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Editorial Framework for science news he media, both print and electronic, warming’ and take an alarmist view on Tplay an important role in opinion these phenomena. The features generally formation. As in politics so also in establish clear connections between science related matters, the ideological science, policy and public interest. ‘The E-mail: [email protected] slant of the management is reflected thinning of ozone layer’ and ‘climate in features, editorials and also in news change’ are discussed in similar frames. channels and serious print formats that stories. Enlightened viewers and readers, These tend to seek answers to questions have high credibility and are committed it is blithely hoped, are aware of this and like what the public needs to know about to reach audience with issues that help use correctional filters to absorb the key climate change. development debates. The challenge is to issues. Is there a model that can be adopted impress this public with well-presented Recent weeks have witnessed for increased public understanding of stories that meet their practical and analytical features on the Indo-US issues in science and development like strategic needs. Communicators must technological deals with stress varying from climate change? How can we have a more contribute with balanced reporting on ‘the changing geo-political equations in the informed public that can influence policy? complex matters and reduce the ideological subcontinent and the increasing strategic What have we learnt from media coverage bias consciously. importance of India’ to the ‘gains likely to of complex developmental issues like Will more science matters in the the industrial military complex in the US climate change? media increase its public understanding? because of the opening of opportunities The space for discussion on science, How can communicators address the in India.’ The impact on Indian economy, technology and development is limited enormity of development debates through say ‘better availability of electrical power and not likely to increase dramatically a short news story? Is there a limit beyond and its impact on industry’ does not find in the mass media. The civil research which the outreach effort will become adequate space in the discussions. establishments (agriculture, medical, propaganda? Will newsmakers be willing The common man is more likely industrial, etc.) do not have clear to cooperate with the reporters in this to become engaged in a story if it appeals mechanisms of interfacing with journalists effort? What should be a good period to to a broader public interest. This is more and communicators. News is characterised review and revise the strategy? so if the story has a straight forward and by timeliness and accuracy both requiring The building blocks for better consistent narrative. The review of pulse a shift in priorities of the laboratories in understanding of science and clearer polio campaign in view of fresh reports the public sector and the universities. opinions are in science news and features of polio cases finds prominence in some One could argue that people are in the mass media. The next few weeks national newspapers. Most stories, indiscriminating in their understanding of will witness an initiative on television that however, do not carry reflections of issues and their impacts. Opinion leaders takes this issue further with a regular news scientists and deal with the contents rather are confused about priorities and strategies. telecast. There can be exciting spin-offs by superficially. The approach of ‘science Consumerism is a subtle but powerful integrating the effort with other channels report for the sake of science’ is not likely driver for many decisions and therefore provided by ICT. The question on how to retain attention of the audience. a convenient punching bag. Is absence of this is likely to contribute to public debates Let us review the news channels in scientific understanding deliberate and meaningfully can then be considered for many European nations. They frequently comfortable? Is it not important enough? answering. dwell on ‘climate change’ and ‘global There are notable radio and television o Anuj Sinha Editor : Er Anuj Sinha Vigyan Prasar is not responsible for the statements and opinions Address for Vigyan Prasar, C-24, expressed by the authors in their articles/write-ups published in correspondence : Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110 016 “Dream 2047” Tel : 011-26967532; Fax : 0120-2404437 Articles, excerpts from articles published in “Dream 2047” may e-mail : [email protected] be freely reproduced with due acknowledgement/credit, provided website : http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in periodicals in which they are reproduced are distributed free. Published and Printed by Dr. Subodh Mahanti on behalf of Vigyan Prasar, C-24, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110 016 and Printed at Aravali Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd., W-30, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi-110 020. Ph. : 011-26388830-32 Editor: Er Anuj Sinha 39 Dream 2047, December 2010, Vol. 13 No. 3 Robert Burns Woodward The greatest deviser of organic syntheses “Woodward’s career was marked throughout by brilliance. He went to the Massachusetts Subodh Mahanti Institute of Technology when he was only 16, was ‘sent down’ for a year for ‘inattention to E-mail: [email protected] formal studies’ but nevertheless emerged with his PhD at 20. Soon he moved to Harvard, and remained there. He did major work in most areas of organic chemistry, but his most in organic synthesis. He made synthesis of striking work was in the synthesis of complex natural products.” complex organic molecules a commonplace The Cambridge Dictionary of Scientists (2nd Edition), 2003 practice, which was earlier thought to be impossible. Woodward once wrote: “The “In 1944 Woodward, with William von Eggerts Doering synthesised quinine from the structure known, but not yet accessible basic elements. This was a historic moment for it was the quinine molecule that William by synthesis, is to the chemist what the Perkin had, first prematurely, attempted to synthesise in 1885.” unclimbed mountain, the uncharted sea, A Dictionary of Scientists, Oxford University Press, 1999 the untilled field, the unreached planet, are “Woodward’s research productivity was remarkable, a result both of the intensity of his to other men.” In 1965, Woodward was work habits and his extraordinary skills. His memory of the details of the chemical literature awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for was legendary and he quickly mastered every innovation in his field. In particular, he led his “collective contributions to the art of in understanding the possibilities of new instruments of the organic chemical laboratory organic synthesis.” in the 1930s and 1940s: infrared and ultraviolet spectrometers, mass spectrometers and Woodward’s contribution was not nuclear magnetic resonance.” confined to synthesis of natural products alone. His work in structure determination Alan J. Rocke in The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science (2003) was equally path-breaking. He solved several important structural puzzles. Among the obert Burns Woodward is regarded natural products the structures of which Ras the pre-eminent organic chemist were elucidated by Woodward and his group of the twentieth century. His knowledge of were penicillin (1945), patulin (1948), organic chemistry was unsurpassed. He had strychnine (1947), oxytetracycline (1952), mastered the skill of creating complex natural cevine (1954), carbomycin (1956), gliotoxin organic molecules in the laboratory from the (1958), ellipticine (1958), calycanthine simplest possible starting materials. It was (1960), oleandomycin (1960), streptonigrin no ordinary skill. As Alan J. Rocke wrote: (1963), and tetrodoxin (1964). Woodward’s “Successful natural product synthesis requires determination of the structure of a combination of rigorous thinking, ingenuity magnamycin revealed a previously unknown of approach and method, a high level of skill family of natural products of macrolide in laboratory manipulations, and an almost antibiotics. Woodward jointly with Geoffrey intuitive sensibility for how molecules can and Wilkinson proposed a structure for ferrocene, will combine.” Among the most important an organic compound incorporating iron molecules synthesised by Woodward and atom. This was the beginning of the field his group were cholesterol (1951), cortisone of organometallic chemistry, a field which (1951), strychnine (1954), LSD or lysergic has grown into an important industry. acid diethylamide (1954), reserpine (1956), Wilkinson got the Nobel Prize in 1973 for chlorophyll (1960), cephalosporin C (1966), his work on ferrocene. Many thought that Robert Burns Woodward and vitamin B12 (1971). Woodward should have shared the Prize with Woodward was a pioneer in case in Woodward’s time. Wilkinson. Woodward himself thought so. stereospecific synthesis; that is, synthesis Each of his synthetic work was Woodward and Roald Hoffmann of a particular configuration of a molecule marked by the elegance and ingenuity of introduced the principle of conservation in three-dimensional space. Stereospecific the process. He could make a valuable and of orbital symmetry which proved to be synthesis acquires special importance because highly complicated product from simple a major theoretical advance and provided of the fact that most natural products of starting materials using a large number of a deep
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