- Angela Saini, Author of ‘Geek Nation: How Indian Science is Taking Over the World’
“In terms of scientific output, so if you look at publications and patents -which is one measure of global scientific output – India is not doing brilliantly well. But on my journey across India, when I was meeting these geeks and scientists and engineers, I really thought there were these shoots of innovation and shoots of creativity that are coming up. That is the root of true scientific powerdom”
At Radio Brew, we are now a year into producing our popular podcast series and we want to continue to live up to our promise of bringing you up close with the leading social commentators of our times; individuals who can weigh in on the issues of today’s paradoxical India, a country tackling challenges while managing tremendous growth.
So no surprise then that Angela Saini, the author of ‘Geek Nation’, is our guest of the month. The central question this science journalist of Indian origin poses in her new book is this: ‘Why isn’t India, home to ancient mathematical and scientific discovery and the birthplace of ‘zero’, not a science superpower today?”
It is a question that Angela knows is very relevant today. India produces close to 600,000 engineers every year, a large number of Silicon Valley innovators, and an IT industry expected to touch $12 billion by 2015. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has pledged this year to fund greater scientific research, advancement and innovation and send an Indian astronaut to space by 2015.
“Geek Nation” is Angela’s quest for the truth behind India’s ‘geekiness’. By ‘geeks’ she explains that she is referring to those who are willing to sacrifice a great deal at the altar of science. At times travelogue and at other times an entertaining and anecdotal read, ‘Geek Nation’ takes readers to India’s space centres, gleaming technology hubs, and biotechnology labs, and juxtaposes them against anacient scripture libraries, rationalist societies and portals of public sector. It’s a wide canvas commentary on the state of science and technology in India and Angela rounds it off with the guardedly optimistic conclusion that the evidence of innovation and creativity that she has seen indicate that there are deep roots for scientific powerdom here.
Critics and reviewers have praised the book for its engaging narrative but say Angela could have done more by going deeper into the historical, sociological and economic root causes. Angela tells me that her mission as a journalist is not to supply academic theories but to provide firsthand accounts of her encounters with scientists and others she interviewed for the book. Her one lament is that that the country produces very few writers who write about scientific topics in a way that makes them accessible to the lay audience. Angela infuses her narrative with colour and energy and promises to return to India in September to help with a leading publication’s literary workshop aimed at aspiring science writers.
Click on the audio link below to listen to Angela talk to Shivraj about her journey to read the pulse of scientific India….
Tags: ancient mathematical and scientific knowledge, Angela Saini, engineers, Geek Nation, innovation, science funding, science superpower, science writers, Silicon Valley
Here is my review of the book: http://anuradhagoyal.blogspot.com/2011/12/geek-nation-by-angela-saini.html