Author's
take
I was
16 when I started writing my book Black Holes, Big Bang and A Load of Salt:
Profiles of Contemporary Indian Scientists. It took me around one and half
years to finish the book. I spent a lot of time getting in touch with the
scientists and receiving their responses, as they have extremely busy
schedules. And to manage things with my regular academics, it took a bit
longer. My interaction with these scientists, which was mostly over the phone,
was extremely humbling. These are big names in the world of science and they
are respected worldwide, but in spite of this, they were so encouraging and
down-to-earth. All the scientists were so humble. It was an incredible learning
experience. I learnt the process of editing. I have been the editor of my
school magazine for a year, so I had a faint idea, but working on the book was
different. With the publishers, I learnt so much, and I now realise what it
takes to work on a draft to make it in to a book. I have always been extremely
passionate about science. I diligently study Physics, Chemistry and Biology
along with Mathematics in Cathedral and John Connon School, where I'm finishing
my Class XII. While studying these subjects academically, somewhere along the
line, I realised that there was a huge gap in communication of STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with the public. In the West, there
are several popular scientists and researchers who bring science to the masses,
engaging people who are interested in the world of STEM. In India we don't have
any such platform, or idols to look up to due to lack of awareness. I sincerely
believe that STEM is a very good way in creating a large-term impact,
especially in a country like India where there is so much scope. If I have to
summarise what the book is all about, it would be trying to explain the lives
of scientists in India. This book is for anyone who wants to learn about the
science scenario in India. It's explained in an extremely lucid manner so a
person of any age can pick the book and read. The main goal of the book was to
popularise Indian science and specifically break the myth that Indian
scientists are inferior. I experienced this trend when I read about several
scientists who have been doing remarkable work, but people are not even aware
of it. For example, theoretical physicist Ashoke Sen is a luminary in his field
but very few science aspirants may know of him. In a science class, students
would mostly idolise Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison, which is not wrong, but
this may have been a result of the fact that the work of the Indian scientists
is not much talked about or discussed in classrooms, or even in the media.
While Indian scientists might not have access to the best resources as their
Western counterparts, in no way are they inferior. In fact, I feel they may be
better as they pursue their field overcoming all the obstacles in our country
and still manage to produce cutting-edge work. Sanjeev Dhurandhar, who is part
of the Discovery of the Gravitational Waves, or P Balaram who left lucrative
opportunities abroad and decided to stay back and changed the scene of biology
in our country and set the way for hundreds of biologists who follow his path,
are some such examples. I feel that India has not been able to create an
environment where our scientists are respected and looked up to. ISRO's Mars
Mission is a wonderful example of how good Indian scientists are. Our
scientists proved that we can do what the scientists across the world can do,
and, in fact, do it for much cheaper.
The book also engages people in various subjects. To have
in-depth knowledge is not possible but knowing what the black hole is, or dark
matter is, or what's nanotechnology - are the kind of things that we should be
at least aware of. I am hoping that by introducing these and other topics in my
book, a spark of interest among the young and old alike is created. Science,
STEM and development is all about collaboration and getting people involved.
This is my aim and my book in a nutshell.
Source: DNA-1st February,2017
