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Labs should be accountable, says Hoffman
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
HYDERABAD, January 4: Despite technological advancements and manmade gadgets, scientists can work only in tandem with nature, according to Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann.Delivering a public talk on "molecular beauty" here at the Indian science Congress on Saturday, Hoffmann said that only by respectfully following the rules of nature and in many ways emulating it with humility, can scientists hope to go in the right direction. He said, "scientists who think they are larger than life are rather arrogant". They feel they are born with logic and profound knowledge, while in reality it is science that actually teaches and unravels the mysteries of the world. "Symmetry is a basic rule of nature and if anything that is man-made is to look beautiful, it has to have the laws of symmetry", he said enumerating the example of one of the best-known monuments in India's very backyard. "Taj Mahal is a magnificent monument not just because it is beautiful. In fact, it is a paradigm of nature. A microcosm of
nature's symmetry. It is a systematic repetition of its sample molecule", he added. "The same aesthetics apply to every branch of science. Spectral lines of molecules are like their musical notes. Science is nothing but a copybook of nature. From instrumental music to molecular spectroscopy, everything owes its genesis to nature's symmetry", said Hoffmann. C K N Patel, vice chancellor of research at University of California warned delegates that national laboratories in India must bring about drastic changes in their outlook, function and planning if they want to be relevant in the next millennium.Patel, who received the national medal of science from the US President Clinton, the highest award in the US, was critical of the functioning of research institutes in the country. "Individually you may find some good scientists, but collectively you are nowhere on the global scenario. At least in physics, India is not seen in review letters in some of the prestigious publications. China, on the other hand, has
one-third of the review letters", he said. Questioning the relevance of some of the institutions in the context of today's aspirations and goals, Patel said many laboratories in India have "outlived their usefulness". Laboratories in India should be accountable and generate knowledge that can be converted into wealth. "This should be your vision. A better vision and sharper focus will take you to the goal faster", he said.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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