Nabin K. Malakar, Ph.D.

NASA JPL
I am a computational physicist working on societal applications of machine-learning techniques.

Research Links

My research interests span multi-disciplinary fields involving Societal applications of Machine Learning, Decision-theoretic approach to automated Experimental Design, Bayesian statistical data analysis and signal processing.

Linkedin


Interested about the picture? Autonomous experimental design allows us to answer the question of where to take the measurements. More about it is here...

Hobbies

I addition to the research, I also like to hike, bike, read and play with water color.

Thanks for the visit. Please feel free to visit my Weblogs.

Welcome to nabinkm.com. Please visit again.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Active Nepali Bloggers, Nepali Bloggers Group and BLOGAN part I



Scenario One:
When I started blogging back in 2004, it was meant to be personal rambling. I started with a lot of  energy and the old blogger; invited few friends and asked for comments on it. No one really cared.
I then stopped it, eventually that got deleted in 2007 when I saw that the level of writing was not upto it. Anyway, that was a crude start back then. In conversation with one of the friend, on the use of blogging as ways to communicate, he indicated me that he had seen another blog by a Nepali lady aboard writing on the ease of transportation. As he said, she was writing on the possible abuse by the passengers on the crowded bus in Nepal and was comparing the scenario aboard. My impression of blog since has not changed.

Scenario Two:
I started back to blog. The promoting energy was the power of bloggers that was witnessed while I was searching for the reliability of Dell computer that I was thinking of buying. I found that the Blogs were much more informative than the news site as it clearly indicated the defects and the hassle in dealing with the customer care center. The same energy got my blogger part awaken and started doing so. It was fun. The same friend, commented: A good way to kill time while alone/aboard.
After rambling for some time, I got interested in searching for Nepali Bloggers. By this time bloggers.com.np was there. At least 75/80 blogs were already listed. I browsed them one by one. To my great surprise, most of them had already decided to hibernate.
I wanted to see the active Nepali Bloggers.

Scenario Three:
In the quest of seeking active Nepali Bloggers, Nepalean et al was able to gather about x number of bloggers into the same place in shout box (in Dautari Blog Chautari). I really enjoyed it! Personally, it gave me a chance to say hello to bloggers who were adorable and passionate in their writings. Before that event, I really had not much chance to chat to fellow bloggers except with Aakar, Naya Laure etc. Everyone appreciated the effort by the team.
However, one striking feature was there...
A quest to seek active Nepali Bloggers versus revive the BLOGAN.
One said some people (of BLOGAN) had already started blogging even before other Nepali knew what blog meant. Really?

Well, what does a blog mean?

  1. Collection of News/Reporting
  2. Collection of Personal thoughts/Biases
  3. Collection of Personal Literatures
  4. Place to dump copy and paste materials
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above
More on the second part...


PS:



Thank You Dilip jee(@ comment) for indicating the omission, the fulltext of Dautari Bhela can be found here...
http://chatroll.com/blogdautari/archive/2009/08/page1

Friday, August 28, 2009

Physics Students Departing from Nepal to USA for Fall 2009.

This year only about one and half dozen Nepali Physicists departed aboard for pursuing higher degrees. As we are aware, most of them do come to USA.
Here is what I have been able to collect so far...




Jagannath Devkota(USM)
Pushpa Pudasaini(USM)
Santosh K.C.(Texas)
Tulashi Dahal (Boston)
Ganesh Chand
Sanjeev Jha(NMSU)
Dilli Raj Poudel(NMSU)
Barun Gupta (University of Utah)
Bindu K.C (Idaho State Univ.)
Purushottam Tiwari (Florida)
Pooja Pradhan (U Toledo)
Kamal Dhungana (Michigan Tech)
Tek Basel (University of Utah)
Bhim Lal Poudel(Miami)
Dharma Raj Khatiwada (Minesota)
Hari lal Bhatta (Missouri state university)
Madan Lamichhane (Memphis)
While the business of list collecting is not unique in its nature, I would like to welcome fellow colleagues and wish them all the best for their future academic endeavor.
 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thanks to Dilli, Jagannath and Smriti Jee.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

US Chapter of Nepal Physical Society (US Co NPS)

An idea has been playing football in my mind for long time. We have had few discussions on personal level to some colleagues. I know that it will take long time for this idea to come true, however, writing on it should be OK...
*****************************************************************************





Nepal Physical Society (NPS) should be proud as her members are growing and going aboard for further education with the aim to gain Degrees in prestigious Universities around the Globe.  Some informal data show that there are more than 250 Physicists aboard pursuing higher studies in countries like USA, Norway, Japan, Korea, India etc... Among them most of the mass is concentrated on USA.

It has been long realized the necessity of co-ordination between Physicists aboard and NPS. The communication has been on personal level and few activities also happen at personal level by personal interests/volunteers.

At this point, one can envision having a US chapter of Nepal Physical Society.
I think, many respected physicists are more knowledgeable on how to run a chapter. What we need is a widespread discussion on how to do it. The right time is coming, are we able to see it?



Being a proud member of NPS, I have been writing few stuffs related to nps, which can be found here... Please be advised that these are my personal views. One has utmost right to agree or dis-agree on it!

PS:
On the google map, we have been able to list about hundred people. The list keeps on growing as we come to learn about Nepali Physicists around the Globe. Please leave a comment with your Name, University, your URL, field of study/research. We will be glad to include you!



Saturday, July 4, 2009

Heading for MaxEnt2009, Ole, Mississippi


Today I am heading to Oxford, Mississippi for MaxEnt2009 conference.

http://www.olemiss.edu/conf/maxent2009/

This is a week long conference discussing on wide variety of topics on Bayesian Inference and Maximum Entropy Methods in Science and Engineering. Topics range from foundations of probability theory, information theory, and inference and inquiry to astronomy and astrophysics, genetics, geophysics, medical imaging, material science, nanoscience, source separation, particle physics, quantum mechanics, plasma physics, chemistry, earth science, climate studies, engineering and robotics.

It gives a thrilling experience to see all the dignified scientists in the same conference and have an opportunity to present the work.



I will be presenting my work on Spatial Sensititivity Function (SSF) of a point sensor in the conference.

Experimental Guys should find it to be an interesting piece of application of  Bayesian Inference Methods (BIM).

Details will be posted as I put my work on arxiv.


Last year the conference was organized in Sao Paulo,Brazil.

http://www.nabinkm.com/2008/07/heading-for-maxent-2008-brazil-today.html

Monday, June 29, 2009

Nepali Team in the International Physics Olympiad IPhO2009: Mexico

UPDATE!!!

We have been updated that Mr. Rohan Poudel (Team: Nepal) got the BRONZE MEDAL in IPhO 2009.

We would like to Congratulate Mr. Poudel and wish him all the best for future academic endeavors.


The 40th INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS OLYMPIAD, IPhO2009, will be held in Merida, Mexico from July 11 to 19th, 2009.


Nepal Physics Olympiad (NEPHO) committee was formed on the initiation of Dr. Sitaram Byahut in 2006. As one of the member of the Society, We have seen his dedication and hard work to bring it up from zero. On his co-ordination, Team Nepal participated in the 38th IPhO competitions held in Iran in July 2007 for the first time with four students. Mr. Bishal Lamichhane of St. Xavier’s College won the “HONOR MENTION” award and the President’s prize for the “Best among the New Participants”.

In 2008, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Nepal Participated with a team of 6 people.




The process of selection involves Nepal Physics Olympiad Committee conducting a national level test among students of +2 sciences, A level in science and I. Sc. It then selects, trains to represent Nepal in IPhO.


Nepali team for IPhO 2009

This year The test was held on 1 March 2009. It was conducted in Padma Kanya Campus, Baghbazar, Kathmandu, Pokhara and in Butwal. About 250 students appeared in the test. NePhO selected top 30 students for further training. Those students were trained for one week before a test was administered to select top five students to represent Nepalese team in the 40th IPhO 2009. Mr. Rohan Poudel, Mr. Grishma Raj Pandeya, Mr. Roshan Sharma, Mr. Shikhar Rai and Mr. Manish Pokhreal comprise the team to the IPhO-2009. The team will also have a leader – Dr. Narayan Adhikari/Prof. Dr. Pradeep Bhattarai. There are three intensive trainings, each of six days duration, for the preparation to the IPhO. The team is leaving for the IPhO to Hanoi on 9 July 2009. we would like to extend best wishes to the Nepali Olympiad Team.

[Adopted from: NPS Newsletter 2009]


Related:

http://ipho2009.smf.mx/downloads/SecondCircular2009.pdf


I could not see any updates in the Nepho website:

http://www.nepho.org.np/index.php

nor in the group:

http://groups.google.com.pk/group/nepho


There are a lot of troubles and hurdles to get Nepali team into such huge programs, moreover, Mexico is on the other side of the globe for Nepali participants. However, participation in such programs will not only bring students to the global exposure, it will also awaken a huge physics monster living in them. Challenge them and will be good for the overall development of physics and physics education in Nepal.


IPhO Programs:

http://ipho2009.smf.mx/program


Physics today Blog...

http://blogs.physicstoday.org/wht/2009/04/2009-us-physics-team-finalists.html