Here’s a question: what did you do first today when you woke up? Did you brush your teeth using a toothpaste of your preferred brand? Would this also be one of your last actions before hitting the bed at night? But why, though? Well, of course, we learned in our formative years that brushing our teeth twice a day can potentially prevent the development of plaque formed from bacteria acting on residual food particles. We impress this basic oral hygiene habit upon every generation not only because of the lessons learned from experience, but also due to the science behind it.

Our day begins and ends with a little bit of science, doesn’t it? Every hour of every day, we perform actions that are closely associated with science. There is a scientific explanation that is sought and discovered for almost every crucial element of life. Time moves because of the Earth’s orbital motion. Our bodies transform due to chemical and biological phenomena inside and around us. We walk around so casually because of the concept of gravity. Science is the language in which the nature of life itself is explained.

In 1930, an Indian physicist by the name of Sir C. V. Raman became the first Asian to be awarded a Nobel Prize in any field of science through a spectacular discovery that when light travels through a transparent medium, there is a change in the wavelength and frequency of the deflected light. He also worked extensively on the analysis of Indian percussion instruments and famously reframed the explanation of why the sea appears blue. The Raman Effect was discovered on 28 February 1928; almost forty years before India won its independence. This shows that there was an abundance of brilliant minds that was never shackled by a lack of liberty.

Fast forward to the present, this day, 28 February is celebrated as National Science Day.

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Gitanjali Rao’s profile and achievements defy conventional wisdom on human growth. At 15, this Indian-American girl hailing from Colorado (USA), is a scientist, an innovator and a motivational speaker who wants to transform the world and alleviate human suffering through science and technology.

In her Twitter profile, she calls herself a “student, fencer (cyber game player), author, speaker, community volunteer, science enthusiast, STEM promoter and board member.” The latest feather in Gitanjali’s cap is her being featured on the cover of TIME magazine as TIME’s 2020 ‘Kid of the Year’, chosen from among 5,000 nominees.  

At 12, she delivered her first TED talk that is usually reserved for persons of fame and experience. Till now, she has delivered three TED talks and several other talks to parents and educators to motivate them to help their children become innovators.

In an interview with Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, Gitanjali revealed the secret behind her extraordinary achievements: curiosity, concern for fellow humans and a propensity to pick a problem for solving it. “There wasn’t any aww moment!” she told Jolie on being asked about when she found the inclination to become a scientist. A blend of charm and confidence, her countenance during the interview stole everyone’s heart. She told Jolie that she aspires to study genetics and epidemiology at the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at the same time train to become a pilot.

In September, last year, Gitanjali’s book, A Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM: 5 Steps to Problem-solving for Students, Educators and Parents, was released. The idea behind the book, on sale on Amazon, is to make everyone a problem-solver. Her generosity to spread scientific temper is highly praiseworthy as she treats science as a means of solving the problem and not as something done in the isolation of a lab full of chemicals and devices.

In 2017, Gitanjali was awarded “America’s Top Young Scientist” by the Discovery Channel. Receiving the Award, with the simplicity of a young girl of her age, she said many of her innovations were inspired by just watching the news!

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To become a doctor, you should go for MBBS, for which you should have Physics, Chemistry and Biology in 10+2. To become a scientist, you should go for any science subjects in 10+2, and after that go for graduation and post-graduation.

Since you’re still in Class 8, at present focus on studying well and for the next two years and check if you really like studying science subjects. Accordingly, choose your stream in 10+2.

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