Book

Description

Science must be properly communicated to young and impressionable children as a part of a larger and a broader process of science communication to the general public, and we believe efforts in this regard and respect have still not reached their full potential. This is the justification for this book. We also need a scientific temper to be inculcated in young children, and this was a term coined by the first Indian prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The term refers to a rational, logical and an evidence-based mindset that lays a great deal of emphasis on questioning, observation, and logical thinking over superstition, prejudice, and blind belief. As a part of this book, we also present an overview of the universe for young children – budding and curius young minds as we would like to call them in order to help inculcate a scientific temper and a scientific mindset; consequently and resultantly, we discuss the big bang, the formation of the galaxies, types of galaxies, the Milky Way galaxy, other galaxies, the sun and other stars, types of stars, our solar system, extrasolar planets, other solar systems besides other interesting concepts. While scientific output from India and other developing countries is rising, it is still subpar, and way behind that of developed nations, particularly in the west. The preceding statement is especially true of theoretical and foundational science. The next generation of researchers and scientists – science warriors as we would like to call them, - must remediate this, and ensure that this imbalance is addressed, and set right. Consequently and resultantly, the list of competent scientists from India and other developing nations is rather small, and the list of Nobel prize winners is even smaller. We do hope, anticipate and expect that this will be rectified and remediated in due course.