God's Will or Limitations of Science?: Cyclone News and a Common Man

My Professor, a renowned scholar always used to insist despite we all believe in God, when you do research, you should exclude God from your research premise as God or Devil, according to epistemology is  ‘apriori’.

Belief is Belief and Science is Science

However, he was a greatest spiritual Guru and was the one who introduced us “Dance of Shiva” by Ananda Coomaraswamy. Whenever we questioned him about this dualism, he always maintained that “Does a scientist in laboratory behave the same way with his family members”?. “Belief is Belief and Science and Science”. If we questioned him further with this unconvincing answer, he would remind us of the unfinished academic assignments and would rudely reply “Go finish that work”!

The same Professor, suddenly fell unconscious one day. We all rushed him to the posh hospital in Chennai. The Hospital was so professional and highly equipped with all kinds of diagnostic instruments. I accompanied my teacher day and night as even his family members would not tolerate his “philosopher nature” all the time. After series of tests and scans, the doctors’ team headed by the senior Physician came to us and said, “All his parameters are okay. But we are yet to find out why he fainted”, and ultimately declared in the finding as “ NYD” ( Not yet Diagnosed).

Herbal Petrol Fraud and the Limitations of Science

After my Professor swiped roughly double his monthly salary as fees, with his medical report written in black, bold letters “NYD” – Not Yet Diagnosed, he looked at me and smiled, “ This is the limitation of Science”, and we both drove to Dhanvantri Temple and prayed for his health and returned home. Even while driving, he maintained “Kumaresan, see, there was a guy, who cheated the whole world that he is capable of producing Herbal Petrol. His news also appeared in the Journal “Science”, which is the ultimate dream of the most professional Scientist of world standard. Later, when these guyz asked him to prove it in a Laboratory ( I think its IIT, Chennai), the herbal petrol person was exposed as he literally filled petrol in a copper wand, sealed with wax and dipped in the boiling water and when the water melt, the petrol came out of the copper wand, and thus he was exposed).

When I was marvelling about the acumen of the Professors who exposed the fraud, My Professor with a subtle sarcasm said, “Hey, if these guys are really that much brilliant, they should have dismissed the very news on the day one that, making Petrol from herbal, with a conical flask and a Bunsen burner as a “Fraud”! That’s “incremental rationality” and the limitation of falsification. That’s science he said again looking at his medical report.

This day, That Year! – the Case of Thane Cyclone and weather Predictions

            Today (29.12.2011), when the entire media is blasting that there would be a severe cyclone in Pondicherry and Cuddalore, I could hardly believe that the announcement is true as the sky was clear and there is no single indicator of Rain or Thunderstorm. When I googled about the Cyclone, I was astonished to find the news as if the Times of ‘Nova’ is returning! My University administration some 76 kms away from Pondicherry, also went panicky because of the Orange Alert and immediately announced holiday.

Looking at the confused situation of clear sky and also the fear psychosis caused because of the Cyclone News, my research scholar asked me “Sir, What is happening”? I told him, “That’s the Limitation of Science, imitating my teacher, who might also would have imitated his teacher”! So saying, I started in a crowdy bus, with similar discussion about weather predictions getting false and even one was stating that not a single day weather predictions have proved correct. It is ultimately God’s will he asserted. A Majority of the crowd in the Bus agreed. I exactly knew where the arguments were centred.

God or Science?

            My Professor is now retired and looks more youthful than before. He reads rarely and got immersed with family chores. When very recently, I asked him”, Sir, What is your opinion on God?” – he maintained :- Some Say Yes, there is God and some say “No, there is No God”. As a researcher you must be aware that the truth is between the two propositions. You find it yourself. Stop asking me such questions, you becoming a teacher and guiding students for M.Phil and PhD!

‘Cyclone Thane’ -The Two Probabilities

            Now, there are two probabilities with the Cyclone (http://www.ndtv.com/article/chennai/cyclone-thane-likely-to-intensify-in-the-next-12-hours-161731), which states, the cyclone might intensify and would cause thunderstorm and cross the coast as indicated or even might dart along the coast and ravage Bangladesh. This is a game of chance and an occurrence of a random distribution. Certainly not under the control of humans. According to some, its God’s will. And as a tuned up educated University teacher, I would say “Limitations of Science”. Again, as my Professor was always maintaining, “Science is a Science” and “Belief is Belief”.Is this the Limitation of Science or the Will of God?

( Picture: Courtesy: www.businessline.com)