Google Saturday celebrated Indian physicist and mathematician Satyendra Nath Bose and his contribution to the Bose-Einstein Condensate with a doodle. Born in 1924, Bose sent his quantum formulations to Albert Einstein who recognised it as a significant discovery in quantum mechanics. Satyendra Nath Bose’s journey to fame began in academics. At age 15, Bose started pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at Calcutta’s Presidency College and earned a Master’s in Applied Mathematics at the University of Calcutta soon after. Graduating top of his class in both degrees, he solidified his esteemed position in academia. Since childhood, his father, who was an accountant, would write an arithmetic problem for him to solve before leaving for work, feulling Bose’s interest in mathematics. By 1917, Bose began giving lectures on physics. While teaching postgraduate students Planck’s radiation formula, Bose had questioned the way particles were counted and began experimenting with his own theories. He documented his findings in a report called Planck’s Law and the Hypothesis of Light Quanta, and had sent it to a prominent science journal called The Philosophical Magazine. When his research was rejected, he decided to mail his paper to Albert Einstein. Einstein recognised the significance of the discovery — and soon applied Bose’s formula to a wide range of phenomena. Bose’s theoretical paper became one of the most important findings in quantum theory. The Indian government recognised Bose’s tremendous contribution to physics by awarding him one of the highest civilian award in the country, the Padma Vibhushan. He was also appointed as National Professor, the highest honour in India for scholars. Bose went on to serve as president of many scientific institutions, including the Indian Physical Society, National Institute of Science, Indian Science Congress and the Indian Statistical Institute. He was also an adviser to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and later became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
