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The telescopic observations by Galileo Galilei in 1610 provided compelling evidence of a heliocentric system of the universe, as forwarded by Nicholas Copernicus in the earlier century. Firstly, Galileo established that the Earth was not the only centre of revolution. Therefore, the Earth did not enjoy a special place, as such. Next, his observations of Venus showed that the planet Earth clearly revolved...
This article recalls some of the seminal contributions to astronomy made by Fred Hoyle. His ideas were thought to be unrealistic at the time they were proposed, but have now been assimilated into mainstream science. A general comment that emerges from such examples is that highly creative individuals who are far ahead of their times do not get the recognition they deserve once their ideas are rediscovered...
This article is the second part of our review of the important role that symmetry plays in atomic and subatomic physics. We will concentrate on the discrete symmetries — parity, charge conjugation, and time reversal — that have played a significant part in the development of the ‘standard model’ of particle physics during the latter part of the 20th century. The importance of experimental tests of...
A question which can be asked by anyone even at the middle school level is whether a given string of digits could be extended to obtain primes or other special types of numbers. Here, answers are given which may not be accessible to a student at that level but should be accessible at least to undergraduate students. The treatment is elementary but hints to deeper mathematics connected to such elementary...
V V Raman is Emeritus Professor of Physics and Humanities at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. 14623, USA. He is available for giving Skype lectures in Indian universities.
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