Prof. Spenta Wadia, the “Higgs”man, requests the private sector to support research in basic science
Mr.Spenta Wadia
The soft-spoken Prof. Spenta Wadia, the “Higgs man” who addressed the Club on the subject in August last year, was conferred the Sohrab Godrej Award for Science and Technology at the last meeting.
Mr. Adi Godrej, an Honorary member of the Club, and Mr. Nadir Godrej (they are nephews of the late Sohrab Godrej), President Nowroze Vazifdar and Rotary and Public Awards Committee Chairman Ram Gandhi presented a silver salver and the citation to Dr. Spenta Wadia amidst prolonged applause.
Prof. Spenta Rustom Wadia (to give his full name) is Professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, and Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences,Bangalore.
Invited to introduce the award-winner,Mr. Nadir Godrej surprised members by doing it in a poetic manner. He then read out the citation
In a brief acceptance speech, Prof. Wadia appealed to the private sector to take a cue from the West where science was supported both by government and private enterprise.
“The participation of private enterprise in the basic sciences is very important. (But) it?s almost non-existent in India. I take this opportunity to say to them, come, and participate with us in the incredible journey of the basicsciences which is the core knowledge on which almost everything that we know and do rests.”
Prof. Wadia started his talk by describing the work that he had been involved with over the years. His work was primarily in the general area of high-energy physics, looking at basic questions about the fundamental theory of matter and the forces (acting) between them including the force of gravity.
Another area of work was the unification of all these forces, especiallythe inclusion of the force of gravity which had shaped the early universe and all the structures that followed.
Einstein’s theory of relativity was a theory of gravity, explaining the forceof gravity in terms of geometry. It adequately explained the large-scale universe, or the large structures of the universe. On the other hand was the quantum theory which described all the electronics currently in use, whether in cell phones, laptops or computers. This was a “good, correct theory of the microscopic world”, valid till extremely short distances such as 10-18 centimeters. These two theories (Einstein’s and quantum) were the two pillars of modern physics. However, it was also accepted that these two theories did not combine well and could lead to inconsistencies when any such attempt was made, Prof. Wadia said.
“For many decades now, scientists (including many of us) have been looking for a framework, not a theory but a framework, in which to address all questions of particle physics and cosmology.
“That framework is the string theory. In string theory you pose fundamental questions of the type I have alluded to. A lot of work is going on in this and we in India have also made some fundamental contributions to the subject.”
“It’s perhaps one of the most important small theoretical physics groups that the country has seen in many decades. And I’m very proud of it because we started working in this direction as early as in 1984, a couple of years after I came back from the University of Chicago.”
Some of those working on the string theory at the TIFR had gone on to other parts of India and set up research centres. They had also gone beyond, to developing countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Korea.
Prof. Wadia said he was also interested in understanding the manifestation of the laws of physics in the real world. The laws of physics had actually manifested in a special way, viz., the Large Hadron Collider or LHD, but that as focused on the basic laws. The larger question was how had these laws given rise to the type of emergent phenomena that one saw all around (such as human beings)?
“What is this pathway from fundamental laws to the beauty of the world and the paragon of animals that we see all around us” This is a very important area of research called complex systems… an area that stood at the confluence of many areas such as physics, chemistry, computer science and engineering.
“We are seeing the possibility today of a profound synthesis of knowledge and perhaps, in the not so distant future, we would have uncovered the laws of large systems. We have successfully uncovered the laws of small, microscopic systems, but what are the laws of large systems weather, biology, brain functions, economics, sociology? These are all large complex systems with complicated agents interacting with themselves.”
To address these questions, the TIFR had incubated a new centre in Bangalore for lack of space in Bombay) called the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) which would play a very important role in taking forward inter- disciplinary research.
The ICTS was about five years old and was temporarily located in the campus of the Indian Institute of Science till it had its own space. It was bringing together researchers in various areas over various periods of time to foster interactions or intellectual immersions within and between different areas.
Science would have no boundaries at the ICTS. However, the centre would basically act as a catalyst within the general endeavour of science and engineering in India. At present it was supported in large measure by the government of India. But Prof. Wadia invited greater involvement and participation by the private sector in the study of the basic sciences.
The poetic introduction read out by Nadir Godrej
Now science has come of age
You could say it’s all the rage
But most of the exciting buzz
Is due to all the things it does
Technology is ubiquitous
Some think it is iniquitous
Following us everywhere
With no time to stand and stare
But many still think it a treasure
For all it does for work and pleasure
And medical science is a hit
Because we all benefit.
The aged now are very strong
And most of us live very long
Now clearly science does a lot
We like the benefits we’ve got.
But science does much more than that
The method is where it?s at
The method is a simple lens
Which helps us all to make some sense
Of the mystery in the universe
The first step is to just observe
The next is to hypothesise
The scientist then always tries
An experiment to verify
Which can confirm or falsify.
If false the cycle starts once more
So knowledge is at the fore
Of why we need to emphasise That pursuit of science is very wise. ?”What have you learnt?” we should ask
Not, “Can you help me with this task?”
If usefulness were the basis
We?d have no clue what the case is
For all the fuss about the “Higgs”
We would’n? give any figs!
And yet we see each article
Declaring it “God Particle”
I always thought it rather odd
Scientists invoking God!
And in my considered estimation
This wait had caused much frustration
And Leon Lederman wrote a book
As working title the name he took
Was Goddam particle but hey!
The publisher said “No way”!
God particle it then was
And this worked quite well because
In time the benefits will come
But treat that as a mere crumb
The knowledge is a wholesome bread
We should feed on that instead.
The crumbs of course will be there
The benefits that we all share
It?s obvious without being said
There’ll be no crumbs without the
bread.
Many years ago, it should be stated
The “Higgs” was first postulated
But the hypothesis was hard to test
As a hypothesis it would rest.
And in my considered estimation
This wait had caused much frustration
And Leon Lederman wrote a book
As working title the name he took
Was Goddam particle but hey!
The publisher said “No way!”
God particle it then was
And this worked quite well because
By theory the Higgs gave mass
To particles of every class
Thanks to the LHC at CERN
In the last few days we could learn
The Higgs exists but with some doubt
Though small enough to loudly shout!
Now we will be in a bind
If the properties we find
Do not fit the theories
But on the bright side one then sees
We’ll sorely need new theories
And that is why we celebrate
Theoreticians that are great
One row of men cannot stand tall
But if they form a solid wall
On their shoulders we can mount
If on their knowledge we can count
A pyramid can be built
An edifice that will not tilt
And for ever it will grow
Each generation will then know
More than all who’ve gone before
And this is something known for sure
But sometimes what we learn is strange
Well beyond our normal range.
And quantum science keeps us fooled
We wish to be firmly ruled.
We can?t accept a random dance
Determined by the rules of chance.
An Einstein thought this wasn’t nice
“I can’t believe that God plays dice.”
It?’s true our minds were not designed
For physics and yet we can find
Some minds that thrive on speculation
And after years of education
Devote their lives to divine
What is perhaps the true Divine
The rules of law from which all flows
But every physicist still knows
What Einstein felt in the gut
What we now need is a GUT
One theory that unifies
Four forces, that’s indeed the prize.
If gravity can fall in place
Then Einstein will have made his case
Perhaps the answer lies in strings
Which sometimes curl up into rings
Vibrating in many dimensions
Exhibiting severe tensions
They also form sheets named branes
To understand you need tamed brains.
We could buy books at a heavy cost
And read for years and still be lost
If that’s the case then just how d’ya
Explain these things Call Mr. Wadia.
St. Mary’s School and Xavier’s College
And IIT were founts of knowledge
But then for his Ph.D.
He went to New York’s City University
In the windy city by the lake
His thirst for knowledge he would slake
Now fellowships and awards
Our Spenta has by the hordes.
The Raman lecture, the Weinberg prize
And if the Nobel Committee’s wise
The Nobel someday will be his too
For India hasn’t had her due.
And Spenta’s built many alliances
Through International Centre of Theoretical
Sciences.
And much knowledge is bound to flow
As he goes on with the show.
And I’d like to add my felicitation
On the occasion of this celebration.
Some words I’d now like to say
On Uncle Sohrab on this day.
He had a penchant for foreign relations
And always built strong ties between all nations
But France’s culture and her glorious art
Held a truly special place in his heart.
Throughout his life he was always on the go
And his frenetic pace would hardly ever slow
Sometimes within the span of just a day
He’d see Madras, Calcutta and Bombay.
The day for him was rather short of hours
But since he had some superhuman powers
He?’d often work quite late into the night
Or rush somewhere on a red-eye flight.
This kind of schedule would cause me to weep
When did he ever find the time to sleep?
His friends all knew that when he sinks
His head, he’s taking his usual forty winks.
But still when asked to answer he could rise
And to the audience’s sheer surprise
He would come up with something apropos
But how he did it I will never know.
It?s hard to find a place he hasn”t been
All of the seven continents he?’s seen
And if you talk of the remotest isle
You find he’d been there for at least a while.
No matter how far away he went
His Rotary attendance was duly sent.
With your permission I will now salute
His love of nature which was absolute.
And whether he’s saving the wilderness
Or planting trees in our urban mess
Sohrabji was prepared to work and fight
So children get to see that wondrous sight
A tiger prowling in his habitat
A zoo’s no place for this majestic cat
One day I urge you all to enter
The Sohrabji Godrej Green Centre
You’ll appreciate his life was not in vain
For there’s still hope our planet will sustain.
Mr. Godrej then proceeded to read
the Citation presented to Prof. Wadia.