Comments on: Dr. Cyril Ponnamperuma (1923-1994): A Passionate Champion of Public Science

By: Dr. Shyamal Chakrabarti

Dr. Shyamal Chakrabarti — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:53:50 +0000

I attended the lecture he gave at IIT, Kanpur between 1977-79 when I was a student there. He described Erich von Däniken’s theory an academic fraud being based on Judeo-Christian mythology of how fallen angels invaded earth. His lecture was unforgettable.

By: Dr Neel Jinadasa

Dr Neel Jinadasa — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:02:18 +0000

I worked as a Junior Research Fellow at Institute of Fundamental Studies when Prof. Cyril Ponnamperuma was director. He was the greatest scientist I have ever come across in my life so far. As usual Sri Lankan scientists could not see his transparency in science. I was wondering who has created a another research institute like IFS after his depature….

By: Vasantha Raja

Vasantha Raja — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:11:55 +0000

If the Sri Lankan Govt. told me during Cyril Ponnamperuma’s times in Sri Lanka, “Vasantha, we’ll let you talk to just one person if you want to visit Sri Lanka before we deport you back to London, whom would you choose?”, my answer would be: “Cyril Ponnamperuma, please.”

By: Surangun

Surangun — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:39:13 +0000

Sam is right. It would be far more productive for the writer to apply his considerable skills to writing about living scientists and the problems they are addressing. It is easy to romanticize the past and eulogize people who have long been dead. Besides only a handful of historians care about finer points. It requires a lot more skill and work to analyze contemporary issues. Clearly this writer cannot see beyond his obsession with Arthur Clarke and Cyril Ponnamperuma.

By: Nalaka Gunawardene

Nalaka Gunawardene — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:20:00 +0000

Sam,

I continue to write and broadcast about living scientists and engineers both young and old. In this era of multiple TV channels, websites and newspapers, I don’t expect you to keep track of my output on different media platforms — the limitation with TV broadcasts, in particular, is that they are not archived online in a manner that can be searched easily (Blinkx – http://www.blinkx.com – and others are working on it.)

Two examples from the past 18 months to give you an idea:

* I featured senior Lankan scientists (from universities, research institutes and think tanks) in the 10-part series Sri Lanka 2048 that I executive produced for Sirasa TV/MTV Channel One in mid 2008. It basically probed policy and technology choices we have to make today for creating a better Sri Lanka by 2048 (see http://www.srilanka2048.com).

* From August 2009, I’m hosting a weekly half-hour show on Siyatha TV, http://www.siyatha.com/tv, called Navakam that introduces Lankan inventors. Just this month, I have featured nearly a dozen young engineering graduates from the University of Moratuwa on their patent-winning or industry-accepted innovations. Other guests on my have included lone inventors many of who are appearing on TV for the first time.

I’m always on the look-out for scientists, engineers and inventors who have
something new, interesting and useful to say! If you have a story that is in the public interest, I will find a way to get it out…

By: London Dole

London Dole — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:04:19 +0000

Hey Sam,

Are you referring to the renowned Prof. Chandra Wickramasinghe?

By: Tharaka Warapitiya

Tharaka Warapitiya — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:56:29 +0000

We would apprecate any form of endeavour which helps to enhance the discourse of Science and scientific method regarding the pathetic condition
of irrationale phenomena of the Sri Lankan society.All forms of myth is at
the centre of (Sri Lankan) social structure .There fore we ,as Sri Lanka
Rationalist Association very much welcome this effert.

Tharaka Warapitiya
Sri Lanka Rationalist Assocition

By: Sam

Sam — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:58:54 +0000

Nice tribute!

It would be nice if Nalaka also promoted the work of living Sri Lankan scientists rather than just the dead ones.

By: Anoma

Anoma — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:50:07 +0000

A grate scientiest. Proud to our country. Very Kind & Humble person.May God Bless his Soul

By: Warna Hettiarachchi

Warna Hettiarachchi — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:52:42 +0000

Had he not been to the USA (or any other part of the world), his genius and talent would have bee just an utter waste in the midst of political garbage along with jealous and destructive academics’ who critize everyone and everything.

Your contribution to the world of Chemical Evolution of life (biogenesis), NASA’s Viking landers, U of Maryland and many other scholatic/academic institutions, inspiring young minds to become world’s top scientists (read Prof Ray Jayawardena, another product of Young Astronomers Asn) and your efforts to popularize and apply science in development and environmental protection are significant beyond spoken and written word. THe world is indebted to a great Son of the Earth. Mother Earth would be very proud of you, Sir.

By: Warna Hettiarachchi

Warna Hettiarachchi — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:43:49 +0000

After my meeting him at Colombo Planetarium in Sept 1985, Dr. Ponnamperuma called me to a side and asked my name and said “Warna Hettiarachchi, I want you to organize a series of lectures for Colombo schools at the Planetarium on Halley’s comet. I quickly set this in motion and he gave me all the tools and resources from IFS and ACCCMT libraries in addition to the Comet workshop (Dr. Asoka Mendis of UCSD, Dr. Krishnaswami at Tata Institute participated) knowledge he placed me in, to deliver what the students of 10-12 grades wanted to know about Halley’s.

One important item Nalaka has missed was he brought to Sri Lanka the entire team of scientists from the SETI institute: Dr. Frank Drake, Dr. Jill Tarter, Dr. Peter Boyle and organized a large symposium on what SL could provide as intersted minds and brains. Afterall, we all live in this same one planet… nowhere else to go, if you look at it from space.

He also tried to teach a very valuable lesson to Sri Lanka’s academics, but did not succeed at it: “Think and work outside text books and theory and develop technologies and put them into the well-being of human life, our environment and to understand our place in the Universe and its origins – Seek the quest for knowledge” My passion for Science and quest for the answers to our questions through science was truly inspired by him.

By: Thilina Heenatigala

Thilina Heenatigala — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:40:59 +0000

Many thanks for putting this piece together Nalaka.

By: Warna Hettiarachchi

Warna Hettiarachchi — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:29:21 +0000

Dear Nalaka, What a fantastic coverage on the finest Son Sri Lanka has yet produced! I still remember how he inspired me as a young student, reading his work in news clipping, and he inspired me to form Young Astronomers Association with Nalaka and rest of the ACCCMT Science for Youth program and the Halye’s Comet Workshop participants in 1985/86. Dr. Cyril Ponnamperuma personally asked me to show him the Haley’s comet during the Comet Watch program at IFS-Hantana. On another note, I still remember Dr. Rohan Samarajeeva’s Kaypro, and was thinking about it just last week in a flash. Sad how Sri Lanka’s politicians and other people of Science denounce and destroy our brilliant minds and visionaries.

By: sumeda

sumeda — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:12:33 +0000

one of the gretest men produced by sri lanka, salute to u sir…

By: Sarath Divisekera

Sarath Divisekera — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:01:30 +0000

Thanks Nalaka!
A wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. I had the privilege to work with this great soul in the late 1980s at Hantana, his beloved IFS. May he attain nibbana.