Date:08/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/08/stories/2009010861350400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

A guided tour of the universe

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Knowledge is the key to the survival of the human species and the available knowledge should be disseminated among children as knowledge about the universe is concentrated in a few academics, Los Angeles-based physicist Mani Bhaumik said here on Wednesday at the launch of his book, The Cosmic Detective: Exploring the Mysteries of our Universe.

Dr. Bhaumik, a Ph.D. in physics from IIT and who has earned a Sloane Foundation fellowship for post-doctoral research at the University of California, is renowned as the co-inventor of laser technology that made Lasik eye surgery a reality.

His book makes an attempt to take young readers on a whirlwind guided tour of the universe.

An attempt is made to unravel many mysteries of the universe such as the origins of the galaxy and the solar system, supernova and black holes and so on. Dr. Bhaumik said: “The universe is so huge that its breadth cannot be comprehended. This book is an attempt to unravel some mysteries of the universe. I have tried to pen it down in a child-friendly manner to ensure that children can understand the universe better. Technological advances have enhanced our knowledge of the universe a great deal in the past two decades. Adults too can use it as a reference point if they are interested in space.”