10th English Science and Hope of Survival Lesson Summary in English and Kannada
Science and Hope of Survival Lesson Summary in English
In this thought provoking article, we come to know what a scientist has to say about his profession. Pursuit of science is an exciting adventure. So most of the people prefer to become scientists rather than selecting the profession of businessmen, lawyers and doctors. Other professions fetch lot of money but the profession of scientist surely bring promotions and honours, because it is mainly concerned with one’s capacity or ability. One more exciting benefit of becoming a scientist is that the person gets the overwhelming feeling of uncovering Nature’s Mystery.
F. Press one of the best educators on human nature writes about his stay at Moscow in the year 1960. He was doing research on the theory of seismic waves (tremors generated by an earthquake). He was happy in his research and enjoyed the Mathematical challenge. He didn’t think much about seismic waves having connection with real life. At that time, there was an unfriendly relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union after the Second World War. Then came the Summons from the president of Russia about Soviet Union, United States and United Kingdom possessing nuclear weapons. So the president of Russian sent him (F. Press) to Geneva.
There was no war going on between U.S. and the U.S.S.R. when the Geneva meeting was called but one could find a cold war going on and everyone lived under the fear of annihilation by nuclear weapons. Each super power had more than enough nuclear bombs to destroy others in the first strike. But in the 20 minutes it took for the rockets to reach their targets, the other side had plenty of time to launch retaliation strikes.
This is the threat called ‘MAD’ (Mutually Assured Destruction) which saved all from the common fatal fate. Realising the future grave effects the three nuclear powers came to an agreement that is putting a ban on the nuclear weapon test. So technical experts were called to solve this fatal problem.
The following problems arose. Suppose if all the three powers signed an agreement to ban nuclear weapons, and if some one secretly makes an underground explosion, how this can be detected, i.e., violation of the agreement. Then the writer got a point that the problem had a direct connection with his research that is seismic waves, because underground nuclear weapons produce earth tremors which are similar to those of the tremors created by Earthquakes. The writer pondered over as to how to distinguish between natural tremors and the tremor caused by underground nuclear weapons. So the research conducted by F. Press came to his help.
Scientists and Engineers from the opposite sides of the Iron Curtain started finding a solution. It seemed impossible outwardly. But the scientists were able to work out a common language. Their solution allowed politicians to reach the decision ‘Nuclear Test Ban’. This particular thing made the writer think that he was not alone and science can bring the hope of survival and well-being of humanity.
Knowledge of basic science will give the people a head start in whatever career we choose. It is true that science doesn’t go with practical sense. Yet all research stem from science. So people trained in theoretical physical are head hunted by financial institutions but those trained in frontiers of biological research become founders and directors in the pharmaceutical industry.
Natural and man-made disasters threaten the survival of our civilization. The self-inflicted destruction of mega cities, environmental catastrophes, Economic and social crisis and Earthquakes are examples. Nuclear waste disposal releases radioactivity which can cause up to a million of casualties.
Our world becomes uninhabitable and trigger global economic depression or a war in a ‘hot’ region. We cannot check them though we spend trillions of dollars. We are in a situation in which it sums impossible to come to an agreement or disagreement. To break this, we not only require money but also intellectual resources. Here the author quotes the French proverb “Nobody is satisfied with his wealth, everybody is satisfied with his wisdom”.
To live save and unharmed, we need scientific research and it is the scientists with their tools that are upto the challenge and can ensure that we move on. So science should be used humanly then only it becomes our guardian and caretaker; if not, it becomes destroyer and leads all to destruction. Me George Bundy has rightly said that ‘it is in our hands to bloom or the perish’.
Science and Hope of Survival Lesson Summary in Kannada
Science and Hope of Survival Lesson About the Author
Keilis- Borok teaches at the University of California. Los Angeles currently. He is the research group leader of the inter-national Institute for Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics, Russian Academy of Science He is also Codirector (and founder) of the Research Programme on non-linear dynamics and earthquake prediction of the Abdus International Centre for Theoretical physics, Trieste.
Science and Hope of Survival Lesson Word Meanings
- Leo Tolstoy : A Russian writer, author of the novel War and Peace
- merely : only
- camaraderie : a feeling of friendship when people work together
- promotion : a move to a more important position
- draerb overwhelming : a great effect on you that you feel very happy
- F.Press : One of the best educators on human nature
- the cold war : unfriendly relationship between the US and the Soviet Union after the second world war
- mystery : something that people do not know anything about
- generated : something produced
- annihilation : complete destruction
- retaliation : action against someone who has done something bad to you
- ominous : making you feel that something bad is going to happen
- acronym : a word made from the first letters of the name of any organisation, e.g. MAD
- standoff (n) : a situation in which neither side in a battle can gain an advantage
- violate : disobey law/ going against agreement
- survival : a state that continues to live or exist
- Iron Curtain : the name for the socio-political border that was believed to exist between Western Europe and the communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe
- obvious : clear
- indisputable : known to be true
- persistent : continuing to exist or happen
- self-criticism : the act of judging one’s own
- behaviour or character
- lore : knowledge or information about a subject
- immersion : being absorbed in an activity
- fundamental ; the most basic or important parts of something
- forensic : of scientific method of finding out about a crime
- headhunt : an act to find people with right 1 skills or experience for a particular iob
- self inflict : to cause pain or problem for oneself
- trigger : to make something happen very quickly
- trillion : the number lakh crores
- stalemate (n) : a situation in which it seems impossible to come to an agreement or disagreement
- springboard : something that helps one to start doing something
- venture (n) : a new activity that involves risk
- indispensable : very useful and necessary
- Me George Bundy : He was United States National Security Advisor to presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson