How to Learn and Practice Science PDF
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A. R. Prasanna How to Learn and Practice Science How to Learn and Practice Science A. R. Prasanna How to Learn and Practice Science A.R.Prasanna Ahmedabad,Gujarat,India ISBN978-3-031-14513-1 ISBN978-3-031-14514-8 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14514-8 ©TheEditor(s)(ifapplicable)andTheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicensetoSpringerNatureSwitzerland AG2022 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsaresolelyandexclusivelylicensedbythePublisher,whether thewholeorpartofthematerialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseof illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similarordissimilarmethodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped. Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. The publisher, the authors, and the editorsare safeto assume that the adviceand informationin this bookarebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsor theeditorsgiveawarranty,expressedorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforany errorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardtojurisdictional claimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations. ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG Theregisteredcompanyaddressis:Gewerbestrasse11,6330Cham,Switzerland Dedication Entaro Mahanubhavulu, Andariiku Vandanamu (Saint Thyagaraja) (Salutations to all the Great Souls, Learned and Wise) Preface and Acknowledgments My interest in science, which started in Class 8, got boosted when I had my first occasiontomeetwithProfessorSirC.V.Raman,athisinstituteinBangalorein1957 when I was in Class 11 (Matriculation). To my fortune, I had a couple of more meetingswithhimasIhadregisteredtoattendhisannuallecturesonGandhiJayanti onOctober2everyyear.Oneofthose(in1961)wasthemostsignificantforme,as arriving early at his institute, I had the rare privilege of walking along with the Professorinhislovelyrosegardenlisteningtohimaboutscienceandhowitshould bepracticed.Oh,whatagreatpersonhewas!Oneofhislectureson“Light,Colour andVision”isstillfreshinmymemory. As I chose to specialize in a different area of theoretical physics and left Bangalore after graduation, I had no further occasion to meet him again, but the earlymemoriesareeverlasting.ThoughIhavebeenapracticingstudentofscience all my life, I had learned how important it is to popularize science and scientific temperthroughinteractionswithstudentsandsocietyingeneral.Myownveryfirst popular lecture was delivered in the then British Council Library in Madras (now Chennai) in 1965, while I was a research student at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences,popularlyknownasMatscience.Idoenjoygivingpopulartalksmostlyon thetopicof“ouruniverse,”asalsothemethodsoflearninganddoingscience.Ido believethatscienceistobelearnedandnottaught. With this philosophy, I have engaged school teachers on different occasions urging them to inculcate in their students the spirit of learning science. During the last three years, staying home (due to lockdowns and pandemics) I started putting togethersomeofthematerialIhadusedforsuchworkshopsandlecturesintheform ofessays,andthislittlebookisaresultofthatventure. Theplanofthebookisgearedtowardbothstudentsandteacherswiththeearlier chapters concentrating more on students and later ones initiating the process for teachers (communicators). Apart from these two groups, the book may also be of interesttoanyoneinterestedinscienceandlikestodevelopscientificunderstanding andscientifictemper. Isincerelybelievethatchildrenarebybirthcuriousabouteverythingthattheysee andexperience.Asadults,weneedtochannelizethemtothink,ponder,andarriveat vii viii PrefaceandAcknowledgments understandable conclusions which they can appreciate and communicate to others wheneverrequiredorquestioned. The bookstarts withthe topic“what isscience?”The basic aimofscienceisto understandthevarioushappeningsaroundusandhowourancientgenerationstried tointerpretattributingreasonsandcausestoeffectsobservedratherthanattributing tothesupernatural.Thoughinitially,theattemptsweretomakelifeeasierwithsome innovative gadgets, the more inquisitive among them turned their attention to understanding the cosmic order. Though not exactly, about six to seven thousand years ago the humans in different parts of the world must have started wondering aboutquestionslikewhere,when,andhowdidtheworldcomeabout. Isscienceonlyesotericorcanoneseeitoperatingindailylife?Itissomethingwe allseeandexperienceinday-to-dayroutinesifonlywestopandquestionafterthe actionastowhydidIdoit?Onceobservedandanalyzedthelearnedconceptscan lead to events beyond and help in trying to follow the cosmic order. While we are veryadeptatusingthetechnologicaloutcomesofscience,oneneedstothinkofthe hidden science behind the technological innovations. One should indeed feel obli- gatedtothosepioneerswhospenttheirfacilitiesandtimetolookforapplicationsof scientificknowledgeandimprovisegadgetsthatweuseindailylife. Isthereamethodologyforlearninganddoingscience?ImmanuelKant’sexpla- nation of the philosophy of getting new knowledge both through reasoning and through new observations underlined an established and well-practiced methodol- ogyintheworldofscience.Discussingtheresultsobtainedwithothersandverifying them thoroughly are very important features of scientific methodology. Human knowledge initiates the thinking process. The reason for the methods of science beingdifficultisbecauseanyresultobtainedeitherbyexperimentorbyobservation hastoberepeatable.WhereasPlato’sschoolinGreeceinitiatedtheprocessoftrying to explain the celestial motion of stars and planets, their approach of a geocentric systemwasreplacedwiththehelio-centricsystemdevelopedbyCopernicus.Thea priori(apriori)(pre-knowledge)andtheaposteriori(aposteriori)(outerknowledge) concepts as put forward by Kant allowed equal emphasis on both the relationship point of viewand theempirical point ofview. Thoughthe methodologycannotbe compartmentalized,thetheoreticalandtheexperimentalviewpointsareveryimpor- tantbothinestablishingearlierlearnedknowledgeandinconfirmingitsextension. Howshouldonecommunicatescience?Apartfromaudioandvideomodeswhich are normal, a more important aspect of conveying the concepts and experiences needstobeputinaformthatiseasilyunderstoodbythereceiver.Oneshouldbearin mind the fact that just giving a whole lot of information does not convey science. Successful communication is that which brings in the joy of understanding to the receiver. As science deals with the knowledge of nature, its communication could andshouldbeinandwithallpossibleformsofperceptions.Onceaphenomenonis describedoralawstated, itshouldproduce thesameeffect orgivethesameresult irrespective of when or where the experiment is conducted or observation is made and who does it. This would indeed initiate the question: does thinking need a language? Further one should demarcate the differences between information and knowledge. PrefaceandAcknowledgments ix Mathematicsasacommonbaseforsciencehasandisplayingafundamentalrole inquantifyingtheideasexpressedaswellasinexpressinglogicallythecause–effect relations in theories and models. Puzzles and riddles often pose a thinking mental pastime and sharpen the mind through a quest for solutions. Through the usage of coordinate systems, mathematics provides an apparatus - the language of numbers which between different observers are linked by finite and reciprocal transforma- tions. There have been concrete examples where discoveries and theories are developed by adopting new mathematics to advance old theories. One ought to rememberthatthoughallmathematicaldevelopmentshavetheirpsychologicalroots in practical requirements, it invariably gains momentum in themselves and tran- scends the confines of immediate utility as expressed by distinguished mathemati- cians. Mathematics plays important role in establishing working relations between different disciplines as may be seen in the development of subjects like biomathe- matics,computersimulations,andinformationtechnology.Withallitsseriousness, mathematics can be fun too and improves the skill of any individual who spends time,solvingpuzzlesasapastime. Scienceisanintegratedadventureasdemonstratedbypractitionersofearliereras. Unfortunately, the new advances have rendered it to severe specializations which often may make a practitioner lose track of the associated concepts. This must be looked into, and particularly at the elementary level, one should communicate science in an integrated way showing the young minds the applicability of one disciplineintheotherassociateddisciplines.Thisrequiresathematicdevelopment ofteachingaidsandmodels.Topicslikemotion,work,forceandenergy,structure, andstatesofmatterareallexamplesofscientificconceptswhichcanbecommuni- cated in an interdependent and integrated manner. While super specializations cannot be avoided, they have their role only at the research level and not for communicating(aidingtolearn)attheelementarylevel. Experienceandexperimentationarehallmarksoflearningandpracticingscience. Man’searlyexperiencesfromchildhoodareindeedthebasisforaninquiringmind which grows into the stage of experimenting to know more about things around us. While trying out simple experiments during adolescence may be considered adventurous, pursuing that approach to learn more as one grows into adulthood shows clearly a scientific bent of mind. As one learns more and advances into research level and keeps the habit of questioning, trying to figure out and finally gettoworkinalaboratoryisnotjustfeedingthecuriositybutsettinguponeselffora scientificendeavor.WhenGalileokeptonrollingballsdownaninclinedplanewith varyinginclinations,hewasseriouslytryingtofindoutthepathwhichtooktheleast timetorolldown.Imaginethesurprisehehadwhenherealizedthatthepathwasnot a straight line but along a curve (the Brachistochrone), and this truth established a wholenewwayofthinking.Mostofourday-to-dayexperiencesiftheyoccurtime andagainresultintherealizationofsomeuniversaltruthandarealscientificmind willthenworkontheverificationofsuchfactsbyexperimentorobservation.Several times it could be an accidental discovery but still needs verification through con- trolledexperiments. x PrefaceandAcknowledgments Doingaccurateobservationsofeventsisasimportantasdoinglaboratoryexper- iments,andthisisparticularlyimportantwhenstudyingthecosmosandthemotion of cosmic bodies. The accurate observations of Tycho Brahe and his collection of datahelpedKeplerworkouttheorbitsofplanetsandthelawsthatgovernthem.The success of the Newtonian theory of gravity is mainly because using Newtonian mechanicsonecouldverifyKepler’sempiricallaws.Sometimesobservationscould comeaccidentally,whichisreferredtoas“serendipity.”Theearliestperhapswasthe discoveryoffirebothasafacilityandanarmoragainstwildanimals.Inlifesciences, thediscoveryofpenicillinwasonesuch,whereasinastronomythediscoveryofthe radio universe, which though accidental, required very keen observations for con- firmation.Thebooktriestoillustrateseveralsuchfindings. Tilltheadventofthetwentiethcentury,scientistsworkingonresearchproblems didsopurelyfortheiracademicsatisfactionandenjoymentwithoutworryingabout returns. Post-industrialrevolution,doing researchturnedinto aprofession,initially todevelop“warfare”butlatertolookforaidstobenefitthesocietythroughindustrial applications of science-based technology. Post-1960s people slowly realized that apartfromaspiringfordegreesinengineeringandmedicinewhichwereconsidered lucrative professions, studying pure science and going for research in its pure and applied aspects could also be considered as a profession. Have we understood scientific research as a full-time profession like any other though maybe less rewarding? Unfortunately, a very small percentage of society realizes this. The most important aspect to be appreciated is the fact that scientific research is not a 9to5job!Itistheonlyprofessionwhereonegetspaidfordoingwhatheorsheloves todoandmovesastepaheadinunderstandingnature.Onemustsaythatoverthelast twodecades,thefinancialremunerationforscienceprofessionalshasbeenfarbetter than what it used to be and chances of getting a good position depend entirely on one’smeritanddedicationtowork. Finally,alltheactivitiesofhumanbeingsarelinkedtothesocietytheylivein.As such it is necessary to look at the way society is interacting with those practicing sciencebothasanintellectualadventureandasaprofession.Aglanceatthehistory of science reveals that knowledge advancement and understanding nature in its various forms have only been possible due to the untiring and dedicated efforts of men and women analyzing what they observed and what they experienced. Early Greeks like Plato and Aristotle looked for patterns in the behavior of things both livingandnon-living.Itwasconveyedthatnothingshouldbetakenforgrantedand whateverknowledgeonehadfromtheearliergenerationsshouldonlyactasstepping stones for a new adventure. Scientific research is thus a continuous process with a firm beginning but never-ending. Unfortunately, the society which includes scien- tists themselves does not seem to have a real understanding of what scientific research is and the number of efforts that practitioners of science put in toward understanding how nature works or why is it unique. Of course, the valid reason couldbethefactthatveryfewscientiststaketimeoff,ifatall,tocommunicatetothe generalpublicaboutscience,itsvalues,anditscontributionstothegrowthofhuman society. In essence, this requires developing a scientific temper for which both the practitioners and their communities should work synergistically so that the entire PrefaceandAcknowledgments xi human society can overcome the ignorance of superstitions and learn to look for proofsandlogicalreasonsforallthecauseandeffectrelationships. Inmylifeofscienceoverthelastsixtyyears,IhavetakeneveryopportunityIgot to interact with people of different expertise and experience (teachers, scientists, colleagues, and students) and learned whatever I could, which in turn could have influencedmyviewswhilewritingthisbook.Iamverygratefultoallofthem.More directly,thereviewersofthedraftsofthemanuscriptatdifferentstagesgavesome goodandhelpfulsuggestionswhichIhavetriedandincorporatedtowhateverextent possible,andIamverythankfultothem.IamthankfultoProf.A.K.Singhviforhis reading of an earlier draft manuscript and for making a few helpful comments. I would like to express my appreciation to my two young friends Mr. Sonam Bhatt andMs.KavyaShah,whoreadthroughsomeofthechaptersintheearlierversion and indicated a few difficult terminologies from a student’s point of view, which I havetriedtoclarify.Imustsaythatthefinalversioninyourhandistheresultofvery useful suggestions and comments by Dr. Ramon Khanna, the editor, and his colleaguesatSpringerpublications.Iamverythankfultothem.AfterIhadfinished my first draft, my attention was drawn by Dr. Khanna to the books The Rise of SciencebyShaver(2018)andTechnologyandtheGrowthofCivilisation,byGenta andRiberi(2019).Forthoseparticularlyinterestedinfindingoutmoreexampleson aspects of mathematics as a basis of science, and the interdependence of different disciplinesofscienceandtechnologyforsuccessfulresearch,Iconsiderthesebooks veryuseful. I would like to express my love and appreciation for the continued support and understanding received from my family, wife Shanti, children Kartik and Tanusri and their spouses Bidisha and Fahim, and my lovely grandchildren Ananya, Anoushka, Sofia, and Rehan, during consolidating this work (in the difficult times of the pandemic). I would like to thank the concerned authorities in the Physical ResearchLaboratoryforthelibraryandcomputerfacilitiesprovided.Despiteallmy efforts,therecouldstillbescopeforimprovementandIwillbehappytohearfrom the readers, their views, critiques, and suggestions. I may be always contacted [email protected] Ahmedabad,India A.R.Prasanna
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