'Appreciate science for what it is', says Dr. Venki Ramakrishnan, one of the Nobel laureates in Chemistry for the year 2009. Touring southern India for the first time after being awarded the Nobel, he muses rather amusingly on the nearly twenty-fold increase in the audience strength for his lecture after a group of Europeans decided to burden him with extra responsibilities outside his domain. He also stresses on the idea of science being a journey rather than a destination. In his words, 'You can't go into science thinking of a Nobel Prize'.
Without daring to make any comparisons whatsoever, a similar thought was echoed not too long ago by my roomie, Sriram. According to him, people in India (and that includes students of science) have a very blurry vision of what science is about. Most think more scientific research would lead to more applications, and a general alleviation of standard of living. In fact, this is but one aspect of science. A lot of science has got to do with the very pursuit of science, which can be understood only by experience. My teacher in New Delhi puts it simply, 'Science is not a spectator sport. To know it, you have to get in and get your hands dirty'.
To this day, science remains a niche enterprise, with a whopping majority of the world completely unaware of what it means.
Without daring to make any comparisons whatsoever, a similar thought was echoed not too long ago by my roomie, Sriram. According to him, people in India (and that includes students of science) have a very blurry vision of what science is about. Most think more scientific research would lead to more applications, and a general alleviation of standard of living. In fact, this is but one aspect of science. A lot of science has got to do with the very pursuit of science, which can be understood only by experience. My teacher in New Delhi puts it simply, 'Science is not a spectator sport. To know it, you have to get in and get your hands dirty'.
To this day, science remains a niche enterprise, with a whopping majority of the world completely unaware of what it means.
7 comments:
nice one! :)
@ Anu
Thanks!
One of the problems in India is that people always mistake technology to science; just see S&T section of all the websites of Indian newspapers and news channels, they are just dumped with information on gizmos. Nobody talks about stars, molecules, etc.
In the hindsight of economic growth, Indian public is just a tech. consumer, not a science creator.....just ask somebody, how does a mobile phone work ?.....
@ Pavan
Interesting comment!
I think the fault lies, at least in part, with the inability and indifference of us students of science to take science out of classrooms and labs and onto the streets of India.
I also believe that the issue of scientific ignorance is a more global one than my post made it seem to be.
Guess its also to do with the fact that India is a developing country and when funds, instruments are limited, applied science gets an upper hand over mere curiosity. I agree that it shouldn't be this way.
@ Nandhini
You make a valid point. On a lighter note, I am sure a few people may not agree that the so-called 'pure' science is 'mere curiosity' :)
nice post
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