An experiment a day to nurture the scientist in you

Pour some soda into a glass and drop some raisins into it. Do they float or sink? This is one of the 365 activities one can experiment with at home by reading The Agenda of the Apprentice Science.

The book, which was released on Wednesday, is the English translation of the popular French book L'agenda de lápprenti scientifique, written by Nicole Ostrowsky, professor emeritus, University of Nice, France.

The book comprises 365 activities (one for each day of the year), including topics as diverse as optics, chromatography, the solar systems and probability. They can be performed with easily available material such as matchsticks, paint, a bottle, a pen and paper.

The reader is encouraged to experiment with the materials, play, draw, cut, construct, write, think, observe and create and in the process, discover the answers by himself.

This apart, the book, which is priced at `425, contains attractive and humour-filled illustrations that make learning science a fun-filled activity.

The director of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), P Balaram, released the tome. He termed it as a marvellous book, which is meant for and relevant to everyone in the age group of nine to 99 years.

“This book is meant not only for apprentice scientists but for everybody, including scientists who are often layperson in areas outside their areas of specialisations. The reader of this book will get to imagine the world of Galileo and Newton and their thoughts,” he said.

Consul general of France, Dominique Causse, said he hoped that this book would awaken the interest in science and experiments among the youth in India and France.

The book's author, Ostrowsky, said a few changes have been incorporated in the English version of the book to suit the Indian audience.