A Day in the Country - Anton Chekhov

 

https://youtu.be/2HV076qTApg

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) was a renowned Russian dramatist and short story writer.  It was his profound knowledge of human nature and his unique depictions of ordinary life placed him among the great writers.  Actually, Chekhov was a physician by profession.  His well known plays are 'The Seagull' (1896), 'Uncle Vanya' (1897), and 'The Cherry Orchard' (1904).  His most popular short stories are 'The Bet', 'The Lady with a Dog' and 'The Complaints Book'.  In 'A Day in the Country' Chekhov depicts the link between people and their environment in an excellent way.  Though the incidents seem to be ordinary, they are of incredibly insightful experiences in every way.

The Peace of Wild Things - Wendell Berry

 

 

https://youtu.be/tCyCp-xO2Is

Wendell Berry (B.1934) is a renowned writer, committed farmer and environmental Advocate from the United States.  He has authored over 50 books and won T. S. Eliot prize and the National Humanities Medal.  he is of the opinion that humanity must learn to live in harmony with the earth's natural rhythm.  In the poem, "The Peace of Wild Things", he shares a personal journey of finding solace in nature's embrace.

Light on a Dark Lady - Anne Piper

 

https://youtu.be/nxbhWYS0uXI

Roasalind Franklin (1920-1958), who had an untimely death due to cancer in 1958, a forgotten heroine, 'The dark lady of DNA'in the history of science, was a British chemist and an X-ray crystallographer.  She had her substantial contributions to the understanding of the molecular structure of 'DNA (deoxyribonucleic Acid), RNA (Ribonucleic Acid), viruses, coal and graphite.  Anne Piper, a close friend of Rosalind Franklin  and a renowned intellectual, talks about the gender bias that affected Rosalind Franklin's work and recognition in 'Light on a dark lady', especially, how her contributions to the discovery of the structure of DNA were totally unrecognized during her life in the male dominated field.

Science and Dogma - Pushpa. M. Bhargava

 

https://youtu.be/dBAIbZ-_ze4

Dr. Pushpa Mittra Bhargava (1928-2017) who was a visionary, scientist, writer, thinker, institution builder and a strong proponent of scientific temper, was actually a fearless torch bearer of  rationalism and humanism. He was the founder director of Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. 'Science and Dogma' is an essay by Pushpa. M. Bhargava, featured as the twelfth chapter in the book 'Angels, Devils and Science'.  In this essay, Bhargava highlights the conflict between Scientific understanding and dogmatic beliefs, and talks about the need of questioning the dogmatic beliefs and accepting the scientific understanding for the true progress.

The dangers of climate change - Carl Sagan

 

https://youtu.be/TCb4wJ6QoVo

Carl Edward Sagan (1934-1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. His notable works are Cosmos (1994).  'The dangers of climate change', is an excerpt taken from the fourth chapter of 'Cosmos', his famous book with a fine blend of science and Philosophy.  Here, he discusses how both natural and human activities have shaped and will continue to shape the Earth's environment.