TRIPLE STREAM

Spicy Bits of Scientists’ Lives

I.V. Chalapati Rao

One should read “Living Biographies of Great Scientists” written by Henry Thomas and Dane Lee Thomas and other books for interesting incidents in scientists’ lives which show their commitment to science and their sacrifice for a noble cause.

Euclid was a great mathematician. A student who learnt the first theorem, asked Euclid “Can you tell me what practical use or benefit there is in studying geometry?”. With a disapproving expression of smile on his face Euclid called his attender and said “Grumio, give this man a dollar. He does not like to study anything unless there is money”.

Everybody knows that Archimedes discovered specific gravity and the laws of displacement not in a laboratory but in the bathroom when he was given a bath in the tub. Even while bathing, he was in the habit of drawing geometrical figures on his body covered with soap water.

Once he was drawing a circle in the sand outside and calculating an intriguing geometrical problem when the Roman soldiers were plundering and destroying in his native city. They were killing the people. A drunken Roman soldier rushed upon him with his sword; Archimedes looked at him unperturbed. He said “Before you kill me, my friend, let me finish my circle. It is important”. The brute killed him.

Roger Bacon considered science and religion as equally important. He delivered lectures on philosophy for several years at the Paris University. He jotted down in his diary interesting things. One entry was “More secrets of knowledge were discovered by plain and neglected men than men of popular fame. There is a good reason for this because popular men are busy on popular matters”.

Copernicus practiced painting which was his hobby. He became the laughing stock of many people when he confidently asserted that the sun stood still and the earth moved. People called him a mad man and maintained that any fool could see the immovable earth and the moving sun!

Galileo entertained for sometime the idea of becoming a monk on account of his religious fervour. His father wanted him to become a cloth merchant. He became a professor of mathematics but practiced medicine in his spare time to keep his body and soul together. Students used to greet his lectures with hissing, whistling and cat calls! He violated the academic rules and dress regulations at Pisa by refusing to wear the conventional clothes. He said “Conventional clothes like conventional ideas are the inventions of the devil”. He was dismissed from the Pisa University. Then he joined the University of Padua. He remained a bachelor. Like Cicero he believed that a man cannot be both a good philosopher and a good husband like him. Bernard Shaw said “Any good-natured block head can make a better husband than Caesar, Shakespeare and Napoleon because great men are ill-adapted for domestic purposes”.

Galileo composed comic and funny plays and acted in them. As he said that the earth moved and the sun stood still, the Inquisition compelled him to swear that the earth does not move around the sun. He narrowly escaped the punishment of death. But his books were proscribed and he was put in prison. He became blind.

Giordono Bruno was burned at the stake (like Joan of Arc) for his scientific declaration “The ink of the scholar and the blood of the martyr are equal in the eye of Heaven”.

Sir Issac Newton wrote poetry and drew charcoal pictures on the walls. His parents wanted him to become a farmer. He was not going to the market in defiance of his parents’ wishes. His uncle suspected this and followed him one day without being seen by him. He saw him in a neighbouring place sitting on the lawn and working at a mathematical problem. His uncle said “Either you are a great loafer or a great genius – God alone knows which”.

Once he was proposing to his girlfriend on a lonely spot. He affectionately held her hand and looked into her eyes absent-mindedly. His mind strayed into the binomial theorem of infinite quantities! He caught her finger, mistook it for his pipe cleaner and thrust it up the stem of his pipe. When the poor girl cried in pain, he came to his senses! He apologised to her saying “I am afraid, I am not fit for marriage. I am destined to be a bachelor.” One of his critics remarked: “This crazy mathematician will not have twenty followers in his life-time”. When his monumental work ‘PRINCIPIA’ was thrown into the fire, he pitied the dog which did it.

Newton entered politics and became a member of the Parliament. He never participated in the debates. He spoke only once. That was to ask the attender to close the window as it was chill! Although he wrote ‘the Principia’ the well-known scientific treatise, his life’s ambition was to become the Assistant Master of the King’s Mint.

Lavosier’s scientific work was considered as a crime by the French government. He was condemned to death on the plea that he conspired against France by joining hands with the enemies of France. The judgement was: “The Revolution does not need scientists. It needs justice.” He wrote a letter to his wife before his death “Please take care of your health. I have finished my work. Thank God.”

Dalton remained unmarried. When his friend asked him whether he thought of marrying at any time, his reply was: “Where was the time to think of marriage? My head was always too full of triangles, chemical processes and electrical experiments to think of any such nonsense”. He spent several years recording weather reports. One night he walked into his laboratory with unsteady steps, his trembling fingers searched for the note book and he made the last entry of the reading of the barometer: “little rain this…” He dropped dead with the sentence unfinished but his scientific life was fulfilled!

Farady’s case is very interesting. In his early life he wrote against love. He wrote: “What is love, a nuisance to every body except for the parties concerned”. But he continuously paid court to Mrs. Barnard. His behavior became a matter of fun and nuisance even to Mrs. Barnard. When he wrote a letter proposing marriage, she wrote on the margin of the letter: “Love makes Philosophers into fools” But the philosopher persisted in his folly and at last the lady relented and consented! They had a happy married life.

Darwin’s interest in science was less than his interest in marrying Emma Wedgwood. After marriage he bought a big house with a beautiful garden and settled down to raise a family of ten children. He wanted to discover the origin of their family. She gave him full support and took active interest in his experiments by correcting the proofs. As he was not skilled in communication, she strengthened his arguments with appropriate words and forceful expression. She comforted and nursed him when he fell sick or fell into a mood of depression. He gratefully acknowledged her tender care by saying “It is almost worth while to fall ill to be nursed by you”.

Huxley visited Australia in a ship by name ‘Rattle Snake’. He went ashore at Sydney and spent his time in gaiety and amusement. He danced with the Australian girls and found a lady love who was bright complexioned with blue eyes and golden hair. After seven years’ of writing and patient waiting he succeeded in marrying Henrietta. He confessed: “I have been providentially saved from a life of sin by three unorthodox factors – Carlyle, Science and Love”.

Alexander Graham was a devoted husband. His wife was partially deaf. He made a few experiments to invent hearing aid for her. He failed in his efforts but his experiments unexpectedly led to his discovery of the principles of the Telephone which is one of the most useful instruments. It was like the discovery of America by Columbus whose target was India!

S.N. Bose applied for job in Tata Company and submitted papers of his scientific work. He was told that he did not have a Ph.D. He pleaded that his papers should be examined by any suitable scientist in the nuclear field. They wanted him to suggest a name. He said that he was inspired by Albert Einstein. The papers were sent to Einstein himself. At that time Einstein was deeply thinking of a problem which needed a solution. Einstein found the papers very useful. He invited S.N. Bose and gave him an important assignment. Einstein was highly impressed with the work of Bose and subsequently gave the name ‘Bosans’ to one of his inventions in the field of electrons.

Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the Electrical Bulb failed 900 times in his experiment. He said “I find out what is true and what is false. I feel satisfaction of eliminating 900 errors and coming upon the truth.” He said “Inventions are not accidents. They are the rewards for unceasing effort …Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”. In 1914, Edison’s factory was burnt when he was 67. He lost a few million dollars, as it was not adequately insured. He watched his life-time work go up in smoke. He took it philosophically. He said: “There is a great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burnt up. Thank God. We can start anew”. Three weeks after the fire accident he invented the Phonograph!

Failure is a detour, not dead end - delay but not defeat. Great calamities make way for greater glories. Obstacles are opportunities. Set backs are only stepping stones. Every time we fail, we bounce back. This is called failing forward.

Back