SCIENCE FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Ever since the dawn of civilization, humans have been in search of eternal truth to unfold the mystery of creation of the universe, understand life, death and exploit the bounties of nature to improve their lot on the earth. In this quest, science has been the most exciting intellectual pursuits humans have ever carried out. The evolutions of scientific theories and technological advances during the last few centuries have made a phenomenal impact on our lives. The world changed more during the last 200 years than in the past 4000 years prior to it. It revolutionized our outlook and modes of living on earth. This progress has undoubtedly brought about unprecedented economic growth and social development-raising the standard of living and prosperity of mankind. The humanity today is facing daunting challenges of climate change, global warming, environmental pollution, sustainable energy, disease eradication, overpopulation, unemployment etc, which is threatening our survival on earth. The solutions to these problems can only come through further development of science and technology. Science, technology and innovations are important drivers of economic growth and social development in the contemporary world and it has contributed a great deal to the human welfare. Its role for building a sustainable future has become a topic of discussion across the world.

Science is all about scientific knowledge, developing theories and discovering laws to promote better and deeper understanding of the whole physical and natural world around. The wonders of modern science, the technological marvel, the mysteries and the untold secrets make it so beautiful. But the real beauty lies in the ecstasy of fully grasping an elusive concept, its elegance and usefulness. Physics and Mathematics are the two most intellectual disciplines and preferred fields of knowledge, the other subjects can be viewed as subsets of the two. The dominant perception about these subjects is that, they are frightful, boring, abstract and fundamentally irrelevant but on the contrary they are rewarding, amusing and most of all a worthwhile Endeavour.

One of the major reasons for writing this book is the deplorable state of science education at school and college level. The science has been obfuscated and taught more as a routine subject than building a culture of reason and scientific thought in the society. The poor quality of science education affects the huge number of students and its effect permeates down to the Colleges and Universities. Raising the level of science education would endow citizens with the capacity to evaluate ideas from a scientific perspective, promoting a culture of reason and logic that is so essential for our prosperity and peaceful co-existence. There is a need for greater scientific literacy for our young generation and adults to take part intelligently in the development and progress of our society. It is not for today or for some years, but for the long-term survival and propagation of the human species on earth. The real challenge before us is to make science education more lively and interesting in our institutions and attract best talents for creating a human resource. The benefit of strengthening science education has far-reaching implications, it is imperative that we accord it a top priority.

The book covers a wide canvas of scientific topics from the basic sciences and technologies to unlocking the mysteries of the universe and takes readers through, environment, energy crises, energy conservation, energy efficiency, sustainable future, digital revolution, information and communication technology (ICT) and technology in Education. The author has discussed ‘Curiosity-Driven Science’, emphasis on basic and applied sciences and takes us through teaching/learning process and research vis-a-vis advancements in science and technology. The book provides an enlightening picture on superstitions, metaphysics that are so essential for our peaceful co-existence and all-round development. At the end, a chapter on illustrious and inspirational men of Physical sciences has been incorporated in the book.

The book is a treasure trove of scientific knowledge for all sorts of people-the old, the young and the men having basic knowledge of sciences. It will excite an insatiable quest for scientific knowledge, understanding of the natural world and its applications to benefit the whole society. The well-documented book with a glimpse of latest scientific works presents various topics in an interesting and readable manner. The author has tried his best to simplify the abstruse scientific concepts on the Universe and Scientific Technologies and dilated upon the whole subject incisively and in a concise way. The book gives a comprehensive account on environment issues, energy crises and the way forward towards a sustainable future.

The book will certainly be useful to the students, teachers and other curious people, thus entails its use in schools, colleges and other institutions where basic science is taught. It will also serve to brush up the knowledge of researchers, scholars and thus necessitates its use in professional colleges, research institutions and universities. The book will be of immense help to the academic administrators, educational experts, NGOs, bureaucracy and planners. Therefore there is a compelling reason that this book will be received by a broad section of readers and it will have a very good market demand. This book is recommended for everybody for a thorough reading and surely it will find a permanent place in our domestic and public libraries.