Giants in History: Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose (30 November 1858 – 23 November 1937) was a scientist and inventor who contributed to a wide range of scientific fields such as physics, botany and biology. Throughout his life, Bose conducted research selflessly without desire for personal gains or fame. Bose showed that plants, like animals, react to stimuli through the transmission of electrical impulses. He invented the Crescograph – a device which measures tiny reactions and changes in plant cells in response to stimuli. Bose also made many important contributions to the field of radio science. He developed an improved coherer - a sensitive device to detect radio waves and invented the Crystal Detector, which inspired the first radio receivers. A crater on the moon is named after him. Bose was also a pioneer of science fiction in Indian literature and one of his stories The Story of the Missing won a writing contest organized by a hair-oil company.