[The author needs no introduction. He has made quite a few compelling points. Trying to highlight just of these. TV, aeroplane or nuclear warheads did not appear in a vacuum. These are very much components and products of a chain of scientific/technological developments - ***not*** stand-alone random achievements. Just to illustrate, there can simply be no TV without electricity ....
And, of course, no "scientist", worth one's salt, would accept a claim unsupported by credible evidence.] http://www.asianage.com/columnists/where-s-science-bombast-647 Where's science in the bombast? Mar 11, 2015 Jayanti V. Narlikar One often hears claims that our ancient ancestors were scientifically advanced. So far such claims have stood on weak foundations with descriptions that can, at best, be described as 'poetic'. There's no scientific manual to back these claims. Were our ancient ancestors scientifically advanced? This question is often posed to a scientist, more often than not in the expectation that the answer will be in the affirmative. The scientist, of course, will base his or her reply on whatever evidence is available. The evidence could be in the form of relics or artefacts that are seen today. Such items should suggest that they came from a high-tech environment that might have existed in the past. For example, the relics at Harappa and Mohenjodaro indicate the existence of good town planning, including drainage system, trade areas, etc. Thus archaeologists can piece together a relatively coherent picture of the Indus Valley civilisation. Another possible line of evidence could come from written records left behind by an old civilisation. In this context one often hears claims that our ancient ancestors, going back to the Vedic era, were scientifically advanced. So far such claims have stood on weak foundations with descriptions that can, at best, be described as "poetic". There's no scientific manual to back these claims. Thus the Ramayan mentions the Pushpak Viman which flew in a very easily manoeuvrable mode that would make a modern helicopter envy its construction. Likewise, the Mahabharat talks of the ultimate weapon, the Brahmastra, which may have been a superior version of a nuclear powered missile. In the same epic we also read of the guided missile which killed Ghatotkacha and, of course, about Sanjaya who provided a running commentary of the war based on the distant vision that he was endowed with, thus making a case for advanced TV technology. Persuasive though such stories may be, there are many gaps in them if you probe further. Take nuclear weaponry, for instance. If the ancients knew all about it, then they must also have known about another natural force, the force of electricity and magnetism. This is the force that provides us with so many amenities, like lighting and fans, air conditioning and refrigeration, electric trains, facilities of communication, and so on. Yet, there is no mention of this force in our epics. At a different level, the provision of tap water is considered a basic amenity today. Indeed, we can say that today the government considers water on tap and electricity for lighting basic amenities to be provided to every village. But if you read the Mahabharat, you will not find this amenity existing even in the royal palace of the King of Hastinapur. Why I lay stress on the knowledge of electricity and magnetism is because in modern science this was the basic force, studied most extensively, and it was through this force that the atom could be probed. Later applications of this technology led scientists to the probing of the nucleus of the atom. The realisation of what is meant by nuclear energy came after such probes. It is hard to see how one may arrive at the discovery of nuclear energy, completely bypassing the electromagnetic effects. Returning to the concept of a manual, I would consider it as strong evidence in support of our ancestors being in possession of modern technology, if a manual is produced to show that it describes a nuts-and-bolts kit of how a machine was constructed. I have been shown the book Brihad Vimana Shastra as such a manual for making flying objects. Alas, it fails to provide the full details as needed in a manual. Indeed, the invention of a flying machine would be based on basic aerodynamic principles. These are expressible as mathematical equations. Lest they are thought to be unnecessarily difficult, I may mention that now excellent books are available explaining how a plane flies, even to teenagers. Surely we should have some basic book describing the science on which the technology was based. The book mentioned above, or any other book of olden times that I have seen has not got that information. In our enthusiasm for our heritage we sometimes end up making statements that dilute our credibility. My father told me of a scholarly-looking work claiming that vedic verses contain the description of how the thermonuclear reactor at the solar core empowers the Sun to shine so brightly. The author wanted support from my father, who was an expert in theoretical astrophysics and in Sanskrit too. However, my father, after looking through the volume, told him that his interpretation was somewhat outdated as knowledge about the Sun had improved in the last few years. He referred to modern texts for the benefit of the author. A few weeks later, the author came back with fresh "proof" showing how the revised science was contained in the very same verses. Indeed, if our ancient scriptures do contain all of modern (and future) science, then its existence should be established before rather than after the discovery of modern ideas. For example, string theory stands at the crossroads of modern science with promises of solving fundamental problems. If the clue to the right direction comes from the Vedas, that will be a demonstration of our ancestors being scientifically advanced. However, if the string theorists find the clue themselves, "subsequently discovering" it in vedic hymns will not convince the skeptic or the scientist. Finally, a word of caution against insertion of later verses into our old volumes. I was taken in by such an exercise when a modern labour consultant drew my attention to Shukra Niti, a volume considered to be nearly 2,000 years old. It has verses giving rules to be followed by employers and employees, including leave rules, provision of provident fund and gratuity, etc. Here, I thought, was an example of our forefathers having modern ideas on industrial relations. Alas, that was not to be! Experts of old literature told me that those verses were inserted into the ancient book by an employee of the East India Company. *The writer, a renowned astrophysicist, is professor emeritus at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune University Campus* -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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