Bengaluru: Pearson India launched the 13th Edition of ‘Conceptual Physics’, authored by Professor Paul G Hewitt in the city on Monday.
Narayana Murthy, Founder of Infosys, and Vinay Kumar Swamy, Country Head of Pearson India, were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Murthy, quoting the author, said, “You know you cannot enjoy a game unless you know its rules. Likewise, you cannot fully appreciate your surroundings until you understand the rules of nature. Physics is the study of these rules, which show how everything in nature is beautifully connected. So, the main reason you study physics is to enhance the way you see the physical world.”
Commenting on how this book would help India, Murthy said, “Our Prime Minister has laid out a very aspirational and ambitious target for India to achieve Viksit Bharat or developed India by 2047. This noble responsibility will be primarily shouldered by our children who are 12 to 15 years old and are starting their high school. Indian cognoscenti understand that this target cannot be achieved without making our children sound scientific.”
The members of the audience, comprising students and teachers, were later treated to a fascinating and quirky speech by Prof Hewitt, aged 94, who joined the gathering virtually.
"When you are teaching, you need to lift the students' spirits. Students should feel good about themselves. The focus should be the little girls and boys who are looking to fit in. They want approval. When students get the approval of their teachers, they feel wonderful,” Hewitt said of the power teachers have over students.
“Physics is for everybody. Why? Because we live in a physical world. Information is more valuable if it answers a question,” he remarked.
The book is being made available for the first time in India.
Published 09 September 2024, 20:35 IST