Motivation

What motivates one to do research. Researchers don't usually see their research or work as 'work'.
I had rather call my research as creative work, since that is actually what I am doing. The motivation in doing research, in being able to stay in the lab throughout the day even during weekends is basically the idea that what you are doing is fun. If something is fun, wouldn't you want to do it all the time.
But even during work, there are periods when you are slumpy and not getting much work done and other periods when you are really really productive. Now, what is the reason for this?
People may call this the 'cycle'. But looked into a little more deeply, it may become clear that productivity is either motivated by deadlines, either set by your advisor or yourself or because you have suddenly entered an interesting phase of research.
Interest in the research area in general is a must, but that alone may not be sufficient, since there is a tendency to get lazy. What's needed is a vision, a vision that is both short-term and long-term. A vision of how you think your research should be unfolding as the time progresses. This vision is essentially a way to set deadlines for yourself, but a vision is something more than that. A vision is a dream that gets lived as time passes by. A vision when 'well-visualised' can be really motivating, since your vision shows you doing great things in the future and you can't wait to get started towards that path. Living a vision or a dream is the best thing that can happen. That's why visions are so powerful and form the basis for a long-term motivation in research.

Playing on reality

What is reality? Is it something that is perceived to be real or is it something that is real no matter what?
The question being asked here is whether reality is a function of perception and perspective or is it something that is real whether you look at it or not.
Quantum reality is a reality based on perception, based on an observer and the observed. In quantum reality the observer effects the observed and vice versa. Quantum reality has been found to hold good in the microscopic world, the matter within an atom for example but it has not yet been verified to hold good in the macroscopic world we see and experience.
The reality of the macro-scopic world that we see is based in duality. Duality is the nature of our perceived reality.
There is another reality that can potentially exist. It's called the ultimate reality and ultimate reality is a singularity. The moment just before the big bang would be an example of a singularity.
So when do these realities, namely the quantum reality, the duality based reality and the singularity manifest in our perception and why are we even bothered about these realities? Why is the nature of our world based in duality and what does it mean to experience singularity. To answer these questions, duality must be properly understood.

What is duality? Duality usually refers to pairs of opposites that coexist in a single reality. The good and the bad, the tall and the short, the sweet and the sour, peace and war all exist in the world we see. Why is duality necessary in our world and why can't the world be more singular? That is to say why can't life be always sweet, free of tensions, free of anger and resentment, free of rejection, etc. Well let's say life was more singular in nature. Let's say life was one happy and smooth journey from birth to death. No ups and downs, no crisis, no pressing problems, etc. That is to say life was one happy period. How would you experience your happiness 10 years down the line? It would become mundane.
Someone asks you, how are you? You would say, "Ah.. the same old. I am happy...and it sucks". That is to say, to enjoy happiness, you must first know what it means to be sad and depressed. Only then will the joy of happiness be fully felt and experienced.

We all like dramas don't we. The good and bad, the happiness and sorrow all in one big drama.
Life and dramas have many things in common including their basis in duality. Life has also been described by many as a magnificent and never-ending drama. Only that, you are a part of that drama along with your co-actors that include your family, friends and others you interact with during your life.
So that sort of gives a hypothesis on the need for duality in our present reality. Now moving on to ultimate reality. What is it and what does it look like?

What makes a good phd student?

Indeed what does? Know more here .

Frustration

I know what to do. How to do it is not a problem, atleast not a big problem. But am I doing it? That is the whole problem. The coming two months are really crucial to my career and am I doing anything about it. Its all well to say that things are really fuzzy, its all well to blame others, blame the situation, etc. But the least productive thing that can be done is to be productive in work. Amidst all the chaos, if I can bring about some consistent and concerted work, that should see me through this mess, through any mess actually. Because that's the only way out.
Focus on the essential things and leave the details to work it out by themselves, or work on it once the essentials are out of the way. This is to be done because a man's perspective is always limited, so it needs to be focussed on things that are of concern, lest he/she gets lost in the details.