Nanoindenting my way through University...

Nanoindentation....

That's the name of my research, and will be the one thing that will keep me busy for the rest of my life here in NUT. For those who feels lazy to click the Wikipedia link...it's a kind of test to find out strength and hardness of thin films of micrometer order. Constant force is applied on indenter and indentations of nanometer order will be made on thin films....surface area of indents are then calculated to find out mechanical properties. Recent test can also be applied to acquire tensile strength and yield strength.

An even simpler explanation will be I punch holes into a thin piece of film, then I see how big a hole I made....sounds simple right? Well, it is. My job is just to make it "sound" difficult, like the explanation above. Haha...if you have a difficult time trying to understand what I wrote above, then that means I'm doing a very good job.

Anyway...yeah, that's my job from now on.

SO, why would I want to write about something as boring as that? That was just like...sponge cake without cream on it...like plain yogurt without honey or sugar....like eating roti canai without dahl or curry.

Randy is NEVER without exaggeration and lies...

You see, yesterday my professor, me and a fellow researcher(Masters Student) had a meeting with a representative from Elionix, a Japanese company making nanoindenter devices(My University is doing a joint research with that company, so we have meetings every 2,3 weeks). We were meeting to discuss the next step to take in developing a new device. So, you now know that the research I'm doing is of quality as results of research will be used to develop a new device.

So, me being a Undergraduate, they were practically ignoring my presence as they thought that I was not up to their level. So discussions mainly went on between the Masters Student and that company rep.

Then came a time where he was discussing about a new indenter....given the required perimeters, he asked the Masters Student if he could acquire the measurements needed to design a new indenter....well, Masters Student humbly replied that he doesn't know....which surprised me a little bit as it is not that complicated to achieve. Anyway, getting no useful answer from Masters Student, that man turns to me instead and asked if I have any ideas on that...and I did have a few.

So, I laid out my ideas on how we could acquire the measurements needed....and suddenly, I was assigned to the job!! I mean...I got the research!! My professor bluntly pointed out that he need people who is capable to get it done....and assigns Masters Student to do other things instead.

Wow...they chose me, a Bachelor Undergraduate.... over a Masters Student!!!

Now, I'm not showing off here....well, maybe I am showing off....but damn, just can't help but feel proud for myself!! Haha...Shows that smarts only are useless without creativity...GO RANDY!!