Saturday 4 August 2012

Indian scientist wins biggest science prize


Indian scientist wins biggest science prize

New Delhi: In a world where cricketers and film stars rake in the moolah, a college professor has trumped them all. Dr Ashoke Sen won the biggest jackpot in the world of science, the three million dollar Fundamental Physics Prize, for his work in theoretical physics.
It's been four days and the sweets still haven't stopped.
The proud scientist says, "The prize is for my work in String Theory. It is an attempt to unify quantum theory and gravity."
A former Padma Bhushan and Infosys Prize awardee, Dr Sen won the international award that was started by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner this year.
Dr Sen is also the only Indian in a group of nine winners.
Dr Sen is a theoretical physicist. So the only lab he needs for research, is a simple laptop. Dr Sen uses mathematical equations to explain the fundamental laws of nature. If the God particle found a few weeks back was the crowning glory of the science we've known since Albert Einstein, Dr Sen's work in String Theory, is the future.
"It's mainly to understand the basic constituents of nature. What are the fundamental laws that drive everything around us," says Dr Sen.
Right now the subject doesn't have any practical applications. It is mainly theoretical. But it's hard to say what will happen a hundred years from now.
For now, however, Dr Sen and his wife are having a tough time figuring out what to do with the three million dollar prize money they've just received. But one thing is certain. He isn't retiring just yet.

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