My Science School

Tell us about your journey of becoming a senior physics editor for the Young Scientists Journal.

It all started when I was just playing around with some equations in quantum physics and came up with something original. I was wondering if there was any journal that would publish the research of a young student. Luckily, I found the Young Scientists Journal, which is run by students and publishes the research of students like me. It works on a peer review system, and my articles were accepted and published. People were contacting me to talk about my research. Soon, I joined them as an outreach member. Later, I became the junior physics editor and then the senior physics editor. My job was to review the many articles submitted to the journal. I also did plagiarism checks. Considering I want to pursue a career in research, this experience would be invaluable to me.

You are a young member of the New York Academy of Sciences.

I applied for this academy, got accepted, and started working on some new projects with students from different countries. It was a rewarding experience. Now some people I know actually were not accepted to the Academy, and were disheartened. To them I would say that in today's world connected by the Internet, no one can prevent you from finding like-minded individuals and start working on a research project online. You don't need the New York Academy of Sciences for that. Of course, being a member gives us access to some very interesting Academy webinars and things like that. But other than that, you are not missing much.

You are the founder of the Journal of Young Physicists.

The Journal of Young Physicists is a non-profit physics blog I founded, where anyone can submit articles on physics for review and publication. I always felt that young students interested in physics should have a platform to express their ideas, not necessarily to publish original research, but just to play with the concepts, explain the topics in their own unique way. I founded this organisation primarily for this reason. We review the articles submitted to us, and if the article passes the review, we publish it. The JYP's primary objective is to communicate physics to a broad audience in a fun and engaging manner.

Writing happens to be one of your passions. What got you into writing?

From a very young age, I loved reading fiction, popular science, etc. Then I started writing poetry and short stories. But I had always dreamt of writing a popular science book. My interest in physics was mainly sparked by reading popular science books. These books can really be a great inspiration, and I loved reading them. Not as demanding as textbooks, but still interesting and not outdated. As I grew up, I started writing notes on quantum mechanics, one of my main interests in physics. Then I thought of converting this collection of notes into a book. But there is no shortage of quantum mechanics textbooks in the market, and so I decided to write about the journey of physics, from Newton's days to today, with metaphysical discussions on consciousness and the fundamental nature of reality. "Our Physics So Far is, in fact, my first serious book, which I published a few months ago. I am currently working on a second book which will be purely metaphysical. I also like to write short stories - detective, sci-fi, etc. and poetry. But just a bit. I am not very good at fiction and poetry.

Other than physics, what other things are you working on?

I am into music. I have my own YouTube channel, Arpan Amplified. I have released about 10 original songs and an album. It started when I turned my previously written poems into songs. Afterwards, I started looking for artists and singers to collaborate with online. So, I write the songs and I produce the music too sometimes, and the vocalists sing the songs. My debut album is titled Unsettled bliss', after my song Unsettled bliss' which is about mental health issues. My other hobbies include making educational videos for my YouTube channel, researching nihilism, and watching aviation and wildlife content.

Who is your inspiration and who do you look up to?

I am inspired by a lot of people: scientists, philosophers, musicians, etc. In science, I am perhaps most inspired by the works of Erwin Schrodinger, the quantum physicist who wrote "What Is Life?", an amazing book on biology from a physics perspective. In music my inspiration is Alan Walker. And above all, in life, I am very much inspired by my father, who has always taught me honesty and guided me in all my endeavours as a great parent and philosopher, and my mother. I am no less inspired by my amazing teachers, who also supported me very much, and my relatives and friends.

If there is one thing in this world you would want to change, what would it be?

There are many things that need to be changed in today's world. But if I could change just one thing about the world, it would be poverty. So many talented young people in India cannot pursue education due to poverty, and are forced to live the life they never wanted to live. It is just too unfair. Of course, I am not an economist, and I can do nothing about it. But I would want to see poverty eradicated from the world if that is the last thing I do. My father’s field of study is economics, and we occasionally discuss issues such as poverty, but that's about it.

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What prompted you to set up NextGenInnov8?

I usually study beyond the syllabus, because our intellect and innovation matter the most. I believe age is no barrier to success. When I was 12, I wanted to start my own company, but I knew nothing about business or entrepreneurship, and so I applied for the Summer Business Academy course at Harvard. I received an email saying that my application was brilliant. But they did not accept me because I did not fit into their age criteria - I was too young to do that course. I was heartbroken. But I convinced them for an online interview and got accepted!

I learnt business from Harvard, innovation and problem-solving from Standford, economics from Oxford, and entrepreneurship from Babson. Those things happened before COVID-19. During the pandemic, I took the initiative to start NextGen Innov8 to give the power of innovation to every teacher and child. Children just need the right guidance, resources, and an ecosystem to make the world a better place. This is exactly what I envision NextGeninnov8, my company, will provide.

Your first innovation was Suraksha Box.

Extreme times have led humans to be creative and come up with unique solutions. This inspired me to innovate during this crisis, and I created the Suraksha Box. This light sterilisation box is used to sterilise vegetables, groceries, and everyday items without using chemicals and to protect us from all kinds of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, including all strains of COVID-19. It works on the principles of UVC light. This helps reduce the spread of the virus and make the environment around us safer. Prevention is always better than cure. The box has a Government of India patent, and is approved, recommended, and certified by CSIR-CMERI of the government. The goal is to provide the box to the less privileged and frontline workers.

 Has the pandemic been helpful to develop your innovation?

Without this pandemic, all those successful journeys wouldn't have happened in my life. I just used my leisure time to find solutions to real-world problems. At that time, India was in a lockdown, and I was unable to get the materials required for executing my idea. I was forced to use materials I already had at home, such as aluminium foil from the kitchen, unused cardboard boxes, even using a UVC tube from the water filter. As a result, my solution became extremely cost-effective, easy to make, and I understood the concept of frugal innovation.

You're also a keynote speaker.

I usually speak about the importance of 21st-Century skills, including problem-solving, filling the missing gaps of education, updates, and more. I try to focus on the importance of certain concepts so that others can incorporate them into their lives.

Apart from entrepreneurship, what do you like to do?

I like to learn something new every day. Sometimes I wish to learn about How to Learn' every week. This helps me improve what I my skills. Apart from this, I love to read, listen to music, take a walk, inspire others about various innovations, etc.

How do you manage time between entrepreneurship and education?

I use the time management and productivity technique followed by Elon Musk called time-boxing', the process of dividing the day into different time blocks. He divides his day into five-minute slots for emails, reading, business meetings, phone calls, and so on. Likewise, I am dividing my time for my studies, presentation, hobbies, and learning. It honestly changed my life and I recommend this method to everyone.

What is something about society that you wish to change?

Society usually looks down upon those that fail. Even though we've read that Failure is the stepping stone to success, we don't live by it on a day-to-day basis. Society should let students think outside the box, and encourage enetrepreneurship among the youth. No one is perfect, and we need society to not put us down when failure knocks us, and instead help us get up and try again.

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Tell us about your E-Leaming Portal Volunteer Project.

During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, many schools and institutes were shut down. At that time, I started the E-learning Portal Volunteer Project especially for students in rural Sri Lanka. Initially, I started this free project for Class XI students, where they get their syllabus as videos, seminars, quiz, as videos, and more from our portal. Later on, lecturers and tutors joined our volunteer project. Initially, we were able to facilitate 1,500 students. We also conduct a career guidance programme through professionals in Sri Lanka, and students get new ideas about career paths. I started this non-profit with the motto Quality, Equal & Free Education. So far our programmes have been launched only in Sri Lanka, but I have a mission to establish this project in South Asia with collaborations.

What was the main idea behind starting this initiative?

The world is growing, so we need to run fast. So, I thought of providing information about updated jobs, careers, and technology trends for students. We are also conducting a new webinar series on skill-based development.

Why did you feel the need to become a social entrepreneur?

My point of view is that humans have to do something for society. And right to education is a human right. But still some of the less privileged students can't get good education and are lagging behind, especially now due to the pandemic. With the help of technology and our team support, I started the project to offer students free education.

What prompted you to take up blogging?

I used to write blogs in my leisure time to gain knowledge in technology and business. I choose to write blogs also to update myself and to share it with young people around me.

Can keeping themselves updated empower youth?

According to the U.N. population report of 2021, there are around 1.8 billion people between the ages of 18 and 24, and it is the largest generation of youth in history. They are already guiding social progress and working towards sustainable goals to improve the lives of people and the health of the planet. In my point of view, youth keeping themselves updated is what makes them the pillars of our nation. I'd like to call them innovators, communicators, and leaders.

How do you de-stress?

During my leisure time, I usually listen to podcasts and love to read e-books. Apart from that, my mom and I treat street dogs. I love that.

What are your future plans and goals?

I want to become a cybersecurity specialist and support businesses and non-profit organisations in their digital presence. Also, I want to represent my motherland in numerous conferences and digital meets. I'm also working towards action to change poverty in society. You must be the change you want to see in the world.

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Take us through the journey of writing your book.

Back when I was Class II, my father told me this story about pirates. I really liked how they travel around the world and live a very adventurous and unsure life. He told me this story when we were travelling from home to school, and so when I came back from school, I started to write this down. I wrote for three years. But then when I was typing it out on the computer, I noticed how childish it was. I ditched the whole thing and started writing it again. Just as I finished the new version of the story, I came across a newspaper interview with a young author. That sowed the confidence in me to publish my first book. I contacted the same publisher, and soon received a reply saying they would publish the book. For the next five months, both of us worked hard. Though I worked for five years on the book, my book grew more than half its size in those five months. Finally, "Adventures of Scottish Pirates and the Deadly Dragon" was published.

What is the book about?

When I wrote this book, I started to learn to visualise the basic structure of the globe, and which continent was placed where. This story is about pirates and their amazing ship, the Dragon. The ship gets stuck in a storm and the crew lands on an island where the captain discovers that the ship has magical abilities - it can actually be steered using his compass needle. This ship goes through a lot of hardships as it sails through the seas, just like the pirates themselves.

Tell us about your hobbies.

I love birdwatching and nature. The calmness is what I enjoy a lot. Though some people think birdwatching is boring and monotonous, I think it is the epitome of true happiness when you spot a bird. I also play table tennis. And my most prominent hobby is writing.

What are the new projects you are working on?

I'm working on two novels currently. One is in Tamil, and the other one is science fiction in English. It's based on modern developments in science.

Is there something you would like to change in society?

I would like to change the mentality of people towards nature. My family and I introduced a waste-segregation method in our apartment, and it's going on quite successfully. It's even helping the Corporation a lot. I have learnt that even if one person does something, there will be a huge change somewhere, in some corner of the world. I want to convey the thought of nature conservation to the public, as I feel it's the need of the hour. And the other one is about writing. People think that writing is hard. But I feel that everyone can write. While there is an inborn talent in some of them, others can easily develop it. The only thing that we have to do is to believe that we can do it, because words do have a lot of impact.

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