Dr Jayanta Sthanapati, director BITM (top) and children at the new gallery (Pictures by Anindya Saha)

I never knew that my work could be explained in such a simple way,” S Chandrasekhar remarked during a science exhibition at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry in 1985. The scientist was speaking about the model of the Chandrasekhar Limit exhibited during the Indian Festival of Science at the museum.

Chandrasekhar had predicted that a star is a white dwarf if its mass is less than 1.44 times the mass of the sun. If the mass exceeds 1.44 times that of the sun, it is a neutron star. This figure of 1.44 is known as the Chandrasekhar Limit. And some researchers from the Birla Industrial and Technology Museum (BITM), Calcutta, had simplified this complex idea into an understandable model.

Chandrasekhar was certainly impressed. However, what he was actually appreciating was the way science was made attractive to the masses. Science cannot exist in isolation. It tries to justify and interpret natural phenomenon through research and by the formulation of new theories. But the scientific community cannot rest easy. “Science also means communicating these ideas to the public,” says Dr Jayanta Sthanapati, director of BITM, Calcutta.

This is the theme that is advocated by the Calcutta BITM, the oldest science museum in the country. Though it was inspired by the Deutsche Museum and the London Science Museum, it has certainly done its share in trying to popularise science in our own country, especially among schoolchildren.

In this regard, the museum authorities opened a novel gallery called “Fascinating Physics” on May 2 to coincide with the 47 th anniversary of the BITM. Dr Sthanapati says that physics is really “fascinating” because its always “rediscovering and reinterpreting” nature. “And we felt that we should try to take this fascination to the doorsteps,” he adds.

The BITM director explains that the gallery is divided into two sections, classical and modern physics. The first section has 28 interactive exhibits on mechanics, gravity, optics, sound and electromagnetism. Here children, and adults too, can virtually play with the exhibits while enjoying the fundamentals of physics. The modern physics section of the gallery takes you to the microcosm of subatomic particles, to the edges of the universe where black holes and pulsars reside, to a super cool region near the absolute zero temperatures and all such “forbidden areas”. The gallery shows you how energy can be derived from the sun and from the atomic nucleus, the wonder that happens inside semiconductors, the power and beauty of lasers, the scope of electronics and what lies ahead. The 38 exhibits with eye-catching visuals, working models, animations, video films, multimedia and unmanned quiz make the experience enthralling.

That the new gallery is enthralling is an understatement. It’s like Alladin’s magic cave for science buffs. The interactive panels, well-designed models and lucid explanations certainly makes it a very thrilling experience. Says Dr Bikash Sinha, the director of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, “It’s really exciting to see scientific ideas being worked out in reality through these creative and ingeneous exhibits.”

His words ring true when one sees the “Gravity Well” in the museum. The panel tells you to lift a steel ball and roll it through a channel built for the purpose. As the ball approaches the centre of a large orbit, it starts to move faster and falls into a hole. The panel explains that this is due to friction. It also says that this is the way artificial satellites move around the earth. That is really interesting. The whole concept is elucidated by a plastic cylinder about two feet in diameter and about eight feet in height.

Another exhibit tells you your relative weight when you stand on it. For example, if you weigh 39 kgs on earth, you would have a mere weight of 6.3 kgs on the moon. But when you travel to Jupiter, don’t be surprised if your weight becomes 97 kgs. But fret not -- the exhibit explains that this due to the difference in gravity.

If you are an Einstein fan, you should definitely see the panel explaining the various phases of his scientific career. The panel also has a video film on Einstein’s life and you can hear the great man himself discoursing on general relativity by the press of a button.

Such exhibitions will certainly attract students to science and even pursue it as a career. “I found the exhibits very informative and attractive. Our teacher is here with us and explaining to us what we have learnt in our science classes,” says Monalisa Mullick, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballygunge.

And here lies an irony. If young students are so interested in science, why is the subject losing popularity these days? Why is it that students don’t feel motivated enough to take science as a career?

The scientific community blames the education system. “Science as taught in schools is very text-centric and therefore very boring. Teachers should look at ways of making the subject more interactive in the classrooms. This will ensure that students will find science fascinating and interesting, as it’s meant to be,” says Dr Jayanta Bhattacharya, the head of theoretical physics at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta.

Dr Sinha agrees that science has to be made more attractive so as to stem “the exodus of students to other fields.” This is the need of the hour because “our country needs a large number of scientists for technological development,” he says.

Many people allege that the government is not doing enough to popularise science. Dr Sthanapati, however, disagrees. “The government is pumping in more and more funds for scientific research,” he asserts. The actual problem lies with the lack of reward and appreciation for researchers in India. Dr Bhattacharya explains, “Scientists in Indian institutes are promoted after a certain period of time. Their publications or research play no role in their promotions and remunerations. This has made many of our scientists apathetic towards research.”

Moreover, today people are averse to careers in pure science because of the preconceived notion that they are “not very profitable”. Dr Jayashree Mukherjee, a physics lecturer in Bethune College, was certainly impressed as she went around the gallery admiring the various exhibits. “Science exhibitions like these will certainly help in spreading awareness and entice students to look for career options in this field.” She, however, adds, “It’s sad that parents these days tell their children to go for more lucrative options like information technology and management courses rather than the sciences.”

Dr Bhattacharya is more optimistic. He says, “The present unpopularity of science is due to the consumer culture besetting our society. In 15 to 20 years, the novelty of globalisation will wear off and people will once again look at science as a fascinating career option.”

But this requires students to carry on their interest in science beyond their school years. As Dr Sinha urged the students, “Please don’t let your passion for science evaporate. Continue your engagement with science till life is worth living.”