Editorial

This year's Nobel Prize winner, Herr Dr. Gerhard ErtI has laid the methodogical foundation for an entire research field Surface chemistry.

His outstanding ability to refine problems, his meticulous precision, his wide vision and ability to harness every single technique available to systematically identify the process, verify them by various other techniques is his forte, Electron spectroscopy has been used by Prof, ErtI from the description given in the news papers. By X-ray fluorescence emission and absorption, one can see the changes in the atoms heavier than Z = 10 or 11. By electron spectroscopy, one can study even very low atomic number elements. Spectroscopy can identify whether molecular nitrogen or atomic nitrogen has taken part in reaction. Catalysts are used widely in industries such as cars and petroleum refining. Apart from the qualities of Prof, ErtI as a scientist, he must have another tremendous quality not mentioned. His ability to put a team of motivated people who have shown a high degree of co-operation. What we need particularly in India is a laboratory like the Max Planck Institute, Berlin.

We need to first break the strong walls built around every single discipline. The more interdisciplinary the work is, the greater will be the vision, and greater the options available to prove by various techniques. Every time a Nobel Prize is given, we rejoice that it is recognition of human endeavor.

But the greatest tribute we can pay them is do a little bit of introspection analysing the various factors by which we can be worthy successors of Einstein and de Broglie.