The woman behind Theranos
Theranos, a startup in Silicon Valley would revolutionize the way we do blood analysis to discern information about the health of a patient. The company worked on a new technology that required microscopic blood samples rather than a traditional collecting blood from veins. Elizabeth Holmes, a brilliant young Stanford dropout was behind the breakthrough invention was anointed as the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Holmes initially pitched the idea to reap "vast amounts of data from a few droplets of blood derived from the tip of a finger" to several of her professors at Stanford; most of them said that it was "virtually impossible to do so with any real efficacy". However, Holmes succeeded in getting Dean Channing Robertson to back her idea. From then on, Theranos experienced a spectacular rise before its ultimate downfall.
Author John Carreyrou spoke to ex-employees and whistleblowers; obtained numerous documents and email exchanges. From chapters 19 to 24, the author chronicles the odyssey of his investigations after he first gets a tip from Adam Clapper of “Pathology Blawg,” an amateur blogger who discovered huge fraud at Theranos, but he was unable to bear the legal retributions from Elizabeth Holmes. The author was at Wall Street Journal’s investigative reporting team, during research, discovered enormous deficiencies in Theranos technology. He reveals a fascinating story of deception and greed that ran deep inside the executive offices of Elizabeth Homes and Ramesh ‘Sunny’ Balwani. On learning of his investigation, Holmes threatened through her attorney David Boies to sue the Wall Street Journal if it did not stop printing the story. This book is a fascinating read about the way Holmes conducted herself and threats she used on her own employees while the company was misleading patients, investors and its clients.
Few examples from this book makes a great reading. Henry Mossley was the first CFO of the company; and he was nervous about the way company was doing. Since there were no pharmaceutical contracts, and the ambitious revenue forecasts were never realized. He kept digging and found that the company’s technology was unreliable and posed danger to patients. Despite all this, CEO Elizabeth Holmes was upbeat and a happy leader glowing about her business operations. When Mossley confronted her for truth, he was fired on spot. In one instance, after rapid resignations of her key staff at R&D division, Elizabeth called an employee meeting to vent her frustrations and lack of obedience to her rules. In an angry tone, she declared that she is building a religion, and if there are anyone who did not believe in her, they should leave.
On 3/14/2018, SEC charged Elizabeth Holmes and Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani for conducting years-long fraud at Theranos. The amount of damage they would have caused due to missed diagnoses or wrong medical treatment would have been catastrophic. The company was on the verge of expanding its blood-testing services to Walgreens 8,134 stores in the United States. Theranos blood monitoring system was conducted in Nashville, TN on terminally ill cancer patients at great risks to patients. Similar studies were conducted in Palo Alto, CA, and Phoenix, AZ.
This is a good investigative story and I recommend this work to anyone interested in Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes. In fact, there is a movie in the making, and Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence is set to play Elizabeth Holmes.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Book Reviewed: The Gypsies, by Angus Fraser
The Romani People; from a historical perspective
This is the story of gypsies, who arrived in the Balkans in medieval times and gradually spread over the Europe and Americas. For centuries these nomadic people have migrated aimlessly, but practiced their culture and maintained a distinct identity. They are traditionally known for music, metal-working, fortune-telling and horse-dealing. This book traces their origin to India and their trail out of the Indian regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Sindh provinces of modern India. The Romani history shed light on their racial, ethnic and linguistic features and the uniqueness of their language that has grammatical characteristics of Indian languages. It shares the basic lexicon with Hindi and Punjabi, phonetic features with Marwari, and grammar with Bengali language.
Recent genetic study of 800,000 genetic variants (single nucleotides polymorphisms) from 13 different Romani groups are compared with the DNA from diverse group of Indian population. This study clearly suggests that ancestors of Romani people departed from northwestern India around 500 CE. From there, they traveled to Central Asia, the Middle East and subsequently to Europe, specifically to the Balkan region of Bulgaria. Romani migration continued around 1,100 CE into the heart of Western Europe.
Originally Romani ancestors came from Rajasthan province of India and moved to Punjab and Sindh areas around 250 BC. Their subsequent westward migration, possibly in waves, is now believed to have occurred beginning in about AD 500. Some scholars suggest that the exodus of ancestors of Romani to Europe occurred due to invasion of Islam into the Indian sub-continent. The ancestors of modern-day Romani people were Hindu, but in Europe, they adopted Christianity or Islam depending on their local traditions. Romani social behavior is partly regulated by Hindu purity laws. Some of their practices run parallel to the practices of "Shaktism," which gives prominence to a woman or female deity. For example, some Romani people worship Christian God, often prayers are conducted through the Virgin Mary, a practice unique to Romani people.
History documents the atrocities committed on Romany populations. They were expelled from parts of Germany in 1416, Milan in 1493, France in 1504, Sweden in 1525, and England in 1530. During WWII, the Nazis embarked on a systematic genocide of the Romani population. They were often killed on sight, especially by paramilitary death squads. It is estimated that between 220,000 and 1,500,000 may have been killed. In the summer of 2010, French authorities demolished at least 51 Roma camps and began the process of repatriating their residents to other European countries. Romani people are continued to be victimized and politicians and the media largely ignore these problems and focus on politically correct issues.
This book was first published in 1992, although somewhat outdated and does not contain the recent genetic studies that positively links the Romani (gypsy) people to India, but the linguistic evidence discussed in this book gave credence to their Indian origin. The book is a scholarly work of one of the experts in this field. This is a fascinating account of Romany migrations into Persia, the Byzantine Empire and Balkan nations; and latter into Europe, and the Americas. This work is recommended to readers interested in the ancient history of gypsy people and their distinctive culture.
This is the story of gypsies, who arrived in the Balkans in medieval times and gradually spread over the Europe and Americas. For centuries these nomadic people have migrated aimlessly, but practiced their culture and maintained a distinct identity. They are traditionally known for music, metal-working, fortune-telling and horse-dealing. This book traces their origin to India and their trail out of the Indian regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Sindh provinces of modern India. The Romani history shed light on their racial, ethnic and linguistic features and the uniqueness of their language that has grammatical characteristics of Indian languages. It shares the basic lexicon with Hindi and Punjabi, phonetic features with Marwari, and grammar with Bengali language.
Recent genetic study of 800,000 genetic variants (single nucleotides polymorphisms) from 13 different Romani groups are compared with the DNA from diverse group of Indian population. This study clearly suggests that ancestors of Romani people departed from northwestern India around 500 CE. From there, they traveled to Central Asia, the Middle East and subsequently to Europe, specifically to the Balkan region of Bulgaria. Romani migration continued around 1,100 CE into the heart of Western Europe.
Originally Romani ancestors came from Rajasthan province of India and moved to Punjab and Sindh areas around 250 BC. Their subsequent westward migration, possibly in waves, is now believed to have occurred beginning in about AD 500. Some scholars suggest that the exodus of ancestors of Romani to Europe occurred due to invasion of Islam into the Indian sub-continent. The ancestors of modern-day Romani people were Hindu, but in Europe, they adopted Christianity or Islam depending on their local traditions. Romani social behavior is partly regulated by Hindu purity laws. Some of their practices run parallel to the practices of "Shaktism," which gives prominence to a woman or female deity. For example, some Romani people worship Christian God, often prayers are conducted through the Virgin Mary, a practice unique to Romani people.
History documents the atrocities committed on Romany populations. They were expelled from parts of Germany in 1416, Milan in 1493, France in 1504, Sweden in 1525, and England in 1530. During WWII, the Nazis embarked on a systematic genocide of the Romani population. They were often killed on sight, especially by paramilitary death squads. It is estimated that between 220,000 and 1,500,000 may have been killed. In the summer of 2010, French authorities demolished at least 51 Roma camps and began the process of repatriating their residents to other European countries. Romani people are continued to be victimized and politicians and the media largely ignore these problems and focus on politically correct issues.
This book was first published in 1992, although somewhat outdated and does not contain the recent genetic studies that positively links the Romani (gypsy) people to India, but the linguistic evidence discussed in this book gave credence to their Indian origin. The book is a scholarly work of one of the experts in this field. This is a fascinating account of Romany migrations into Persia, the Byzantine Empire and Balkan nations; and latter into Europe, and the Americas. This work is recommended to readers interested in the ancient history of gypsy people and their distinctive culture.
Monday, October 15, 2018
Book Reviewed: Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery, by Herbie J Pilato
Elizabeth Montgomery: The portrait of a great soul
This biographical work takes an in-depth and multi-dimensional look at the life of Elizabeth Montgomery. This is fascinating story that includes her childhood, career, her children, and her work with numerous charities. This book is based on author’s exclusive interviews with her friends, co-stars, and studio archives. There are three books about Montgomery and two of them were written by author Herbie Pilato.
Elizabeth Montgomery placed too much emphasis on age, and perhaps ignored her own health issues. She died too young and cared for many issues; gave herself little credit for her artistic accomplishments; but devoted her privacy being a mother to her children. She was a liberal democrat, a strong supporter of gay and lesbian rights. But her father was staunch conservative. And the relationship with her famous father, Robert Montgomery was difficult and tumultuous. Elizabeth’s life has many parallels with Jane Fonda who also had a difficult relationship with her father, Henry Fonda, due to opposing political and social beliefs. But both women cared for issues and fought for it despite strong opposition. In 1986, Elizabeth Montgomery and Roddy McDowall were the first two celebrities to lend their support to benefit HIV/AIDS awareness. It was revealed by producer Doug Chapin that Elizabeth attended every event for the benefit until the time of her death. You wouldn’t see her at Hollywood parties, but you almost certainly see her at benefits. In 1991 her co-star Dick Sargent announced his homosexuality and asked Montgomery to be present as a co-Grand Marshall for the 1992 Gay Rights Parade in Los Angeles which she gladly did.
In 1977, Elizabeth starred in “A Killing Affair” a CBS TV movie with O.J. Simpson. They were portrayed as big city detectives who were partners on the street and at home. The two locked in a heated bedroom scene. Elizabeth rallied for additional steamy performance on the bed, but CBS was ready to pull the plug. But still what we saw in this movie was extremely racy, in all sense of the word. Montgomery wanted to do be honest in romantic stories and did not accept the race was coming in her way. She challenged the traditional thought of 1970s audience; her insistence on “A Killing Affair” further proved her attempts to push the creative envelop to make network television an educational platform. Sometimes her outspoken opinions in Hollywood did not help her win the Emmy Award.
In playing Samantha on Bewitched, Montgomery shared unique interplay with Dick York and Dick Sargent. Off screen she considered Sargent, a friend. Elizabeth had issues with York. She may have expressed her frustration with her real-life husband on her TV husband. To make matter worse, York was in love with Elizabeth. During the rest between filming, due to his severe back ailment, he would glance over Elizabeth ‘longingly.” He was really smitten with her, but Elizabeth, due to her personal problem with real husband, was not amused. In fact, she was outraged. Bewitched writer Doug Tibbles observed that Dick York was deeply affected with his back pain, and wanted to rest up in the summer of 1969, but due to his frequent absences from the set, he was replaced by Dick Sargent. However, Elizabeth and Dick York stuck gold with their on-screen chemistry in Bewitched.
Montgomery was not religious, but spiritual. Once she said, “I think God as the beauty of life. It is loving and being loved.” This enchanting woman, who bewitched us all on television, also suffered from colorectal cancer. Overpowered and racked with emotion, she lost the will to live. Her body literally gave away to the ravages of surgical procedures of the early 1990s.
This biographical work takes an in-depth and multi-dimensional look at the life of Elizabeth Montgomery. This is fascinating story that includes her childhood, career, her children, and her work with numerous charities. This book is based on author’s exclusive interviews with her friends, co-stars, and studio archives. There are three books about Montgomery and two of them were written by author Herbie Pilato.
Elizabeth Montgomery placed too much emphasis on age, and perhaps ignored her own health issues. She died too young and cared for many issues; gave herself little credit for her artistic accomplishments; but devoted her privacy being a mother to her children. She was a liberal democrat, a strong supporter of gay and lesbian rights. But her father was staunch conservative. And the relationship with her famous father, Robert Montgomery was difficult and tumultuous. Elizabeth’s life has many parallels with Jane Fonda who also had a difficult relationship with her father, Henry Fonda, due to opposing political and social beliefs. But both women cared for issues and fought for it despite strong opposition. In 1986, Elizabeth Montgomery and Roddy McDowall were the first two celebrities to lend their support to benefit HIV/AIDS awareness. It was revealed by producer Doug Chapin that Elizabeth attended every event for the benefit until the time of her death. You wouldn’t see her at Hollywood parties, but you almost certainly see her at benefits. In 1991 her co-star Dick Sargent announced his homosexuality and asked Montgomery to be present as a co-Grand Marshall for the 1992 Gay Rights Parade in Los Angeles which she gladly did.
In 1977, Elizabeth starred in “A Killing Affair” a CBS TV movie with O.J. Simpson. They were portrayed as big city detectives who were partners on the street and at home. The two locked in a heated bedroom scene. Elizabeth rallied for additional steamy performance on the bed, but CBS was ready to pull the plug. But still what we saw in this movie was extremely racy, in all sense of the word. Montgomery wanted to do be honest in romantic stories and did not accept the race was coming in her way. She challenged the traditional thought of 1970s audience; her insistence on “A Killing Affair” further proved her attempts to push the creative envelop to make network television an educational platform. Sometimes her outspoken opinions in Hollywood did not help her win the Emmy Award.
In playing Samantha on Bewitched, Montgomery shared unique interplay with Dick York and Dick Sargent. Off screen she considered Sargent, a friend. Elizabeth had issues with York. She may have expressed her frustration with her real-life husband on her TV husband. To make matter worse, York was in love with Elizabeth. During the rest between filming, due to his severe back ailment, he would glance over Elizabeth ‘longingly.” He was really smitten with her, but Elizabeth, due to her personal problem with real husband, was not amused. In fact, she was outraged. Bewitched writer Doug Tibbles observed that Dick York was deeply affected with his back pain, and wanted to rest up in the summer of 1969, but due to his frequent absences from the set, he was replaced by Dick Sargent. However, Elizabeth and Dick York stuck gold with their on-screen chemistry in Bewitched.
Montgomery was not religious, but spiritual. Once she said, “I think God as the beauty of life. It is loving and being loved.” This enchanting woman, who bewitched us all on television, also suffered from colorectal cancer. Overpowered and racked with emotion, she lost the will to live. Her body literally gave away to the ravages of surgical procedures of the early 1990s.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Book Reviewed: Ripples in Spacetime: Einstein, Gravitational Waves, and the Future of Astronomy, by Govert Schilling
The search for gravity’s kiss
This book is for readers interested in learning the scientific, historical, and personal stories behind the detection of gravitational waves. This story is an incredible scientific odyssey. It conveys a sense of awe and excitement about a century of scientific investment of time, labor and technology. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory to detect cosmic gravitational waves. This instrument can detect a change in the distance from Earth to Proxima Centauri (distance of 4.24 light years) with an accuracy smaller than the width of a human hair. As of March 2018, LIGO made six detections of gravitational waves from six different sources; the first five were colliding black-hole pairs, and the sixth was due collision of two neutron stars Neutron stars simultaneously produces optical signals detected by gamma ray satellites and optical telescopes. The orbiting planets, orbiting stars, binary stars do not emit detectable level of gravitational waves. But neutron star mergers and black hole collisions produce enough unwarping of spacetime and energy to carry through the universe.
The highlight of this book is about the first detection gravitational wave referred to as GW 150914. The characteristic chirp of GW150914 most closely matched the theoretical prediction of waveform for two black holes with 36 and 29 times the mass of Sun. This originated in a remote galaxy. Two black holes (with a diameter of few hundred miles) were orbiting each other. They were swirling each other for millions of years, and as they approached each other at half the speed of light and they merged within a fraction of seconds resulting in a black hole of 62 solar mass. The equivalent three solar mass was converted into energy released in the form intense electromagnetic radiation, and the intensely warped spacetime under the gravity of black holes were released as gravitational (spacetime) waves. Immediately after the event horizon, spacetime stretched and elongated in its path like waves. Thus partially separating the components of matter in its path; the atomic nuclei, electronic structure of atoms and molecules were instantly destabilized from their configurations. In much of physics, spacetime is treated as static fabric upon which matter and energy behave according to laws of physics. But here the spacetime itself becomes active participants in the operation of physics. Heavier elements (beyond iron of the periodic chart) originates during the black hole/neutron star mergers and part of it could be due to disruption of space and reassembly of nucleus. Fortunately for life, these cataclysms occur less than once in a million years in Milky Way Galaxy, according to physicist Martin Rees.
General Relativity predicted that spacetime produces gravitational waves; gravity is essentially bending of spacetime in presence of matter. Large cosmic bodies like neutron stars and black holes produce very large curvature in spacetime. Two effects operates according to relativity: Taking earth as an example, the geodetic effect (spacetime as curvature (“the missing inch”). This is the amount by which the earth wraps the local spacetime in which it resides. Number two, the frame-dragging effect (the rotating matter drags spacetime (spacetime as viscous fluid): The amount by which the rotating earth drags local spacetime around with it.
Generally the analogy of a bowling ball on trampoline is visualized for spacetime bending in presence of large cosmic bodies. Spacetime is highly elastic like trampoline, and earth produces a symmetrical curvature around it like a bowling ball on trampoline (geodetic effect). When we spin the bowling ball on its own axis, this trampoline curvature around the spinning bowling ball will not be symmetric anymore, but this spinning motion will drag along the fabric of the trampoline to a small but noticeable effect. This produces an additional effect, relatively smaller (than geodetic effect) in the precession of the rotational axis of bowling ball. This is called rotational frame-dragging. A combination of these two effects produce a gravitational (spacetime curvature) wave. To help this visualization even better, one must remember that spacetime does not have matter or energy like trampoline, and space does not need matter or energy to exist. The orbiting planets, and stars do not emit detectable level of gravitational waves although they exist. Hence colliding neutron stars and black holes emit detectable waves because of their intense gravity that warps enormous amount of spacetime. A category 5 hurricane produces up to 180 mph of wind, and the eye of the hurricane could be longer than one mile deep in the ocean. This wind power help the hurricane to pack up enormous amount of water and unleash it upon hitting the land. Black holes also warp spacetime and unleash it upon collision with another black hole.
This is an interesting book for anyone interested in the experiences of detecting gravitational waves. This is a highly readable book; recommended.
This book is for readers interested in learning the scientific, historical, and personal stories behind the detection of gravitational waves. This story is an incredible scientific odyssey. It conveys a sense of awe and excitement about a century of scientific investment of time, labor and technology. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory to detect cosmic gravitational waves. This instrument can detect a change in the distance from Earth to Proxima Centauri (distance of 4.24 light years) with an accuracy smaller than the width of a human hair. As of March 2018, LIGO made six detections of gravitational waves from six different sources; the first five were colliding black-hole pairs, and the sixth was due collision of two neutron stars Neutron stars simultaneously produces optical signals detected by gamma ray satellites and optical telescopes. The orbiting planets, orbiting stars, binary stars do not emit detectable level of gravitational waves. But neutron star mergers and black hole collisions produce enough unwarping of spacetime and energy to carry through the universe.
The highlight of this book is about the first detection gravitational wave referred to as GW 150914. The characteristic chirp of GW150914 most closely matched the theoretical prediction of waveform for two black holes with 36 and 29 times the mass of Sun. This originated in a remote galaxy. Two black holes (with a diameter of few hundred miles) were orbiting each other. They were swirling each other for millions of years, and as they approached each other at half the speed of light and they merged within a fraction of seconds resulting in a black hole of 62 solar mass. The equivalent three solar mass was converted into energy released in the form intense electromagnetic radiation, and the intensely warped spacetime under the gravity of black holes were released as gravitational (spacetime) waves. Immediately after the event horizon, spacetime stretched and elongated in its path like waves. Thus partially separating the components of matter in its path; the atomic nuclei, electronic structure of atoms and molecules were instantly destabilized from their configurations. In much of physics, spacetime is treated as static fabric upon which matter and energy behave according to laws of physics. But here the spacetime itself becomes active participants in the operation of physics. Heavier elements (beyond iron of the periodic chart) originates during the black hole/neutron star mergers and part of it could be due to disruption of space and reassembly of nucleus. Fortunately for life, these cataclysms occur less than once in a million years in Milky Way Galaxy, according to physicist Martin Rees.
General Relativity predicted that spacetime produces gravitational waves; gravity is essentially bending of spacetime in presence of matter. Large cosmic bodies like neutron stars and black holes produce very large curvature in spacetime. Two effects operates according to relativity: Taking earth as an example, the geodetic effect (spacetime as curvature (“the missing inch”). This is the amount by which the earth wraps the local spacetime in which it resides. Number two, the frame-dragging effect (the rotating matter drags spacetime (spacetime as viscous fluid): The amount by which the rotating earth drags local spacetime around with it.
Generally the analogy of a bowling ball on trampoline is visualized for spacetime bending in presence of large cosmic bodies. Spacetime is highly elastic like trampoline, and earth produces a symmetrical curvature around it like a bowling ball on trampoline (geodetic effect). When we spin the bowling ball on its own axis, this trampoline curvature around the spinning bowling ball will not be symmetric anymore, but this spinning motion will drag along the fabric of the trampoline to a small but noticeable effect. This produces an additional effect, relatively smaller (than geodetic effect) in the precession of the rotational axis of bowling ball. This is called rotational frame-dragging. A combination of these two effects produce a gravitational (spacetime curvature) wave. To help this visualization even better, one must remember that spacetime does not have matter or energy like trampoline, and space does not need matter or energy to exist. The orbiting planets, and stars do not emit detectable level of gravitational waves although they exist. Hence colliding neutron stars and black holes emit detectable waves because of their intense gravity that warps enormous amount of spacetime. A category 5 hurricane produces up to 180 mph of wind, and the eye of the hurricane could be longer than one mile deep in the ocean. This wind power help the hurricane to pack up enormous amount of water and unleash it upon hitting the land. Black holes also warp spacetime and unleash it upon collision with another black hole.
This is an interesting book for anyone interested in the experiences of detecting gravitational waves. This is a highly readable book; recommended.
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