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Breaking barriers between India and Brazil

Professor Jayant Narlikar
Professor Jayant Narlikar
The role of scientific temper and rational thinking and the urgent need to surpass the common sense in developing countries. Science popularization and social inclusion. These issues were brought up by the 4th Science Centre World Congress' conferencist, Professor Jayant Narlikar, who gave an exclusive interview to the website previous to his conference. 

 

What are your expectations towards the 4th Science Centre World Congress?

I hope to learn the ways adopted in different countries to bring science to the masses and how racional thinking is introduced as a solution to superstitions. Perhaps I may find some new method to try out in India

How do you think your own experience in science popularization in India may help Brazilian centres or institutions to put together a worthwhile science popularization program?

Some problems may be common between our two countries and the main issue is how to make the general public "science-friendly". I would like to indicate the methods used in India by me and other science popularisers with the hope that some of these, if not already tried in Brazil, may be considered. For instance, IUCAA (Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics) has a programme of introducing new facets of science through regular lectures to school-children and involving them in summer vacation projects. Some NGOs have programmes of performing "miracles" in villages and then explaining them with the help of science principles.

Do you think the so called "hard science", such as cosmology or astrophysics, is more difficult to be communicated to the general public? How to transpass such barriers?

On the contrary. There is a considerable curiosity about the cosmos in the common mind and therefore it is easy to talk about cosmology or astrophysics to them. The trick is to avoid mathematics by using comparisons from daily experience to illustrate the results.

Is it possible to identify similarities between India and Brazil when it comes to the difficulties of popularizing science? What are the differences and how these countries could benefit from each other's experiences?

In India there are a lot of superstitions and traditional beliefs that need to be wiped out. There is also the "fear" of science in the common mind the needs to be corrected. I do not know the situation in Brazil, but I expect that there should be many aspects in which conditions are the same. In a meeting like this, we can discuss the methods used and how effective they have been.
 
Other links related:

Astrophisicist and cosmologist Jayant Narlikar confirms conference

 


4th Science Centre World Congress