Nakshatra The Astronomy & Science club of NIT - Trichy

MISSION STATEMENT

Background: We would like to illustrate some issues concerning the public understanding of science that plague us today. They are as follows:  There is a severe dearth of students who have a spirit of inquiry. Although there is widespread appreciation of the economic and material benefits of science, there is a vacuum that needs to be addressed when it comes to areas like understanding the Scientific Method, developing and applying critical thinking skills, and the importance of curiosity, imagination and the search for knowledge for its own sake which are the fundamental engines of science.  As a consequence of the lack of understanding the methods, pure research and active interest is often discouraged. Without the above there cannot be a harmonious balance between pure science and applied science.  Without sufficient raw material from pure science in the form of new discoveries, projects etc; applied science may not be able to address practical concerns any longer with proper efficiency.  There is also a significantly irrational overemphasis on the role of memorization in science in our educational systems.  This is largely fuelled by misconceptions of science as a mere collection of facts, rather than an active search for truth through observation and experimentation. One can no more claim mastery of language by reading a dictionary than can claim mastery of science by memorizing definitions.  Increasing specialisation without developing a wholesome picture has left interdisciplinary progress stunted.  This is especially the case when one examines the disconnect between the sciences/engineering and the humanities/arts/social studies. Science is no longer considered for addressing social problems.

 As society grows ever more reliant on technology, lack of public understanding and science popularization has left lasting effects and widespread mistrust - for instance, the controversies regarding genetically modified crops, nuclear energy, global warming, the theory of evolution and so on. It is also manifested in widespread superstitions like astrology and other pseudo-sciences.  The causes for these above problems are various and complex. For example, the education system we use today seems to be inherited from the colonial era and was originally created by Lord Macaulay. While it may have served its purpose then, it may no longer be tenable to adhere to it now.  An important point to note is that ultimately no particular individual, institution or group is to blame for the sad state of affairs concerning education, as it is all completely a result of several historical, social and psychological factors.  Therefore it is perhaps not wise to demonise faculty, college administrators or the government - despite the instinctive tendency of certain groups of students to do so. If their roles were somehow reversed, they would not have been able to perform any better.  However, it is also detrimental to the cause of science education if we continue to justify the existing system dogmatically and rationalise not taking a stance to deal with the issue.  Wherever we may stand, we all have the same goal and thus there is an active need to focus on pragmatic actions that deliver results and improvements rather than engaging in cyclical and unproductive blame games. It is therefore important to investigate the factors that cause the system to fail and replace them with more approvable factors.

Aim & Vision:  Nakshatra shall endeavour to address the above issues through science popularization and conducting dialogue with the institution to improve the quality of education, provide opportunities to tap the potential of students. If not possible under the circumstances, it shall strive to lay at

 



 

 

least the preliminary groundwork to help gradually tackle these concerns in a “slow but steady” model. To create a generation of students more endowed with the spirit of inquiry with proper understanding of the basis and methods of science. People generally brush past or take education for granted, and discussion about it is never initiated or encouraged. Therefore Nakshatra shall help facilitate discussion on education and discover solutions for better alternatives. We shall also endeavour to promote critical thinking skills to rigorously examine scientific controversies, superstition and pseudo-sciences, and to find out where lies the truth. Promote an understanding of reality through talks on cosmology, biology, psychology and so on. Make students more interested in experimentation and conceptual understanding, rather than memorization, plain acquisition of knowledge and being an “information junkie”. To help reshape the college into a more interdisciplinary and close knit group, creating an atmosphere of technical creativity. To create a scientifically informed social awareness among the students.

Plan of Action To achieve the above aims, we shall conduct the following activities to promote science: Proposed activities:  Regular Stargazing sessions: Learning to identify constellations, planets, moons, nebulae and galaxies, and examining them through the use of telescopes. This is enough to spark the interest and curiosity for many people, as these sights can be quite extraordinary to look at for the first time.

 Astronomical observations and projects: Astronomy is perhaps one of the most amateur friendly branch of the sciences and can easily be taken up by hobbyists provided they have the interest. There are multiple activities that can be carried out under this. o Observing astronomical phenomena: Meteor showers, lunar and solar eclipses, transits (eg: when venus moves in front of the sun), conjuctions (when several night sky objects come close to each other in the night sky), can be predicted and observed using telescopes. o Astrophotography: with telescope-camera adapters it is easy to capture night sky images. Increasing exposure can also help in seeing much less brighter objects like galaxies and nebula. o Ham radio: This has been used by electronics enthusiasts to contact amateur radio users and spread information. o Observing atmospheric phenomena: Besides rainbows and sunsets, there are visually stunning astronomical phenomena that can be studied and photographed, like halos around the sun and moon, iridescent clouds, crepuscular and anti crepuscular rays, exotic verities of clouds etc.  Interaction with prominent scientists and thinkers: To make the students aware of the wider world and to expose them to challenging ideas we shall conduct events like guest lectures and debates involving scientists, thinkers and policy makers of diverse and even opposing viewpoints. Students are made aware of (mostly obscure and arcane) debates within scientists and philosophers of science, such as whether science can provide a system of morality, the free will vs. determinism debate, whether the universe is ultimately knowable or not, whether science discovers ultimate truths outside of human perception, etc  By students, for students: We shall also conduct completely student run lectures, discussions, debates etc that will provide opportunities for those well versed and interested in specific fields to share their knowledge and develop their own teaching and public speaking skills.

Speakers are encouraged to develop an empathetic attitude towards the audience, and are made aware of the audience’s limitations and their possible lack of understanding of some technical concepts. Thus, they are asked to formulate their talks in view of such an understanding. Further, active and focussed attention can only be possible if the audience has an interest towards the topic to begin with, and so speakers are advised to be interesting & humorous, provide live demonstrations whenever possible and so on.  Conduct regular screenings of relevant documentaries, movies, videos, TED Talks and so on for members as well as the interested public. With the advance of the Internet, individuals have better access to platforms that share knowledge in interesting and intuitive ways. Websites like Youtube, Khan Academy and MIT OCW have a wide variety of lectures and resources that explain science in a down to earth way, and these can be shown regularly.  Write online articles: Members are encouraged to contribute articles and to learn to write articles in a quick, funny, easy to read way. This is essential especially in today’s world of information overload, and when average attention spans are rapidly decreasing. These articles are posted in blog form.

We shall hope to enlighten people through these activities and thus help students achieve a better understanding of the world.