All the students in the first few days of research are faced with the dilemma of the right time and way to begin experimentation. There are as many ways and thought processes to do so as there are people. I will share my learnings here. The problem is that the literature review tends to become so vast that it is difficult to decide what the exact problem is. 1. The best way is to NOT WAIT for the literature review to get over. Begin with the experiments simultaneously. Gain experience on as many new techniques as possible. 2. Start with that research paper which will most likely form the basis of your work. Attempt to reproduce the experiments in the paper. Try to see what other experiments can corroborate those results. 3. Select the correct research papers to continue the literature review. P.S. All the experiments should have a reason for doing them. You should be able to answer the question 'Why should I do this experiment? What will I learn?'

PhD is not a goal, PhD is a journey, and a mighty transformative one at that. That it has different stages is a known fact. However, just the beginning of the PhD has different sub-stages. The pre-beginning the admit and preparation to leave There is fear of the unknown as well as the excited anticipation of new places and people. Specifically in case of Indian students, the flurry of bag packing is accompanied with homemade pickles and snacks. The beginning orientation and settling in The students at this point in time are faced with a bit of anxiety and struggle while searching for accommodation (for overseas universities). There is the factor of being so far away from the family for the first time. Then there also is the undercurrent of being able to manage finances and household chores. A very busy phase indeed. The post-beginning where the students settle into their research groups and begin the literature review. Some may also begin small experiments. There is the enthusiasm of l...

Types of MARINE corrosion The marine environment is one of the most corrosive environments.  Its corrosivity is due to the ionic concentration of the seas and oceans, temperature variations, wind velocities, depth of the sea, and biological elements. As a result, the corrosion on marine structures such as ships, FPSO, and offshore platforms, appears in multiple forms. Hence, it is important to learn about the basic types of corrosion as applicable to the marine environment. Some of these types of corrosion in a marine environment are - Uniform corrosion due to sodium, magnesium, and calcium salts Uniform corrosion is characterized by the removal of the material all over the surface. It leads to thinning of the walls. Pitting in active-passive alloys such as aluminium Active-passive alloys have a thin oxide film on the surface. A small break due to the chlorides in the seawater allows the penetration of the water and ions, leading to pit formation. Crevice corrosion in fixtures and ...