Hi,
Whenever I read about him (Faraday) : the first time I read was in NCERT's
chemistry book (a page on his life -mentioned below) -- I recall that India
cannot do that. It cannot make a guy professor of IIT -who had never studied
beyond grade 7 in school. Britain however, appointed him -over and above Oxford
and Cambridge dons - to Royal Science Society.
Ofcourse, Indian casteism looks down upon manual work --and experimentation
is mostly manual work. Recent Indian experimentars have been non-Hindus for
this reason perhaps -- APJ Abdul Kalam -a muslim (current Indian President and
father of Indian Missile and nuclear program) and Homi Bhabha - a Parsee (
atomic energy and science leader) .
who wants to work with hands -even school teaching is mostly manual work -
helping kids -service job - so looked down in India --unless you are rich, car
owning school chief.
Umesh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday
Michael Faraday was born in Newington Butts, near present-day Elephant and
Castle in South London, England. His family was extremely poor; his father,
James Faraday, was a Yorkshire blacksmith who suffered ill-health throughout
his life.[2] After the most basic of school educations, Faraday had to educate
himself. At fourteen he became apprenticed to a local bookbinder and bookseller
George Riebau and, during his seven-year apprenticeship, he read many books,
including Isaac Watts' The Improvement of the Mind, the principles and
suggestions contained therein he enthusiastically implemented. He developed an
interest in science and specifically electricity. In particular, he was
inspired by the book Conversations in Chemistry by Jane Marcet. [7]
At the age of twenty, in 1812, at the end of his apprenticeship, Faraday
attended lectures by the eminent English chemist and physicist Humphry Davy of
the Royal Institution and Royal Society, and John Tatum, founder of the City
Philosophical Society. Many tickets for these lectures were given to Faraday by
William Dance (one of the founders of the Royal Philharmonic Society).
Afterwards, Faraday sent Davy a three hundred page book based on notes taken
during the lectures. Davy's reply was immediate, kind and favorable. When Davy
damaged his eyesight in an accident with nitrogen trichloride, he decided to
employ Faraday as a secretary. When John Payne, one of the Royal Institution's
assistants, was sacked, the now Sir Humphry Davy was asked to find a
replacement. He appointed Faraday as Chemical Assistant at the Royal
Institution on March 1 1813. [2]
In the class-based English society of the time, Faraday was not considered a
gentleman.
Umesh Sharma
Washington D.C.
1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/
http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
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