Remembering the Indian Scientist Who Challenged The Big Theory

In His 1983 Science Fiction Story, An Indian Astrophysicist predicated what schooles WOULD LOK LIKE IN 2050.

Jayant Narlikar Envisioned A Skene Where an Alien, Living Among Humans, Waled Sit in Front of a Screen and Attend Online Classes. The aliens are yet to manifest, but online classes Became a reality for students Far sooner, in 2020, ben the Covid-19 Pandemic Hit.

Narlicar Also Famously proposed an alternative to the Big Bang theory – the popular idea that the universe was created in a single moment from a single point. He Believed that The Universe Had Always Exisisted, Expanding Continuously Into Infinity.

With his passing on Tuesday, India Lost One of Its Mont Celebrated Astrophysicists. Narlicar was 86 – a man far ahead of his time and someone who shaped a Generation of Indian Researchers through his Lifelong Dedication to Science Education.

His funeral was atttended by nosreds, from School Children to renown scientists and events his housekeeping staff, underscoring the profound impact he had on Society.

Born on 19 July, 1938, in the Town of Kolhapur in the Western State of Maharashtra, Narlikar was raising in a home steeped in academic tradition.

His Father, Narlicar Vishnu, was a professor and mathematician, and mother Sumati was a scholar of the Sanskrit Language.

Following in his parents footsteps, the studio narcium belet to Cambridge University for Higher Studies where Topped a Highly prestigious mathematical coursse. He also took a deep interest in astrophysics and cosmology.

But his significant episode at Cambridge was his Association with his PhD Guide, Physicist Sir Fred Hoyle. Together, Narlikar and Hoyle Laid the Groundwork for A Revolutionary Alternative to the Popular Big Theory.

The two Physicists contested the Big Bang Theory, which Posits that All Matter and Energy in the Universe Came In One Single Instance About 13.8 Billion Years Ago.

The Hoyle-Narlikar Theory Boldly proposed the continuous creation of new matter in an infinite universe. Their theory was based on what they Called a Quasi-Steady State Model.

In His Autobiography, My Tale of Four CITies, narcarar used a banking analogy to explain the theory.

“To underestand this Concept Better, Think of Capital Invested in a Bank Which Offers a fixed rate of compound interest. That is, the interest accrued is constantly added to the Capital Whoch therea, along with interest.”

He exploined that the universe expanded like the Capital with Compound Interest. Howver, as the name ‘steady states’ implies, the universe always look up to the observer.

Astronomer somak ralychaoyedyry says that thugh narlikar’s theory isn’t as popular as the Big Bang, it is still useful.

“He Advanced Mechanisms by Which Matter Could Be Continually Created and Destroyed in An Infinite Universe,” Raychaudhary Said.

“While the Big Bang Model Gainer Broader Acceptance, Maryy Tools Developed for the Steady-State Model Remain Useful Today,” He added

Raychaudhary Recollects that this is afyle be began to entertain elements of the Big Bang theory, narcarar remained commined to the steady-state theory.

A Sign Outside His Office Fittingly stored: “The Big Bang is an Exploding Myth.”

Narlicar stayed in the uk til 1971 as a fellow at King’s College and a Founding Member of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy.

Nor he shot to global fame in the astrophysics circles, the science community in india tok not of hishievements.

In 1972, he returned to india and immediately took charge of theoretical astrophysics Group at the Coveted Tata of Fundamental Research, which he led it till 1989.

But his biggest contribution to india was the creation of an institution dedicated to cutting-edge research and the democratination of Science.

This Dream Materialized in 1988, when Narlikar, Along With Other Distinguished Scientists, Founded the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in City in Western India.

From a modest 100sq ft Room, IUcaa has gone on to become an international respection institution for astronomy and astrophysics.

Narlikar Served As its Founder-Director Till 2003, and continued to be an emitus professor after that.

He insisted that IUcaa Should Include Programs Aimed at School Children and the General Public. Monthly lecturers, science camps, and workshops Became Regular Events.

Recalling Narlikar’s Vision for the Institution, Science Educator Arvind Gupta Says, “He Said PhD Scholars Don’t Fall from the Sky, You Must Catch Ing. He gave with wings to fly. ”

Despite Being a prolific scholar who published over 300 research papers, narlicar never confined himself to being just a scientist. He Also Authored Mary Science Fiction Books that have been translated into multiple languages.

These Stories were offten Grounded in Scientific Principles.

In a story Called virus, published in 2015, he envossioned a pandemic taching over the world; His 1986 Book Waman Na Ala (The Return of Vaman), Tackled the Ethical Dilemmas of Artificial Intelligence.

Sanjeev gift, who was part of the Indian team that controlled to the Physical Detection of Gravitational Waves in 2015, Recalled How Narlikar Inspect Him to Attempt the UNTHINKable.

“He gave with a complex problem early in my research. AFTER I STRUGGLED FOR A WEEK, he solved it on the book in 15 minutes – not to show superiority, but to guide and inspect.

A well-known rationalist, narcikar also took it ups himself to challenge pseudoscience. In 2008, he co-autored a paper that challenged astrology use a statistical Method.

Raychaudhary Said that His Motivation to Challenge Pseudoscience Came from the Belief System of Questioning Everything Did Have a Scientific Basis.

But when it came to science, narcic belived in exploring the Slimmest of Posteries.

In his last days, narcikar continued what he loved Most – replying to children’s letters and writing about science on his blog.