Page 37 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - Vol 24 No 2 - February 24 2015

Shortfalls of Science
Shortfalls of Science
by P. Mahadevan
Science, at its present stage of development, in
methodology and tools, may not be adequate to
explain several baffling phenomena.
Science and Soul
The mind and the soul are not physically
identifiable entities of the human anatomy. They
are merely hypothetical parking sites for brain
functions. They are however frequently referred
to in comments such as: mind boggling, mind’s
eye, soul searching, and more.
They cease to function at death. Most of
us, across the spectra of religions, are led to
believe, by faith, that the soul leaves the body
mysteriously into an ill-defined environment
from which it may be sent back into another
body or perpetually released from the cycle of
life and death.
In the scenarios referred to as comatose
condition, dementia or even anesthesia
including near death experience (NDE) and out
of body experience (OBE), the brain function is
impaired, but not dead. When blood circulation
through the brain ceases, with no chance
whatever of restoration, the system is dead. The
memory bank of the individual turns completely
blank. No means whatever to recover any of the
information content exists in this condition. Nor numerous miracle drugs for heart and other
has the soul got any sensory perception
capability. If this is the moment in which the
hypothetical soul leaves its housing, viz the
body, it leaves with no information because the
reservoir of the information pack is empty.
The Soul and One
It is inaccurate to imagine, therefore, that the
soul, or jeeva atman, of some person is floating
around awaiting its next assignment in another
new born. The identity of the released soul is
erased. This is inconsistent with the basic tenet fiendishness, surprise and calmness? So too, our drafting the above manuscript.
of the Bhagavad Gita, wherein the Sarathy (one
with a chariot—Krishna) persuades Partha (son
of Kunti—Arjuna) to believe that there is no sin
in killing his cousins and uncle because only the of events every day. Even children go through
evil aspect of these individuals is destroyed in
battle. The pristine segment survives?
Atman (self) is variously described in
annotations as other than the known and beyond
the unknown; basis of atman is reality,
permanence and bliss; formless, eternal and
infinite.
In contrast, consider the three blind
Frenchman, in folklore, who went to “see” an
elephant. They were more precise, relatively
speaking. It is flat, said one. It is rough, said
another and it stinks, said the third. All were
right, at least partially.
This point is elegantly expressed by
poet, Vijay Seshadri, the Pulitzer prize winner
for English poetry (2014) in the first poem of
his collection: “The 3 Sections.” “The soul, like
the square root of minus one, is an impossibility
that has its uses.”
An Illusion?
What is the use of this illusory idea? In the
realm of the divine, it serves as a link to the
body.
The immortal soul is a difficult concept
to comprehend, interpret, or defend. It would be Science Foreshadowed
non-controversial to state that nobody has been The link, if any, between para-normal activity
able to correlate a soul, in transition from one and brain waves is an unknown. Surprisingly
body to another or even released from bondage, however, the Hindu epics foreshadowed very
with a particular host body. The conceptual many of these miracles and applications. To
soul, is delinked from anything real at the time name a few: the Pushpaka Viman for air travel
of death of the host. with solar power, pilotless navigation and voice
or face recognition for commands is mentioned
This makes it impossible to perform any during the era of the Ramayana and the
function, such as even finding the Param-Atman Mahabharata many times. Lord Siva’s emitting
(God). The imaginary group of seven eye is the forerunner of the modern laser—in
chiranjeevees (immortals) in our epics, such as the 1980s two massive laser systems were built
Mahabali or Parasurama, therefore, are in one of the defense research facilities in
endowed with their body and embedded souls California, not surprisingly named SIVA I and
always to circumvent this discomfiture. SIVA II.
Everything we have been led to believe At the present time, it is enigmatic even
out of faith, cannot be dismissed as invalid due to attempt to figure out why we humans are
to inconsistency with the science of today. trying, knowingly or otherwise, to develop
equivalent systems for war with the aid of
During the previous seven decades, modern science and engineering.
science and technology have advanced by leaps
and bounds. Space exploration, including moon We all belong together anyway. Each
landing, Hubble telescope, lasers, the personal one of us, homo-sapiens, has received the
computer, safe air travel, angioplasty, and greatest gift of all, the infinite capacity system
known as the Brain. Progressive evolution of
diseases are some of the noteworthy. life forms into the ultimate form of humans has
taken place.
Science, Moods and Emotions
Science, by itself, at its present level of With my judgmental limitations, it
development is yet unable to explain many would be preposterous to cede, at this time, to
facets of life we accept for granted. science only on these issues. We face a
phenomenally baffling conundrum.
There are many examples. We cannot
analyze, scientifically, our moods, called the I acknowledge the benefit of discussions
Nava Rasas: sensuality, heroism, empathy, with Dr. T.V. Krishnamurthy, Costa Mesa, CA
contempt, fierceness, awe inspiration, and Smt. Ranjini Iyengar, Fullerton, CA in
emotions: amorous desire, anger, jealousy,
greed, pride and unhealthy competition. We P. Mahadevan is a retired scientist with a Ph.D.
have felt or seen all these in the normal course in Atomic Physics from the University of London,
England. His professional work includes basic
some of these. Other inaccessible phenomena and applied research and program management
for science at present are: destiny or fate, for the Dept. of Defense. He taught Physics at
dreams, para-normal phenomena, telepathy and the Univ. of Kerala, at Thiruvananthapuram. He
more. does very little now, very slowly. []