Category: education

3 Thoughts on Scholarship in an AI-driven Age

One of the important issues to be addressed in recent (AI-driven) times is: how can research scholars acquire knowledge and simultaneously contribute to and communicate with society? Related to this question is: What is the role of scholarship in contemporary times?

Below are three thoughts that I wrote mainly with young researchers in mind. I am hoping that it may find use even among others.

1) Pursuit and utility of knowledge is the primary task of a scholar, and managing the perception of that knowledge is secondary. This means a scholar should use a majority of their time, resources and energy in enhancing scholarly knowledge, and in cases where there is utility, applying that knowledge in the outside ‘noisy’ world. This is your personal knowledge based on your efforts and experiences, and cannot be replaced instantaneously. This also brings uniqueness. Once you have this, you can venture into creating a realistic perception of your knowledge. Remember that learning and researching, to a large extent, are under your control; whereas how the outside world perceives your knowledge is not. Therefore, it would be prudent to pay more attention to learning and doing rather than creating a perception. Note that I am not saying that perception is unimportant. All I am saying is that perception is secondary in importance.

2) One of the key learnings in research and education is that the world is always open to good knowledge and ideas, be it in academia or industry. People are always interested in interacting with and hiring people with a sound knowledge base. It may take a while for somebody to discover your knowledge, but if you have a strong foundation and then go out to the world and interact with it, it is very difficult for the world to ignore you. This means that, having done good work, you should be able to share that work with the outside world. This can be a research paper or an engineering prototype, or any form of science, art or talent that you have. The crucial point here is to first do the hard work and then venture into the sharing of that work.

3) In your work, do not compromise on rigor. If you are a researcher, your first commitment should be towards addressing your scholarly peers or the specialized industry and then broadening your communication. Within scholarly communication, you will have to address questions within the research community. This means you will be basing your work on a large body of knowledge and subjecting yourself to internal and external criticism. This is where rigor comes in handy. Here, rigor does not mean unclear communication. It means to have thought through the questions, nuances and complications of a problem and have a broad and balanced view of the research problem. The general audience sometimes perceives rigorous scholarly communication as filled with jargon and complications. Therefore, it is always better to create two versions of your work: one for your peers and one for the general audience. In the age of AI, the second version is easier to create. Remember that your expertise will be vital in creating the second version for the general audience. That is where you can bring your authenticity and creativity. This can also broaden the scope of your knowledge without compromising your scholarship.

These are a few fleeting thoughts. You can criticize, edit, expand and adapt it to make your own version of it. After all, that is how knowledge moves forward 😊

AI hype..

A gentle reminder: Digital infrastructure is not equal to physical infrastructure.

The former is a smaller set of the four-dimensional space-time world we live in.

AI-based tech is fantastic for an upgrade in digital infrastructure and has already made tremendous progress. But the real deal is in the physical domain.

This also indicates where the future action is, and will be influenced by our understanding of physical sciences, including engineering domains beyond computer science.

What we are witnessing in AI is probably the peak of Gartner’s hype cycle.

Five Aspects of the Fifth Pillar – A Philosophical Perspective

In reference to a recent article on higher education in the Economic Times, a well-known tech entrepreneur and philanthropist wrote the following on X/Twitter: “75% of Indian higher education institutions still not industry-ready. Lot of work left to transform. But the 21st century requires education, research, innovation, and startups as four pillars of a university.”

This is a thought I do support, but I think there is one more important meta-pillar, perhaps a ‘foundation’ on which all these pillars are standing, and that is called ethics. Below are five aspects of ethics that I think need further attention.

  1. If one observes some of the major contemporary and pressing problems in our world, they can be connected to the ethical aspects of how humans function. A vital part of our educational system should re-emphasize this connection and make it central to everything that is done in a society.
  2. Ethics has two important elements to it: first, it has a philosophical grounding and connects to how humans function in a society. Second, it has an important connection to how trust in a society can be developed. Most of the discussions on ethics generally focus on the first element from a morality perspective, whereas the second point has an equally important utility and an economic connection.
  3. Ethical principles have great utility. It is important that we never keep it as an implicit aspect of human endeavour. Instead, we should start everything on the ethical grounds and build it up from there, including businesses, because a strong ethical foundation probably would be the best thing to happen for economic progress in any society, because trust is so important among human beings, and it is one thing that probably brings humans together. In the long run, the meaning of ‘prosper’ critically depends on the meaning of ethics. Being prosperous without being ethical is detrimental to any human pursuit. Zero-sum games are exciting, but in the limit of many games, the number of people who lose will be far more than the people who win. Instead, cooperative games have much larger dividends to all players and are inherently connected to a concept called as double thank you moment.
  4. The philosophy of ethics is something which the world has to revisit in greater detail, especially in an era where technological implications are driving human life in directions which we have not anticipated. One may think that raising ethical issues might hinder progress, but my argument here is that, instead of hindrance, one should look at it as an important requisite for human societies to not only survive but also to flourish. Large human endeavours cannot sustain without trust, and that trust is reinforced through ethical behaviour.
  5. Without ethical implications being factored in, it would be hard to really design anything related to technology. A case in point is the social media restrictions in countries such as Australia. Technology has the amazing capability to move fast before the philosophical debates can come in, but it does not mean that philosophy has to be completely ignored. The downstream of a scientific idea can become a product in a market, and positively impact society, but this evolution has a fellow-traveller, and that is ethics. The feedback loop is incomplete without the ethical considerations, and therefore, it should be looked at as an important ingredient in any human design.

There is an inherent connection between cooperation and trust, and that is founded on an ethical principle. The world requires an ethical recap, and it should be part of individuals, institutions, and governments. There is a rich history of ethics in all the cultures across the world, and it is worth revisiting them in a new light. Perhaps it is high time that we “Make Ethics Great Again.”

ShuX in IISER Pune

Yesterday evening (10th Jan 2026), Shubhanshu Shukla, the recent Indian astronaut, was at IISER Pune as part of the ‘India Science Festival’. There was a huge crowd gathered to see and listen to him. Within IISER, it is rare to see such a massive gathering for a science event, and it was heartening to witness this on a Saturday evening. Thanks to schools and colleges in Pune, science and science-related activities get traction from the people of Pune (especially younger people). They enthusiastically participate in many events related to science.

 Such a gathering is very important for at least three reasons:

  1. It connects a scientifically oriented person to the public and thereby connects them to science.
  2. It showcases that there is some science-related activity happening within the Indian scene.
  3. It sends out a message to people that icons can be created out of people who do science funded by the public.

I would want to emphasize four other points:

  1. Scientific icons are as good as the science they represent. A major part of the credit should go to the organizations that supported and trained him, and this includes ISRO, NASA and the Indian Air Force.
  2. To put an astronaut in space, it takes a lot of effort at various levels of society. Public support is vital for such an effort. Public icons such as Shubhanshu Shukla are a good representation of what investment in science can do to the morale of the public, especially for young people.
  3. The created momentum should not be lost, given that recognizable people, such as astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, have made an imprint on young people. This should be followed up with measures to recruit them for science and technology.
  4. Space science and technology, astronomy and astrophysics have always been among the most fascinating domains to attract people into science. Many Indian scientists and a past astronaut, Rakesh Sharma, have played an important role in this pursuit. One should not forget them.

Let me conclude with a word of appreciation for Pune city. It is not a capital city, but its enthusiasm for intellectual pursuits is high, and it attracts a lot of enterprising people (recently, there was a public policy conference that had some amazing people). If it can get a lift in its public infrastructure, it can create its own path in the landscape of science and technology.

On Criticism

How to criticize somebody’s work? This is a question we often ask in academia, especially while writing referee reports for articles in journals and theses submitted by students. It is important to learn constructive criticism of academic work, which makes criticism a tool that can lead to positive feedback. When we talk about positive feedback, it does not mean that you will have to applaud the work. It means that anybody who is receiving the feedback should be able to build on it and improve their work.

In this regard, the philosopher Daniel Dennett has come up with some thoughts on critical commentary of somebody’s work. One of the key points he notes: ‘You should attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way”’.

This way of changing the perspective on a piece of work is one of the crucial aspects of constructive criticism. It helps you to understand the role as a reviewer in not only correcting somebody’s mistake but also helping them to build on their own thoughts. Many times, criticism is looked down on as a negative thing. But done this way, it is probably one of the most enriching processes, not only for the person who is receiving the feedback, but also for the person who is criticizing the work. The correct way to criticize is to think with different perspectives and add to the body of knowledge that the author has already presented. In that way, knowledge is progressed and corrected for mistakes, if any.

Teaching & Meaning

What adds meaning to my academic work?

Perhaps, an anonymous feedback on your teaching is one of them….

“very well taught course at a well defined pace. The interesting way various different aspects and fields in Optics was introduced was fascinating, made us so very keen on knowing more! The mind maps at the beginning of every topic, the indexes professor made was a great way to keep the bigger picture in mind and helped us glide through it. The assignment was also a great way to make us go through materials without feeling it it be imposing, rather finding it more interesting! Thank you so much Sir for this amazing course, the enthusiastic way in which you taught, all the great conversations you engaged in with us, and opened our eyes to explore so much more in this field! thank you!!“

I had a diverse class (BS-Physics majors, MS Quantum Tech, iPhD) with 110+ students, and I am glad a lot of students enjoyed the course this time.
I am a bit overwhelmed by the positive feedback I received on my teaching methods. For sure, I learnt about the subject as much as they did.

And as I always say: there is more to learn…for all of us..

Human interaction zindabad :-)

‘We’gnana !

Recently, I saw the following tweet from the well-known historian William Dalrymple.

Congrats to the listed authors, who deserve rewards (and the money) for their effort.

I have 3 adjacent points to make:

1) India badly needs to read (and write) more on science and technology. Here, I am not referring to textbooks, but some popular-level science books (at least). Generally, educated Indians are exposed to science only through their textbooks, which are mostly dull, or, in this era, YouTube videos, which have a low signal-to-noise ratio. Good quality science & tech books at a popular level can add intellectual value, excitement, and expand scientific thinking via reading, not just in students, but also in adults.

2) In India, most of the non-fiction literature is dominated by the social sciences, particularly history (as seen in the best-seller list). I have no problem with that, but non-fiction as a genre is a broad tree. Indian readers (and publishers) can and should broaden this scope and explore other branches of the tree. Modern science books (authentic ones), especially written in the Indian context, are badly in need. I hope trade publishers are reading this!

3) Most of the public and social media discourse in India does not emphasize (or underplays) the scientific viewpoint. Scientific literature and scientific discourse should become a central part of our culture. Good books have a major role to play. Remember what Sagan’s Cosmos did to American scientific outlook, and indirectly to its economic progress. The recent Nobel in economics, especially through the work of Joel Mokyr, further reinforces the connection between science, economics and human progress. This realization should be bottom-up, down to individual families and public places.

One of the great scientists, James Maxwell, is attributed to have said: “Happy is the man who can recognise in the work of today a connected portion of the work of life and an embodiment of the work of Eternity.…“

Science, with its rich, global history and philosophy, in the form of good books, can connect India (and the world) to the ‘work of eternity’, and make us look forward.

Embedding science within culture, in a humane way, can lead to progress. Science books have a central role to play in this.

विज्ञान (Vignana) should transform to ‘We’gnana !

Light pressure – Lebedev coin

Today, in my optics class, I discussed optical forces due to momentum in electromagnetic waves. Towards the late 1800s, it was realized that light can impart momentum. This manifested as radiation pressure in the electromagnetic theory proposed by James Maxwell.

Pyotr Nikolaevich Lebedev (24 February 1866 – 1 March 1912) was one of the earliest to experimentally measure (~1899) the radiation pressure on a surface (link to his 1900 paper in German). In 1991, the Soviet Union released a 1 ruble coin (pictured above) to commemorate Lebedev’s scientific achievement.

The formula expresses the total momentum transferred per unit time ( radiation pressure, P) by a beam of N photons, each of energy hν, that is incident on a surface with a coefficient of reflectivity ρ. The constant, c, is the speed of light.

The discussion in the class was mainly related to Ashkin’s work. I have written about this in the past.

Shared below is a delightful lecture given by Ashkin at the age of ~96, after he received his Nobel prize.

Jane Goodall – what a life…

Recently, Jane Goodall passed away. Below is part of a speech she gave in 2024, and includes her ‘call’ of two kinds. First is for humans to collaborate and address problems faced by humanity, and the second is in a language understood by chimpanzees, which connects her to them. Philosophically, it summarizes her methods. What a life…

Satish Dhawan – truly a man for all seasons

Image credit: Current Science 119, no. 9 (2020): 1427–32

Today is the birth anniversary of Satish Dhawan (25 September 1920 – 3 January 2002). He was probably India’s best scientist-administrator who headed institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Space Research Organization. With a PhD from Caltech, he came back to India and set up a marvellous research enterprise on fluid mechanics, including aerospace science and engineering. He mentored some of the outstanding scientists of India and led scientific institutions with vision, openness and informality, which is still a great benchmark to emulate1.

Below are a couple of historical documents related to Dhawan:

The first one is a lecture note from 1979, on making a case for a national satellite system and how it influences science and scientific activity (a copy of this note has been reproduced in a wonderful tribute to Satish Dhawan written by P. Balaram on his birth centenary2).

The next one is a beautiful perspective article written by Dhawan on ‘Bird Flight’ from an aerodynamics perspective3. It is a detailed overview of the dynamics of bird flight and shows Dhawan’s interest and ability to bridge two facets of science. It is a prototypical example of interdisciplinary research.

Finally, let me end the blog with a quote from P. Balaram on Satish Dhawan4:

“Dhawan mentored some remarkable students and built the discipline of aeronautical engineering at the Institute. He influenced aeronautical research and industry in India in a major way. He shepherded the Indian space programme following Vikram Sarabhai’s untimely death. He served the Indian scientific community in many ways. His stewardship transformed IISc. How then do we describe such a man? Dhawan studied English literature obtaining a Master’s degree in his youth. It may therefore be appropriate for me to borrow a 16th century description of Sir Thomas More:


‘[Sir Thomas] More is a man of an angel’s wit and
singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is
the man of that gentleness, lowliness and affability?
And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and
pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. A man for
all seasons.’

Satish Dhawan was truly a man for all seasons.”

Happy Birthday to Prof. Satish Dhawan!

References:

  1. Current Science, in 2020, had a section of a volume dedicated to the birth centenary of Satish Dhawan, and has a foreword by his daughter and articles by many of his students and co-workers. https://www.jstor.org/stable/e27139029 ↩︎
  2. P. Balaram, “Satish Dhawan: The Transformation of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore,” Current Science 119, no. 9 (2020): 1427–32. This reference has many interesting references, including a handwritten obituary of CV Raman written by Dhawan https://www.jstor.org/stable/27139041. ↩︎
  3. S. Dhawan, “Bird Flight,” Sadhana 16, no. 4 (1991): 275–352, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02745345. ↩︎
  4. P. Balaram, Current Science 119, no. 9 (2020), page 1432. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27139041. ↩︎