. Born on July 10, 1856, this Serbian-American physicist’s contributions to science went underappreciated for years. He did ground-breaking research in electric light, electric motors, radio, X-ray, remote control, radar, wireless communications, and robotics. His greatest gift to mankind was the form of electricity known as ‘Alternating Current’ (AC), which was maligned at that time because of his rival, Thomas Edison. Who was this world-changing inventor who is finally getting his due credit now?
Nicola Tesla
. During a lecture in 1820, Hans Christian Ørsted noticed a compass needle deflected from magnetic north when an electric current from a battery was switched on and off. His research showed that an electric current produces a circular magnetic field as it flows through a wire. This heralded the beginning of a new field that led to an innovation, which accelerated technology rapidly. What important scientific property is credited to Ørsted?
Electromagnetism
. This Italian physicist had two important scientific breakthroughs. First, he discovered methane, which led to the production of cheaper fuels. The other involved copper and zinc discs placed on top of each other with weak acid in between. With this invention he proved that electricity could be generated chemically and debunked the theory that electricity was generated solely by living beings. He was honoured by having the SI unit of electric potential named after him. Who was this scientist and what was the name of his invention that brought about a revolution?
Alessandro Volta, Battery
. In 1903, three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on a certain phenomenon known as ‘Becquerel rays’. During the research, two of the scientists had discovered and isolated two new elements. However, this was not mentioned in their citation as it was surmised that this work by itself might also earn them a Nobel in Chemistry, which it eventually did. If Henri Becquerel was the first scientist, who were the other two, who became the first couple to win a Nobel Prize?
Marie and Pierre Curie
. John Bardeen was part of the team at Bell Labs that created the world’s first semiconductor amplifier (transistor), which revolutionised science and technology. Bardeen then went on to solve the problem of superconductivity, where at close to zero centigrade, metals freely allow the passage of current. His scientific achievements earned him a distinction that is still unique. What is he the only person in the world to have two of?
Two Nobel Prizes in Physics
. British theoretical physicist Paul Dirac combined quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of relativity into one equation. He later realised that his equation predicted the existence of particles that had a mirror-image, i.e. nearly identical properties but opposite charge. This discovery was proved experimentally by the time he won his Nobel Prize in Physics with Erwin Schrdödinger. What discovery was this that has played a major role in many science fiction stories?
Anti-Matter
. This largely self-taught scientist worked at a bookbindery where he would read many of the books that came in for binding. Known for his pioneering work in electricity and magnetism, he also was a chemist and is famous for liquefying various gases and discovering benzene. When the British government asked him for advice on chemical weapons during the Crimean war, he refused to do so on ethical grounds. Who was this scientist after whom the SI unit of capacitance is named?
Michael Faraday (Farad)
. The ‘Annus Mirabilis’ are four papers of a certain physicist published in 1905 that contributed substantially to the foundation of modern physics. Three of them were on Brownian motion, Relativity and Matter-Energy equivalence. The fourth paper won him the Nobel Prize (and not the third as people usually believe). Who was the author of these papers and what was the fourth paper about?
Albert Einstein, Photo-Electric Effect
. American astronomer Vera Rubin uncovered the discrepancy between the predicted angular motion of galaxies and the observed motion by studying galactic rotation curves. This was evidence of a mysterious entity that astrophysicists believe make up almost 85% of the universe. What did Vera Rubin provide evidence for, which has become one of the most studied entities in physics and also a very popular trope in science fiction?
Dark Matter
. An ooblek is a type of fluid that temporarily gains the structural properties of solids when a force is applied on it. This is unlike normal fluids which maintain constant viscosity irrespective of stress and these are named after a physicist. The ooblek is a ‘non-____-ian fluid and can be made at home by mixing two cups of cornstarch to one cup of water. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that explore the amazing qualities of an ooblek. Who is the physicist after whom these liquids are named?
Newton (Ooblek is a Non-Newtonian Fluid)
A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
