With Olympiad exams on, it is time you brush up your general knowledge and know the who’s who of prominentfields....

Father of Modern Physics:ALBERT EINSTEIN

He developed the theory of general rel-ativity, effecting a revolution in physics.In 1921 he was awarded the NOBEL PRIZE

FOR PHYSICS, for his services to theoreticalphysics, in particular discovering the laws behind the photoelectric effect without which

we wouldn’t have digital cameras orsolar power. Today, Einstein is con-

sidered the father of modern physics.His work involved some very complex

maths, but like many mathemati-cians he prized simple ideas and

having an inquisitive mind rather thanmemorising facts from a book.

Father of Modern Astronomy:COPERNICUS

Copernicus’ interest in as-tronomy as a hobby grewinto his primary interest in later

years. His observations were made with-out the use of optical instruments, which

were not invented until a good hundredyears later. He observed from a turretsituated on the protective wall around

the cathedral. In 1530, Copernicus com-pleted his first great work entitled ‘De Rev-

olutionibus Orbium Coelestium’. It was inthis book that he asserted that the Earth ro-tated on its axis once each day and that it trav-elled around the Sun once each year. Thiswas a fantastic idea at the time. Up to the timeof Copernicus, the thinkers of the westernworld believed in the Ptolemiac theory thatthe Earth was the centre of the universe andthat the stars, planets, and the Sun revolvedaround the stationary Earth. The revelationof the heliocentric (Sun-centered) theorymarked the beginning of the scientific revo-lution and a new view of the universe.

Father of Green Revolution:

Dr NORMAN BORLAUG

Dr Norman Borlaug dedicated almostsix decades to the ending of worldhunger and to the acceleration of agri-

cultural productivity in the developing world.He talked to more peasant farmers and vis-ited more wheat fields than any living per-son. Dr Borlaug was awarded the NOBEL PEACEPRIZE IN 1970 for his lifetime of work to helpfeed the hungry world. TheGreen Revolution resulted in in-creased production of grains (es-pecially wheat and rice) and wasdue to the introduction into de-veloping countries of new, high-yielding varieties.

➤ As Einstein knew, studyingmaths isn’t about remember-

ing as much as you possiblycan — it’s about learning

how to think logicallyand solve problems

At the time of Independence,India was an agriculturaldependent economy. And yetthe state of Indian agriculturalsector was dismal. From lack of

investment, a dearth oftechnology, many

such problems plagued theindustry. So, the Indian govern-ment took steps to bring aboutthe Green Revolution usinghigh-yielding varieties (HYV)seeds. MS SWAMINATHAN,known as the ‘Father of GreenRevolution’ in India developedHYV of wheat and later, pro-moted sustainable developmentcalled – ‘evergreen revolution’.

FATHER OF GREENREVOLUTION IN

INDIA

Father of Medicine in India:SUSHRUTA

Sushruta (7th or 6th century BCE) was a physi-cian in ancient India known as the ‘Father ofIndian Medicine’ and ‘Father of Plastic

Surgery’ for inventing and developing sur-gical procedures. His work on the subject,the SUSHRUTA SAMHITA is considered the old-est text in the world on plastic surgery andis highly regarded as one of the Great Tril-ogy of Ayurvedic Medicine; the other twobeing the ‘Charaka Samhita’, and the ‘As-tanga Hridaya’. His speciality was rhino-

plasty, the recon-struction of thenose, and his bookinstructs others onhow a surgeonshould proceed.Surgery was prac-tised in In-

dia for centuries before the Greekphysician Hippocrates (c. 460 –c. 379 BCE), known as the Fa-ther of Medicine, waseven born.

Father of Economics: ADAM SMITH

Adam Smith was an 18th-centuryphilosopher renowned as the fatherof modern economics and a major

proponent of laissez-faire economic poli-cies. In his first book, ‘The Theory of MoralSentiments’, Smith proposed the idea of anINVISIBLE HAND – the tendency of free markets to regulate themselves by meansof competition, supply and demand, andself-interest.

Father of Genetics: GREGOR MENDEL

Gregor Mendel, through hiswork on pea plants, discoveredthe fundamental laws of inheri-

tance. He deduced that genes come inpairs and are inherited as distinct units,one from each parent. Mendel tracked thesegregation of parental genes and their ap-pearance in the offspring as dominant or re-cessive traits.

Like many great artists and scientists, thework of Gregor Mendel was not appreciateduntil after his death. But now he is ac-claimed as the ‘father of modern genetics’.

INVISIBLE HAND➤ Invisible hand was coined bySmith in his book ‘The Wealth ofNations’. He assumed an economycan work well in afree market. ➤In such a sce-nario, where thereare no regulationsimposed by thegovernment, ifsomeone charges less, the

customer will buy from him. Hence,you have to lower your price or offerbetter than your competitor.Whenever people demand some-

thing, it will be supplied by themarket and everyone

will be happy. Theseller ends up

getting theprice and buyerwill get better

goods at desired price.

T H E W I S E S A G E S O F I N D I A

SAGE VISHVAMITRASage Vishvamitra is one of the most

venerated rishis born as a kshatriya buttransformed himself to a Brahmarishi (a

sage who has realised the supreme self).Contributions: Vishvamitra is said to have

found GAYATRI MANTRA. He is also creditedfor most of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda. The

Puranas state only 24 rishis haveunderstood the whole meaning of

Gayatri Mantra. Vishvamitra issupposed to be the first.

SAGE VASISHTASage Vasishta is the guru of

Devas (or the demigods) and also theguru of Surya Vamsha (Lord Rama's

Dynasty). He is one of the saptarishis(seven great rishis) of India.

Contributions: Vashistha is credited as theCHIEF AUTHOR OF MANDALA 7 OF RIGVEDA.

Yoga Vasistha, Vashistha Samhita,and some versions of the AgniPurana and Vishnu Purana are

attributed to him.

RISHI BHRIGU Maharishi Bhrigu is considered

as a Manasa Putra (mind-born-son)of Brahma. Maharishi bhrigu is also

called ‘Prajapati’ (creator) as he was cre-ated by lord Brahma to help him in theprocess of the creation of universe.Contributions: Maharishi Bhrigu col-

lected birth charts, wrote full-lifepredictions and compiled themtogether as BHRIGU SAMHITA,

first book on astrology.

AGASTYA According to Tamil tradition, he

is considered to be a form of Shiva.Agastya had ‘neither a human mother nor

a father’. He was born in a mud pitcher withhis famous twin, Vashistha.

Contributions: Agastya is considered to bethe FATHER OF THE TAMIL LANGUAGE, to

whom is attributed the origin of theTamil grammar text Agastyam.He has also authored Agastya

Samhita and Agastimata.

KASHYAPASage Kashyapa was one of the

seven ancient sages considered asSaptarishis. The Atharva Veda describes

him as a self-made scholar.Contributions : He authored the treatise

KASHYAP SAMHITA, a reference book onAyurveda – in the field of Ayurvedicpediatrics, gynaecology and obstet-

rics. Silpasastra of Kashyapa, is agreat Sanskrit treatise on

architecture.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

06 “A woman with a book and a pen has the power to move nations. Awoman with a mind and a voice has the power to change worlds.”

Sasha Temerte KNOWLEDGEPEDIA