Sudha Brahmadathan Tuition

When my grand daughter wants to banish anybody (meaning her toys) she puts them in a black hole. Don't be surprised! Even though she is only four and a half years she knows what is a black hole. Well,not really, but approximately. She knows that it is a hole from which nobody can come out. When the first picture of a black hole was revealed, I asked my daughter to show it to her. It seems she was excited and asked a lot of questions. Knowing her, I can imagine what kind of questions they might be! This is just to illustrate how terms associated with space and its wonders can fascinate even people who do not pursue science. I know most of us are thrilled to see that pulsating picture. As for me I have always been interested in black holes, worm holes, pulsars, quasars, big bang, time travel....,...., ; anything connected with space. So to see a black hole in action! Even if it is in a picture! It is a dream come true. I know I am dealing here with cliches. But I am so thrilled and excited that this became possible in my lifetime! And I can only pay tribute to all those people who are behind this extraordinary achievement. From Einstein to Wheeler to Prof. Heino Falcke (who proposed the experiment) to Sheperd Coleman (director of Event Horizon Telescope) to Kate Bouman (who designed the algorithm that made the image possible) to the team of 200 scientists and many more unheralded people. To all of them! Wow! And thank you!

Leonardo Da Vinci- the multifaceted personality, a polymath and the greatest genius ever lived! There is no field in which he hasn't dabbled and contributed. How should one describe him- artist, scientist, hydrologist,anatomist , naturalist....? Any of these descriptions will fall short of his stature as a genius as revealed in the monumental biography written about him by Walter Isaacson.
I was always fascinated about his life after hearing stories about him, especially the story that he was the first person to think of flying machines and had sketches of aircrafts in his notebooks 400 years before the first attempt at flight. The biography was a revelation of what one man can achieve in a lifetime. All of us know him for his famous painting " Mona Lisa" which frankly didn't impress me. I remember standing in front of the painting in a crowded hall and feeling disappointed. But now I may be able to appreciate it more after being educated in the nuances of Da Vinci's craft by the excellent analysis by Isaacson. But as a science teacher it was wonderful to know that he had thought about friction, inertia, Bernoulli's theorem, blue colour of sky etc.,etc,.. 200 years before Galileo and Newton and other physicists!! No wonder people want to study about him, read about him, stand awestruck at his pictures and want to own parts of his notes (as Bill Gates has done)!! A man for all seasons and centuries!

Why do I love Physics? I remember giving a speech on this topic in my first year of post-graduation. I got lots of positive feedback, then. The reasons I mentioned haven't changed much even after all these year. I still love Physics and I love it because it fundamentally changed the way I think. I was always curious and questioning. Religious books were not of much help to answer the questions which I had. But I found some kind of satisfaction, some answers philosophical or otherwise once I started studying Science and especially Physics, in earnest. It kindled my curiosity,opened the doors of my mind and threw an ever-growing patçh of knowledge on everything. Of course, I am not that naive to say that I got all answers to all my questions from Physics. But studying
Physics have me the confidence that if you ask the right kind of questions you will be led to the right path where you may find the answers. And I have got immense joy in continuing in this path for the quest for knowledge. As a teacher I have tried to impart whatever little I know to my students. There is no greater joy than that!

I am a voracious reader! I read everything; fiction,non-fiction, classic, romance, humour,comics etc., etc. But one genre which is close to my heart is science fiction. The first science fiction book which I read was Jules Verne's "Journey to Venus". At that time I didn't know that I was reading Science fiction. Inspired by it, I wrote a short story. When I had enough money I bought the whole collection of Issac Asimov, the pioneer in science fiction writing.(Remember the three laws of Robotics!?). Arthur.C. Clarke and all the others came later. Of course, I watch all the science fiction movies also. The first one which I watched " Close encounters of the third kind" left me spell bound. The Star Trek series during the first years of Indian T.V irrevocably made me a Star Trek fan. Terminator series, Contact, Inception, Interstellar, Martian, Gravity, E.T,.....,I have watched all of them. The recent one was a series "Lost in space" which I watched through Netflix. And the last science fiction story which I read written by Tom Hanks portrays the nuances,subtilities,complexities and possibilities of time and space travel! A lsweet story of hope and loss! I
know why I watch and read these stories! Maybe it partly fulfills my desire to reach out to those intriguing entities,time and space!

Well,Einstein is my favourite scientist. No doubt about that. But I have always considered the life and work of Madam Marie Curie as an inspiration for anybody who is interested in Science. I have never taught the lesson without telling the story of her life and how she discovered Radium and Polonium. Somebody described her as the greatest woman scientist ever lived. I think this description diminishes her stature and contribution towards Science. Who can match her courage, single minded devotion towards Science,passion, sacrifices, struggles and hardwork? Is there a need to tag her under a gender. She can take her place in any pantheon of scientists! On the other hand, if you consider the handful number of women scientists who have got Nobel prize, she is definitely up there who broke the glass ceiling. It is a sad fact that even in a field which should be devoid of prejudices
woman scientists find it difficult to break the glass ceiling. All the more reason to celebrate Maria Skolodowska Curie!

For those who are interested in the connection between history and science, I recommend the book " Sapiens- A brief history of Humankind". I loved reading it. I don't subscribe to all the theories written C in the book. But reading it gave me a completely unorthodox perspective of history of mankind. Especially the latter part of the book was fascinating because it tried to explore the causes of scientific revolution. I think the future of mankind depends on future of science. AI, genetic engineering,space travel etc.)! Maybe history of mankind will become history of science.

History and Science- can you separate them? From the discovery of fire to all the modern inventions like atomic bomb, internet they walk hand in hand. In school I was as much interested in history as in science. Of course not with the real cold facts of history, but with the story behind historical events. I sustained this interest by reading books on history; the most influential among them being " The story of civilization" by Will and Ariel Durant. And my interest in history of Science and scientists helped me to teach the concepts of Physics by giving a historical background. The idea behind is that the students will understand that no knowledge springs from vacuum. Newton said it in his famous quote! Yes I am very much fascinated by the interplay of history and science!! Any comments?

I have started my classes for xi and xii Std. in Physics. These classes are happening due to an urge in keeping in touch with the two passions in my life- passion for Physics and passion for teaching. My classes will be more like clarifying concepts which will be helpful for CBSE board exam and various entrance exams. I hope all my friends will support me in this venture. At present I am taking these classes at my residence in the evenings. Please spread the word around and like share and follow my page. If anyone is interested please tag them here or ask them to get in touch with me directly for details. Thank you very much for all your support.

Space the mysterious and intriguing entity. Is there anybody who is not interested in space? As Seneca said"if there is one hole through which we can see the celestial show from Earth, people will be queing up to see it.( I don't know if these are his exact words). On top of my bucket list is visit to space. I know it may be impossible. But my curiosity about space only kindled my interest in Physics. Maybe now I can indulge in my hobby as an amateur astronomer.

I can't think of Physics without thinkig of Einstein. Einstein is my favourite scientist. His intellectual honesty and charismatic personality have always attracted me. Where will we be without his theory of relativity? He was a game changer! By far the biggest game changer!!

I have always been interested in Physics. The two books which helped me clarify the concept s and have been my companion for all these years are - Foundations and Frontiers by Gamow and Concepts of Physics by H.C Verma. What books have influenced you the most?