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Vol 460|27 August 2009 BOOKS & ARTS Bridging the gender gap in Indian science A set of biographies reveals the trials and triumphs of India’s women researchers, says Asha Gopinathan. Lilavati was the clever daughter of the twelfth- century Indian mathematician Bhaskara II. A well-known mathematician in her own right, she inspired generations of Indian women. Bhaskara’s famous book on mathematics was R. RAMASWAMY named after her, and he addressed many of its verses to her. Lilavati’s Daughters spotlights women based in India who have pursued research in science, engineering and mathemat- ics from the late nineteenth century to today. A collection of 98 short biographies, the book stems from a project initiated by the Women in Science panel of the Indian Acad- emy of Sciences, Bangalore, to provide young girls with inspiring role models (see www.ias. ac.in/womeninscience). The diverse personal stories span many disciplines and regions of India — and are inspiring. The earliest chronological entry is for Anandibai Joshi, the first Indian woman to go abroad and study to become a doctor. From 1883 to 1886 she attended the Women’s Medical Attending a science summer school encouraged geneticist Sudha Bhattacharya to become a researcher. College in Philadelphia and was awarded an MD degree for her thesis Obstetrics Among Aryan scientists came from ordinary middle-class across the country during summer camps. Hindoos. Unfortunately, she contracted tuber- families. Most grew up not in the nation’s big The road to the top is never smooth. Many culosis and had to return to India. She received cities but in rural areas, where getting an edu- of the women acknowledge sexism in their no treatment: Western doctors refused to treat cation in any discipline, let alone in science, professions, a lack of institutional support, a brown woman and Indian doctors would not is difficult. In rural Punjab, mathematician double standards in measuring their achieve- help her because she had broken societal rules. R. J. Hans-Gill had to pretend to be a boy and ments, social bias due to caste, self-imposed Joshi died in 1887 at 22 years of age. wear a turban to attend school — a secret that limitations, negative stereotypes surround- Thankfully, not all the women in the book was kept between her family and the head master. ing single women and the multiple roles that had such tragic lives, although many had to Biologist Chitra Mandal was accompanied married women with families have to juggle. overcome obstacles to achieve success. Physi- to school in rural Bengal by her grandmother They have used many strategies for survival. But cist Anna Mani, who worked with the Nobel because the teacher would not let the four-year- most important is their passion for their work. laureate C. V. Raman, was old in without someone to The motivations of these female scientists not awarded a doctorate Lilavati’s Daughters: The Women look after her. are often surprising. Not everyone in the book despite publishing several Scientists of India Almost all of the women aspired to win the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar single-author papers. Yet Edited by Rohini Godbole and speak of the premium Prize for Science and Technology: only a hand- she went on to become the Ram Ramaswamy their families placed on ful has won this coveted award. Instead, they deputy director-general of Indian Academy of Sciences: 2008. education and the sup- have put their energies into teaching and com- the Indian Meteorologi- 369 pp. 300 rupees, $25 (pbk) port and encouragement municating science, taking their research out cal Department and, after See http://tinyurl.com/liladaug each received from fam- of the lab to change people’s lives. retirement, set up a fac- ily members. Mothers are Each of these essays is special. They tell of tory to manufacture instruments to measure especially significant — poorly educated ones vibrant women who combine a tough life in wind speed and solar energy. as well as some who were scientists themselves. the sciences with other interests such as cricket, Many of those highlighted were the first to Dedicated teachers, both at school and college, dance, music or literature. Had I received break into male-dominated professions: Asima were also influential. They spotted and nurtured this book as a young girl, I would have been Chatterjee was the first Indian woman to be talent and lit sparks of curiosity in the minds of captivated. I hope that Lilavati’s Daughters will awarded a DSc; E. K. Janaki Ammal was elected these young girls. In post-independence India, be translated into many languages and grace a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences the government schemes such as the National Sci- libraries worldwide. It is a wonderful resource year it was founded; Kamala Sohonie was the ence Talent Search scholarship have helped for both mentors and mentees. ■ first female director of the Institute of Science, many women, including geneticist Sudha Bhat- Asha Gopinathan is a neuroscientist based Mumbai; and Bimla Buti is a former director of tacharya, now a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru in Trivandrum, Kerala, and a member of the plasma physics at the International Centre for University in New Delhi, to pursue their dreams International Network of Women Engineers and Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. by allowing them to study at a good university Scientists. It is interesting that many of these women and to meet eminent scientists and peers from e-mail: [email protected] 1082 © 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved 11082-1084082-1084 BBooksooks andand ArtsArts MHMH AB.inddAB.indd 10821082 220/8/090/8/09 117:25:507:25:50 NATURE|Vol 460|27 August 2009 OPINION In Number Freak The many faces of mathematics (Perigee Books, 2009), Derrick Mathematicians: An Outer View of the Levinson, a past department chairman who is Niederman Inner World revered both for his mathematics and for his tells the stories by Mariana Cook able running of the department. behind the Princeton University Press: 2009. The interest in teaching among these senior numerals 1 208 pp. $35, £24.95 faculty members is broad and deep. Many text- to 200. Each books have arisen from MIT courses, such as number gets Recountings: Conversations with MIT George Thomas’s classic text Calculus and Ana- an entry, detailing its significance Mathematicians lytic Geometry (Addison-Wesley, 1952). The from ancient myth to mathematical by Joel Segel collective pride is palpable as many remember reality. For instance, the prime number AK Peters: 2009. 330 pp. $49 the day in 1959 when maths courses became 17 is considered unlucky in Italy and catalogued as equivalent to others at MIT — no was detested by the Pythagoreans The question of how one makes a great scientific longer carrying an ‘M’ prefix to indicate that compared with its neighbours 16 and discovery, or teaches others to do so, is central to maths was a service department for the others. 18; yet the choreographer George two recent books that portray mathematicians. The professors share their strategies for achiev- Balanchine saw its beauty in a double- In Mathematicians, Mariana Cook photographs ing research success, from working on prize diamond configuration of 17 dancers more than 90 living mathematicians, each por- problems to developing an intuitive feel for in his ballet Serenade. trait accompanied by an explanation of how proofs. They explain how new research direc- they became interested in their subject. Many tions have come from interactions with students An intimate view cite an early introduction to problem solving, and colleagues or from writing a review article. of mentorship is often before the age of ten, by a family member. Bertram Kostant’s account is particularly revealed by US For others, it was a teacher who piqued their inspiring and appears in both books. His inter- mathematician interest in mathematics. Later influences came est in science began with his chemistry teacher, Steven Strogatz from mentors or leaders in the field — Alexan- Mr Lieberman at Stuyvesant High School in in The Calculus der Grothendeick is named by several as hav- New York, and listing the formulae in chemi- of Friendship ing suggested what they should work on. cal reactions. Wherever Kostant went — from (Princeton Collaboration, such as that between college at Purdue University, by way of the Uni- University Benedict Gross and Don versity of Chicago, the Insti- Press, 2009), a compilation of letters Zagier on their eponymous tute for Advanced Study in exchanged with his high-school maths M. COOK formula or between Isadore Princeton, the University teacher over 30 years. Through their Singer and Michael Atiyah of California, Berkeley, to correspondence they share problems on their index theorem, MIT — he found himself in calculus, chaos theory and major life can be decisive in achiev- in the midst of a maths events, from professional and sporting ing a successful research department at a high point. successes to family bereavements and career. Also important is He was also tied to history. divorce. The book touchingly charts sustained concentration At Purdue he was taught their changing roles and relationship, on a problem: Jean-Pierre by Arthur Rosenthal, a from student to professor, teacher to Serre says his best work is German refugee who had retirement. done at night when half- previously taught physicist asleep. A background in Werner Heisenberg and had Numerous music is another frequent studied under C. L. F. Linde- contacts with theme: Timothy Gowers Timothy Gowers: music inspired maths. mann — who proved that π neighbours or and Persi Diaconis both is not an algebraic number. workmates have come from families of professional musicians, Years later at Princeton, Kostant drove a profound effect and Noam Elkies and Manjul Bhargava note Albert Einstein home just a week before Ein- on our success, an early interest in the patterns of Western and stein’s sudden death.