Quite a Newtonian moment it was for him. The setting, however, was not under an apple tree, but along the banks of the Bharathapuzha, near his home.
The river was choppy, moving swiftly yet with a lustrous charm. As it flowed, it formed whirlpools that at times seemed to move against the current.
“It was then that it dawned on me — the answer to something I had been seeking since my student days at Victoria College, Palakkad. What is the medium that fills space?” narrates C Radhakrishnan, recalling his long quest to understand the universe’s mystery.
A scientist who evolved into a pioneering science communicator, journalist, filmmaker, and a dexterous writer in both English and Malayalam, Radhakrishnan is also credited with shaping a genre he calls ‘scientific fiction’. Yet, he prefers to be known simply as a lover of science.
His passion for science endured through his years in journalism. His journalistic career came to an end during the Emergency, after which he turned to writing and filmmaking.
Films such as ‘Agni’, ‘Pushyaragam’, ‘Kanalattam’, and ‘Ottayadipathakal’ earned critical acclaim, establishing him among the state’s thoughtful auteurs. He also served on the first board of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation and twice on the jury panel for Indian Panorama selections.
By the 1990s, he cut short his journey in cinema, but his writing flourished. Works like ‘Spandamapinikale Nandi’, ‘Geeta Darshanam’, and ‘Theekkadal Kadanju Thirumadhuram’ are regarded as masterpieces, earning him accolades such as the Ezhuthachan Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Olappamanna Award, Vayalar Award, Jnanappana Award, and the Bharatiya Jnanpith’s Moortidevi Award.
Each work reflects his evolution — from a scientist associated with institutions like the Kodaikanal Observatory and the Pune unit of the Worldwide Seismology System, to a writer of intuitive and philosophical depth.
Yet, through all these pursuits, one question remained central: What fills the universe?
This enduring quest led to his latest book, ‘The Fabric of Space: Unraveling the Mysteries of Physics’.
Its ideas have also been presented on Zenodo, an open-access repository developed under the European OpenAIRE programme and operated by CERN, allowing scientists worldwide to examine and debate them.
‘What if the deepest mysteries of the universe could be understood through a single, coherent framework?’
This is how the fascinating book’s introduction begins. It nudges readers to reimagine the universe through a ‘Fabric of Space’ framework.
In the author’s words, the book proposes “a unifying vision that seeks to resolve the deepest puzzles in modern physics, by describing forces, fields, and matter within a single continuous background fabric with distinctive physical properties”.
It revisits the Big Bang, time, and antimatter, offering fresh insights into dark matter, dark energy, and black holes. ‘The Fabric of Space’ is a blend of bold theory and thought-provoking clarity.
“Some say it is more physics than philosophy, while others feel it leans more towards philosophy than physics,” Radhakrishnan smiles.
Here is an engaging conversation with the 87-year-old, whose achievements seem modest beside the depth of his contemplative mind, standing in quiet wonder at the shores of truth — questioning who he is and where he belongs. Excerpts:
Your new book potentially changes how we view the universe from a quantum perspective. What, according to you, is the ‘fabric of space’?
The design of the universe has always intrigued us. Some believed space was empty, but that raised questions about gravity and how light travels through a vacuum. This led to the concept of ‘ether’, which was later disproved by the Michelson–Morley experiment in 1887.
My proposition is different: space is not filled with anything. Space itself is all that exists. Objects within it are merely excitations, much like the whirlpools in the Bharathapuzha.
You have communicated this idea without relying much on mathematical formulae. How essential is mathematics in explaining such concepts?
Mathematics addresses technical aspects. The mind, in a deeper sense, is aligned with nature and its truths. For a mind engaged in a genuine quest, answers often reveal themselves through chance encounters with nature. My insight came from observing the river. Nature is the ultimate book. If we connect with it, answers emerge.
Your proposition simplifies quantum physics, often considered highly complex…
Modern quantum physics suggests that a particle’s exact position cannot be determined, only its probabilities. It uses multiple fields to explain different phenomena, which makes it complex. But such complexity may not be necessary. The idea is simple: atoms do not move. They appear to move because their oscillation energy gets transmigrated through the medium. This can explain many quantum phenomena.
Sounds like a revolutionary concept…
It is, but it also poses a problem. If accepted, it would require a fundamental rewriting of quantum theory. It is almost like telling the Pope that Christ did not die on the cross! Hence, I cross my fingers and wait. My son, Gopal K R, who is a radiologist, helped me a lot in this project. He has been working with me for five years and is the co-author of the book.
How has the scientific community responded?
The paper I submitted to Zenodo is technically in-depth, but I can always bring out a popular science version. I have grown up with the need to convey science in a simple way, being part of outfits like the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Samiti, steered by stalwarts such as Dr N V Krishna Warrier, K G Adiyodi, and Dr C P Menon. Science, I have always believed, is more our natural self than literature or any other skill.
Then why is science often not easily understood?
Albert Einstein once said: “If I cannot explain the theory of relativity to my 13-year-old, it means I have not understood it properly.” I, too, believe that if an ordinarily intelligent person cannot understand a concept, either the concept or the person explaining it is flawed.
You are a man of many talents. How do these perspectives come to you despite you currently not being a full-time scientist?
That we are interested in many things is not a surprise. When I am fed up with one, I go to the other. But science is my first and undying love. Literature needs hard physical work, whereas science is more natural, organic. I can engage with science even when I am just loitering.
What fascinates you the most in physics?
That every atom is unique. It is a fascinating world… I am not the same as I was a minute ago, and yet I call myself ‘I’.
Is there anything constant?
There is only one constant. Everything else is a modification of that. If only science had been propagated as interpretations of that constant, the world would have been different. Unless you understand science that way, you can never know what you are. Because you are deeply linked to the constant that the universe is.