The God Particle, more specifically known as the Higgs Boson is a hypothetical scalar elementary particle that’s predicted by the standard model of particle physics, but has not yet been discovered. For the uninitiated, an elementary particle is a particle that does not have a sub-structure. It is the basic building block of all matter. Other examples of elementary particles are Quarks and Leptons.

The search for Higgs Boson will throw more light on how massless particles give rise to matter that has mass, and how energy and matter are interconvertible. This experiment is going live at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator that is 27 kms in circumference, and is buried under the ground.

Large Hadron Collider

In the LHC, two beams of particles (mostly protons) will race in opposite directions around the underground tunnel. The particles will be guided by more than a thousand cylindrical, supercooled magnets, linked like sausages. At four locations the beams will converge, sending the particles crashing into each other at 99.99% the speed of light. The matter will be transformed by the violent collisions into wads of energy, which will in turn condense back into various intriguing types of particles. This experiment recreates the conditions existing just micro-seconds after the Big Bang. And through this experiment, phycisists hope to learn more about the origins of mass, gravity and the mysterious dark matter. The Higgs Boson is one such particle of matter that is being hunted here. Interestingly, Stephen Hawking has taken a $100 bet that the LHC won’t find the Higgs Boson:

I think it will be much more exciting if we don’t find the Higgs. That will show something is wrong, and we need to think again.

If this experiment goes as planned, we will be one step closer to unraveling the mystery of the birth of our Universe, and it’s constitution. On the other hand, concerns have been raised around the world that the LHC could create black holes, which can potentially eat the planet from within. Well, I don’t see how that’s possible, because the LHC is less than miniscule when compared to the goings-on in the Universe. Let’s wait and see what we find!

National Geographic has a great representation of how the LHC works.

If you want to find out more, check out the sources from where I compiled this information: The Telegraph, Nat Geo and LHC Outreach.

Rewind to June 07. I take the GMAT and then apply to three schools (The Indian School of Business, Tuck at Dartmouth and Ross at Michigan) for MBA. It’s a long application process for each one, and once the applications are done, the long wait begins. First comes the reply from ISB: Sorry, your application has been rejected. Then the reply from Tuck: Congratulations, you’ve been shortlisted for a phone interview. The phone interview happens. Then comes a reply from Tuck: Our representative would like to meet you in person on Nov 15 in Mumbai. Cool, I say.

Then comes the shocker. ISB calls me to say they have re-evaluated my application, and would like to interview me!!! On Nov 15!

Thankfully, both interview venues are near to each other, with a couple of hours difference between the interview times. Phew…

Both interviews go well. Again the wait begins. Then on Dec 12, just two days before I set off for my vacation to Cambodia and Thailand, I hear from ISB: Congratulations, we are happy to make you an offer for admission. This was one offer I couldn’t refuse What a start to my trip!

The next week I hear from Tuck: Sorry to inform you that we have not been able to offer you admission. Similar reply from Ross, a month later. Too bad, but it didn’t matter after the ISB news.

I got relieved from work in mid-Feb and since then, have been completing the various formalities of the admissions process - documents, medical forms, loan application, the works. I took out some time last month to go tiger-spotting to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in central India. It was an awesome experience.

These days I am bonding with my future classmates through the forum we have created on Orkut. They are a pretty interesting bunch of people, and am certainly looking forward to the year at the ISB. It begins in eight days…

I was in a state of shock when I checked my website. I could see months of work going down the drain. It was a disaster. I did not know where to start. There was no way I could get my blogs back… Or was there?

I started thinking. And then I got a brainwave. Google should have most of the blog in its cache. That was the key. I promptly checked Google Cache by typing cache:blog.kedarsule.com in the searchbox. Lo and behold, there it was. I started checking the cache for each of my category. I could not get posts which were deeper than third page for each category, but whatever, I could get most of them back. One thing I could not get back completely were the comments, but then I couldn’t help it. I decided to make the most of whatever I could retrieve, and copied it into a word file.

Now that I had to put my blog back together, I decided to spend some time on the design front. So what you are seeing is the new version of my old blog. I have also created new categories for writing my travelogues. I have treated my photoblog to some design treatment as well. I also went on a naming spree. My blog is now called Wandering Soul and the photoblog is called Shades of Light.

So here I am, recovered from a major disaster. There are two main learnings here:

1. Be very, very careful while communicating with your Server Admin. Don’t take things for granted.
2. If you are stupid like me and manage to get your website erased, use Google Cache to recover as much data as you can. But please keep in mind that this method will work only for a short time after your site goes down. Because, once the Google spider crawls your website, and finds nothing there, it will erase your website’s data from its database.

On this day exactly half a century ago, mankind set out on a quest to explore the final frontier. The USSR launched the Sputnik 1, earth’s first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957. It was the era of the Cold War, and this launch started the space race between USA and USSR. Here’s the front page of The New York Times announcing the launch of Sptunik 1:

The mission of Sputnik 1 was to study the density of high atmospheric layers. It fell from orbit on January 4, 1958 and burnt up after completing 1440 orbits. Those 3 months were by far the most important period in the history of space exploration, and set the stage for man’s foray into space.

Google Sky has turned Google Earth’s concept completely on its head, literally. The camera which used to point down from the sky, can now point up at the click of a button.

While you can turn the constellation outlines on and off, you can also pan and zoom across the entire night sky. It uses, what I think, are high resolution photos of the sky, taken from observatories, and telescopes across the world, and beyond. That’s the best part about this software. There are no representations of objects. All are real photographs. Everything is real!

There’s a special layer called ‘Hubble Showcase’ to show mind-blowing images of deep sky objects. While trying out the software, I promptly zoomed in on my favourite spot in the night sky – The Orion Nebula.

Some of the deep-sky objects in Google Sky have detail photos, presumably taken by Hubble, or other orbiting telescopes. It contains a database of objects from the Messier catalogue and the New General Catalogue. It even allows you to watch the motion of planets across the sky using time compression. There is information on each object in the application, be it a star, a planet, a galaxy or a black hole.

And if you are thinking that this application is only for couch stargazers, or that it will kill star gazing, think again! There’s something for everyone here. I was always intrigued by Andromeda Galaxy, the twin to our own galaxy, but didn’t know where to find it. That’s when Google Sky’s search feature came to my rescue, taking me across the sky and right towards Andromeda. Such features will inspire more people to take up the hobby of star gazing.

Talking of sky mapping software, you should check out Celestia. It is a 3-dimensional view of space that will make you feel like Captain James T. Kirk. Celestia does not confine you to the surface of earth. You can move around planets and galaxies, and boldly go where no man has gone before! But this post is about Google Sky and I’ll end it here. I’ll talk about Celestia later.

I scored 710 (Q=48; V=40) on the GMAT. While I know my score is not world-beating, I am happy with it. A score of 700+ on the GMAT does give you an edge when applying to B-schools. If you are planning to take the GMAT and are unable to decide between the host of prep material out there, then let me make it a bit easier for you.

I had a mix of online study material and books. I referred to an online compilation of GMAT material to start with. It was brought to my notice by my buddy, Saumil. Unfortunately that site is unavailable now.

After that came the books and their accompanying CDs. I used Kaplan GMAT Premier Program, Princeton Review’s Cracking the GMAT and The Official Guide to GMAT Review 11. I should thank my close friend Anuj Kacker, who’s presently pursuing his MBA at The Indian School of Business, for lending me these books.

A week before the test, I downloaded the official GMATprep software from mba.com. The GMATPrep will give you an idea of what you can expect from the real test, as this software carries actual questions from earlier GMATs.

The best method of preparation is to practise solving the questions. Once you get comfortable with the various types of questions, then you’ll actually start enjoying the tests.

In order to catch up, Microsoft wants to take over Yahoo! and increase its market share in Internet Search and search-linked advertising. Yahoo! is the second most-used search engine after Google.

Microsoft was in talks with Yahoo! last year for a proposed takeover. Since then the push from Microsoft had slackened. According to the report on New York Post, Micorsoft has intensified its pursuit of a deal with Yahoo! after losing DoubleClick to Google last month. Microsoft has apparently employed Goldman Sachs to see the deal through.

Microsoft has an option of catapulting itself into a competitive position by buying 5 - 10 smaller companies. But with the loss of DoubleClick, that option seems to be fading. The only other option is to buy something like Yahoo!

According to New York Post, a deal between Microsoft and Yahoo! would up the combined companies’ share of the all-important search advertising market to 27 percent against Google’s 65 percent. It would also narrow the gap in overall online ads with Google to just 13 percent.

More importantly, a deal would drastically increase the eyeballs, potentially increasing advertising. Microsoft and Yahoo! also feature complimentary offerings on the content side. MSN draws an older audience with its news focus, whereas Yahoo! attracts a younger demographic with its entertainment coverage.

The talks are still in the initial stages and neither company is commenting on anything. Let’s wait and watch how the deal goes through and how Google reacts to it…

UPDATE: Bloomberg reports Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s top internet ad man, as saying that it could take at least five and maybe 10 years for Microsoft to gain significant traction against Google’s search. A Yahoo partnership could make Microsoft a threat right away and may be its only choice to keep up with Google’s acquisitions. In another story, alarm:clock reports that Google is stepping up its efforts to buy the Internet job portal SimplyHired. The purchase makes sense for Google, as it doesn’t have a job site in its folds, when the online job search market is growing rapidly. This buy out news is close on the heels of the Microsoft-Yahoo news. Is it the case of Google trying to consolidate it’s position as the leader in online services and advertising market?

And better than the beach, is the place where I stayed - Camp 69. Lots of people have asked me about this place, so this post is for all of you.

Camp 69 is an ensemble of log cabins, right across from Morjim beach. To reach the hotel, follow the signs to Montego Bay Resort, and when you arrive at Montego Bay, turn right along the road and around 200 metres down you will see Camp 69. If you use Google Earth, you can download the placemark (KML) for this place.

There are about 9 cabins apart from the restaurant, which is the central hub. The cabins are clean and spacious. The walls are made of wood, but the floor is tiled, which explains the cleanliness. All the cabins have attached bathrooms. They have a ‘running’ hot water facility, as in when you call for hot water, the boy from the restaurant comes running with a bucket of hot water None of the cabins are air conditioned, but believe me, with the cool sea breeze blowing, you won’t miss the a/c. The cabins are well spaced out, so there’s complete privacy.

The restaurant is the high point of this place. It’s an open hut kind of a set-up. The food is delicious and generous in quantity. It serves continental and Goan cuisines. If you want something that’s not on the menu, you can request the chef to make it for you, and he will be glad to do so. You can expect good music in the restaurant, especially old numbers.

The place is run by a local person, Bosco. All the staff is local Goan and the staff is really friendly and helpful. More importantly, the staff is trustworthy. They will help you out if you want to hire bikes to move around, or even if you want directions to some town. They also have safe-locker facility to keep your valuables and passport while you frolic on the beach.

If you want to enjoy a non-crowded, clean and peaceful beach in Goa, you should head to Morjim, and stay at Camp 69. In my opinion, it is the loveliest and most peaceful little hotel around Morjim/Aswem beaches.

Cobain’s death came as a shocker to his millions of fans around the world. He was an intriguing personality, and equally intriguing was the suicide note that he left behind:

To Boddah
Speaking from the tongue of an experienced simpleton who obviously would rather be an emasculated, infantile complain-ee. This note should be pretty easy to understand. All the warnings from the punk rock 101 courses over the years, since my first introduction to the, shall we say, ethics involved with independence and the embracement of your community has proven to be very true. I haven’t felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things.

For example when we’re back stage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins, it doesn’t affect me the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the the love and adoration from the crowd which is something I totally admire and envy. The fact is, I can’t fool you, any one of you. It simply isn’t fair to you or me. The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it and pretending as if I’m having 100% fun. Sometimes I feel as if I should have a punch-in time clock before I walk out on stage. I’ve tried everything within my power to appreciate it (and I do, God, believe me I do, but it’s not enough.) I appreciate the fact that I and we have affected and entertained a lot of people. It must be one of those narcissists who only appreciate things when they’re gone. I’m too sensitive. I need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasms I once had as a child.

On our last 3 tours, I’ve had a much better appreciation for all the people I’ve known personally, and as fans of our music, but I still can’t get over the frustration, the guilt and empathy I have for everyone. There’s good in all of us and I think I simply love people too much, so much that it makes me feel too fucking sad. The sad little, sensitive, unappreciative, Pisces, Jesus man. Why don’t you just enjoy it? I don’t know!

I have a goddess of a wife who sweats ambition and empathy and a daughter who reminds me too much of what i used to be, full of love and joy, kissing every person she meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm. And that terrifies me to the point to where I can barely function. I can’t stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable, self-destructive, death rocker that I’ve become.

I have it good, very good, and I’m grateful, but since the age of seven, I’ve become hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so easy for people to get along that have empathy. Only because I love and feel sorry for people too much I guess.

Thank you all from the pit of my burning, nauseous stomach for your letters and concern during the past years. I’m too much of an erratic, moody baby! I don’t have the passion anymore, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away.

Peace, love, empathy.
Kurt Cobain

Frances and Courtney, I’ll be at your altar.
Please keep going Courtney, for Frances.
For her life, which will be so much happier without me.

I love you, I love you!

May his soul rest in peace!

For the uninitiated, Goa is state on the west coast of India. It was a Portuguese colony until 1960, when it was admitted into the Indian Union. Goa still retains a distinctly colonial Portuguese atmosphere and architecture. It is particularly famous for its beautiful churches and Hindu temples, and of course the pristine beaches. As a tourist destination, it’s quite popular among Indian as well as international tourists, especially the British.I left on 12th January from Mumbai and returned from Goa on 21st January, after having a gala time and clicking loads of pictures.

During the first half of my trip, I stayed at Morjim, in the Camp 69 hotel, which comprises of Log cabins. It’s a beautiful place, and Morjim is a very quiet and peaceful beach. Saturday evening I went to Ingo’s Saturday Night Bazaar, which is at Arpora, and is a major attraction. I whole day I spent in Old Goa, visiting all the lovely churches and cathedrals there.

During the second half of my trip, I stayed at Cafe Del Mar hotel in Palolem. Cafe Del Mar is made up of beach huts and has a 24 hour bar with good music. Palolem is a very picturesque beach, and I spent the 3 days doing nothing other than enjoying the sea and the sea-food.

Read more about it on my Travel Blog.