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…
Gandhi, Tagore and Celebration of Ideas
One of the books that I have enjoyed reading over the years is The Mahatma and The Poet – Letters and Debates between Gandhi and Tagore 1915-1941’ compiled and edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya. The theme of the book is centered around the intellectual exchanges between M.K. Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore on a variety of topics, including education, scientific outlook, philosophy and human dignity. Sabyasachi introduces the book with an overview of letters and debates and emphasizes that ‘The intellectual quality of the dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore is such that it possesses an enduring interest. In these pages, I have tried to situate their debates, in private letters and in public statements, in the historical context of India’s national life and the cultural and political discourse of those times.’(page 20)
The book has a rich intellectual texture and showcases two minds that are open to ideas and not hesitant to express them. As Sabyasachi mentions that:‘…. the differences between them were real and at the same time they shared a common highground above the terrain of differences. Despite their differences on many crucial questions, they were willing to learn from each other.’(page 34) It shows what two engaging minds can reveal not only about themselves, but also about the place and time in which they live and operate. In there, we learn something that was a hallmark of Gandhi’s life: he was open to criticism and changed his mind in the light of evolving times and thoughts, as Sabyasachi indicates with an example:
‘Gandhi was equally open to candid criticism. It is possible that in some respects his outlook evolved, in response to the debates with Tagore. Consider, for instance, his: approach in Hind Swaraj: “I believe that the civilization India has evolved is not to be beaten in the world. Nothing can equal the seeds sown by our ancestors…. India remains immovable and that is her glory…. India has nothing to learn from anybody else and this is as it should be.” One can compare that with his later pronouncements, most notably his reply to Tagore in 1921, a truly memorable statement: “I do not want my house to be walled in all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.’ (page 36)
Gandhi is many things to many people, some positive and some negative. For me, what stands out is his ability to utilize philosophical ideas such as ahimsa (non-violence) and satyagraha (pursuit of truth) for a political goal and effectively communicate it to a large population in that era. He may well have failed in this era, but he remains an excellent benchmark for human dignity across the world, even today. In that sense, he represents ‘the swadeshi’ in all of us and yet appeals to the whole world, just as Tagore does.
The book (freely available online) is a great read; it is a visit not only to the past, but also into the depths of two human minds, and perhaps into the depths of oneself. After all, ideas too need celebration.
Conversation with Aparna Deshpande
Welcome to the podcast, Pratidhavani – Humanizing Science
Aparna Deshpande is an Associate Professor of Physics at IISER Pune, specializing in atomic-scale exploration of two-dimensional materials and their interfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy. She is deeply engaged in research on nanomaterials and is active in physics education (as part of the department of science education at IISER Pune), communication, and outreach at IISER Pune.
Aparna is also the faculty in charge of the Smt. Indrani Balan Science Activity Centre at IISER Pune, where she leads diverse science outreach and STEM education initiatives, promoting hands-on multi-lingual learning and innovative workshops for students and teachers across India.
In this conversation, we explore her research in physics and science education.
You can also watch or listen on spotify
References:
[1] “Dr. Aparna Deshpande.” Accessed: Sept. 25, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://draparnadeshpande.github.io/portfolio/
[2] “Dr. Aparna Deshpande (@DrAparnaIISERP) / X.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed: Sept. 25, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://x.com/draparnaiiserp
[3] “Aparna Deshpande | LinkedIn.” Accessed: Sept. 25, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparna-deshpande-01927015/?originalSubdomain=in
[4] “Aparna Ramchandra Deshpande – Google Scholar.” Accessed: Sept. 25, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=f5FnqMIAAAAJ&hl=en
[5] “Aparna Deshpande – IISER Pune.” Accessed: Sept. 25, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/physics/people/faculty/regular-faculty/aparna-deshpande/259
[6] J. Poskett, Horizons. London, UK: Penguin Books, 2023. Accessed: Sept. 25, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/313423/horizons-by-poskett-james/9780241986264
[7] P. Lockhart and K. Devlin, A Mathematician’s Lament. Illustrated ed. New York, NY: Bellevue Literary Press, 2009. https://www.blpress.org/books/a-mathematicians-lament/
Satish Dhawan – truly a man for all seasons
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:
- 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 ↩︎
- 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. ↩︎
- S. Dhawan, “Bird Flight,” Sadhana 16, no. 4 (1991): 275–352, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02745345. ↩︎
- P. Balaram, Current Science 119, no. 9 (2020), page 1432. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27139041. ↩︎
Frankfurt in 5 hours…
On my way back to India from Leipzig, I spent an evening in Frankfurt (19th Sept 2025). I arrived on an intercity train from Leipzig to Frankfurt in the late afternoon and had about 22 hours for my flight. I quickly checked into the hotel, did a bit of research online and picked a few places to visit in the evening. As suggested, I took a 1-day train ticket and went to Frankfurt Hauptwache, and visited the following places on foot: Museum of Modern Electronic Music, city center walkway, Iron Bridge, love locks on the bridge, walkway around the bridge, including a beautiful view of the sunset and cruise ship, the historical Römerberg that has statues of Minerva and the goddess of justice.
It was a long walk on a bright evening, and what a few hours of historical learning…pictures below.
Bach @ Leipzig
The musician Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) has a major presence in Leipzig, Germany. As one walks across the streets of Leipzig, one will find Bach’s presence in the form of symbols and statues. His presence is felt both in the lavish churches and in the open markets, which indicates his influence in the period. A museum adjoining St. Thomas’ church has many musical instruments and notes that belonged to Bach. When I visited this place, the organ was being played, and the quality of the acoustics was excellent. Below are a few snapshots from the visit (15th Sept 2025).
Leipzig – where Heisenberg worked…
From 16th to 18th Sept, 2025, I attended and gave a talk at Optofluidix 2025, thanks to the invitation of Prof. Frank Cichos and his team, Department of Physics, University of Leipzig.
This department is steeped in history, and this post is to give you a pictorial glimpse of some people who worked there.
Werner Heisenberg, aged 25, became a Professor at the University of Leipzig, Germany. It was an illustrious department then, had professors such as Peter Debye, Gustav Hertz (of the Franck-Hertz experiment fame), Friedrich Hund and many others. Felix Bloch was a student of Heisenberg in Leipzig.
As the AIP archives describe, “Only 25 years old in October 1927, Heisenberg accepted appointment as professor of theoretical physics at the University of Leipzig, Germany. Friedrich Hund soon joined his former Göttingen colleague as Leipzig’s second professor of theoretical physics. Heisenberg headed the Institute for Theoretical Physics, which was a sub-section of the university’s Physics Institute, headed until 1936 by the experimentalist Peter Debye. Each of the three professors had his own students, assistants, postdocs, and laboratory technicians.”
Below are a few snapshots that I took while visiting the department. Special thanks to Diptabrata Paul (my former PhD student and currently a post-doc in Cichos’ group) for showing me around the department.
Liquid Crystal Droplets + Plasmonic nanoparticle clusters
A droplet of liquid can act as an optical resonator. One can create a droplet of a liquid crystal and utilize its optical and topological properties. In recent times, liquid crystal droplets have emerged as a ‘soft photonic element’ in topological optics and photonics. Studying their optical behaviour in a controlled environment is a contemporary research problem.
In this context, we have an arXiv preprint on liquid crystal droplets and their reversible coupling to a small assembly of nanoparticles on a glass surface (see video).
Specifically, we ask: What happens to the modes of light inside the droplet due to such an interaction?
Thanks to the efforts of Sumant Pandey, we experimentally demonstrate the utility of optical tweezers to proximally couple (and decouple) nematic liquid crystal droplets to gold nanoparticle clusters, and record whispering gallery modes in coupled and decoupled states. We observe tuning of sharp resonant modes.
For more details, see the preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10126v1
Sir MV on Education
In India, “National Engineers’ Day is celebrated every year on September 15 to honor the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of India’s greatest engineers”. Sir MV, as he was known, is one of the 20th-century Indians I admire. He was a forward-looking statesman who contributed immensely to building India (literally and figuratively). MV was a well-read and well-travelled person for his era, and wrote a few books and memos that are still pertinent to the current developments in India and the world.
Reconstructing India (1920)
One of his books, Reconstructing India (1920), reveals his thoughts on how and why India needs to reconstruct itself based on knowledge in science, technology and humanities. The title page is shown below, and the book is free to read online, thanks to the Internet Archive.
The book, as mentioned by MV in the preface, was written just after the First World War, and contemplates problems faced by India in light of geopolitical developments. In the 17 chapters of the book, divided into 4 parts, MV discusses specific issues faced by India, and proposes that political and administrative reforms can help India become a progressive society.
The largest part of the book is on economic reconstruction, in which he proposes contemporary methods (for the 1920s) to improve various sectors of manufacturing, including agricultural technology and communication media.
The third part of the book is on social reforms, and in there, he has a dedicated chapter on Education, which caught my attention, and I found it relevant even for today’s India.
Education, Humanities, and STEM
It is important that students of science and technology have a good exposure to some aspects of the humanities, including economics, history and philosophy. The pursuit and ability to choose good problems in science and technology critically depend on the social and economic structure in which they are practiced in universities and research institutions. MV anticipated this and highlights it as:
“Secondary and university education, though producing many able recruits for subordinate positions in the Civil Service, does not provide the men needed to carry on the work of agriculture, engineering, commerce and technology. The provision for training in economics and history is inadequate, and the study of those subjects is even discouraged. An attempt is actually made to teach economics in such a way as to render India’s emergence from a state of dependency difficult.”
Even in 2025, I would suggest that STEM students pay attention to economics, as it anchors them to understand the need and functions of a society, and therefore, their work can be calibrated accordingly. This is not to discourage open-ended research, but to understand how natural sciences are connected to the societal thoughts and needs. It gives us a broader understanding of the context, which is so important while understanding the evolution of ideas.
Comparative Education Systems
There is always a lot to learn from various societies and cultures. In order to do so, one needs comparative analysis. This helps one to choose some good elements from a society that can be emulated elsewhere. MV compares and comments on the 1900s British educational system in contrast to the German and Japanese counterparts. Note that India in the 1920s was still a British colony, and in a way, MV is critical of the system in which he himself was educated and trained. As he notes:
“Britain herself has had to pay a heavy price for her hand-to-mouth policy in regard to education. The educational chaos still existing there compares unfavourably with the great yet orderly progress made by Germany and Japan, both of which countries, after weighing and testing the educational systems of the world, absorbed the best of all.”
These were words written long before the Second World War, and give us a glimpse of how German and Japanese systems were functioning in the 1920s and had a lot to offer to the world. Of course, history took its own path, and German and Japanese society had other ideas.
Incidentally, I am writing this piece sitting in Leipzig (eastern Germany), and I am amazed by its architectural marvels that date back centuries. Indeed, German society had (and has) a lot to offer to the world. As MV indicates above, we need to absorb the best that is on offer. In doing so, we also need to reject that which is not good for any society.
Liberal Education and Financial Support
He further adds how liberal education adds value to a society, and calls not only the government but also the people to recognize the importance of financial support for education.
“Both the Government and the people must recognize that only by pursuing a liberal educational policy, and making generous financial provision for schools and colleges can they lift India out of her present low condition and ensure rapid progress.”
These words still hold good, and as a society, India has to re-emphasize modern education that helps us become not only better doctors and engineers, but also better human characters that can add value to the “modern” world.
Call to Action
In the final part of the book, MV makes a passionate appeal to the people of India, calling them to take action and move towards becoming a progressive nation:
“Do the people of India propose to profit by the lessons which world experience has to teach them, or will they be content to allow matters to drift and themselves grow weaker and poorer year by year?
This is the problem of the hour. They have to choose whether they will be educated or remain ignorant; whether they will come into closer touch with the outer world and become responsive to its influences, or remain secluded and indifferent; whether they will be organized or disunited, bold or timid, enterprising or passive ; an industrial or an agricultural nation ; rich or poor ; strong and respected, or weak and dominated by forward nations. The future is in their own hands.”
Indeed, the future is in our hands, and these words written more than 100 years ago still resonate loudly. We need more engineers like Sir MV. The reason he was so effective was that he combined thinking and doing. Importantly, the lesson we can learn from MV’s life and by reading this book, is that an open mind can grasp good ideas at any time and anywhere. Implementing those ideas is an equally important challenge, and MV was up to this in his own way. Are we, as Indians, open to this prospect and engineer our future?
Art and Chu – in Bell labs
Steven Chu’s Nobel lecture has some gems. Below, he shares his experience of working with Arthur Ashkin.
“In 1986, the world was excited about atom trapping. During this time, Art Ashkin began to use optical tweezers to trap micron sized particles. While experimenting with colloidal tobacco mosaic viruses, he noticed tiny, translucent objects in his sample. Rushing into my lab, he excitedly proclaimed that he had ‘discovered Life’. I went into his lab, half thinking that the excitement of the last few years had finally gotten the better of him. In his lab was a microscope objective focusing an argon laser beam into a petri dish of water. Off to the side was an old Edmund Scientific microscope. Squinting into the microscope, I saw my eye lashes. Squinting harder, I occasionally saw some translucent objects. Many of these objects were ‘floaters’, debris in my vitreous humor that could be moved by blinking my eyes. Art assured me that there were other objects there that would not move when I blinked my eyes. Sure enough, there were objects in the water that could be trapped and would swim away if the light were turned off. Art had discovered bugs in his apparatus, but these were real bugs, bacteria that had eventually grown in his sample beads and water.”
Chu won the physics Nobel in 1997, and Ashkin won the same in 2018. Ashkin was the pioneer of optical trapping and tweezers, and applied it to a variety of problems, including the manipulation of biological matter. Chu harnessed the momentum of light to trap and cool atoms. Both started their work and collaborated at Bell Labs. Chu moved to Stanford, whereas Ashkin stayed back. Bell Labs was a remarkable place in the 1980s, as Chu describes in his lecture :
“Bell Labs was a researcher’s paradise. Our management supplied us with funding, shielded us from bureaucracy, and urged us to do the best science possible. The cramped labs and office cubicles forced us to rub shoulders with each other. Animated discussions frequently interrupted seminars and casual conversations in the cafeteria would sometimes mark the beginning of a new collaboration.”
Can the world afford to have another Bell Labs in 2025? Can it recreate the magic?
VISMAYA - History & Philosophy of Science 