Taking
Science to the Masses
Remembering a
noted Kannada science communicator
Prof Adyanadka Krishna Bhat
[Vineela, the Kannada title of the biographical work on Prof A K Bhat pictured above, compiled and edited by his younger brother Mr A Ramachandra Bhat, signifies a special hue of blue color associated with clear skies that was very dear to Prof Bhat. It is also the name given by him to his grandson residing in the USA]
His message of hope and optimism: “Lonely we never are when 100 billion earthlike planets are there without our knowing them. Let us move on to know each other.” (From one of his emails)
The movement for popularization of science in Kannada, pioneered by the
likes of Prof J R Lakshmana Rao and others, was greatly enriched by another
noted contemporary science communicator, Prof Adyanadka Krishna Bhat. This is in
memory of this gentle, soft-spoken, amiable, self-effacing, behind-the-scenes operator
who believed in living up to the responsibilities of his profession and in a sense
of duty to society, besides a strong love for communicating science to all
classes of people. It is also in recollection of my own memorable association
with him. By an unintended coincidence, I am posting this on his 8th death
anniversary.
The flier reproduced below gives
a crisp summary of the life and work of Prof Adyanadka Krishna Bhat in
Kannada, which I have sought to elaborate for my (English) readers in this article
(15 Mar 1938 was his birthdate):
https://youtu.be/3E20thVs7GE?si=-7HPcMvRxDtvDopV – Part 1
https://youtu.be/WwAwSrHjKOs?si=Iq1qm9lcGTcW5Knk – Part 2]
Looking Back
Rotary Brahmanda event
I had known a great deal about Prof Adyanadka Krishna
Bhat (I will shorten his name to AKB in the rest of this article) through Prof J R Lakshmana Rao the subject of my
last blog article, during my frequent contacts with the latter. I had also
heard about him from close mutual associates like Prof G T Narayana Rao and
others. I first met AKB only much later, during a symposium on Astronomy and
Space Sciences for schools in Mysore, planned and overseen by my long-time protégé,
then student-leader Chiranjeevi, under the sponsorship of Rotary Midtown Mysore
(RI Dist 3180) and active participation of ISRO Bangalore on 23 July 2011. As could be expected, I was drawn immediately
to AKB for the same simplicity, friendliness and scholarship that characterized
Prof JRL. We were both speakers in the
seminar along with a number of other luminaries. Here is a group photo taken on
the occasion:
Here is the
programme sheet, with a candid picture of AKB taken while he was addressing a
large gathering, mainly of school students, on the occasion:
The words ‘ancient times‘ are taken to mean the times
of the ancient urban civilizations that evolved in various parts of the world. References
are made to Sumeria and Babylon (of fertile crescent), Maya (of Central
America), Egypt, China, India and Greece. The observations made during the
millennium BC continued to have their influence during the millenniums after
Christ as revealed in the works of Indian Astronomers.
…The circumstances were conducive for night sky
watching with the mental makeup of mythology and religion… The knowledge of the
cycle of eclipses, full cycle of Venus, the annual movement of the Sun, …..
The absence of theory might have limited the advance
of knowledge in ancient times. The scientific methods could have been the
exclusive privilege of a particular class of the population. Efforts to remove
these stumbling blocks took place after the scientific revolution led by
Copernicus and Galileo in the 16th -17th centuries.]
In a later session, I had spoken on the theme of
‘Eclipses’, focusing largely on my own experience of observing total and
annular solar eclipses till that time and my plans for such efforts in the
future, particularly about the next two total solar eclipses due in 2016 and
2017, in Indonesia and USA respectively.
Doomsday 2012 Symposium
The next time I met AKB was at a symposium and Q&A
session in at the Vidyavardhaka Engineering College, also in Mysore, to which student-leader
Chiranjeevi had invited both of us as guests on 5 May 2012. The subject of the
symposium was ‘Doomsday 2012’, the popular fear psychosis associated with the
impending ‘end of the world’ scenario as implicitly ‘predicted’ in the ancient
Mayan calendar, one of the recurring predictions since time immemorial about the
end of civilization on the admittedly fragile planet. After we both had debunked
the notion with ample scientific arguments from both the astronomical and physical
points of view*, we faced a volley of questions from a rather puzzled student audience.
We had not expected such credulity to something so patently absurd as an
existential threat implied in a complex calendar system prevalent in a
civilization otherwise known for its contributions to astronomy. While answering these questions, I had a hard
time matching AKB’s unperturbed calmness and disarming sense of humor, so much
a part of effective communication.
[*AKB had come fully armed for the occasion and had
shared his ideas with me in advance. In
his email response to Chiranjeevi, he had outlined the key points of our
presentation as follows:
“The discussion/debate may take place by going through the following themes:
2 Roles played by personal religion and the individual world view
3 Use of modern technology in spreading falsehoods
4 Actual failure of the predictions and face-saving steps
5 ‘Arguments’ for the latest prediction
6 The false premises upon which the ’prediction’ is built up
7 Vested interests that nurture the doomsday situation.
8 The misuse of modern communication as well as scientific jargon.”]
The End
During our conversations at the Brahmanda symposium,
AKB had expressed a serious interest in joining me on my next total solar
eclipse expedition to the Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia, where the
event, due on 9 March 2016 could possibly be observed best. He had confirmed this when I next met him once
more, at his home at Mysore sometime later. However, my email to him, apparently
sometime in August 2015, laying out my detailed plan for the Indonesia visit
brought the following terribly sad response on 5 September:
“Your enthusing mail is truly infectious. Unfortunately,
due to ill health I am confined to the indoors in my daughter's house at Gokak.
But for this disability, probably I would have joined you. I remember your
speech at the Rotary (event) three years ago, when you had explained your plan.
After a heart attack a year ago, I had my eyesight impaired. But my daughter's
timely help has helped me to regain it to some extent. But my immobility has
become a great handicap.
Wishing you all the best, I am your sincerely, AKB”
In my
spontaneous reply, I said in part:
“I
am greatly distressed to hear all this from you and hope your stay in Gokak is
otherwise comfortable. Compared to your present circumstances, I seem to
be immensely better off and capable of the eclipse adventures I have planned
for the next two years. I wish you could indeed have joined me in the
next one in Indonesia. I will of course be all alone, just as in 2009 in
China! But this loneliness is of a profoundly edifying kind and something
I have even enjoyed! I do indeed look forward to it.
With
best regards, SNPrasad”
Below is a picture of AKB at work in his
characteristic style in November 2016:
Not long after that, on 19 December 2016, Chiranjeevi
brought me the sad news of his passing away at Gokak. We had a hard time coping with his loss so
soon after such a memorable association with him.
After Chiranjeevi read my latest blog article
enshrining the memory of Prof JRL, he lost no time in convincing me that I
should memorialize AKB in a similar manner, and for similar contributions to
the cause of effective science communication in Kannada. Here is my feeble attempt to do so.
AKB in Real Life
I would now like to shift focus on to the life and
work of this eminent person in real life.
Education
Born on 15 March 1938, at Adyanadka in Bantwal Taluk
of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, AKB had his early education in the
same town, and high school education in Vittal and Puttur during 1951-54.
Thereafter (in 1954-56), he studied the Intermediate course in science at the MGM
College Udupi.
At that time Udupi was part of the province of Madras,
and it was not uncommon for students from the coastal belt to seek admission in
higher educational institutions in Madras city. With the required credentials
and support from a family friend AKB shifted to Madras (later to be named
Chennai) for his higher education, quite a long way away from home. In 1959, he obtained his BSc (Hons) degree in
Physics from the famous Presidency College after a three-year sojourn. One of the oldest institutions for higher
education in the country, this was also the institution in which India’s only
Nobel Laureate in science, C V Raman, had studied and done some notable
research on diffraction of light even as a teenager. I wonder how AKB felt when he stepped into
the portals of an institution with such a distinguished background.
A year later, in 1960, AKB earned his MA degree in
Physics from the same institution, something that C V Raman had also done in 1907.
Rather curiously, the master’s degree, even in science, was designated MA and
not MSc in those days, a throwback to the practice prevalent in Britain.
An Interlude - AKB and I
My acquaintance with AKB was short, but highly edifying.
Without sounding too presumptuous, I discovered
many things in common with him as I began to write this article. Here are some of these commonalities:
- Born in 1938, six months apart, in a rural environment
- Growing up under severe financial constraints and a very harsh life in student days
- Extensive reading, of both literary and scientific works
- Securing admission in prestigious higher education institutions through merit-based selection
- Higher education in Physics – BSc (Hons), 1956-59; MA /MSc, 1960
- Pursuing studies in Physics as an afterthought
- A forgettable performance in the final degree examination
- Starting professional careers as college physics teachers in 1960, and staying so till retirement (1996/2000)
- Observational Astronomy as a major hobby, and as an integral part of the profession
- Similar experiences and excitement with special astronomical events like comets, solar eclipses, night sky objects, etc., sharing with students, teachers and common people in a variety of ways (see representative picture below)
- Commitment to popularization of science and the inculcation of a scientific temper, spirit of inquiry and humanism
- A passive, but uncompromising brand of rationalism that doesn’t come into direct conflict with any dogmatic belief systems
Promoting observational astronomy
Family life
AKB was born into a highly unconventional family (not observing
rituals like daily puja, madi/mailige, thithi, etc.), the
exact opposite of a traditional Brahmin family of those days, in the village of
Adyanadka, in the Udupi District of Karnataka. The region is known for its rich
cultural and spiritual heritage, which had a great bearing on his upbringing
and early education. He was the eldest in a large tight-knit family most of
whose members can be seen in the picture below, with AKB standing fourth from
left in the back row. His younger brother and author of the biographical work Vineela
is to his right. As the virtual head of this group, he had to discharge a
variety of responsibilities, including financial ones in the formative years.
He was always held in high respect from both within and outside the group.
A happy family on the beach in the olden days
The picture below shows him enjoying a precious moment
with his grandson at play:
Professional Career
Teaching
After his higher education in Madras, AKB worked initially
for two years as a Demonstrator in Physics at the MGM College, Udupi and then
as a Lecturer in Physics at St Philomena’s College in Puttur during
1961-63. Thereafter, he moved to Vijaya
College, Mulki, starting as a lecturer, until his retirement as Professor and HoD
[1963-96]. He believed that strongly “the work of a teacher does not stop with
teaching the students in the class - but also to keep himself engaged in study
and to give the benefits of his study to non-students also.” He lived up to
this simple motto all his life.
Science Journalism
From 1961 onwards, AKB contributed popular science
articles to periodicals such as Vicharavani, Sudha, Pustakaprapancha and
Kasturi. He was the chief editor
of Vijnanaloka, a monthly popular science journal in Kannada for seven
years, during 1966-70 and then, 1974-77.
His long association with the popular monthly science journal Balavijnana
began in 1983, initially as member of the editorial board, and then as its
chief editor from 1989 to 2000.
Encyclopedia and Science Dictionaries
- During 1970-74, AKB was the science editor of Jnana Gangothri (a seven-volume Children’s Encyclopedia in Kannada.
- During 1974-79, he contributed to Kannada Vishwakosha, a general cyclopedia in Kannada published by the Mysore University.
- Edited Sudarshana, a general encyclopedic work on Dakshina Kannada district published by Vijaya College, Mulki, in the form of a felicitation volume to Dr T M A Pai, in 1977.
- He co-edited the English-Kannada Science Glossary published by the KRVP in 1990.
- He later served as a consultant to Navakarnataka Publications in Bangalore to several of its science related works.
Science Organizations
AKB was associated with a number of organizations devoted to the promotion and cultivation of science. Principally, these are:
- Founder membership of Vijnana Pratishsthana, Dakshina Kannada (1966)
- Founder member of KRVP* (1960) and its vice-president during 1993-95
- Member of the District Council for Science & Technology, Dakshina Kannada since its inception (1991) to 1996
- Life Member of the Indian Association of Physics Teachers
- Past president and member of the Mangalore University Physics Teachers’ Association
Below is a picture that is self-explanatory:
AKB is seen sitting fourth from right; Prof J R Lakshmana Rao is seen
sitting fourth from left
Another picture below, associated with the KRVP Mysore Center, shows AKB and several other of his KRVP associates:
AKB is seen sitting second from left, Prof J R
Lakshmana Rao sitting fifth from left and Prof G T Narayana Rao sitting third
from the right
Field Activities
- Extension lectures on science topics in rural areas under the auspices of Prasaranga of Mysore University since 1963
- Popular science talks supported by projected slides in schools, colleges and universities
- Extensive Observational Astronomy activities for students and the general public, many using portable optical telescopes
- Organizing Jana Vijnana Jatha (taking science to the masses movement), especially in Dakshina Kannada district
- Organizing science exhibitions in educational institutions (1965-95)
- Organized and participated as a resource person in several workshops for science writers, students and teachers under KRVP and other voluntary organizations
- Broadcasting night sky commentary, popular science talks, etc., through All India Radio stations
- Organized Khagola Yana, popular astronomy program on the eve of the total solar eclipse of 1995, which he also observed with a team of students in Alwar, Rajasthan. Also, similar activities during the total solar eclipse of 1999 in Bhuj, Gujarat
- Worked as a resource person in the Science Popularization Workshop on ‘The Emergence of Modern Science – Golden Decade of 1985-1905’ organized jointly by NCSTC and KRVP in 2000
Publications
· Original writings
- Gaganayuga (Kannada) 1964
- Gravitation – from Galileo to Hoyle (English) 1965
- C V Raman (in Kannada, English & Hindi) 1973
- Story of Man (English) 1977
- Manushyana Kathe (Kannada) 1977
- Muthulakshmi Reddi (Kannada) 1978
- Isaac Newton (Kannada) 1979
- Manushyana Vamshavali (Kannada) 1980
- Introductory Physics (English – coauthored) 1977
- Poorna Soorya Grahana (Kannada) 1995
- Bellichikke (Kannada) 1995
- Namma Vaatavarana (Kannada) 1998
- Nava Vijnanada Udaya (Kannada) 2001
- Physics matthu Einstein (Kannada)
- Kishora Vijnana (Kannada)
Translations (English to Kannada)
- How to build a telescope, for KRVP
- Halley communications, for KRVP
- Understanding Science, for International Book House
- Raman and His Work, for the National Book Trust
- Wind Energy, for the National Book Trust
- Weather Weapon, for the National Book Trust
Here are the title pages of three of the books written
by AKB in Kannada:
- In 1979, AKB received the Karnataka Rajya Sahitya Academy award for his book ‘Manushyana Kathe’ under the children’s literature category.
- In 1992, he was bestowed an honorary fellowship of the Academy of General Education in Manipal for distinguished and meritorious service in the field of popular science.
- AKB was awarded the prestigious NCSTC National Award for the best efforts in popularizing science during 1990-94. The award was conferred on him appropriately on National Science Day, on 29 Feb 1996. Here is a copy of the citation he received on the occasion as it appears on the biographical work by his brother cited earlier:
Below is a picture of AKB with his richly deserved national award:
Tributes from a close friend and admirer
One of the people who
knew AKB intimately is Mr Kollegala Sharma (see picture below), a
renowned fellow science communicator who also writes mainly in Kannada, and widely
involved in taking science to the masses. He responded to my special request with a
detailed write-up which brings out the human side of AKB as much as his
professionalism and commitment to his cause. Here is an abridged and edited
version of what I received from him:
Mr Kollegala Sharma
For me he was a mentor, a teacher, a friend and more than anything a wonderful human being who personified the values of his time. I met him forty years ago when Indian science communicators embarked on Bharat Jan Vijnan Jatha, a first of its kind public science movement in India. The movement aimed to mobilise people of all walks of life to the importance of science, and scientific temper. The year was 1986. I was a research fellow, and curious about science writing. AKB was coordinating the Jatha, a walk across the west coast of India. I wrote a post card indicating my interest in the movement. A few days later I received a reply, on a post card, asking me to visit him in his place. It was just 30 km away, and the letter indicated that he had read the few articles that I had written by then. I met him in his home, and enjoyed a sumptuous hospitality. His wife, Saraswathi Akka for me, is a great cook too.
He could have stopped at
writing a reply for my query. But aware
that I was also a writer he wanted to meet me and collaborate. That was my first brush with this gentle,
kind but generous personality. Later
there were several occasions when we participated together in workshops, in
meetings and for tea at his house. I was
a generation younger to him, but whenever I spoke of any idea, he listened
carefully. I was cautioned about the
risks, but encouraged to try.
Whenever travelled
together he would insist on paying his part of any expenditure. If I laughed it off, he would say that he is
paid by the organisers, and he would not like to claim reimbursement without
paying for the expenses. He never rode a
scooter or car, not even a bicycle. He
would travel by public transport, and mostly in the general class. He made it a point to walk the distance, if
he could, and only in dire needs would he hire a rickshaw. Many times, when he rode pillion on my
two-wheeler, I could feel his discomfort.
It is a surprise that he
had a huge student following. Surprise
because he never raised his voice. He
was very soft spoken. But his writings
were crystal clear. As an editor, he
taught us life lessons. A 500-word essay
would be marked with at least 10 comments when he edited - questions on
clarity, factuality, language, use of words, etc. Never on any style. And these comments were not written
casually. He would sit at his table with
a pile of reference books, and then edit.
Such a disciplinarian, he would read, write, edit at his table. Never in the bed.
One instance remains
etched in my memory. I was preparing for
a lecture on issues with translating science and technology texts from English
to Kannada. I would highlight the deficiencies
of target language with an example from Richard Feynman’s writings. He used the word Revolution as a pun in a
lovely sentence. I argued that Feynman’s
pun is not translatable because in Kannada there was no word that had the twin
meanings Revolution had. He concurred,
but reluctantly. He was not ready to
accept that an ancient language like Kannada had such difficulty.
A fortnight later, I
received a call. The moment the landline
phone rang, I knew it was only AKB. He
was not very comfortable with cell phones.
He was the only caller to my land line.
It was about the word Revolution.
After our discussion, he had diligently researched upon the word while I
had forgotten the whole episode itself.
He had found that there was indeed a word – Krantha - in Kannada that
had the twin meanings of Revolution – of planetary motion and of social
change. Only that over time, the word
went to oblivion because it was not used much.
The dynamism of language had killed the word. AKB was serious with every word he said, and
in his act.
He was a regular reader
of my column in Kannada Prabha, and would without fail give his feedback, on
the plus and minus of every writeup. He
never ignored any writing because it was from a novice, or a student. Every writeup, be it of experienced writers
or young experimenters, he would edit with the same seriousness. No wonder he created a wealth of literature
that stands the test of time. He was as
unique as his writing which had the unmistakable flavour of coastal Kannada and
yet appealed to all Kannadigas.
Chiranjeevi had intended to visit AKB’s
wife and daughter at the latter’s residence in Gokak, his last haven, to pay
his respects and convey my intention to write this blog article. Then, he came to know that they were actually
due to pass through Mysore on December 15. He grabbed this opportunity to meet them at
the Mysore railway station during the period of train stoppage. He showed them
a draft of this article under preparation and obtained some valuable feedback.
During their meeting, it came to light that AKB’s wife had played a vital
behind-the-scenes role in much of her husband’s writing outside of his work
with Bala Vijnana. She acted as a
scribe, writing down all that AKB dictated and then giving shape to the final
version of the document, clearly with her hidden stamp of finality on it. In the process, she has contributed more to AKB’s
published works than is commonly known. This
discovery is a fitting finale to this article.
Chiranjeevi also learnt that AKB’s
younger brother, who authored his published biography and conducted an extensive
audio interview with him as quoted earlier, had a major influence on him too.
In any case, this article would not have been possible without the inputs we
received from him.
Here is a selfie of Chiranjeevi, with
AKB’s daughter Deepthi and wife Saraswathi:
A Eulogy
Behind every successful enterprise there are many unsung
heroes. It is they who hold the threads of society together. AKB was undoubtedly
one such hero. He never sought any
recognition or reward for his contributions to societal causes. As his daughter
so aptly put it, he valued the ‘inner scoreboard’ more than the outer one.
Also, he was never seen angry anytime; anger was an emotion he associated with
the mentally weak.
As my parting memory of such an inspiring human being,
here are three faces of him in different moods that I think describe his persona
lucidly:
The three faces of AKB
