Category: Writers

A relevant book and its review

A book review has appeared an important and timely book on a topic which is subject to misinformation:

Are Electromagnetic Fields Making Me Ill? How Electricity and Magnetism Affect our Health, by Bradley J. Roth

reviewed by Robert G. Olsen in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Physics. https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1119/5.0107970

As the reviewer says:


“While the focus is on the specific controversies listed in the table of contents, an even more valuable contribution of the book is the description of Roth’s methodology. In describing his approach to evaluating the science (or lack thereof) behind each claim, you will learn some of the thought processes needed to evaluate any new technology. Anyone who adopts these approaches will become a better investigator of new claims”

I have been following book-reviews of American Journal of Physics
There are some really good recommendations and assessments.

Indian Philosophy and Independent thought

Today we mark the 75th anniversary of Indian independence from the British colonial rule. For a country of our population and size, it is indeed a great achievement that we have sustained to be a democratic nation. We continue to be a work in progress and there is a lot to learn and look forward to.

India today is awash in the tri-colour flag, which marks a symbol of our identity.

This symbol has a deeper philosophical meaning, and it has been wonderfully described by one of the great Indian philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (also first vice-president of India, and subsequently President of India) as follows :

“Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation of disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the center of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.”

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Constituent Assembly of Independent India

The metaphor of wheel to go forward is noteworthy. It essentially states that we as a society should be forward-looking and evolve our thoughts as we make progress. Such a call for evolution of thought and progress is not alien to our civilization.

Lest we forget – Indian philosophy is not just a spiritual literature, it has immense depth and discussion on rationality and logic, and places emphasis on debates and arguments. So much so, that even our great, ancients poets such as Kalidasa uphold this rational spirit in their writings. To quote from his famous Malavikaagnimitram :

पुराणमित्येव न साधु सर्वंन चाऽपि काव्यं नवमित्यवद्यम्।

सन्तः परीक्ष्यान्यतरत् भजन्तेमूढ्ः परप्रत्ययनेयबुद्धिः ॥

-मालविकाग्निमित्रम् (महाकवि कालिदास)

The translation (source) from Sanskrit means :

All poems are not good only because they are old. All poems are not bad because they are new. Good and wise people examine both and decide whether a poem is good or bad. Only a fool will be blindly led by what others say.

-Malavikaagnimitram (Great Poet Kaalidaas)

My hope is that we as a society get inspired by these calls for rationality, and adapt empathy, humility, logical and scientific thinking as some of the core principles our lives. This is not only for a better India, but also for a better world.

After all, as one of ancient Indian philosophical text (Maha Upanishad, 6.71–75) says :

अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्!!

उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् !!

which is transliterated as :

This is mine, that is his, say the small minded,

The wise believe that the entire world is a family.

Dear Indian people….Happy 75th Independence Day !

12 Years as a faculty member in India – 12 lessons

Today I complete 12 years as a faculty member at IISER-Pune. I have attempted to put together a list of some lessons that I have learnt so far. A disclaimer to note is that this list is by no means a comprehensive one, but a text of self-reflection from my viewpoint on Indian academia. Of course, I write this in my personal capacity. So here is it..

  1. People first, infrastructure next – As an experimental physicist, people and infrastructure at working place are of paramount importance. When I am forced to prioritize between them, I have chosen people over infrastructure. I am extremely fortunate to have worked with and continue to work with excellent students, faculty colleagues, and admin staff members. I think a good work place is mainly defined by the people who occupy it. I am no way neglecting the role of infrastructure in academia, especially in a country like India, but people have a greater impact in academic life than infrastructure.
  2. Create internal standards – In academia, whether you like it or not, there will be evaluations and judgments on your research and teaching. Generally, every academic ecosystem has its own standards for evaluating people. These standards are generalized principles and are not customized to an individual. Therefore, it was important for me to realize what good work meant and how to judge myself. As long as internal standards are high, and are properly met with consistency, the external evaluation becomes secondary. This attitude totally frees up the mind, and helps me to get better compared to my previous self. This also means I can appreciate others work without having to compare myself to them.
  3. Constancy and Moderation – When it comes to any work, it is important to be consistent over a long period of time. An equally important aspect is to moderate the amount of work done for a period. Most of the important work in research happens in units of months if not years. Therefore, constant effort with moderation keeps the motivation high, and makes the work enjoyable. Binge-working is attractive, but for intellectual work it is ineffective.
  4. Writing is a great tool to think – One of the most underestimated tools of thinking is writing. Not just formal writing, but the process of external articulation of thought on paper does wonders. Countless times, I have obtained, clarified and developed my thoughts only after I started writing about it. Writing is integral part of research and not just a communication tool.
  5. Importance of philosophy – Ever since I was an undergrad, I have been interested in philosophy of science. I had never taken a formal course on philosophy, but I have gradually started appreciating the role of philosophy of science. Specifically, it has catered to my question on ‘why I do what I do?’
  6. Teaching as social responsibility – In the Indian academia, scientific social responsibility is a buzz word. For me, the greatest social responsibility as an academic comes in the form of teaching. In larger scheme of things, some how we tend to neglect the impact of conventional teaching on students. Also, this impact is not easily measured. But the joy one obtains seeing a student do well is priceless. This local impact is what I value more because the feedback is there to see, right in front of you.
  7. Science, sports and arts : a trinity – I love outdoor sports including running, swimming, cricket etc. Equally, I enjoy listening to music, reading poetry and appreciating any form of art from any culture. I have found that it has not only made me a better person, but also has positively impacted my work. Taken as a trinity, these human endeavours continue to enrich our lives.
  8. Emphasis on mental and physical health – The most important policy that I have set in my research group is this: To do effective and enjoyable work, your mental and physical health should be good. There is no point in doing good work at the expense of your health. Therefore the priority will always be good health followed by good work.
  9. Social media : effective if used properly – Social media has a unique reach. If you are in India, and you want to connect to the scientific world, social media is an excellent platform. Given the size and diversity of India, social media can also reach people from various backgrounds and languages. If used responsibly, social media can have great impact on how science is communicated within India and how India connects to the scientific world.
  10. Renewed interest in applied mathematics and coding – During my BSc (Maths, Physics, Electronics) and MSc (Physics), I had excellent training and exposure in mathematics. During the lock-down period, I rejuvenated my interest in applied mathematics (especially nonlinear dynamics) and have started coding too. This has added a new impetus to my research and should reflect in the coming years.
  11. Professor as a post-doc – A research strategy I found useful in my work is to treat myself as a post-doc in the lab. Given that, in India retaining a long-term post-doc is difficult, many of the skills and thought processes cannot be effectively transferred in lab. A long term research problem needs sustained effort in the lab. As an experimental faculty it is easy to get caught up in activities outside the lab and lose touch with the (optical) bench work. Thanks to the lock-down period, I was the only one in the lab for almost 6 months,and I restarted my experimental work. I value that time and I see great benefit in this approach.
  12. Self-mentoring – A lot of academic advice is written by people working in the west. A few of them are general and applicable to Indian academia, but many of them are not. In such a situation, as an academic I try to derive inspiration by reading, especially about people who have done great work in India. I have been deeply influenced by people such as M. Visvesvaraya and Ashoke Sen. 

Sagan’s quote

Keynote address at CSICOP conference in 1987. “Do Science and the Bible Conflict?” Book by Judson Poling, p. 30, 2003

Even before the age of social media, Carl Sagan played a prominent role in communicating science to the public. His book ‘Cosmos’ is a classic, and his public lectures (a few are on YouTube) are certainly worth watching.

For me what is very impressive about Sagan’s communication is that he is not condescending by any means. This attitude is probably one the most important aspect in communicating science to society. The moment the public feels that scientific thinking is an elitist’s endeavour, they tend to repel.

Not only was Sagan an excellent scientist, but also a person who articulated the role of science in society, especially by contrasting it to religion and politics. A very famous quote of his is reproduced here, that highlights the value of scientific thinking, and how it elevates the human mind.

Quote reference: Keynote address at CSICOP conference in 1987. “Do Science and the Bible Conflict?” Book by Judson Poling, p. 30, 2003

53. Karnad’s preface to his memoir

One of the important aspects of reading a preface to a book is to know why an author wrote that book. This is one place where authors freely express their opinion on various things, and sometimes this opinion is not necessarily related to that book. For me, reading the preface connects me to the author in a better way than say, reading a review of the book, which I generally do after reading the book. Over the years, I have made it a habit to read the preface of almost any book I have come across.
In this context, recently I came across one of the most hilarious prefaces I have read. This is from Girish Karnard‘s memoir (translated from Kannada) titled : this life at play.


Below I reproduce the preface (which is by the way, available online) :

Dharwad, 1973

Aayi (my mother), Bappa (my father) and I were having lunch. My first film Samskara had won the President’s Gold Medal. My second, Vamsha Vriksha, had had a successful run and won the National Award for best direction. My latest film Kaadu was in the final stages of production. I was a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee. And I had just been named the director of the Film and Television Institute of India. The air at home was thick with self-congratulation.

Then Aayi looked at Bappa and said, ‘And we had thought of not having him.’Bappa went red in the face. After some stammering, he managed to say, ‘That was all your idea, not mine. Why bring this up now?’ and hid his face in the plate in front of him.

I had to know more. I asked Aayi, and she explained: ‘I had three children already when I became pregnant with you. I thought that was enough, so we went to a doctor in Poona named Madhumalati Gune.’

‘And?’

‘She had said she would be at the clinic, but she wasn’t. We waited an hour and returned.’

‘And then?’

‘And then, nothing. We never went back.’

I was stunned. I was then thirty-five years old. Still, I grew faint at the possibility that the world could have gone on without me in it. For a while, I sat there unaware of my surroundings, considering the idea of my non-existence. A thought struck me. With some bewilderment, I asked about my younger sister: ‘Then, what about Leena…?’

Aayi said, somewhat coyly, ‘Oh, we had stopped thinking of all that by then.’ She burst out laughing. Bappa remained engrossed in the contents of his plate.

Had the doctor arrived at the clinic as promised, these memoirs and their narrator would not have existed. So, I dedicate this autobiography to the memory of the person who made all this possible: Dr Madhumalati Gune.

Girish Karnad

Bangalore, 19 May 2011

45. Scientific Gandhism

Thanks to Gautam Menon, I came across this article in Nature, which makes an interesting case for being self critical of one’s own published work.

Perhaps, this is a good way to go, although much easier said than done. Overall, I strongly support the line of thinking of looking inward and being critical of one’s work.

One of the motivations for writing my blog is to highlight the human element of doing science, and honest mistakes in the pursuit of science are very much part of it.

This is indeed a good culture to inculcate and encourage in a day and age where everything negative and critical is looked down upon as a disadvantage.

The article also reminds me of Peter Medawar’s talk: “Is the scientific paper a fraud?” , which was one of the most refreshing viewpoints on the pursuit of science that I have read. Interestingly, there has been quite a lot of debate on this question, and is worth exploring.

Also there is an element of Gandhism in being truthful to oneself and others, which is refreshing to see in scientific world :-)

43. Gadagkar’s article

Central to scientific thinking is the ability to create an idea, test it rigorously, and report the results. This thinking is made coherent and expressed in the form of writing. Scientific research indeed can be fostered and improved by writing well, especially when guided by the goals to achieve accuracy and clarity.

I recently read a wonderful article by Prof. Raghavendra Gadagkar, which elegantly makes a case for why scientist must write to a wider audience, and why the boundary between the roles of a scientist and a science writer should be diminished.

The article reads like a manifesto for science communication, as the author himself states at the end. I strongly recommend this article to anybody who is involved in pursuit of science.

Perhaps I will add one more point to what the author mentions. There might be a very important role for science writers who can take emerging developments in science literature and translate it into vernacular language. An authentic scientific voice in regional language can really impact not only the interest of students, but also of the general public, including policy makers and politicians.

India and the world needs more science, and scientific way of life. Therefore, doing science is as important as communicating it. Prof. Gadagkar’s article makes an excellent case for this.

40. Tadashi’s practical application

Steven Strogatz is a well know applied mathematician from Cornell University, and has done some fascinating research on nonlinear dynamics (NLD). His lecture series on NLD and chaos is one of the best I have come across. Apart from writing columns in New York Times, he has also published some fantastic books on explaining mathematics, its relevance and impact on our daily lives, society and ecology.

Steve Strogatz has also been hosting The Joy of x podcast on the Quanta Magazine. In there, he interviews many contemporary mathematicians and scientists, who are actively involved in research and teaching. I found these informal interactions and exchange of ideas very interesting.

In one of the podcasts, Steven interviews Tadashi Tokieda, a mathematician who is interested in toys, and specifically the intriguing mathematics and physics of toys. In this interview, Tadashi describes his journey as an artist, philologist and as a professor who works on mathematics of toys.

Towards the end of the podcast (around 49 min in this audio), Tadashi describes how people (especially adults) ask him about the practical applications of studying toys, and how it can be beneficial to them. To this, his answer is something on the following lines :

When I show these toys to children, and explain to them the science and mathematics related to the toys, they feel very happy about it. What can be a better practical application that this !

Listening this just made my day…

29. hBN crystal growth…..and a poem by Glück

Internet is a funny thing. I started searching for some research paper but I ended up with a totally unrelated news feature from Nature 1, which ended up as an interesting read. It is about two Japanese crystal growers from Japan : Kenji Watanabe2 and Takashi Taniguchi 3 who work at National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS) in Tsukuba. They have come into the limelight for their outstanding skills of growing high quality crystals of hexagonal boron nitride or more commonly called as hBN in the research community. The news article gives a very nice overview of how they go about growing their crystals with an element of human touch 1 :

“The two researchers have contrasting styles. Taniguchi is known for his parties, blasts the music of Queen through the lab as he runs the press late at night and, even at the age of 60, still plays soccer with his colleagues at lunchtime. Watanabe, three years younger, is soft-spoken, detail-oriented and prefers tennis. But the scientists worked well together and published their first paper on cBN crystals in 2002.”

In scientific research, an important aspect of lab-based experiments is that it critically depends on the quality of the sample that one is interrogating, and more so in research on condensed matter, where quality of the material is paramount. After the emergence of graphene as a remarkable 2D material 4, various researchers across the globe (including IISER-Pune) have been intensely studying graphene and other 2D materials. In order to probe graphene in the lab, first you need to place the one atom thick material on a substrate. Generally, silicon (with or without silicon oxide) is used for this purpose. The electronic mobility of graphene, which is to be maximized for its magic work, critically depends on the quality of the substrate (and superstrate) on which it is placed on, and hBN is the best choice for maximum mobility. This is where quality of hBN comes into picture, and Watanabe and Taniguchi are considered the masters of growing high purity hBN crystals, exclusively for this purpose, as the news feature highlights 1. Of course, hBN is not limited to be just a substrate for graphene based nano-electronic devices. It has also emerged as an interesting nanophotonic material, which can potentially function as a hyper lens. All these applications critically depend on the quality of the sample one can produce, and hence, growth of high quality crystal is so important.

At IISER-Pune, right in front of my lab is the lab of my colleague – Surjeet Singh5. In his lab, they grow some fascinating crystals of quantum magnets, superconductors etc. Furthermore, many of my other colleagues, including chemists and biologists, grow and study crystals made of inorganic, organic and biological materials. I have to mention that, in India, there are many researchers across the country who are excellent crystal-growers. In fact, India has a rich history in crystal growth research ( for example: GN Ramachandran school 6), and I hope this legacy will continue with the support of academia and  funding agencies. After all, high quality materials need high quality skills to grow and characterize them, and I have repeatedly heard that crystal growth is as much as an art as it is a science.

Speaking of science and art, Nobel prizes for 2020 has been announced. Great to see a good representation of women among the laureates this year. It is befitting to end this blog with a poem7 by Louise Glück (the literature laureate of 2020):

October (section I) by Louise Glück

Is it winter again, is it cold again,

didn’t Frank just slip on the ice,

didn’t he heal, weren’t the spring seeds planted

didn’t the night end,

didn’t the melting ice

flood the narrow gutters

wasn’t my body

rescued, wasn’t it safe

didn’t the scar form, invisible

above the injury

terror and cold,

didn’t they just end, wasn’t the back garden

harrowed and planted—

I remember how the earth felt, red and dense,

in stiff rows, weren’t the seeds planted,

didn’t vines climb the south wall

I can’t hear your voice

for the wind’s cries, whistling over the bare ground

I no longer care

what sound it makes

when was I silenced, when did it first seem

pointless to describe that sound

what it sounds like can’t change what it is—

didn’t the night end, wasn’t the earth

safe when it was planted

didn’t we plant the seeds,

weren’t we necessary to the earth,

the vines, were they harvested?

References :

1. Zastrow M. Meet the crystal growers who sparked a revolution in graphene electronics. Nature. 2019;572(7770):429-432. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02472-0

2. WATANABE, Kenji | SAMURAI – National institute for Materials Science. WATANABE, Kenji | SAMURAI – National Institute for Materials Science. Accessed October 9, 2020. https://samurai.nims.go.jp/profiles/watanabe_kenji_aml

3. TANIGUCHI, Takashi | SAMURAI – National institute for Materials Science. TANIGUCHI, Takashi | SAMURAI – National Institute for Materials Science. Accessed October 9, 2020. https://samurai.nims.go.jp/profiles/taniguchi_takashi

4. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010. NobelPrize.org. Accessed October 9, 2020. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2010/press-release/

5. Surjeet Singh. Accessed October 9, 2020. http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/~surjeet.singh/

6. G. N. Ramachandran. In: Wikipedia. ; 2020. Accessed October 9, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=G._N._Ramachandran&oldid=976314830

7. Poets A of A. October (section I) by Louise Glück – Poems | Academy of American Poets. Accessed October 9, 2020. https://poets.org/poem/october-section-i