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Students need to nurture self-confidence- 23-Apr-2010
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, the Nobel Laureate, was initially interested to study medicine.
He later obtained a degree in Physics, as he was fascinated towards the subject although he got an opportunity to study medicine. Gradually, in due course of time he got interested in Biology and pursued research activities in Biology. His findings in Bio-physics about Ribosome structures that would assist in finding the appropriate antibiotic for the diseases got him the Noble prize in Chemistry.
The following is a collection of special speeches rendered at various places by the Nobel Prize winner.
As English is an international language students should make a sincere effort to develop the language. If the student does not know English it is going lead to problems like communication trouble and inability to read books and magazine.
Students should do the thing that is interesting to them, they should not be compelled to do anything.
Above all they should possess self-confidence. After looking at other persons and other developed nation, they should never develop inferiority complex in their mind.
While I was studying, the curriculum was designed with the help of some lecturers who had just returned from America. This gave me the interest and the enthusiasm to study Physics. From time to time I wondered that I wasnt going to become a great Physicist. I became bored after repeatedly doing lot of numerical calculations, rather than finding anything in-depth to study. I slowly realized that Physics wasnt my preferred subject. These days, it is very difficult to bring out some good findings in Physics even at the basic level.
At that point of time the study of molecular biology were on the boom and every week new findings were coming out. Francis Crick, the famous scientist switched over his specialization from Physics to Biology. Latter, he moved from structural biology to molecular biology and then to Neuro biology. He was a great genius. He was only compatible to himself.
I also thought about having a change and resolved to do the second Ph.D. Later, I joined Professor. Peter Moore of Yale University to pursue research on Ribosomes in the year 1978. This was my introduction towards the research on Ribosomes.
As Physics was my basics I never hesitated to use the computers or carryout complex calculations. In fact, Physics helped me a lot towards my new research activity. It would be inappropriate to say that everyone does well after taking up Physics from Biology. Without becoming a Biologist doing research in Biology would be rated bad and would not be of any use to anybody.
Some persons would have taken up biology though they would not have gone to biology classes. For those who pursue research like this little of physics background would be of great help. Sometimes it may not be useful at all.
Although I didnt have good biology background yet I was driven towards it, that later fetched me a Nobel Prize. I appeal to all the students to nurture self-confidence for achieving great things.
