The Unsung Pioneer of Wi-Fi & The Secret Life of Plants: Sir J.C. Bose
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Show Notes
Did you know a 19th-century Bengali scientist anticipated the technology behind modern Wi-Fi and proved that plants could feel? In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the life of Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, a polymath whose work spanned physics, biology, and even science fiction.
We explore Bose's groundbreaking work in microwave optics, including his invention of the mercury coherer—a device that was integral to Marconi’s famous first transatlantic wireless transmission but often goes uncredited. We discuss how Nobel Laureate Sir Nevill Mott declared Bose to be "60 years ahead of his time," specifically for anticipating the P-type and N-type semiconductors used in electronics today.
Switching from physics to botany, we examine how Bose blurred the lines between the living and non-living. You will learn about his invention, the crescograph, which allowed him to magnify plant movements and demonstrate that vegetation possesses a "power of feeling," exhibiting electrical responses to stress similar to animals. Finally, we cover his stand against racial discrimination at Presidency College, where he refused his reduced salary for three years in protest, and his legacy as the father of Bengali science fiction.