Preview: Mithakon se Vigyan tak (From Myths to Science)- Gauhar Raza

 

Mithakon se Vigyan tak (From Myths to Science); Publisher: Penguin IndiaPrice: Rs 299Available on https://amzn.in/d/9Q5HaGZ 

When people first began methodically asking questions and looking for solutions, we don’t know. However, once they got going, there was no stopping them. Several of the most significant issues that humanity has ever posed are addressed in mythological tales. All fields of human knowledge emerged from the gradual pursuit of these issues and their answers as society developed.

Stories, religion, philosophy, spirituality, science, and myths are all products of the desire for explanations. Among the many questions that humanity had, two major ones were posed again and time again: how the universe came into being and how and why life and humans came to be. The answers to these questions differed in space and time. various tribes, cultures, and civilizations—and subsequently religions—arrived at various conclusions. And as the social structure grew more intricate, these responses continued to evolve.

Asking how and asking why are fundamentally different, as history demonstrates. ones that begin with “how” lead us towards science, whereas ones that begin with “why” lead us towards religion and spirituality.

This book aims to redefine “science” by providing examples of how the universe and life on Earth have changed over time. This book demonstrates via historical pages that science cannot be defined without addressing spiritual and religious knowledge and making a distinction between the two.

One of the many essential distinctions between religious and scientific knowledge is that, whereas pointing fingers at eternal truths causes crises in religion, scientific knowledge celebrates the refutation of established truths. In contrast to religion, where anomalies are addressed with force—sometimes violent force—when they are pointed out, science celebrates long and often with awards like the Nobel Prize when a discovery or creation leads to a paradigm shift.

Gauhar Raza’s book provides extremely simple answers to a lot of these difficult topics.

To put it simply, jargon is rarely utilised when describing even seemingly complex ideas like Darwin’s theory of evolution and Einstein’s theory of relativity. Gauhar Raza has provided examples of such significant and complicated concepts in order to dispel myths and misconceptions, but he has also defined them simply and in plain terms.

He reminds us of common experiences in a remark highlighting the significance of questions throughout human development: “A common citizen’s quotidian life is dotted with questions beginning with what, why, how, when, where, whither.” Even an hour cannot pass without us utilising sentences that start with whom or whoever. He classifies these enquiries as “mundane,” but “sophic” or “meta” issues are those that humanity has posed repeatedly and for which an explanation has been sought.

He uses various examples to illustrate his definition of science, such as the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh, writing on Egyptian pyramid walls, Buddha’s sermons, Greek philosophers, scientists from the Arab world, and the Vedas. He emphasises that questions and curiosity play a crucial role in the development of cognitive abilities.

The book answers the question, “Is the earth round or flat? How do the seasons shift? Which components combine to form water? The answers to these questions cannot differ between Europe and India. This is not to say that scientific advancement is unaffected by the sociocultural environment. Although scientific concepts and procedures are universal, historical context is necessary to fully comprehend how they were developed. History demonstrates that there is a direct connection between what people think and the physical reality around them, as Gauhar Raza reminds us.

Additionally, he reiterates that while technology aids in the acquisition of scientific knowledge, its ultimate goal is to expand human potential. It is crucial to recognise that, in spite of their close ties, these two are distinct fields of human endeavour with distinct effects on human civilisation. Because of this, a person’s or a society’s heavy reliance on technology does not imply that its consciousness and emotions are likewise rational and scientific. Depending on the socio-political context and the cultural institutions that influence people’s ways of thinking and living, this may or may not occur.

It’s fascinating to note that frightening expansion in irrationality, superstition, and bigotry have coincided with the extraordinary growth of technology in these periods. Gauhar further notes that it is clear how the mass media plays has played a part in this. He also brings up the intriguing point that people who constantly lament science’s shortcomings—or, more accurately, those who despise it—make extensive use of all forms of technology in order to spread their beliefs. He uses the fact—that individuals like Osama Bin Laden utilise television to spread their message over the world and declare it to be “haram” for the general public—to highlight this argument.

The book also makes the argument that an average citizen in highly religious societies, like Pakistan or India, is inundated with religious messages from an early age, leading them to believe in supernatural powers. These teachings can be found in many different places of worship, religious festivals, symbols, and rituals. She does come across technical advancements and marvels in the course of daily life, but there is scarcely any room for scientific messages.

This book introduces science differently than other introductions to the subject because, rather than restricting the investigation to the scientific realm, it links the nature of science and its history to the psychological and physiological transformations that have occurred throughout human history. In the book’s introduction, Professor Purushottam Agrawal notes, “the reason is that, in addition to being a scientist, Gauhar Raza is also a poet with social sensitivity and powerful language.” His personality exhibits a lovely coexistence of poetic emotion with scientific consciousness. Every page of this book also demonstrates the synergy of human sentiments, scientific procedure, and logical perspective.

The book is written in Devanagari script and contains six chapters. It will probably be released soon in English and other languages.

Source- Author.

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By SAT News Desk

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