Anecdotes in Basic Science

Science Corner

Basic research in science often creates tomorrow's technologies. Michael Faraday, after demonstrating the principles of electricity, was reportedly asked by a politician, “What use is it?” He replied, “What use is a newborn baby?” Faraday understood that discoveries may not have immediate applications, but they can transform the future.

Science advances by testing ideas rather than blindly accepting authority. The story of Galileo dropping balls of different masses from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to show that objects fall at the same rate, whether it happened or not, has challenged centuries of accepted belief and helped shape modern science.

Many important discoveries began with simple observations and paying attention to unexpected events such as Wilhelm Roentgen noticed a glowing screen across a room and discovered X-rays and Percy Spencer found that a candy bar in his pocket melted while he worked near a radar tube, leading to the invention of the microwave oven.

Srinivasa Ramanujan a young man who was self-taught, filled notebooks with mathematical formulas while working as a clerk in India. When his work reached the famous mathematician G. H. Hardy at Cambridge was astonished as the formulas were so extraordinary, influencing fields from theoretical physics to cryptography.

Dreams become reality through hard work, like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, India’s renowned scientist and former President said, “If you want to shine like Sun, we have to burn like Sun”, emphasizing the same. He was fascinated by flying machines and birds as a child, which later helped him build India’s space and missile programs. Many ideas that once appeared only in stories and myths, such as flying chariots as “Pushpaka Vimana” in Ramayana or magical communication devices such as “Priyadarshini” in “Mayabazar movie”, have become realities through science and technology.

Kalpana Chawla, a young girl from India who loved watching airplanes across the sky, dreamed of flying among the stars achieving by becoming an astronaut and traveling into space. Vera Rubin’s observations and perseverance of stars and galaxies provided strong evidence for the existence of dark matter, an invisible substance that makes up much of the universe.

Similarly, Tessy Thomas, known as the “Missile Woman of India,” grew up near a rocket launch station and later led major missile projects in India, through her dedication and confidence. Likewise, the film “Hidden Figures” tells the true story of three African American NASA mathematicians, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. Despite facing racial and gender discrimination, Katherine’s brilliance played a critical role, where astronaut John Glenn trusted her calculations so much that he asks her to check the computer’s answers before his space mission. 

Rosalind Franklin’s observation led to a breakthrough in biology. Her X-ray images of DNA helped reveal its structure, providing key insights into the molecule that carries the instructions for life. Jagadish Chandra Bose built special instruments to show that plants respond to their surroundings and react to changes even though they cannot move. Science helps us understand and respect nature in new ways.

Dr. E.K. Janaki Ammal, one of India’s pioneering botanists, worked to improve crop varieties and protect plant diversity. Her contributions to sugarcane research earned her recognition as “the woman who sweetened India’s sugarcane.”

Science also improves human health, Tu Youyou searched ancient Chinese medical texts for clues to treat malaria, leading to the discovery of the medicine “artemisinin. Dr. Gagandeep Kang has devoted her career to understanding diseases and developing better vaccines for children. These stories teach us that science begins with curiosity, grows through observation and perseverance, and has the power to transform lives and shape the future.

 (Dr Swarnabala Ganti is a seasoned chemist, regulatory affairs specialist and R&D scientist across India, Iran, Japan, and Taiwan. She is a researcher & a Consultant at Swaram Biochem)