Creativity & Innovation (DrSundarSarukkai)

Submitted by: Pranil.P.Shetty

DrSundarSarukkai the Professor & Director, Manipal Center for Philosophy and Humanity, Manipal University delivered guest lecture on Creativity & Innovation. He pointed out how social barricades created in our society are making us live a monotonous life without being creative and restricting our thoughts and making us live a life with in the four walls of our so called Indian society. Then gave a lot of examples of scientists, authors and people from many other fields. He mentioned about many foreigners who have won Nobel prices in the field of science and told us that it was only one Indian Sir C V Raman of pre-independent India won the Nobel Prize in the field of Science. He later spoke about mathematics and stressed on the point that Zero and Decimal system were invented by Indians but are patented by people of other countries.

Then made a very interesting comment about creativity and innovation he told us that many of ideas of all great discoveries were done by accident. He quoted example of Albert Einstein who wrote his article on Theory of Relativity when he was working at Patent office. He then said discovery of X-ray and discovery of Radio activity was accidental. He also said discovery of Vitamin B was non intentional when a chicken dies when it was fed with raw rice and was alive when fed with boiled rice it survived hence leading to the discovery. He then spoke about contributions made by G H Hardi to the field of Mathematics.

He said If you have a foolish idea that is good idea and said that having foolish idea is difficult. We are blind to things which are right in front of us and he also said that we dont go into the details of anything and told us in successthere is only 1% of Inspiration and 99% Perspiration. At end the of the secession he threw a lot of questions which made us think how we are trapped with our own thoughts and reluctant to think out of the box looking forward for more talks from him and definitely would like to be his student.