COIMBATORE: Having spent a full day amid school and college students, inspiring them to take up research in physics Nobel laureate David J Gross sat down for an interview with TOI, on the second morning o his two-day stay in Coimbatore.
Over a cup of steaming black coffee, Gross talks about how physics has transformed over the last 50 years, and his confidence in upcoming research in particle physics.
After skimming through the pages of TOI, David spoke about the importance of physics. “Physics is the king of all sciences as it helps us understand the way nature works. It is at the centre of science,“ he said. As he spoke about the transformation of particle physics over the last 50 years, he said his love of the subject has only grown with each passing year.
“In those days, when I had just started my career, scientists were very well-informed, but little did they understand. Today , scientists have an understanding of almost everything, thanks to the availability of sophisticated tools,“ says Gross.Over the last 160 years, scientists have discovered the atom, andcomponents like the then its components like the electrons, neutrons and protons.
Towards the end of the 20th century, scientists discovered the further division of a proton -quarks. Quarks are million times smaller than a proton. The discovery of quarks redefined quantum mechanics. On the prospects regarding research, David said the field of research was unpredictable. “It's like embarking on a mountain-climbing trip without knowing where the peak is,“ he said. He however expressed confidence in the younger generation, saying that nowadays, youngsters are more enterprising and willing to take risks. “And if countries continue to fund research, we could be witnessing many new discoveries,“ he said.
A Nobel prize winner in physics in 2004 for asymptotic freedom, David J Gross is a professor of physics at the department of physics in University of California, USA.Gross had been invited by the PSG Group to unveil the plaque of the PSG-GRD Science and Technology Museum to be set up in PSG iTech, and interact with school and college students.
