of physics, Evan Pugh Professor, Holder, Eberly Chair, and director of the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos at the Pennsylvania State University. The first Einstein prize was awarded jointly to Peter Bergmann and John Wheeler, who introduced
general relativity to American universities by creating research groups. Perhaps because the first award often sets the tone, subsequent prizes have come to recognize ‘lifetime achievements’. So the news was deeply satisfying,” Ashtekar told IANS. Ashtekar’s passion for physical sciences started while he was in high school in India. “At first I knew only Marathi literature — that is my mother tongue, and was the medium of instruction until I was 11. Then was exposed Hindi and English literature and realized how deeply literature is tied to specific cultures. What is considered great in one language or context could well be mediocre in another. At the same time, I learned Newton’s laws and universality of gravity — what makes the apple fall on earth also makes the planets go around the sun. This was stunning by itself,” he said. Somewhere along the line, he also recognized that although one of the main four forces of nature,
gravity is the weakest, yet it is so crucial to the way the universe formed and exists. “Gravity has two key features that other forces do not share. Unlike the weak and strong force, it is long-range and therefore key to the large-scale structures and phenomena. Electromagnetic force is also long-range. But because electric charge comes with both signs, the force can be both attractive and repulsive. “Large bodies like the sun and planets are all electrically neutral and so they don’t exert any electromagnetic force on one another. The dominant force between such bodies is therefore gravitational,” he explained. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1974 from the University of Chicago, Ashtekar went on to hold influential positions in France, Canada and India. Asked whether physicists in India are producing world-class research, Ashtekar said: “There are extremely talented
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Women devotees prevented from undertaking the trek to the the Lord Ayyappa temple – Page 12 x
science & technology
ALLEN’S LOVE FOR BOLLYWOOD
Professor Abhay Ashtekar (Photo: Pennsylvania State University)
physicists in India who are making first-rate contributions to pure physics in areas I have first-hand acquaintance with. I am particularly pleased by the ‘LIGO-India’ project that is now placing India firmly in the front ranks of international efforts. The Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, in particular, will play an important role in the major discoveries that will be made
with the international network of gravitational wave observatories between 5 and 10 years from now. In this area India is ahead of China, for example.” “My colleagues in other areas of physics, on the other hand, tell me that this is not the case in their field; that there is a lot of good research but not enough ‘great’ research that gets published in the most visible journals,” he said.
Paul Allen: Microsoft Rehabilitating Syrian refugees in Germany co-founder, philanthropist BRIEFS
Indian killed in New Zealand car crash
“We have got a full curriculum for it, what to teach step by step, WELLINGTON: A 25-year-old Indis Europe continues to grapteaching them a whole variety of ple with the problem of skills, how to build up a business,” an man has been killed in a car refugees fleeing war-torn he stated. crash in New Zealand’s QueenSyria, an organization founded by “Our idea is that the graduates stown, the media reported. an Indian is helping a small town of this programme will set up busiHarpreet Singh, who hailed withhadBill he in rehabilitating met IANS, NEW DELHI in Germany them. Gates -- a friendship nesses in Heidelberg or elsewhere,” from Punjab, comeGates to New in 1975, a seven philanthropist R Ventures Foundation, regis- that later produced he added. Zealandbecame as a student years Amsterdam, is helping the one of the world’s Prakash said that once these ago andand movedwent to Queenstown on to6- helptered inActor arlier this month, Mallika university town of Heidelberg in entrepreneurs become successful, 7 months ago, New Zealand’s most innovative Microsoft co-founder and millions across the Sherawat the German state of Baden-Wurtpeople will write about them and news magazine The Indian Weekworld live with dig- temberg in rehabilitating the Syricompanies. philanthropist Paul Allen then Germans and people of the ender reported. inanthe Allen's love for announced that cancer he nity and disease- an performed incurefugees by setting up rest of the world will know that the bator to impart skills so that these refugees are adding value to the Bollywood was was last treated nine years ago had free. presence of people can become entrepreneurs society. Despite always evident when in returned and he would aggressively R Ventures Foundation helps rehabilitate Syrian refugees. (Photo: Xinhua/Khalid) stars andHollywood job creators. So how did the whole idea of staying in the shad2015, he threw a fight it again. imparting skills while rehabilitatFounded in 2017 by Shantanu depends on who it applies to,” life from scratch. RIYADH: A Keralite expat in Saudi Natalie owbeen of sacked Gatesfrom-- hishis Prakash,like bash who on board Little did the world realize that was onhis a visit here, “Now, it would be a pity if a ing refugees come about?” an IIM Ahmedabad grad- Prakash, Arabia has IANS in an interview. highly qualified engineer has to “There was no compelling reaa member of and the Global told job for allegedly Portman partnerposting andoffensive friend uate and yacht. According this time, non-Hodgkin’s lym“Our idea is to really look at take up a job of a janitor or some- son for us,” Prakash said on a Futures Council on Migration at remarks on women amid the they were to a Quartz report, phoma (an uncommon cancer Sabarimala of since Leonardo philosophical note. “Maybe it was the World Economic Forum people who have a desire to thing,” Prakash said. temple row, the media teenagers -- Allen was a(WEF), theDiCaprio Mallika Sher- who are the lymphatic system) would not become entrepreneurs, “So, the Paul idea isAllen that donated we provide a calling. Maybe it was various something organization is focused actor reported. In his lifetime, nearly $1 billion towards causes. educated,” he said, adding Pavithram, anlover employee passionate of com-on the intersection of refugees and awat performed in that a them a supportive environment. that we were meant to do.” even give a month’s time to Allen. Deepak lot of these people are alreadyAllen well- founded We give Vulcan them theInc. skills, how to 37, Prakash saidalready that through his with the of Lulu Hypermarket was he was a billionaire and puters andin Riyadh, a key figure inentrepreneurship the crethebelief presence of Hollywood in Seattle In his own words: “As long as we that refugees and displaced persons educated, but being refugees, they create a business in a different involvement with the WEF, he got fired on Tuesday for making misogywork together -- with both urgency in understand 1995, made single biggest ation of Microsoft. likeofNatalie Portman, Antonio as an investment job have to start from zero. country.” and project man- to the his contentious can help catalyze astars new era nist and insensitive comments and determination -- there are no agement firm with Jodyis issues investment date by purchasing a Born Seattle, Stateintegration. Banderas and Leonardo creation and In this DiCaprio connection,ashe drew a Pointing out his that sister, that there regardingto refugees. about women on theinsocial media,Washington So what kind oflarge skills are being and parallel with thestatues situation during the issue of cultural and 18.5 “When deeper intoin it, the I gotDreamthe Khaleej limits to what we can achieve”. Allen Allen. In 1988, Allen sensitivity established perI got cent stake in Times 1953,reported. Allen’s wealth rose to over elephant Buddha about it,”hehedonated imparted to these refugees? the 1947 Partition when many the rules of business being differmore fascinated Pavithram also deleted the died on Monday in Seattle, aged 65. $20 billion this year, making him were seen. The Paul G. Allen Family Founda- works. In his lifetime, “Currently, we are looking at people migrating from newly-cre- ent, Prakash said R Ventures Foun- explained. “And I thought that Facebook post following the outAllen never retired. After he left the tion anddation in thehelps same purchased nearlyare$1 billion towards person. In 1983, officially resigned referring to this as a cri- various more of theIn hi-tech area, innova- heated Pakistan to India were highly theyear, refugees to create people rage. the world’s 44th-richest — IANS company in 1983 he co-founded 1968, while at Lakesidetion Trail causes. School, he area, frombutMicrosoft and threebutyears rather than opportunity.” technology it also educated had later, to restartthe theirPortland a business pitch.Blazers. At age sis AROONIM BHUYAN, NEW DELHI
Allen’s love for Bollywood was evident when in 2015, he threw a bash on board his yacht named Octopus
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Indian sacked in Saudi for ‘offensive remarks’
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NASA’s Chandra Observatory swings back into action The team has completed plans to switch gyroscopes and place the gyroscope that experienced the ASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory, observing the glitch in reserve. universe in high-energy Once configured with a series of Kitchen light since 1999,Cabinets, is back in actionKitchen & Basement Remodeling. Low Price Guaranteed! pre-tested flight software patches, after suffering a glitch due to the the team will return Chandra to scifailure of theundermount gyroscope and going sink, faucet with every countertop purchase ence operations which are expected Free into safe mode last week. to commence by the end of this The cause of Chandra’s safe mode week, NASA said. on October 10 has now been underOn October 10, Chandra X-ray stood and the Operations team has Observatory entered safe mode, in successfully returned the spacecraft which the observatory is put into a to its normal pointing mode, safe configuration, critical hardware according to the US space agency. is swapped to back-up units, the Chandra Observatory will return to science operations by the end of this week. “The safe mode was caused by a spacecraft points so that the solar glitch in one of Chandra’s gyro- board computer to calculate an momentum indication then trig- panels get maximum sunlight, and scopes resulting in a 3-second period incorrect value for the spacecraft gered the safe mode,” NASA said in the mirrors point away from the Sun. of bad data that, in turn, led the on- momentum. The erroneous a statement late this week. IANS, WASHINGTON
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Chandra is 19 years old, which is well beyond the original design lifetime of five years. In 2001, NASA extended its lifetime to 10 years. The US space agency said that it was also continuing to work towards resuming science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope that on October 5, entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes (gyros) being used to point and steady the telescope failed. Gyroscopes help spacecraft maintain proper orientation. Scientists are currently performing analyses and tests to determine what options were available to recover the gyro to operational performance.
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