For the Love of Science

I was meant to be a physicist. I discovered this when I was 14. We had an amazing Physics teacher that year. For one, she did not dictate notes ; meaning she knew and had enough things to say for the entire duration of the lecture. Someone(don't recall who:) once said " A good teacher is one who does not cover the subject but uncovers it for the students ". The Physics lectures were gripping,much like a murder mystery being solved. I recall being upset when she once cancelled a class due to other commitments. Ever since, almost all lecture cancellations have only brought joy to me.

All the formulae seemed intuitively obvious and nature seemed to behave just the way I had imagined. More importantly, I was somehow exposed to the culture of Physics. I read about Feynman,Weisskopf,Raman, Chadrashekar ... and I was inspired.

The next year, however , I was disillusioned.We had to give the 'board exams' that year. My bio-gas plants were not drawn neatly enough and there were four advantages of solar panels while I had laid down only three. We were expected to practise writing answers to 'important questions'.

I am now an Electronics engineer, doing my masters at IISc. I have no regrets.I love electronics and read popular science books whenever I get a chance. But , there are probably millions who lose their enthusiasm along the way.Some of these might even be potential Nobel Laureates.

What can we do about this?. Firstly , in my opinion teachers ought to be paid ten times more. Each teacher has in her power, the ability to influence hundreds of students in her career. In some sense it is the teachers who shape each new generation. They play a very important role and naturally ought to be paid more. This would automatically attract the best teachers.

The students should be introduced to the culture of the subject. Anyone who's a Linux fan would know exactly what I mean. Learning science without knowing the best scientists is like learning to play cricket in India without being aware of the existence of Sachin Tendulkar. Kids develop an interest in sports after watching these guys in action. While they may not be able to do it themselves, they recognise and appreciate the finer nuances of the game. That's what we need to do. Instill an interest and appreciation for the subject before delving into the details. Students need to be told the relevance of science. Telling them that regular study will fetch them good marks in the exams will cause more harm than good.

I recently came across a book by Freeman Dyson(he's a Professor Of Physics at the Institute of Advanced Study,Princeton) titled "Disturbing the Universe". There are two categories of people who ought to read this book : Those who are scientists and those who aren't." As a reviewer put it, he is a "scientist possessed with a rare sensitivity". Read this book if you can get hold of it. You will be pleasantly surrpised .