Question

Script: 01

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Speech The Science Expo on 9 Feb 2012 Creative minds lead to evolution of great sciences Inventions and discoveries have emanated from creative minds that have been constantly working and imaging the outcome in the mind. With imaging and constant effort, all the forces of the universe work for that inspired mind, thereby leading to inventions or discoveries. I am delighted to address and interact with Students present here. I am very happy to know that the School is celebrating the Science Week in order to expose children to scientific concepts and applications. Friends, I would like to share a few thoughts on “Creative minds lead to evolution of great sciences”. First let us see a few unique scientists, who are always remembered and celebrated by humanity for their unique contribution to society. Unique You Dear friends, look up, what do you see, the light, the electric bulbs. Immediately, our thoughts go to the inventor Thomas Alva Edison, for his unique contribution towards the invention of electric bulb and his electrical lighting system. When you hear the sound of an aeroplane going over your house, whom do you think of? Wright Brothers proved that man could fly, of course at heavy risk and cost. Whom does the telephone remind you of? Of course, Alexander Graham Bell. When everybody considered a sea travel as an experience or a voyage, a unique person questioned during his sea travel from United Kingdom to India. He was pondering on why the horizon where the sky and sea meet looks blue? His research resulted in the phenomena of scattering of light. Of course, Sir CV Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize. Friends, there was a great scientific lady who is known for discovering Radium. She won not one, but two Nobel Prizes, one for physics and another for chemistry. Who is she? She is Madam Curie. Madam Curie discovered radium and she was doing research on the effect of radiation on human system. The same radiation which she discovered, affected her and she sacrificed her life for removing the pain of human life. Young friends, can you join such unique performers of scientific history? Yes, you can. Definitely, you can. Let us study together, how it can be made possible? Friends, I have, so far, met 13 million youth in a decade’s time. I learnt, "every youth wants to be unique, that is, YOU! But the world all around you, is doing its best, day and night, to make you just “everybody else”. At home, dear young friends, you are asked by your parents to be like neighbours’ children for scoring good marks. When you go to school, your teacher says, “Why don’t you become like the first five rankers in the class?”. Wherever you go, they are saying “you have to be somebody else or everybody else”. The challenge, my young friends, is that you have to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can ever imagine to fight; and never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place, that is, a UNIQUE YOU! Friends, what will be your tools to fight this battle, what are they: have a great aim in life, continuously acquire the knowledge, work hard and persevere to realize the great achievement. What Science can give you Dear friends, since I am with students who are shortly going to decide on what stream they should carve out for their career, I would like to share with you one question, what is the uniqueness of being a scientist? Science gives you better eyes because science can remove the mental blinkers and it gives your brain a challenge to solve many scientific problems that are yet to be solved. Science indeed will connect you the brains of many smart people who were there before you. Hence, science makes you feel good to stand on the shoulders of the giants like Issac Newton, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawkings, Sir CV Raman, Chandrasekhar Subramanyam, and Srinivasa Ramanujam. Science always provides challenging problems. Look at the southern sky, bright clouds lit by light. That is our galaxy, we belong to the milky way. Millions and millions of stars are there. We belong to a small star, what is that star - Sun. The Solar system has eight planets. Our planet earth has six billion people, and millions and millions of species. Can you imagine what science has revealed to all of us? Our galaxy and our sun and its characteristics have been identified. The exact location with respect of sun and galaxy has been discovered. You take our human body. Science has revealed that the human body is made up of millions and millions of atoms. The difference between one human being and another is determined by the sequencing of the atoms. The recent human genome programme reveals that human genome contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, which centres in the nucleus of every cell in the body. Each chromosome consists of a DNA double helix, that is wrapped around spool like proteins called histones. It is estimated that the human body has three hundred thousand to 2 million proteins. The unraveling of the genomic mystery will ultimately allow the bio-medical community to create a new evolutionary future for the human race. Building Confidence Dear friends, during the last few years, I have seen, how India Vision 2020 has inspired the people, particularly the youth of the nation, which has resulted in many taking up many missions directed towards Vision 2020. Now I recall a situation in 1990 beginning when I was interacting with the youth of Ahmedabad, one girl asked me a question “When can I sing a song of India?” At that time, her brother who was in the United States, was always talking about the best in the United States. This girl sitting in India was fed up about her brother’s stories and in her quest to find an answer she asked me “When can I sing a song of India?” How do I answer, I have explained the Developed India Vision 2020, and advised her to have confidence and certainly she can sing a song of India by 2020. The same spirit echoed everywhere during that time. But for the last few years, while interacting with the youth, I had seen a marked change in the thinking of the youth. They have always been asking me “What can I give to the nation?” That means youth are ready to contribute for the national development. Recently, during the last one year, I see further change, they tell me “I can do it”, “We can do it” and the “Nation will do it”. With the 600 million youth of the nation whom you represent, actively participating in the development process, I am sure that India will be transformed into a developed nation before the year 2020. My greetings and best wishes to all the students assembled here for success in their educational mission. May God bless you.

Answer 1

Read the ‘Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Speech’ carefully.