Wednesday, February 25, 2009

ACK-085: Jagadis Chandra Bose

ACK #325 (#699)

Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose: Indian physicist, plant physiologist & Science fiction writer

Jagadis Chandra Bose was a physicist at Presidency College in Calcutta, India, who pioneered the investigation of microwave optics in the later 1800's. He invented radio communication before Marconi (check links: 1, 2, 3). Many of his instruments are still on display and remain largely usable now, over 100 years later. They include various antennas, polarizers, and waveguides, all of which remain in use in modern forms today.

He was also known as an excellent teacher who believed in the use of classroom demonstrations, a trait apparently picked up while studying with Lord Rayleigh at Cambridge. He influenced many later Indian physicists, including Satyendra Bose (no relation) who later went on to be an influential figure in 20th century physics.

Later he turned his attention to plant physiology, where he gained a new sort of fame with continued claims that plants had nervous responses (of a sort) similar to those of animals. This led him to explore the effects of drugs on plants, and later, non-organic materials such as metals, which he claimed showed similar effects. Much of this was demonstrated through the use of a device he invented called the crescograph, which magnified mechanical movements many times and allowed for the direct study of plant growth.

Life Summary

1858 - Born on the 30th of November, in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh), Bengal. Indian plant physiologist and physicist whose invention of highly sensitive instruments for the detection of minute responses by living organisms to external stimuli enabled him to anticipate the parallelism between animal and plant tissues noted by later biophysicists.

1880 - He was later sent to a hostel in an English school in Calcutta. After his graduation from Sr. Xavier’s College in Calcutta, Bose left for England for further studies.

1884 - Bose took his B.A. degree in the natural sciences with Physics, Chemistry, and Botany, from Cambridge, and simultaneously a B.Sc. degree from the University of London.

1885 - Bose became the officiating Professor of Physics at the prestigious Presidency College in Calcutta.

1895 - Bose designed a wireless telegraphy system with very sensitive receivers.

1896 - Bose wrote Niruddesher Kahini, the first major work in Bangla science fiction. Later, he added the story in the Obbakto book as Polatok Tufan. He was the first science fiction writer in the Bengali language.

1902-1906 - Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose had two of his pioneering books published. The first, Response in the Living and Non-Living was published and Plant Responses. He was the first Indian to get a US Patent (No: 755840) for "detector for electrical disturbances" in 1904.

1917 - He set up the Bose Temple of Learning in Calcutta which trains international scientists even today.

1920 - He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society.

1937 - Died on November 23rd on Giridih, Bengal Presidency, British India.

1997 - According to the June edition of the journal published by the U.S.-based Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE), one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world, installed at the National Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, U.S., was built on a device originally developed by Bose.


Read about more at Banglapedia, Wikipedia, Answers.com, Findarticles.com, Light-science.com, novelguide.com

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This ACK is contributed by Apoorva Chandar. All thanks & credits go to him.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

First:)...Merci!

Demonoid Fan

Anonymous said...

Sorry! It's me again. Why not use this as a background image?:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3225/2491973121_463f396949_b.jpg

and perhaps, as the ACK series was "secular" in nature, you could change the background to reflect India's secularism? temple, mosque, church, gurudwara, etc...

Demonoid Fan

PBC said...

Demonoid Fan: Welcome! You are first today. :)

I was searching a template on Indian theme since May 2008. Nothing better I found. Before coming to this I asked various persons about it, more than 80% liked this one.

I per day visit this blog to check & reply comments. Felt time to change to a new. As it’s a public blog, opinion of majority is most important.

Taj is the symbol of India worldwide.

I would like to see a two column template which represents ancient to modern India in sidebar & header section. My search continues. Pls send links to a template for this purpose. Photos will be helpful, if I would decide to make own template.

Unknown said...

Thanks prabhat for this post

@Demonoid fan: Taj Mahal is a world famous monument and the usage of Taj Mahal's image as a header for this blog can be justified.

But at the same time, the recent change to blue with the labels to the left made the blog look overcrowded and amateurish. In fact, in my personal opinion, it was a step backwards.

Now, prabhat has gone back to the old banner but at the same time has incorporated some new changes.plus white definitely looks better for this blog, one reason for that could be that the bright and colourful ACK covers stand out well in the white background.

Unknown said...

@prabhat: one more thing which i would like to mention here is the font. i really liked this font and i wish you continue posting with the same font.it makes the blog and the writing look more organized..

Unknown said...

@prabhat: there are a few spelling mistakes. kindly correct them if possible.

Anonymous said...

Ahem.. are we back to the old template again after all this discussions? or I have not cleared my IE cache?

Anonymous said...

@ Apoorva Chandra: maybe there has been a slight misunderstanding?

Sure, the Taj is a world famous monument, but surely India has such a varied culture that we could include other monuments/places of religious worship etc.. also (though they are not as famous as the Taj).

My initial opinion was: As the Amar Chitra Katha was a "secular" series, this blog should also keep changing the background images (perhaps on a weekly basis?). For example: You have the Taj image for a week, then perhaps the Meenakshi temple, then later on the Golden temple...

Just a suggestion:)

peace!

Demonoid Fan

Anonymous said...

Sorry! I meant "Apoorva Chandar"!

Demonoid Fan

Unknown said...

@Demonoid fan: totally agree with you...amar chitra katha may be secular, unfortunately our politicians are all pseudo secular.

if you ask my honest opinion, secularism is just a fad to win votes by these dirty politicians.

also, it'll be really difficult to keep changing the website banner every now and then.

i have suggested a few things to prabhat and there are many talented team members who are very good in graphic design and they will surely help out in this.for the time being, its going to be the old theme.

TPH said...

@Demonoid Fan and Apoorva Chandar Dear friends. Very interesting discussion between two of you about the template issue.

Actually going back to the original template is my work here and not Prabhat's as Apoorva has wrongly mentioned. I didn't like the one selected by Prabhat for a number of reasons which I have made clear to him and he agreed to revert.

Though I have incorporated a few changes in colors and fonts. We'll like to make it even more attractive and related to the subject, but only upto that extent to which it keeps the basic and original idea of the blog intact.

I feel this is a perfect template for this blog and over the period of time has acquired an identity of its own. I had selected this template only after carefully testing at least 40 to 50 templates available at that time (January 2008). A beautiful header was created by Comicrazee which is a masterpiece. No readymade header can probably match the existing one in any manner. A lot of efforts were put by him and me when preparing the present header and he went through a lot of trouble before final product was ready.

Ever since the inception of the ACK blog, I have been looking after the designing aspects of the blog.
-----------------------

And I am surprised to see a "secular" tag being imposed on a comic book series.

Unknown said...

@The Phantom Head - Prabhat told me yesterday that he wasn't the one who reverted to the old theme.

Actually, I replied to him immediately and told him exactly the same thing that you have mentioned; that is the current template has given a distinct identity to the blog.

I actually made a collage from various ACK covers and sent it to prabhat. But I guess, the present one by comicrazee is the best one for this blog.

And about the "secular" discussion, it wasn't actually necessary.With the revert to the old template, this discussion is a closed chapter.

PBC said...

Anon, Apoorva Chandar & TPH: Welcome! :)

I’ll like to say, I’ve deep believe in God & I’m a hardcore secular, but not a politician. It’s not my words, since childhood I have very good friends from all religion. I saw in practical life, in need hours all rush to me. I go temple, Church & Musjid with equal respect. I hope none of visitor will ever arise question secularism where I post or will post.

I always give more value to labour of others than mine. I regard Comicrazee as ELDER BROTHER. He had created t only created this header, but many blogs. His every work is unique.

I joined this blog to make it regular. Obviously contributors, who helped with scans to save this blog, wished to see posted. With time more persons wished to contribute, I dropped my idea to scan myself. As I came to know few days ago only, the blog was started to post 2-4 ACK per month. As there are 450+ numbers, ten years are too long period for me.

I strongly believe, we are scanning & posting for visitors. That’s why blog should be visitors oriented. It’s not possible to fulfill all demands, but what is suggested with open heart, I always try to think & adopt with time. As all, there were some efforts from side in this blog, although I was not a founder member.

Apoorva, I agree with you, sidebar blue colour is disturbing. I’m living aboard since 19 years. Whenever someone talked about India, majority asks about Taj first, only after that about the elephant, poor, computer, mathematics, Ayurveda etc. I was asking about current & Taj template since a long time with my friends. As I started discussion about template, and it was clear form public opinion, Taj template was liked by majority. But, don’t wish to hurt anyone either a member from the team or visitors.

I’m a democratic person. Respect all good ideas. Always ready for a healthy discussion & reform.

Blogging is my hobby, just wish to enjoy the process. TPH is interested in posting again.

I see a solution. I had created a reserve blog last year to save my posts. It was private. Going to make it public with all my posts & Taj template and continue as usual in my traditional style there. I’ll try to complete this project as planned or most of contributors want. Time to time templates will be replaced on demand of majority. This way all people’s hard labour, expectations, traditions & plans will be saved.

Next my next post is coming as usual 1st March 1 AM (IST) at http://hmindia.blogspot.com. There I’ll continue as majority want.

alok said...

Hi, when i go to the download link i get this message - 'This file is currently set to private. If this problem persists or you need further assistance, contact support.'

Could you please help. Thanks in advance.

Anonymous said...

error "This file is currently set to private. If this problem persists or you need further assistance, contact support."

I think this is the problem :

For free accounts, there is currently no time limit on how long uploaded files will be stored as long as you access your account (i.e. login to your account) at least once every 60 days OR at least one of your files is accessed (i.e. downloaded) every 30 days.

Please help.

Anonymous said...

Cannot Acess Please help

Anoop Sudevan said...

Not able to download most of the comics. Getting the error: "This file is currently set to private. If this problem persists or you need further assistance, contact support."

Pls help!

ashu said...

hey guys

thanx for effort you guys r putting in returning us our beloved childhood in the form of ACK's

but whats the use of posting a download link if the file is marked as private and people are unable to download it...

I also noticed that i am not the first to face this issue

a couple of people before also have also posted their complaint but there has been no talk abour the same or any action taken.

i mean isn't this the responsibility of the founder of the thread / blog to resolve issues like this???

pls address the issues so we can all enjoy and thank you for the REAL EFFORT.

regards

a simple visitor

Anonymous said...

Sir,
The links from Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose and earlier are not downloadable. I'm getting an error that it's a private download only. Please check.
arthurmaxhill@yahoo.com.au

You're indeed doing a great job. It can help me on my thesis on Indian Literature.

Arthur

vikki said...

Please fix this links set to private