VISMAYA: History & Philosophy of Physics
As I mentioned in the recent essay, Raman was conversant in German and could give a technical talk. Here is a rare audio recording of Raman speaking on crystal physics in German in 1956, Lindau meeting… photographed with another great…
Link to the essay : https://historyofscience.in/2024/02/28/c-v-raman-as-a-science-communicator-a-historical-perspective/
C.V. Raman (1888 – 1970) was a creative scientist, enthusiastic teacher and a science celebrity in India. In all these roles, he communicated science effectively. In this essay, I ask how and why did he communicate science. I take a few examples from his research writings and show his ability to explain science lucidly. By looking into his thoughts on teaching and those of his students, I explore Raman, the teacher. Finally, I discuss a few aspects of his methods to communicate science to the public. I emphasize Raman’s exposition and reveal a dichotomy.
On 28th February 1928, K.S. Krishnan, the student, and C.V. Raman, his mentor, made a groundbreaking observation of a new type of radiation1,2 from the light scattered by molecules in a liquid state. This observation shifted a paradigm in light-matter interaction from the so-called ‘feeble fluorescence’ to ‘modified scattering’. What was considered a strange observation became an important result in quantum physics. Thus, the ‘Raman effect’ was born, and a new chapter was created in the history of science3. This was a discovery that involved creativity, perseverance, and collective effort led by C.V. Raman.
Every year, on 28th February, India celebrates National Science Day to commemorate the observation of the ‘Raman effect’. Over the past few years, on this day, various institutions in India, including schools, colleges, and research institutes, interact with the public by communicating interesting and important aspects of science and technology. Some scientifically oriented industries too have joined this celebration. A great scientific discovery from India has created a nationwide carnival of science. At the heart of this carnival is the communication of science and an outreach to make science more accessible to public. Raman himself did this very efficiently.
With this background, it is relevant to revisit the life and times of Raman in the context of how he communicated science to various audiences. As a scientist, he played three different roles. First, he was a researcher working on cutting-edge research problems and communicated his results to the world, mainly through research journals and scientific talks. Second, Raman played an active role as a teacher. He trained a band of outstanding scientists (mostly men) and did this effectively by communicating the breadth and depth of his research field. Third, he communicated science to the general public (see Figure 1). He did this by giving talks in person, and by using the available mass media platforms, such as newspaper articles and radio broadcasts. In this essay, I discuss how and why Raman communicated science in all these roles.
As scientists, it is important to communicate your thoughts clearly to your peers. This communication happens mainly in journal publications, scientific talks, conference proceedings, and through patents. Raman was a very active researcher who constantly communicated his work through journal publications. During his career, he published more than 400 research papers4,5, many of which changed how we view the physical world. His work was mainly related to experimental physics, specifically optics and spectroscopy. Natural and everyday phenomena significantly inspired his research questions.
Experimental physics connects abstract theoretical ideas and questions with the real world. This connection is made via careful measurement in a systematic and controlled way. Once the measurement is confirmed, academically-oriented scientists communicate their results in the form of a research paper that is subjected to peer review. Raman was a creative experimentalist. He designed and developed various methods to test and verify theoretical ideas, which needed a good grasp of the existing knowledge. Importantly, he effectively communicated his research results in plain and simple English. Now, I will discuss his most famous paper, that eventually led to the Nobel prize.
Since early 1920s, Raman and his research group were studying, light-matter interaction in the context of light scattering. Eventually, this study culminated into an effect, which was later to be called as the ‘Raman effect’. The discovery of the this novel effect was communicated in two papers. One was published in Nature2 and the other one was in Indian Journal of Physics1. The former paper was a crisp and quick description of the observed effect, and the latter was an oral presentation given to the South Indian Science Association on 16th March,1928 in Bangalore.
For this discussion, I would like to highlight some features of the paper published in Indian Journal of Physics as it contains more details and shows Raman’s ability to communicate effectively. In this paper, Raman elaborated the history of the discovery of the ‘new radiation’. He starts with various origins of radiation emitted by atoms and molecules. Among them, he identifies light scattering as one of the important processes. He states the difference between the primary (no energy change compared to incident light) and secondary radiation (with change in energy compared to incident light) that is emitted from atoms and molecules and thus introduces the reader to some of the fundamental aspects of light-matter interaction. Then he gives an overview of the work done in past 7 years or so in Calcutta (see6 for more on Raman in Calcutta). He mentions about the optics experiments that he and his students were exploring. Specifically, he identifies the work done with 4 students – Seshagiri Rao, K.R. Ramanathan, KS Krishnan and S. Venkateshwaran. Raman talks about the roadblocks they had to face and why they had to temporarily stop some of the experiments. The main reason being fluorescent impurities in their experimental samples. This motivated them to initially call the optical phenomenon ‘feeble fluorescence’, which was essentially an extension of a known phenomenon. In the paper, Raman further reveals a crucial twist in the exploration. This was when he made a connection between his group’s observation and the recently discovered X-ray scattering by Compton7. This motivated Raman to relook at all the observations that he and his group had been making over the past few years. He postulated that a possible optical analog of the Compton effect is the reason behind the new observations in his lab. This realization was a turning point in the discovery. At the same time, Raman and his group needed to ensure that the observed effect was indeed a new phenomenon and not the conventional fluorescence. Raman elaborates on this aspect as follows1:
“You may therefore rightly ask me the question how does this phenomenon differ from fluorescence? The answer to the question is, firstly, that it is of an entirely different order of intensity. A more satisfactory proof was however forthcoming when Mr Krishnan and myself examined the polarisation of this new type of radiation and found that it was nearly as strong as that of the ordinary light scattering in many cases, and is thus quite ’distinct from ordinary fluorescence which is usually unpolarised.”
This polarised nature of the scattered light is what makes the observed scattering different from anything that was observed until then. I need to emphasize that all these observations were done using sunlight along with a combination of colour filters. This was further verified with monochromatic lamps of the day, that were chosen and optimized for the experiments. I need to remind the readers that there were no lasers then (1920s).
Another important aspect discussed in the paper is the connection to quantum theory, in which Raman uses the concept – ‘quantum of radiation’ and uses it to explain the observed signatures of light. In this context, Raman makes a connection to Kramers-Heisenberg’s theory of dispersion8 which was based on second-order perturbation theory in quantum mechanics and explains the possible transition in molecules due to illumination of light. He further makes some important comments on the connection between his observations with thermodynamics and coherence (or the lack of) in the scattered light.
The whole manuscript uses simple language, and communicates the ideas in an effective way. It is worth noting that he ends his paper with three things: an optimistic note, an acknowledgment, and an explicit mention of the date of this discovery1:
“We are obviously only at the fringe of a fascinating new region of experimental research which promises to throw light on diverse problems relating to radiation and wave-theory, X-ray optics, atomic and molecular spectra, fluorescence and scattering, thermodynamics and chemistry. It all remains to be worked out. I have to add in conclusion that I owe much to the valuable co-operation in this research of Mr K S Krishnan, and the assistance of Mr S Venkateswaran and other workers in my laboratory. The line spectrum of the new radiation was first seen on the 28th February 1928. The observation was given publicity the following day.”
Perhaps, this was the first scientific presentation in which Raman identifies the date of the important observation. Later, KS Krishnan’s diary reconfirmed and elaborated the gripping story of this great discovery5,9.
For this work, C.V. Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics10. In his Nobel lecture, he gave an insight into his discovery, and described his famous journey over the Mediterranean, which motivated him to ask questions relevant to light scattering11 :
“In the history of science, we often find that the study of some natural phenomenon has been the starting-point in the development of a new branch of knowledge. We have an instance of this in the colour of skylight, which has inspired numerous optical investigations, and the explanation of which, proposed by the late Lord Rayleigh, and subsequently verified by observation, forms the beginning of our knowledge of the subject of this lecture. Even more striking, though not so familiar to all, is the colour exhibited by oceanic waters. A voyage to Europe in the summer of 1921 gave me the first opportunity of observing the wonderful blue opalescence of the Mediterranean Sea. It seemed not unlikely that the phenomenon owed its origin to the scattering of sunlight by the molecules of the water. To test this explanation, it appeared desirable to ascertain the laws governing the diffusion of light in liquids, and experiments with this object were started immediately on my return to Calcutta in September, 1921. It soon became evident, however, that the subject possessed a significance extending far beyond the special purpose for which the work was undertaken, and that it offered unlimited scope for research. …”
These words indicate Raman’s clarity of thought and expression. With simple language, he describes the history of his discovery. This kind of elegant science communication was one of the hallmarks of Raman’s research papers and talks. The exposition was elegant and always to the point. He was also conversant in German and could give scientific talks. For example, he spoke about crystal dynamics in one of the Lindau meetings in 1950s12. This talk is a good example of his scientific communication skills.
Raman did all his work in India. His career spanned across many decades, and he worked in colonial and independent India. During these time, he communicated extensively with researchers across the world, including scientists in Europe and the US13. With good communication skills, he exchanged his ideas with his peers, which further played an important role in his thinking and subsequent publication of results. To generate such results he had to train students. Next, I will discuss how Raman communicated science with his students, and what they had to say about him as a teacher.
Experimental research is a collective endeavour that needs many minds and hands. Training a young generation of students who can directly participate in the experimental measurements is necessary. Raman trained many students during his tenure at Calcutta and Bangalore. To bring them to the standards of cutting-edge research, Raman taught fundamental physics and experimental methods used in his lab. He believed that teachers exposed to research can bring an important perspective to science. Importantly, he emphasized that questioning attitude developed by researchers can positively affect teaching.
Writing in 1971, L.A. Ramadas [1], one of Raman’s students, says (as quoted in14):
“He held the view that when a leading research worker takes on some special teaching course, he brings to his teaching the freshness of research and the questioning attitude which makes all the difference between dull pedagogy and inspired teaching. To some of us who had joined the M.Sc. course at Calcutta (both myself and the late Dr. K.S. Krishnan had joined the M.Sc. course in physics at Calcutta by 1920) Prof. Raman once made the side remark that the best way for him to master or revise any subject in physics was indeed to lecture on it to the M.Sc. classes.”
As you may observe, Raman saw the utility of teaching not only in educating students but also in positively affecting the teacher. Raman had a deep appreciation for classical and quantum physics, and ensured that his students got the flavour of these subjects. Among many topics that he discussed with the students, electricity, magnetism and physical optics fascinated his students. As Ramdas mentions (as quoted in14) :
“In listening spell-bound to Prof. Raman’s lectures in “Electricity and Magnetism”, covering a series of nearly 30 lectures, we had shared with him much of the excitement and superb thrill that Benjamin Franklin, Oersted, Arago, Gauss, Faraday, Maxwell, Hertz, Lord Kelvin and many others must have felt while they were making their actual discoveries. This was indeed no routine text-book learning, but reliving the actual past history of the subject. Almost regularly, Prof. Raman, with his genius for the subject, his extraordinary eloquence, imagery and fullness of precise expression, used to forget himself as well as the time and used to lecture for far more than the prescribed one hour, while the next lecturer was politely (and perhaps with a sense of relief) retiring from the scene after seeing Prof. Raman still at his lecture! In “Physical Optics”, a topic on which he himself was conducting several investigations at the time, the students were introduced to all the topics coming, as it were, hot from the ‘Lab’, and the lecturer’s flair for dipping straight into the great masters like Huygens, Fresnel, Mascart, Schuster, Wood, Rayleigh, and others of the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, imbued the students with a real love and enthusiasm for what they learned at Prof. Raman’s feet, as it were.”
What were some of the methods used by CV Raman, the teacher? How did he conduct a class? What elements of pedagogy did he use? These are some of the interesting questions to address. The following excerpt from Raman’s talk gives an insight into his methods15 :
“A study of the history of individual branches of science and of the biographies of the leading contributors to their development is essential for a proper appreciation of the real meaning and spirit of science. They often afford much more stimulating reading than the most learned of formal treatises on science. To the teacher, such histories and biographies are invaluable. Whenever he finds the attention of his listeners flagging a little, he can always enliven his class by telling a little story of how this or that great discovery in his subject was made or by recalling some anecdote about one or another of the famous investigators in the field. In this way, the teacher can convey to the student an understanding of how science is made and of the intellectual outlook which is the essence of it.”
It is evident that Raman was a captivating lecturer and showed a lot of enthusiasm as a teacher. But, was he an inclusive mentor ? This question is yet to be resolved. An interesting aspect to note is that most of his students were men. We do not have enough information about what his women students thought about his teaching and interaction. In recent years in India, the issue of gender equity in science has come to focus, and Raman has been criticized for not being inclusive enough16,17,18 . Raman was a difficult person and had many administrative conflicts19,20. This has been acknowledged by many people who knew him and interacted with him5,14. Perhaps he was more comfortable discussing and doing science at an individual level, than interacting with people, especially in administrative matters. However, his ability and commitment to communicate science seems to be high. Furthermore, he enjoyed talking about science with a general audience, which I will discuss next.
One of the hallmarks of Raman as a scientist was that he engaged with the public, especially with children (see Figure 1), and communicated the excitement of science to them. Although he had many tussles with administrators and fellow scientists, he did not hesitate to interact with the public and opened his laboratory doors for them to visit occasionally. He enjoyed this public communication part of the work, and the audience reciprocated with enthusiasm. This is mainly because Raman was an excellent and engaging orator, as his former student Ramdas describes (as reproduced in14):
“Raman excelled in public speaking and could give a lecture on, for instance, Egyptian History, off the cuff. His scientific lectures were a treat, for he was a superb entertainer. They were delivered in a high pitched resonant voice which reached the entire audience, making loud-speakers unnecessary. Rich in imagery and eloquence, and replete with spontaneous jokes, the lectures were given in so popular a style that every listener felt that he understood all the science that the learned lecturer was discussing.”
This ability to connect with the audience is not a common thing for a scientist. A criticism of scientists, even today, is that they do not communicate well with the general audience. Raman was an exception. He could have easily sat on his laurels and stayed away from the public eye, but he did not hesitate to express his thoughts in the public domain. Of course, he had the stature to do so. Even then, this was unusual for a scientist of his time.
In 1938, Raman gave a radio talk, titled The new physics: Revolutionary advances15. In there, he spoke about emerging physics in that era and the scientists who had contributed to it. Below is an excerpt from his radio talk :
“I will not fatigue you by a recital of the names of even the most outstanding investigators who have built up the physics of today. Their names and their discoveries are known to every student of physics. They are claimed as nationals by one or another of many different countries. Yet in the truest sense, they belong to the whole world and to the International Brotherhood of Science. I will permit myself to mention only two of the greatest pioneers: Amongst the priceless memories that a man of science like myself treasures life-long is that of personal contact with such leaders of science as the late Lord Rutherford and the late Madame Curie; their contributions to the building of the New Physics have been most impressive, and their influence on their generation and on the progress of science almost incredibly great.”
Raman admired many of the pioneers of modern physics, including Rutherford and Curie. He deeply appreciated science as a collective human endeavor, which is evident from his speech. As you may observe, there is clarity of thought in these communications, and this further highlights Raman’s ability to connect with a broader audience.
J.D. Bernal, in one of his essays21, talks about the reciprocity between science and society. Each can feed the other, and this interaction has many stakeholders. At the center of this interface are scientists. Raman was well aware of this central role. He believed that science could influence society, and many of his writings and interactions on public forums showed his intention. He felt that science could uplift humankind and had a dominant role in influencing the lives of Indians, and the world. This thought was partly driven by the fact that Raman himself was a subject of colonial times, and he saw India undergo a transition from a colonial state to an independent one. He strongly believed that science had an important role in building the nation.
Raman donned the hats of a researcher, teacher, and public figure. He enjoyed researching and communicating science to a varied audience. From the existing records, it is clear that he was a complex person containing multitudes. He did have differences of opinion and intellectual fights with many people. But what drove him was his science and its communication. It is fascinating to see how a person who fought with so many people was so good at communicating his thoughts as a scientist. There is an interesting dichotomy in his character that needs further analysis.
1. C.V. Raman, “A new radiation,” Indian J Phys 2, 387–398 (1928).
2. C. V. Raman and K. S. Krishnan, “A New Type of Secondary Radiation,” 3048, Nature 121(3048), 501–502, Nature Publishing Group (1928) [doi:10.1038/121501c0].
3. R. S. Krishnan and R. K. Shankar, “Raman effect: History of the discovery,” Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 10(1), 1–8 (1981) [doi:10.1002/jrs.1250100103].
4. S. Ramaseshan and C. Ramachandra Rao, C.V. Raman : A Pictorial Biography, Indian Academy of Sciences (1988).
7. A. H. Compton, “A Quantum Theory of the Scattering of X-rays by Light Elements,” Phys. Rev. 21(5), 483–502, American Physical Society (1923) [doi:10.1103/PhysRev.21.483].
8. H. A. Kramers and W. Heisenberg, “Über die Streuung von Strahlung durch Atome,” Z. Physik 31(1), 681–708 (1925) [doi:10.1007/BF02980624].
9. D. C. V. Mallik, “The Raman effect and Krishnan’s diary,” Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London 54(1), 67–83, Royal Society (2000) [doi:10.1098/rsnr.2000.0097].
10. R. Singh and F. Riess, “Sir C. V. Raman and the story of the Nobel prize,” Current Science 75(9), 965–971, Temporary Publisher (1998).
11. “The Nobel Prize in Physics 1930,” NobelPrize.org, <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1930/raman/lecture/> (accessed 23 February 2024).
12. “Sir Chandrasekhara Raman – Lectures | Lindau Mediatheque,” Lindau Nobel Mediatheque, 25 July 2014, <https://mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org/videos/31549/physics-of-crystals-german-and-english-presentation-1956/meeting-1956> (accessed 23 February 2024).
13. R. Singh, “CV Raman and the American scientists,” INDIAN JOURNAL OF HISTORY OF SCIENCE (2003).
14. A. Jayaraman, C.V.Raman: A Memoir, Affiliated East-West Press,India (1990).
15. “The new physics: Revolutionary advances – Sir C.V. Raman’s radio talk” (1938).
17. S. Deepika, “Women and the Institute,” in Connect with IISc, pp. 2–3 (2018).
18. N. Jayaraj and A. Freidog, Lab Hopping: Women Scientists in India, Penguin Viking (2023).
19. R. S. Anderson, “THREE. The Bangalore Affair, 1935–38: Scientists and Conflict around C. V. Raman,” in Nucleus and Nation – Scientists, International Networks, and Power in India, pp. 57–78, University of Chicago Press (2010) [doi:10.7208/9780226019772-008].
20. J. Phalkey, Atomic State: Big Science In Twentieth-century India, Permanent Black (2019).
21. J. D. Bernal, “The Social Relations of Science,” Journal of the Royal Society of Arts 93(4697), 458–464, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (1945).
[1] known for the Ramdas effect, related to lifted temperature minima
Akhlesh Lakhtakia is a distinguished Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles Godfrey Binder Professor within the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University : https://sites.esm.psu.edu/~axl4/
As per Penn state webite, he (recently) served as an expert consultant for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, as chair of the U.S.-India Higher Education Partnerships Committee and as a Jefferson Science Fellow (his term ended recently).
With over four decades of academic excellence, Lakhtakia is renowned for his pioneering research in complex material electromagnetics, particularly sculptured thin films, chiral materials, and biomimetic applications. His interdisciplinary approach to innovation is evident in his extensive body of work, which includes authorship of numerous books such as “Biologically Inspired Design: A Primer” and “Theory of Graded-Bandgap Thin-Film Solar Cells.” Lakhtakia’s contributions have had a far-reaching impact across various disciplines, including optics, electronics, and forensic science. His work has been widely recognized, reflecting the significance of his research and its implications for diverse fields. As a leading figure in his field, Lakhtakia continues to inspire and influence the next generation of researchers and scholars.
In this episode we discuss his journey from Lucknow to Pennsylvania, scholarship, writing process, life as an academic and his recent efforts to build Indo-U.S. relations in higher education.
Listen, as we humanize science.
References :
to paraphrase John Updike :
“Though scientists are a serious clan,
To be avoided if you can,
I’d like to meet the Indian,
the humorous B Anantanarayanan”
Balasubramanian Ananthanarayan is a Professor at the Centre for High Energy Physics, Indian Institute of Science: https://chep.iisc.ac.in/Personnel/pages/anant/index.html
His research interests include low energy physics at high precision, beyond the standard model physics at colliders, and collider physics, particularly focusing on the ‘new physics’ that can be uncovered at the International Linear Collider with polarized beam. He has also been involved in a project developing the theory of unitarity bounds to obtain precise information on form factors.
Additionally, he blogs and has contributed articles to Resonance and Current Science. Ananthanarayan is also known for his sense of humor, as evidenced by his light-hearted anecdotes and favourite poems.
Listen, as we humanize science.
Spotify :
References:
Suresh joins me from the Zanzibar (Africa) campus of IIT Madras.
Suresh Govindarajan is a theoretical physicist and a professor in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
https://physics.iitm.ac.in/~suresh/index.html
He specializes in String Theory and his research interests include conformal field theory, black holes, statistical physics, combinatorics, and mathematical physics.
Suresh is also an avid long-distance runner who runs marathons and other long-distance events.
In this ‘free-running’ conversation, we discuss his biographical journey. His trials and tribulations in constructing a career as an academic, his wonderful story of how he overcame barriers during his PhD and postdoc, and how and why he took up a new challenge when he was around 40: marathon running.
Listen, as we humanize science.
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References :
Drones are common technology today. But people have been interested in small flying machines for a long time (since the early 1900s). In the 1950s, helicopters were modified to be devices similar to today’s drones. This led to the invention of so-called quadcopters or quadrotors. They form some early models of today’s drones.
The image below shows a quadrotor carrying a human, discussed in the January 1958 edition of Popular Mechanics.
Most of the current day drones do not carry a human being, unlike the one shown above in the image.
Is a quadrotor the same as a drone? The contemporary definitions are more complex. Below is the description of the quadrotor compared to the drone (from this source) :
Quadcopter, on the other hand, is a much more specific qualifier compared to drones. The term quadcopter specifically describes an uncrewed rotary wing aircraft that can take flight using four rotors each consisting of a motor and propellers. Quadcopters are sometimes referred to as quadrotors as well. Unlike traditional fixed wing aircraft or helicopters which rely on engines and/or tail rotors to take flight, quadcopters have neither.
Inference: It is often worth visiting the past to innovate for the future!
Einstein on Newton’s OPTICKS
Interesting that he ends the sentence with Thomas Young, who, in a way, disproved Newton’s corpuscular theory…
oh, how science evolves..
The Italian painter Tomaso Barisini da Modena (1325-1379) was one of the first to depict a person wearing a spectacle. The above painting dates back to 1352.
There has been a bit of debate on the first painting to have a person wearing spectacle as discussed in the below reference. The history of spectacles itself is interesting, and their origins is also hotly debated among historians of science.
To give you a flavor of the debate, let me quote E. Rosen, “The Invention of Eyeglasses,” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 1 1 (1956), p.13. :
“Much has been written, ranging from the valuable to the worthless, about the invention of eyeglasses; but when it is all summed up, the fact remains that the world has found lenses on its nose without knowing whom to thank.”
Similarly, the origins of telescope are also under debate [1]:
“if victory has a thousand fathers, as it is commonly said, then the invention of spectacles and of its derivative, the telescope (another nominee listed among the top inventions of the last two millennia), must have just as many.”
[1] Ilardi, Vincent. 2007. Renaissance Vision from Spectacles to Telescopes. Philadelphia, PA : American Philosophical Society. http://archive.org/details/bub_gb_peIL7hVQUmwC.
Susmita Adhikari is an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at IISER Pune.
She obtained her PhD in Astronomy from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and has held postdoctoral positions at The Kavli Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, and the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at The University of Chicago & Fermilab.
Her research focuses on cosmology, astrophysics, dark matter halos, and structure formation. She studies the formation and structure of dark matter halos, the co-evolution of galaxies within them, and the connection between cosmic structure formation and the sources of gravitational waves. She uses theory and simulations to interpret observations of gravitationally bound objects, aiming to understand the underlying nature of dark matter and gravity.
In this conversation, we discussed how she got interested in physics and how it evolved into a research career in astrophysics. We discussed her study and research experience in India and the USA and her work on dark-matter halos and cosmology. Also, we discussed her interest in Odissi and other forms of classical dance.
Listen as we humanize science.
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References :
In 1980s, every Friday morning, Akaashvani Bengaluru (a local radio channel of the state; language Kannada) woke me up with Bhimsen Joshi’s famous rendition – Bhaagyada laxmi baaramma. This song has stayed with me and somehow makes me nostalgic for the times we lived – a simple, lower-middle-class life. More than the devotional undertone of this song, what captured my attention was how it was beautifully adapted in a movie by Shankar Nag without compromising its authenticity. It showed me how art can be inclusive yet distinct.
I went to a local private English school. Those were the times when school education was affordable even for a lower-income family like ours, and now, if I look back, I did get a relatively decent primary education. Some of the teachers I remember had names: Firdoos, Christy and Geeta.
An interesting aspect of my upbringing was my exposure to various sports. It included cricket (of course), cycling, eye-spies, lagori, buguri, goli and bachha. The last three sports are unique. Buguri is playing with a top, where you spin the top with a tied rope. By releasing the rope skillfully, one can make the top rotate at a location of interest, be it on the floor or in the palm of your hand.
Goli is playing with marbles, where you compete with an opponent by hitting a marble with another. There were several games within the umbrella of this fascinating meta-game, and it was one of the most competitive sports I have played.
Bachha will be the most unfamiliar sport to many of you reading. It was typically played by children who grew up in lower-middle income surroundings, and the game was to use well-polished granite slabs that can fit your hand. This was made to sail over a tar road. The sailing of the stone had to be smooth, and the target of this throw was to dislodge a pile of old cigarette carrying paper boxes (without cigarettes) that had been collected over a long period of time. The whole point of the game was to hit the piled-up packs of these folded boxes and win them as a collection. Different boxes of cigarette brands had different values. Talk about capitalism !
Through the 1990s, the teenage years were memorable. Riding a two-wheeled motor vehicle made you feel you had evolved into an adult. It gave you the freedom to go to a petrol bunk and fill up the tank full of fuel (with tinge of kerosene) on a gear(care)less TVS 50. The picture that has stayed with me is the skilful handling of a bunch of currency notes by the guys who filled the petrol. They used to double up as cashiers (as they do even now), but then everything was to be dealt in cash, and the human processing speeds had to be good. Similar skills were evident with BTS bus conductors. A fascinating thing about them was that they had a whistle. This made their presence felt, and they were the representatives of the unique city culture of Bangalore. Their images are so iconic that many Kannada movies then had bus conductors as characters of their movies. Rajnikanth was one of the early ones to play this role. And yes, he started in Kannada movies, as did a few other Tamil superstars.
Deccan Herald was and is a newspaper that most of the Bengalurians are aware of. It had some wonderful commentaries on history and geography. Thanks to some of these articles by well-known writers, I was interested in these subjects. I was so motivated and encouraged by them that, as a school kid, I wrote them a letter. They published it. I remember it was a Saturday, and I spent my whole weekend staring at my article on paper. It was also a time when I learned about the great H. Narasimiaha distributing puffed rice to local people during a solar eclipse. His writings and thoughts sowed the seeds of rationality in me. Gradually, I transformed into an atheist, and over the years, I have adapted compassionate rationality as a way of living and thinking. This way has allowed me to appreciate my culture’s deep roots without compromising on rational thinking. It has given me a balance.
What was out of balance in my life was the pressure of education. The worst part of the late 90s was my pre-university education. Then, 11 and 12-grade education was part of pre-university college, and this exposed one to a life of partial independence. Unlike a bachelor’s degree, this time in college is boring, and everything is done to crack some silly exams that have ‘not so silly’ consequences on one’s career. With great fortune, I escaped a turbulent time and found myself doing BSc (Physics, Maths, Electronics), with a healthy amount of languages, including Sanskrit and English. Throughout this period, the wonderful libraries across the city were central to my education. There were many old public libraries in Bangalore, and one did not need any membership to read a book. I saw so many people preparing for civil service exams in such libraries.
In 2000s, I fell in love with physics. Astrophysics gripped my life and took me through an intellectual journey that has not stopped ever since. Intellectual pursuits are that way. One can vaguely remember their origins, but one will realize the effect on one’s life only after a while. Interestingly, it changes the character of a person. That is the power of education.
I went to Bangalore University to do my Masters in physics. This state-funded university’s semester fees were less than present-day woodland shoes. For the first time, I saw how education can be aspirational, inspirational, political, liberating, suffocating and fun. All at once. This was also the time I discovered that economics and politics have far-reaching consequences in scientific research.
This was also the era of my PhD at JNCASR. I started as a serious student of physics and ended my PhD as a serious student of science. This was transformative not only because I was exposed to new knowledge but also because I could contribute to knowledge. At the end of the first year of my PhD, I got an excellent opportunity to travel to the US. I attended a summer school at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Interestingly, this journey was the first time I took a flight on an aeroplane, and the trajectory was long and interesting as I flew around the globe (Bangalore to Bangkok to Osaka to Los Angeles) thanks to the limited funding. The biggest realization of my arrival in LA was a massive billboard of an iconic iPod silhouette advertisement. It is etched in my inner eye. My first travel within the US was a road trip from LA to Santa Barbara. What a ride!
After I finished my PhD, I moved to Barcelona and lived in Castelldefels. I shared my apartment with an Uruguayan (Spanish: uruguayos) couple and a cute dog. It was interesting that we were all immigrants. They spoke Spanish, but I did not, which impacted how we assimilated into the society. Although we did not speak similar languages, we could communicate very well with each other. That was an interesting lesson for me.
Then I moved to the US, and this was a time when Obama had just been elected into office. I have never seen a country undergoing economic recession and yet was so enthusiastic politically as the US. The ‘Yes We Can’ was an iconic campaign; I could see how it touched so many lives in the US. It was also a time when I was exposed to American professionalism and their excellent work culture. This has deeply impacted my thinking and how I look at work. It also made me realize the (positive and negative) powers of a free market economy. Again, it was an education.
In 2010, I got married, and started looking at life from a slightly long-term perspective. At the cusp of the decade, I moved back to India, and this time to Pune. Culturally, this is one of the wealthiest places in India. The flux of thought is high, and the people you get exposed to is often fascinating. It was also a time when I was building my lab, and I found how essential teamwork is. You always realize this when you are doing your PhD, but when you set up your group, you get a different grasp of how highly educated humans behave and coordinate for the greater good with a common goal.
Interestingly, these common goals can also align with personal career goals and growth. From a close quarter, I see how five years of focused work can transform people’s lives and thoughts. We need to pay more attention to the long-term work.
One of my life moments was to see my wife delivering my daughter. It made me feel human. I was there in that ward beside my wife, and those few minutes has transformed me forever. It also made me realize the power of human bonds. The day’s images are etched in my memory, and I thank biology for all that!
Now, we are in 2020s, and the pandemic has eaten away a few years. The early years also led to an explosion of information, and understanding the world is a continued challenge. An astonishing aspect has been that we, as humans, are still fighting wars. It indicates that we still do not understand each other, and cooperation is still a major goal to achieve. More work to do.
All through this journey, what has remained with me is reading, writing and talking to people. All people from all walks of life. Writing and talking has also encouraged me to use them as tools to look at the world. A lesson that I derive from all this: human cultures should use knowledge from the past and present and move towards the future. A forward-looking culture distills the best from every cultural exposure and adapts them to move forward. This is also a lesson from evolutionary biology, and perhaps a lesson for a beautiful country like India, that is Bharat, and many other magnificent things.
We are the people, and the wheel – the chakra, represents us on the move. This is the life I want to travel on : riding on a chakra of a forward-looking culture.