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The poetic introduction read out by Nadir GodrejNow science has come of ageYou could say it’s all the rageBut most of the exciting buzzIs due to all the things it does.Technology is ubiquitousSome think it is iniquitousFollowing us everywhereWith no time to stand and stareBut many still think it a treasureFor all it does for work and pleasureAnd medical science is a hitBecause we all benefit.The aged now are very strongAnd most of us live very longNow clearly science does a lotWe like the benefits we’ve got.But science does much more than thatThe method is where it’s atThe method is a simple lensWhich helps us all to make some senseOf the mystery in the universeThe first step is to just observeThe next is to hypothesiseThe scientist then always triesAn experiment to verifyWhich can confirm or falsify.If false the cycle starts once moreSo knowledge is at the foreOf why we need to emphasiseThat pursuit of science is very wise.“What have you learnt?” we shouldaskNot, “Can you help me with this task?”In time the benefits will comeBut treat that as a mere crumbThe knowledge is a wholesome breadWe should feed on that instead.There’ll be no crumbs without thebread.If usefulness were the basisWe’d have no clue what the case isFor all the fuss about the “Higgs”We wouldn’t give any figs!And yet we see each articleDeclaring it “God Particle”I always thought it rather oddScientists invoking God!Many years ago, it should be statedThe “Higgs” was first postulatedBut the hypothesis was hard to testAs a hypothesis it would rest.And in my considered estimationThis wait had caused much frustrationAnd Leon Lederman wrote a bookAs working title the name he tookWas Goddam particle but hey!The publisher said “No way!”God particle it then wasAnd this worked quite well becauseBy theory the Higgs gave massTo particles of every classThanks to the LHC at CERNIn the last few days we could learnThe Higgs exists but with some doubtThough small enough to loudly shout!Now we will be in a bindIf the properties we findDo not fit the theoriesBut on the bright side one then seesWe’ll sorely need new theoriesAnd that is why we celebrateTheoreticians that are greatOne row of men cannot stand tallBut if they form a solid wallOn their shoulders we can mountIf on their knowledge we can countA pyramid can be builtAn edifice that will not tiltAnd for ever it will growEach generation will then knowMore than all who’ve gone beforeAnd this is something known for sureBut sometimes what we learn is strangeWell beyond our normal range.And quantum science keeps us fooledWe wish to be firmly ruled.We can’t accept a random danceDetermined by the rules of chance.An Einstein thought this wasn’t nice“I can’t believe that God plays dice.”It’s true our minds were not designedFor physics and yet we can findSome minds that thrive on speculationAnd after years of educationDevote their lives to divineWhat is perhaps the true DivineThe rules of law from which all flowsBut every physicist still knowsWhat Einstein felt in the gutWhat we now need is a GUTOne theory that unifiesFour forces, that’s indeed the prize.If gravity can fall in placeThen Einstein will have made his casePerhaps the answer lies in stringsWhich sometimes curl up into ringsVibrating in many dimensionsExhibiting severe tensionsThey also form sheets named branesTo understand you need tamed brains.We could buy books at a heavy costAnd read for years and still be lostMr. Nadir Godrej goes poeticThroughout his life he was always onthe goAnd his frenetic pace would hardly everslowSometimes within the span of just adayHe’d see Madras, Calcutta andBombay.The day for him was rather short ofhoursBut since he had some superhumanpowersHe’d often work quite late into the nightOr rush somewhere on a red-eye flight.This kind of schedule would cause meto weepWhen did he ever find the time to sleep?His friends all knew that when he sinksHis head, he’s taking his usual fortyIf that’s the case then just how d’ya winks.Explain these things? Call Mr. Wadia. But still when asked to answer he couldThe crumbs of course will be thereSt. Mary’s School and Xavier’s College riseThe benefits that we all shareAnd IIT were founts of knowledge And to the audience’s sheer surpriseIt’s obvious without being saidBut then for his Ph.D.He would come up with something aproposHe went to New York’s City UniversityBut how he did it I will never know.The Rotary Club of Bombayis pleased to present theIn the windy city by the lake It’s hard to find a place he hasn’t beenSohrab Godrej Award for Science & Technology His thirst for knowledge he would slake All of the seven continents he’s seentoNow fellowships and awards And if you talk of the remotest isleSpenta Rustom WadiaOur Spenta has by the hordes. You find he’d been there for at least aFor his important contributions to several areas of theoretical The Raman lecture, the Weinberg prize while.And if the Nobel Committee’s wise No matter how far away he wentphysicsHis Rotary attendance was duly sent.For his landmark work in gauge theories of elementary particle The Nobel someday will be his toophysicsFor India hasn’t had her due. With your permission I will now saluteFor proposing a new phenomenological model incorporating And Spenta’s built many alliances His love of nature which was absolute.Through International Centre of TheoreticalSciencesnessAnd whether he’s saving the wilder-several important features of Quantum ChromodynamicsFor contributing to resolve the conflict between General RelativityOr planting trees in our urban messAnd much knowledge is bound to flowand Quantum Mechanics caused by the existence of black holes,As he goes on with the show. Sohrabji was prepared to work and fightthat added credence to String Theory as a correct theory of And I’d like to add my felicitation So children get to see that wondrousQuantum GravityOn the occasion of this celebration. sightFor establishing a world class String Theory group at TIFR thatA tiger prowling in his habitatSome words I’d now like to sayalso incubated research in this basic subject in India and otherA zoo’s no place for this majestic catOn Uncle Sohrab on this day.countries in the developing worldOne day I urge you all to enterHe had a penchant for foreign relationsFor envisaging the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences ofThe Sohrabji Godrej Green CentreAnd always built strong ties betweenTIFR that engages in “Science sans boundaries”.You’ll appreciate his life was not in vainall nationsFor there’s still hope our planet willNowroze VazifdarBut France’s culture and her glorious sustain.PresidentartMr. Godrej then proceeded to read19th March 2013Held a truly special place in his heart. the Citation presented to Prof. Wadia.March 26 to April 1, 2013 THE GATEWAY, The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 2