Interesting Incidents in the Life of Great Men of India -21: Sathyendra Nath Bose
21. Satyendra Nath Bose
Satyendra Nath Bose, commonly known as S.N. Bose, was a renowned Indian scientist whose ground-breaking work in theoretical physics laid the foundation for significant discoveries in atomic science. A letter he sent to Nobel laureate Albert Einstein sparked a new understanding of atomic particles, leading to the discovery of a type of particle later named boson in his honor. Let us delve into some key events in his life.
1. Childhood
Satyendra Nath Bose was born on January 1, 1894, to Surendra Nath Bose, an accountant in the East Indian Railways, and Amodini Rai Chaudhuri in Calcutta (now Kolkata), during British rule. Initially, he received his primary education at an English-medium school, but the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon and the rise of the Indian national movement prompted his family to enroll him in a Bengali-medium school.
In 1909, Bose joined Presidency College, Calcutta, where he continued his studies under luminaries like Jagadish Chandra Bose and P.C. Ray. Among his classmates were notable figures like Meghnad Saha and Gyanendranath Mukherjee. Bose graduated with an M.Sc. in 1915, securing first rank.
Around this time, the University of Calcutta established India’s first separate college for scientific studies. Along with Meghnad Saha, Bose petitioned Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Mukherjee to start a special postgraduate program in physics and mathematics. The program, which was part of the chemistry department, granted them scholarships. C.V. Raman, another legendary scientist, joined as a professor.
2. Correspondence with Einstein in Dhaka
In 1921, Bose began working as a reader at the newly established Dhaka University (now in Bangladesh). While teaching there, he developed a groundbreaking insight into the Planck radiation law. In 1924, he wrote a paper highlighting a subtle difference in the Planck-Lorentz theory. Boldly, he sent the paper to Albert Einstein, writing:“I am a complete stranger to you, but if you read this paper and think it is correct, please translate it into German and send it to a journal.”
Einstein, recognizing the merit of Bose’s work, not only translated the paper but also submitted it to a prominent German journal with his endorsement. Einstein stated that Bose’s variation of Planck’s formula was entirely correct and worthy of publication.
The paper led to the development of Bose-Einstein statistics, a critical advancement in quantum mechanics. As a result, Bose received a two-year fellowship, allowing him to study in France and Germany. During this time, he collaborated with leading scientists and met Einstein in Berlin in 1926. Bose returned to Dhaka the same year and served as the head of the Physics Department until 1945.
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3. Back in Calcutta
Bose later became the Dean of Science at Calcutta University, Vice-Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University, and Chairman of the National Science Foundation. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1954 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1958.
Throughout his career, Bose published over 25 research papers. His work in quantum mechanics, particularly on the statistical properties of particles, led to the naming of the boson particle after him. This particle, which adheres to Bose-Einstein statistics, includes the Higgs boson, considered one of the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
4. Beyond Science
Satyendra Nath Bose was deeply embedded in the cultural life of Calcutta during the era of Rabindranath Tagore. He actively participated in the Indian independence movement and founded the Bangiya Vigyan Parishad to promote scientific education.
Apart from science, Bose had a passion for poetry and music. Fluent in Bengali, Sanskrit, French, and English, he was an admirer of Tagore and shared his love for the arts.
Satyendra Nath Bose passed away on February 4, 1974, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire scientists worldwide.
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