Dr. Narine is putting the IAST’s reputation on the line

Nov 27, 2008 Letters

Dear Editor,
In response to Professor Dr. Suresh Narine’s letter published in the SN on Thursday 30th of October, I would like to reiterate:
The original news article which has generated this discussion clearly stated –

· “According to the Director, the institute developed an extrusion method, which allows for the production of reproducible cylindrical aggregates from sun-dried clay”

· “Due to the use of the kilns and extensive use of sun-drying, the amount of fuel used is vastly reduced from the traditional processes.”

· “He said that there are several examples of fine clay roads which still exist in parts of Europe.”
Dr. Narine is definitely putting the IAST’s reputation on the line with his challenge for concrete evidence to dispute that the extrusion method used at IAST is original.

My question to him is: Is the method patentable? If it is, then have it patented at all cost. It would do good for our nation in the technological world.

I, noted, however that in his letter he indicated that the process has never been utilised in Guyana, which is different from saying that it was developed by IAST.

His shifting is indicative that he is unsure at this point in time as to what constitutes the development of a technological process. Extrusion is a widely used principle in the production of clay bricks.

Initially, machines operating under this principle were manually operated; today, they are powered hydraulically actuated in the main.

The application of this principle is so widespread that recently built equipment rarely carry a patent on the extrusion elements.

As I have indicated, sun drying has traditionally been integral in the production of clay bricks, from the time this technology (kiln firing of clay) was developed.

Thus the professor’s uttering of “extensive use of sun drying” and linking it to a reduction of fuel consumption is a clear indication that his intentions were to create confusion within the minds of his audience, even establishing himself as a gifted and creative savant.

In his response to my original letter (SN Wednesday 29, October), Dr. Narine has demonstrated that he was off target in his initial research on clay roads in Guyana.

I took it, when he identified fine road in Europe, his reference was to roads made of kiln fired bricks.
Thus I indicated a few roads in Guyana which were surfaced with kilned clay bricks/blocks, and may have been more appropriate to use in that context as references.

We are talking national pride here sir. In his response he indicted the studies done of burnt earth roads, and nothing on the “clay brick roads” such as the approach to the Demerara Harbour Bridge. In other words, Dr. Narine is being deliberately evasive, for reasons known to only him at this point in time.

Indeed that road (Harbour Bridge approach) and many other similarly built roads have performed well, and carried a very low maintenance budgetary cost. I still maintain that much of the info sought by IAST can be gathered from some archive or the other.

However, Professor Narine’s (and IAST’s) intent to gather fresh information is obvious, though not intended to advance our techno-scientific base since such efforts shall merely be “recreating the wheel”.
In the news item in SN (Oct 25, 2008) there was mention of cost-effective solution.

My guess is there are many in this country who would be interested in a comparative cost analysis of these cylindrical bricks proposed by the IAST and the 2″ x 4″ x 8″ blocks used in our earlier attempts of using kilned clay brick as a road surfacing material.

The presentation of such figures may cause me to shut up and just be a bad dream to the erstwhile professor.

However, I thank the professor for his invitation which I shall take up in the new week, but I think his invitation should be to all interested in this aspect of our national development, for I do not believe that community/national development should be done in secrecy.
Elton McRae

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Dr. Narine is putting the IAST’s reputation on the line

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