A Prophet of New Age”

Happy Diwali VIGYAN PRASAR 2 0 4 7 NOVEMBER 2020 / Vol. 23 / No. 2 / 20 Nano-Biomimetics: Inspiration from nature for Padma Vibhushan development of calyampudi radhakrishna rao biomedical implants Save Coral Reefs, A Prophet Our Paradise on Earth, to Save Ourselves of New Age Editor-in-Chief: Nakul Parashar Nakul Parashar Editor: Nimish Kapoor Production: Pradeep Kumar Bipro Kumar Sen Amitesh Banerjee Festivity but no Expert member: Biman Basu Sumita Mukherjee complacency Address for correspondence: sanitisation, and social distancing have now Vigyan Prasar, A-50, become the unsaid yet mandatory parts of the Institutional Area, Sector-62, new normal. That’s exactly the way by which Noida-201 309, U.P., India we, as citizens of the country, can contribute Tel: +91-120-2404430, 35 March, our bit to this joint cause. It’s time that we April, May… and now, come November shun every bit of complacency and strictly Fax: +91-120-2404437 - like any Indian farmer who waits for adhere to norms set forth by the WHO and the monsoon clouds, the entire humanity our own Government. It is indeed time for all e-mail: anxiously awaits a vaccine for COVID-19. of us to act as responsible citizens and create [email protected] Scientists continue to work round-the-clock scientific awareness amongst fellow citizens website: as part of their race-against-time endeavour, to maintain personal hygiene and keep the http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in but no respite in the near future is in sight! neighbourhood, city, state and country clean. Well, while the number of cases tested COVID Besides Deepawali, November is positive continues to swell, number of those the birthday month for Sir C.V. Raman who have recovered has also increased (7 November) and Acharya J.C. Bose significantly. The WHO dashboard available (30 November). Several books, articles, and on the web shows positive cases and deaths, research papers, including biographies have Vigyan Prasar is not whereas our national sources indicate those been published so far on these two geniuses. responsible for the who have recovered as well. Amidst all this, More than their research, these two scientists statements/opinions every good news is welcome. Isn’t it! have interesting events in their lives. expressed and photographs With the festivities of Deepawali and the Incidentally, we also celebrate the used by the authors in onset of the rabi season around, the relevance centenary of the notable biography of their articles/write-ups of good news becomes much bigger. Recall Acharya J.C. Bose, written by Sir Patrick published in “Dream 2047” every year around this time, we’ve been Geddes (see Dream 2047’s July 2020 issue). Articles, excerpts from articles celebrating the India International Science Indeed, it is an inspiring and worth reading published in “Dream 2047” Festival. We have so far seen these festivals book that takes you back in time to show how may be freely reproduced getting organised in New Delhi, Chennai, Bose worked and achieved so much. with due acknowledgement/ Lucknow, and Kolkata. In the new normal, Whilst talking about the centenary, credit, provided periodicals every meeting is happening through the we feel honoured that one of the pioneering in which they are reproduced web. A geographical location is no longer mathematicians and statisticians Prof C.R. are distributed free. relevant. IISF 2020 too, would be held in a Rao recently celebrated his 100th birthday. virtual manner. Stay tuned; exact dates and While we wish him a much longer and healthy programmes would be shortly notified. With life ahead, we look forward to his continued Published and Printed by the announcement of the IISF 2020 already service to the subject and humanity. Dr Nakul Parashar on behalf out, efforts are being made to organise it on Wishing you a very happy Deepawali. of Vigyan Prasar, A-50, a much larger scale than in the previous year Please stay safe, stay healthy. Institutional Area, Sector-62, in terms of attendee turnout and the number Noida-201 309, U.P., India of programmes to be organised, to give it a and Printed at Chandu Press, much larger international face. Most of it 469, Patparganj Industrial would, obviously, be in virtual mode. The Estate, Delhi 110 092 show must go on! Telefax: 22424396, 22526936. Yet, words of caution override any statement till a vaccine is effectively tried, Cover Design By: BIPRO KUMAR SEN tested, and made available. Masks, hand Email: [email protected] 2 dream 2047 / november 2020 NOBELNOBEL PRIZESPRIZES 20202020 biman basu 2020 Nobel Prizes in Science he Nobel Prizes in Science for breakthrough work also enabled the scissors, which has revolutionised 2020 have been shared by eight development of several antiviral drugs genetic research. This the first time ever, Tscientists–three share the prize that can help cure the disease. two women together have won the Nobel for Physiology or Medicine, three The Nobel Prize for Physics has Prize in chemistry. for Physics, and two get the prize for been awarded to Roger Penrose of the Charpentier and Doudna accidentally Chemistry. University of Oxford, UK, Reinhard discovered CRISPR/Cas9 in 1990 when The Nobel Prize in Physiology Genzel, of the Max Planck Institute for they were investigating the immune or Medicine has been awarded jointly Extra-terrestrial Physics in Garching, system of a Streptococcus bacterium to Harvey Alter of the US National Germany and a professor at the with the hope of developing a new form Institutes of Health, Michael Houghton University of California, Berkeley, USA, of antibiotic against it. The significance of the University of Alberta, Canada, and Andrea Ghez of the University of the discovery can be judged from and Charles Rice of the Rockefeller of California, Los Angeles, USA, for the fact that just eight years after University, USA, for the discovery of discoveries related to black holes. their discovery, these genetic scissors hepatitis C virus. According to the Nobel have reshaped the life sciences. It can Committee, the methodical studies be used to investigate the functions of transfusion-associated hepatitis of different genes and their possible by Harvey J. Alter, at the US National role in the progression of diseases. In Institutes of Health, demonstrated that plant breeding, using CRISPR/Cas9, an unknown virus was a common cause researchers can endow plants with of chronic hepatitis. Michael Houghton specific characteristics, such as the used an untested strategy to isolate the ability to withstand drought and salinity genome of the new virus that was named in a warmer climate. In medicine, this (From left) Roger Penrose, Andrea Ghez and the hepatitis C virus. Charles M. Rice, Reinhard Genzel (Credit: Max Planck Institute) gene editor is contributing to new cancer a researcher at Washington University therapies and the first studies attempting in St Louis, provided the final evidence Penrose will receive half of the to cure inherited diseases. The new tool showing that the hepatitis C virus alone prize “for the discovery that black hole could cause hepatitis. formation is a robust prediction of The Nobel Committee noted that the general theory of relativity”, while “the discovery of the hepatitis C virus is Genzel and Ghez will share the other a landmark achievement in the ongoing half of the prize “for the discovery of a battle against viral diseases. Perhaps, supermassive compact object at the the findings by the three Nobel laureates centre of our galaxy”. It turned out to be allowed the design of sensitive blood a black hole; not just an ordinary black tests that have eliminated the risk hole, but a supermassive black hole, 4 of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis million times the mass of our Sun. Now Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier in a large part of the world”. The scientists know that all galaxies have supermassive black holes. Ghez is only has also contributed to many important the fourth woman to win a Nobel Prize discoveries in basic research, and plant in physics. researchers have been able to develop The Nobel Prize in Chemistry crops that withstand mould, pests and has been awarded jointly to Emmanuelle drought. In medicine, clinical trials of Charpentier of Institut Pasteur, Paris, new cancer therapies are underway, and France and Director of the Max Planck the dream of being able to cure inherited Unit for the Science of Pathogens, diseases is about to come true. (From left) Harvey Alter, Charles Rice and Michael Berlin, Germany, and Jennifer Doudna Houghton (Credit: NIH History Office, John Abbott/ of Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, Biman Basu is a former editor of the he Rockefeller University, Richard for discovering one of gene technology’s Science Reporter, published by CSIR. Siemens/University of Alberta) sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic Email: [email protected] november 2020 / dream 2047 3 COVID-19 CORNER Dr Harsh Vardhan released Minister Shree Narendra Modi ji has that the new test had 96% sensitivity and National Clinical Management emphasized following AYUSH advisories 98% specificity. The accuracy of a test is Protocol based on Ayurveda for management of COVID-19 crisis. This based on these two proportions. A test and Yoga for management protocol dealing with preventive and that is highly sensitive will detect almost prophylactic measures is a significant everyone who has the disease, and a test of COVID-19 step in not only in management of COVID that has high-specificity will correctly n October 6, 2020 Dr Harsh but also in making traditional knowledge rule out almost everyone who doesn't OVardhan, Union Minister for Health relevant to solving problems of the have the disease. The first ensures not & Family Welfare released National modern time”.

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