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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: augustine togonu-bickersteth <augustine308@yahoo.com>
Date: 28 September 2010 20:57
Subject: Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Nigerain Scientist receives 500,000 Dollar McArthur Grant
To: WoleSoyinkaSociety@yahoogroups.com
Nigerian scientist receives $500,000 MacArthur grant
By Ayo Okulaja
September 28, 2010 06:04PM
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John Dabiri, a 30-year-old Nigerian biophysicist and Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Bioengineering Division of Engineering and Applied Science with the California Institute of Technology has being named among 23 new Fellows of MacArthur foundation for 2010, with each receiving a $500,000 "genius" grant.
The funds will be provided as a "no strings attached" support for the next five years. The MacArthur fellowship offers an unusual level of independence without stipulations and reporting requirements and unprecedented freedom on how to use the fund, thereby allowing recipients to "reflect, create, and explore" to underscore the spirit of freedom intrinsic to creative endeavours. Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, was a 2008 recipient of the MacArthur grant.
His workMr Dabiri works on a wide range of fields, including theoretical fluid dynamics, evolutionary biology, and biomechanics to unravel the secrets of one of the earliest means of animal locomotion. His biography, according to the foundation, reveals that "he studies some of the simplest multicellular organisms, jellyfish, which propel themselves by contracting cells in their bell-shaped outer skin and generating jet forces in the tail end, with tentacles trailing behind.
"His research has invented a method that allows divers to use tiny reflective particles to visualize, with high speed and fine spatial resolution (the fluid dynamics of propulsion by jellyfish in their native habitats). The research is believed to have profound implications not only for understanding the evolution and biophysics of locomotion in jellyfish and other aquatic animals, but also for a host of distantly related questions and applications in fluid dynamics, from blood flow in the human heart to the design of wind power generators."
Mr Dabiri received a B.S.E. (2001) from Princeton University and an M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2005) from the California Institute of Technology, where he is currently an associate professor of aeronautics and bioengineering. His scientific articles have appeared in journals such as Nature, the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, the Journal of Experimental Biology, and PNAS.
From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
To: WoleSoyinkaSociety@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, 28 September, 2010 20:20:53
Subject: Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Fwd: AN AWESOME STORY:MBAMALU, 20, DARES SCIENTISTS TO EVALUATE HIS INVENTED JET
Thanks Augustine.
Your thoughtful points are much appreciated.The idea of a workshop is also very good.I would like to take the liberty to hope that I will not be seen as all talk and no action if I beg not to have to participate even though its a good idea.My experience with the conference initiative convinces me that I might be too wrapped up with the backlog of things I must do to be of much use in group initiatives apart from posting things to the group.I am only too willing to give any help I am able to give,though.I look forward to being in Nigeria and investigating some of these claims of wonders myself.I expect the self described jet inventor has actually produced something,if only a diagram.I also suspect he believes in his own claims.I doubt if the environment he is operating in is one where there is likely to be much profit in making such claims if he does not believe that he is correct.Oyibo is able to generate credibility among people who do not examine his claims carefully because of his level of academic certfication-a PhD,the further symbolic capital from his being a published academic and one based abroad.The man who claims the jet engine innovation does not have any of those enablements.thankstoyinOn 28 September 2010 19:17, augustine togonu-bickersteth <augustine308@yahoo.com> wrote:
Toyin
Thanks for this report. More power to your elbow
Remember I stated we have that problem with Science Jourmalism. I think this report was by the Sun Newspaper. Do they have a science and Tech Editor?. When was the first Newspaper published in Nigeria?. Was it 18 something in Abeokuta? And the first Science Faculty in Nigeria? 1948. I think whats missing from the report is EXPERT OPINION.Sure we do not have Jet Propulsion engineers in Nigeria but in this age of Information technology such people are just a click away. A physicist or Mechanical engineer from one of the Nigerian universties could have been consulted
This young man had probably just read a book some where which he assumes nobody else has acess to and he is now claiming to be an Inventor.He should perhaps go back to school and take his maths and physics more seriuosly.
He seems obviuos he has been reading about some personalities in Science who at first were not taking seriously. I take the example of Robert Goddard father of American Rocketry sneered out even by Journalists and the rest is history
Please I want to suggest here that this Society., I mean Wole Soyinka society should help to organise a workshop on Science and Technology Journalism.We still have not got it right in Nigeria.In my own opinion None of the Papers get it right. Look, our Science editors do not know the difference between ASTRONOMY and ASTROLOGY,Nuclear reactors and Nuclear reactions and now Jet Proportioned instead of Jet Propulsion.
This boy maybe yet another Dr or Professor Gabriel Oyibo. His Science may be correct but he claims might be false
If he has an invention then he should register it at Patent office. And there is really no big deal about registering Patents many of such do not get to the market place.
Augustine
From: "abiola.irele@kwasu.edu.ng" <abiola.irele@kwasu.edu.ng>
To: WoleSoyinkaSociety@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, 28 September, 2010 17:41:25
Subject: Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Fwd: AN AWESOME STORY:MBAMALU, 20, DARES SCIENTISTS TO EVALUATE HIS INVENTED JET
Toyin,
That's what worries me about this case. What's a well "proportioned" jet
system? If the young man cannot employ the right scientific terms, how
are we sure his claims are well founded?
Irele
> I expect he meant 'jet propulsion'
>
> i wish i could follow this issue.i wish i had the resources to follow it
> up
> and take action if its true.
>
> thanks
> toyin
>
> On 28 September 2010 16:10, <abiola.irele@kwasu.edu.ng> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Mbamalu speaks of inventing what he calls "a jet proportioned system."
>> Does he mean a jet PROPULSION system?
>>
>> Irele
>>
>>
>> > MBAMALU, 20, DARES SCIENTISTS TO EVALUATE HIS INVENTED JETWritten by
>> > Prince<http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?author=1>Science
>> > & Technology <http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?cat=98>Aug 30,
>> 2010
>>
>> >
>> > *Mbamalu, 20, dares scientists to evaluate his invented jet
>> > *From ISAAC ANUMIHE, Abuja
>> > ***Monday*, *August 30, 2010*
>> > *•Mbamalu*
>> > **
>> >
>> > The name of Chinedu King Mbamalu may not ring a bell. But the young
>> man
>> > from
>> > Anambra State thinks it is only a matter of time, and the world will
>> know
>> > what he has to offer.
>> >
>> > He is just a school certificate holder. But Mbamalu has a tall
>> ambition
>> to
>> > be a great inventor. He has performed the rare feat of inventing "a
>> jet
>> > propelled engine system which offers a better efficiency at sub-sonic
>> and
>> > hypersonic speed."
>> >
>> > Mbamalu is only 20, but his thinking process is far beyond his age. He
>> > supplies all answers to questions with effortlessly. But his
>> intellectual
>> > prowess did not reflect so much in his academic performance. This, he
>> > said,
>> > was because of his obsession with inventions. According to him, much
>> of
>> > his
>> > time was spent on his project rather than in his books.
>> >
>> > His passion put him at cross-purposes with his relations, especially
>> his
>> > father who feels that he should further his education. But Mbamalu
>> says
>> he
>> > is not perturbed because at the end of the day both those for and
>> against
>> > him will be better for it. He spoke with Daily Sun: "I am from Anambra
>> > State. I am a researcher and inventor. I am the inventor of an engine
>> > system
>> > that I call the VCCFIJ which is short for Varying Combined Circle Fuel
>> > Internal Jet.
>> >
>> > "It is a jet proportioned system. Jet engines are in accordance with
>> > Newton's laws of motion, and emit gasses that generate thrust. As a
>> jet
>> > proportioned system, it offers a better efficiency, at sub-sonic and
>> > hyper-sonic speed that is designed for VCCFIJ. It doesn't have the
>> > inherent
>> > problems of the current jet proportioned systems like overheating and
>> some
>> > other problems that they face.
>> >
>> > "I have been working on the VCCFIJ for two intensive years. I have
>> been
>> > able
>> > to come up with something of international credence. The stage which I
>> am
>> > now, which is the calculation and calibra
>>
>>
>>
>
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