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The Delusion 2 years ago I enrolled into a Ph.D. program at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, thoroughly crestfallen at having received no foreign admits and with no high hopes for my career. The best that could happen to me, I figured, was if I could land a postdoctoral position abroad, because we all know that all good research is carried out abroad . The rhetoric against pursuing a desi  Ph.D. is so loud, Indian students prefer to look for and accept any  positions abroad, rather than consider Indian institutions. From a bird's eye view, it makes sense. Indian science is under-funded and our academia stinks of unethical practices . But under all the muck and mire, there are pockets of hard-working and eminent researchers. Yes, there is something to be proud of, and no, I'm not talking of our ancient heritage. The Data All information presented here is on the basis of the current  Nature Index . At the time of writing this post, it corresponded to th...

←  Day  5 We started the day with a visit to the brilliant coffee shop, Porto Rico, that trades different kinds of coffee from all across the world. BTW, whether or not you're an otorhinolaryngologist (yes, that's a word), it might interest you that coffee aroma does have potential antioxidant or stress relaxation activities on the brain . [Rat brain, just for the record, but I empathize.] Next, we headed over towards East Village .. .. to get me inked. ^_^ Thanks to the folks at Whatever Tattoo, for making my first tattooing experience nice and fun!         Yes, I know it's difficult to make out, so it's a red poppy flower on my ankle. No, it does not have any deep significance, I did not get it with reference to Memorial day or opium, I just find poppies pretty.  Some more clicks from this area with its lovely art (the second picture below is edited):     And I couldn't help but appreciate the c...

← Day 4 The next day was dedicated to all things touristy. We took a (free) ferry to Staten Island to see the Manhattan Skyline and the Statue of Liberty on the way.   The Museum of African American, which still remains on my to-do list after 2 trips: And a park right opposite: The New York Stock Exchange: The Financial District is a surreally beautiful place, where I constantly had a feeling that I was in a movie or on a set, and none of it was real...a  veritable concrete paradise!   ---------------- On an unrelated note, if you've any nerdy cells in your body and have a high school background in Chemistry, you absolutely must check out " Elemental Haiku " by Mary Soon Lee. You'll thank me, I assure you! ^_^ Day 6 →