The article, “Are we undermining our scientific temper?” (OpEd page, ‘Yes, No, It’s Complicated’, January 25), left one rather dissatisfied. While two writers (for ‘Yes’ and ‘No’) were in agreement on information in the Puranas being left there instead of being used in discussion in august conferences, the last writer (‘It’s Complicated’) appeared to give the impression that he had misunderstood the meaning of ‘temper’ in the term ‘scientific temper’. For us lay people, the word ‘science’ has a clear association with empirical experience, which means that it should be possible for the proposition to be repeatedly subjected to trial and that this should give the same result. Using this point, I would suggest that our ministers, vice-chancellors and other great people who keep harping on the validity of Pushpaka Vimanas, Brahmastras and evidence of plastic surgery in fixing an elephant’s head on a child’s shoulders be given a tidy sum of money to delve into ancient texts, and using the information therein, to produce working laboratory models of such things. It is only then that they should come forward with their proposals to introduce their ideas — either in the field of education or in industry — and produce eyeball-grabbing scientific information as workable science and technology.
R. Krishnan,
Bengaluru
