J C Bose: The Scientist Who Proved That Plants Too Can Feel

Jagadish Chandra Bose (30 Nov.1858-23 Nov.1937)

India released a commemorative stamp on the occasion of birth centenary of J C Bose in 1958.

Physicist turned plant biologist Jagadish Chandra Bose was born  in Mymensingh, India (now in Bangladesh)During the years 1894-1900, Bose performed pioneering research on radio waves and created waves as short as 5 mm. Bose’s work actually predates that of Guglielmo Marconi who is most often associated with the development of radio. Unlike Marconi who sought to commercialize his work with radio waves, Bose was purely interested in radio waves as a scientific endeavor.After about 1900,

Bose began pursuing another longtime interest—animal and plant physiology. This included studies of the effects of electromagnetic radiation on plants, a topical field today.

His contributions to this field were pioneering. He introduced many delicate and sensitive instruments, such as the Chrestograph, which was used for recording plant growth. It could magnify a small movement as much as a million times.

Another device he developed demonstrated the effects of electromagnetic waves on living and nonliving matter.