The world according to Prerona…….

The lack of audience in the Chemical Engineering Seminar series had become the butt of ridicule over the past few years. In retaliation the authorities tthis year enforced a minimum seminar attendance requirement for students in order to get a satisfactory (S) grade in research progress. For most of us still, that is the time to take a quick nap. So it was really refreshing to hear a seminar that indeed was worth the time invested.

This year the annual Aston Cary Lecture featured Dr.Nathan Lewis from Caltech. He gave a thought provoking presentation on the impending energy crisis. The presentation can be found on the Gatech website. Dr.Lewis also maintains a website with more insightful discussions on this subject. The talk had its light moments with quips like (misquote) “…what the US does when it runs out of oil–make friends with the oil-rich countries by declaring war on them”, and ” …we should thank North Korea and Iran for contributing their lot in solving the energy crisis”.

Yes world …I’m back again from a long sojourn. Not merely in terms of being away from work visiting my folks back home, but also from a long retreat into my shell. Yeah…life seems to be looking up now, maybe because I’ve stopped expecting too much from it. It surprises me how the things that we yearn for when we don’t have them become things we take for granted when life generously bestows them on us. I’ve been lucky in more ways than one and it’s high time I stopped whining and make the most of what I have.