What happens when you ask why?
Several years ago, I visited the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (previously known as the Madras Observatory. Of the many inspiring stories about the Sun in this facility, the one that gave me goosebumps was the fact that the second lightest element in the universe — Helium, was discovered in Masulipatnam, a town in Andhra Pradesh,during a total solar eclipse in 1868, as part of the observations made by Madras Observatory Astronomers among others.
Moving from the Sun to the cosmos, at the Cosmic Ray Laboratory in Udhagamandalam, India, I came to know about some exciting research work; most of us are aware that our Earth behaves like a giant magnet due to its liquid core. This magnetic field is critical to the protection of the living system as it acts as a shield against several harmful radiation like cosmic rays. In fact, one team at the Udhagamandalam lab discovered that there was a temporary crack in the magnetic shield during a coronal mass ejection (large amounts of charged particles hurtled away from the Sun at very high speeds). But can you imagine the status of our planet if the magnetic field did not exist? It would have been disastrous.
But why was I curious to know what is happening inside the Sun? The solar eclipse? The magnetic field of Earth? The urge to understand the mysteries of how things work, or how to explore, discover or invent is natural.
Science is not just a collection of facts, it is a systematic method and rational approach towards understanding how nature or the things around us work, which of course begins with curiosity and questions. Treasure your questions and seek answers. Understanding why there are rainbow colours when sunlight falls on a CD will lead one to discovering how atmospheric constituents of different planets are found. Seeking to learn why the sky is blue will reveal why the colour of the stop signal is red. Every question you ask is important as it sends you on a science learning journey. Sometimes, seeking answers to a question will leave you with more questions. Whichever way it is, learning never stops.
On February 28, 1928, Dr. C.V. Raman discovered the Raman Effect for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. This day has been declared National Science Day by the Department of Science and Technology and is observed every year.
National Science Day is celebrated to encourage the spirit of science and to remind the integral role that science plays in our everyday life. Such a day also demonstrates that we humans have come far, from struggling to cross the oceans to space travel, from creating fire to building the largest of experiments — the Large Hadron Collider, from early footsteps found on Earth nearly four million years ago to the footstep on the Moon today.
At the end of it all always remember that a scientist is a kid at heart, and every kid is a born scientist, bubbling with curiosity and enthusiasm, at the same time willing to pursue dreams with focus and perseverance.
Women and Girls in Science
The seed for women researchers in India was sown when Dr. Kamala Sohonie became the first Indian woman to receive a PhD in science in 1939. She was a pioneering biochemist whose research involved nutritional values of the food consumed by poorest of Indian population. Her work paved way for a lot of women to be accepted in various Indian research institutes.
An example for the pivotal role Indian women have played in science is Dr. Sulochana Gadgil.
Monsoons are lifelines for farmers in India. In a country where the population is high, ensuring food for everyone is a nation’s priority. Dr. Gadgil made seminal contributions towards understanding the monsoon variability. She has also worked with farmers to derive farming techniques that are tailor made to monsoon variations. Apart from the academic opportunities, she credits her success to her husband who believed in every step of her career, and a wonderful family who have been very supportive throughout.
However, not every girl or woman is lucky to be supported enough to pursue her dreams in Science. The fact remains that women’s representation in research and innovation is far less across the globe. To highlight this, the United Nations has declared International Day for Women and Girls in Science on February 11.
Katherine Johnson, played a pivotal role to put a man on the moon. She calculated the trajectory for the Apollo 11 mission to the moon among other missions.
For most part of history, the struggles for a young girl to pick up science as a subject to study or a woman to take up a career in science were real, and to an extent continues to be.
Today, it is easier for girls and women to pursue a career in science. But there is still a long way to go. A day will dawn when there is equal representation of women in the scientific community, and recognition is awarded regardless of gender.
The writer is a Science Educator and Communicator at Mango Education.