Mani Lal Bhaumik is an

Indian American Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...

physicist and a bestselling author.

Early life

Mani Lal Bhaumik was born in a Bengali Mahishya family on March 30, 1931 in a small village in Tamluk, Medinipore,

West Bengal, India West Bengal (, Bengali language, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over ...

and attended the Kola Union High School. His father Gunodhar Bhaumik was a notable freedom fighter. As a teenager, Bhaumik spent some time with

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

in his Mahisadal camp. He received a

B.Sc. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree from

Scottish Church College Scottish Church College is a college affiliated by Calcutta University, India. It offers selective co-educational undergraduate and postgraduate studies and is the oldest continuously running Christian liberal arts and sciences college in A ...

and an

M.Sc. A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

degree from the

Rajabazar Science College The University College of Science, Technology and Agriculture (commonly or formerly known as Rashbehari Siksha Prangan & Taraknath Palit Siksha Prangan or Rajabazar Science College & Ballygunge Science College) are two of five main campuses of ...

campus of

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate State university (India), state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered ...

. He won the attention of

Satyendra Nath Bose Satyendra Nath Bose (; 1 January 1894 – 4 February 1974) was a Bengali mathematician and physicist specializing in theoretical physics. He is best known for his work on quantum mechanics in the early 1920s, in developing the foundation for ...

(creator of the

Bose–Einstein statistics In quantum statistics, Bose–Einstein statistics (B–E statistics) describes one of two possible ways in which a collection of non-interacting, indistinguishable particles may occupy a set of available discrete energy states at thermodynamic e ...

) who encouraged his prodigious curiosity. Bhaumik became the first student to receive a doctorate from the

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) is a public institute of technology established by the Government of India in Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Established in 1951, the institute is the first of the IITs to be established ...

when he received his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

degree in

quantum physics Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, qua ...

in 1958.From a village boy, $150m and example to follow
Shiv Sahay Singh, Thu Aug 25 2011, Kolkata His thesis was on Resonant Electronic Energy Transfers, a subject he would have cause to use in his work with lasers.

Scientific career

Receiving a Sloan Foundation Fellowship in 1959, Bhaumik went to the

University of California Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

(UCLA) for a position as

Postdoctoral researcher A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to p ...

. In 1961, he joined the Quantum Electronics Division at Xerox Electro-Optical Systems in Pasadena and began his career as a laser scientist. Concurrently, he taught Quantum physics and Astronomy at the

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. In 1968, he was enlisted by the Northrop Corporate Research Laboratory, where he rose to become the director of the Laser Technology Laboratory and led a team that made pioneering contributions in research on

excimer laser An excimer laser, sometimes more correctly called an exciplex laser, is a form of ultraviolet laser which is commonly used in the production of microelectronic devices, semiconductor based integrated circuits or "chips", eye surgery, and microm ...

technology. One of the papers on this research was presented at the Denver,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

meeting of the

Optical Society of America Optica (formerly known as The Optical Society (OSA) and before that as the Optical Society of America) is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals and organizes conference ...

in March 1973. At this meeting, Bhaumik presented substantial evidence to demonstrate for the first time that an excimer laser could be efficient and powerful enough for practical utilization. The application of excimer lasers in Lasik eye surgery has resulted in vision correction in many cases. Excimer Laser is also used for difficult-to-treat skin diseases including psoriasis and vitiligo. The most widespread application of excimer laser has been in photolithography, a critical technology used in the manufacturing of microelectronic devices like cell phones. His contributions to the development of new and high power lasers merited his election by his peers to be a fellow of both the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

and the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

. Bhaumik's current interest is performing innovative theoretical physics researchBhaumik, M.L. (2019) “How Dirac's Seminal Contributions Pave the Way for Comprehending Nature's Deeper Designs.” Quanta. 8 (1): 88–100. doi: https://doi.org/10.12743/quanta.v8i1.96 in deciphering the century old enigma of quantum physics as well as sharing with the public the advances in quantum physics and cosmology and their implications for our lives, work, technology, and spiritual development. This he endeavors to do through books such as the ''Code Name God'' and ''The Cosmic Detective'', articles, lectures, and TV programs like the

Cosmic Quantum Ray ''Cosmic Quantum Ray'' is a CGI- animated television series. The series premiered in the United States on November 5, 2007 on Animania HD, then in 2009 in Germany on KI.KA, and then later on October 10, 2010 on The Hub (later in 2014 became D ...

. He is also interested in research on the origin and the nature of consciousness and how that knowledge can be utilized in improving the quality of our existence. In 1989 his rags to reaches life story was featured in the popular TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, distributed by Paramount Pictures. Bhaumik has published over a hundred papers in various professional journals and is a holder of a dozen laser-related U.S. patents. He has been invited to lecture all over the world, at forums including: Summer School on High-Power Gas Lasers, Capri, Italy 1975; International Symposium on Gas-Flow and Chemical Lasers, Belgium 1978; International Symposium on Gas Discharge Lasers, Grenoble, France 1979; Asoke Sarkar Memorial Lecture, Calcutta International Book Fair 2001; Institute of Culture, Calcutta, India 2006; Kolkata Society for Asian Studies, Kolkata, India 2015. At the invitation from the government of India Bhaumik delivered a lecture at the Science Festival 2020.

Books, media, and philanthropic activities

His search spanned a decade and led him to the inference that the One Source at the hub of all spiritual traditions is grounded in scientific reality and not a mere creation of blind faith. He also argues that science and spirituality are indeed two sides of the same coin, the coin being that unique human consciousness that allows us to perceive both ourselves and objective reality. Therefore, he argues in his book ''Code Name God'' (Crossroads Publishing), the big divide between science and spirituality can be bridged. The trick, Bhaumik asserts, is to see things in an entirely new light–a light shed upon by the recent revelations of quantum physics and cosmology. He now devotes much of his time and energy to bringing this message to the public, including its younger members, for whom he has recently published The Cosmic Detective (Penguin 2008), a primer on cosmology, and created an award winning animated television series, ''

'', which air on the

Hub Network Discovery Family is an American cable television channel co-owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Hasbro Entertainment. The channel was originally launched by Discovery Communications on October 7, 1996 as Discovery Kids, a spin-off of Discove ...

and many other networks worldwide. Bhaumik has instituted an annual International Award through the UCLA Neuropsychiatry Institute to acknowledge the best scientific evidence demonstrating the effect of mind in healing. He has been involved in numerous community activities through his association with the Los Angeles Bombay Sister City Association; the Los Angeles St. Petersburg Sister City association; the Long Beach Calcutta sister City Association and others. He has donated to various charitable organizations including the Thalians of Los Angeles. He also established the Bhaumik Educational Foundation, based in Kolkata, which provides full scholarships to needy but brilliant students who wish to apply themselves to studies in science and technology. In 2016 he also made an $11 million gift to UCLA to establish an Institute of Theoretical Physics. He has also established AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science awarded to international contributors.

Spiritual views

Code Name: God

First published in the U.S. in 2005, Code Name God (Crossroads Publishing ) is a distillation of Bhaumik's central thesis that the discoveries of modern physics can be reconciled with the great truths of the world religions when those truths are viewed as elements of what

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley ...

called "

The Perennial Philosophy ''The Perennial Philosophy'' is a comparative study of mysticism by the British writer and novelist Aldous Huxley. Its title derives from the theological tradition of ''perennial philosophy''. Social and political context ''The Perennial Ph ...

." In particular, Bhaumik finds strong support in advanced physics and cosmology for the

Neo-Platonic Neoplatonism is a strand of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a chain of thinkers. But there are some ide ...

notion of "the One" (identified here as "The Source"), and conjectures that this existential source may reside in what is known as the quantum

vacuum state In quantum field theory, the quantum vacuum state (also called the quantum vacuum or vacuum state) is the quantum state with the lowest possible energy. Generally, it contains no physical particles. The word zero-point field is sometimes used as ...

and be in some manner co-eternal and co-equal with human

consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...

. The book and its premise have been praised by luminaries of both the literary and scientific words, including Alexander

Solzhenitsyn Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Russian novelist. One of the most famous Soviet dissidents, Solzhenitsyn was an outspoken critic of communism and helped to raise global awareness of political repress ...

, who wrote, "This example of a personal spiritual growth ... and re-evaluation of material values ... arouses very warm feelings. God is one and there are no major differences between religions."

Fritjof Capra Fritjof Capra (born February 1, 1939) is an Austrian-born American physicist, systems theorist and deep ecologist. In 1995, he became a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California. He is on the faculty of Schumacher ...

, author of

The Tao of Physics ''The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism'' is a 1975 book by physicist Fritjof Capra. A bestseller in the United States, it has been translated into 23 languages. Capra summarized his mot ...

, wrote "... the attempt to find common ground between Eastern spirituality and Western science is eloquently told and makes for fascinating reading." Code Name God is both an autobiography, chronicling significant events in its author's life in tandem with the revelations that accompanied them, and a contemplation on the astounding implications of quantum physics. In the author's words, "the surprising discovery of quantum physics that the primary source of everything in the universe is present in each minutest stitch of the fabric of space of this immensely vast cosmos empowers us to ponder the One Source of all creation. It is not merely a blind faith anymore. This ought to enable us to feel ourselves as an inextricable part of the One Source, which would significantly improve the quality of our lives." The book, which has enjoyed considerable success in Bhaumik's native India, has also drawn plaudits from recognized European scientists such as Professor

Walter Thirring Walter Thirring (29 April 1927 – 19 August 2014) was an Austrian physicist after whom the Thirring model in quantum field theory is named. He was the son of the physicist Hans Thirring.Thirring, H. Über die Wirkung rotierender ferner Massen ...

, the former director and head of the theory division at

CERN The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in a northwestern suburb of Gene ...

, Geneva, who asserts in the foreword to its German edition, "Dr. Bhaumik's portrayal of a higher power embedded in the fabric of the universe and responsible for its continuing existence and operation is consistent with his reliance on the highly technical and mathematical intricacies of the

Quantum Field Theory In theoretical physics, quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. QFT is used in particle physics to construct physical models of subatomic particles and ...

, an area of study to which I had the opportunity of making some significant contributions." Thirring and Bhaumik are among a still relatively small group of "hard scientists" who have openly acknowledged the spiritual implications of quantum physics and cosmology.

The Cosmic Detective

Published in 2009 by Penguin (), The Cosmic Detective is a primer on modern cosmology for the general but scientifically inclined reader. It was selected as an official book by the secretariat of the

International Year of Astronomy The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) was a year-long celebration of astronomy that took place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the pu ...

(IYA2009) declared by the

UN General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

. The slogan of

IYA2009 The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) was a year-long celebration of astronomy that took place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the pu ...

was "THE UNIVERSE -YOURS TO DISCOVER," an exhortation for us to reevaluate our place in it in light of the revolutionary discoveries of modern cosmology. The presentation of the discoveries of modern cosmology in this book has been praised by experts as well as others interested in the field. Catherine Cesarsky, President of the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...

states,"The Cosmic Detective is an inspirational read. Bhaumik tackles topics with impressive scope, yet delves into them with spirit rarely seen. Marrying scientifically accurate text with accessible language is no easy task, but The Cosmic Detective is a proof that it can be done." Walter Thirring, the former head of the theory division at CERN, Geneva, has said, "The Cosmic Detective reveals another of Mani Bhaumik's talents: he is an outstanding science writer to complement his demonstrated scientific insight. He has the unique ability to distill from the voluminous material the essential concepts for the general public."

Apollo 14 Apollo 14 (January 31, 1971February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to land on the Moon, and the first to land in the lunar highlands. It was the last of the " H missions", landings at s ...

Astronaut

Edgar Mitchell Edgar Dean Mitchell (September 17, 1930 – February 4, 2016) was a United States Navy officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, ufologist, and NASA astronaut. As the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14 in 1971 he spent nine hour ...

, in his foreword to the book, writes, "Mani Bhaumik builds on recent developments in science to bring us new pictures, larger views and insights about the magnificence of our universe." The book has been published in seven languages.

Books in Bengali

*Bishwa Jeebani: Biography of the Universe (): Ananda Publishers, Kolkata, 2007
Bijñāne Ishwarer Sanket
(, ): Translation of Codename God, released in 2010 *Brahma Satya Jagat Satya : Upanishad-Bijñān-Rabindranath (): Ananda Publishers, Kolkata, 2012 ::The title of the book means "

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...

and the Universe – Both are true", which runs counter to the ninth century edict of the Hindu spiritual leader Śaṅkarāchārya in his famous poem, ::This book topped the

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

list of the

Anandabazar Patrika ''Anandabazar Patrika'' (Bengali: আনন্দবাজার পত্রিকা, ) is an Indian Bengali-language daily newspaper owned by the ABP Group. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1 million cop ...

in the non-fiction category. *Ami Naren: Bideshe Vivekananda (): Patra Bharati Pablisher, Kolkata, February, 2013 ::On the

list of the

, February 15, 2013 *Hello Einstein: Chena Nam Achena Galpa (): Ananda Pablisher, Kolkata 2014 ::On the bestseller list of the Anandabazar Patrika, March 15, 2014

Honors and awards

* Elected fellow of the American Physical Society, 1976. * Elected fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for development of high power lasers and new laser systems, 1982. *Received honorary D.Sc. for lifetime academic achievement in 1995 from

*Received Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award, 2005, from the Indian American Heritage Foundation * Received Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, one of the most prestigious civilian awards given by the Government of India to honor an exceptionally successful and meritorious Indian residing abroad for his extraordinary contribution, 2010 * Received the prestigious

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

Award 2011 from Government of India for distinguished service in science and engineering. * Received Chaudhuri Award for extraordinary achievements in science by California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, May 4, 2013. * UCLA Established Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics in 2016. *Received UCLA Physical Sciences Centennial Visionary Award in 2021.

Notes

References

*''Code Name God: The Spiritual Odyssey of a Man of Science'', published by The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, 2005; Penguin Books, April 2006; Audio book by AudioFile, Portland, Maine, 2007; Paperback edition by Crossroad, 2008. *Walter Thirring quote: CODENAME GOTT () published by Seifert Verlag, Vienna, 2011.

External links

Google Scholar
*
CosmogenicsCosmotoons, Inc.Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics at UCLA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhaumik, Mani Lal 1931 births Living people 20th-century Bengalis Bengali Hindus Bengali scientists Bengali physicists Indian emigrants to the United States Indian autobiographers Indian memoirists 20th-century Indian physicists 21st-century Indian physicists 20th-century American physicists 21st-century American physicists Scottish Church College alumni University of Calcutta alumni IIT Kharagpur alumni American Hindus American people of Bengali descent Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering People from Purba Medinipur district Scientists from West Bengal People from Tamluk