Mani Lal Bhaumik

Mani Bhaumik
Born	Medinipore, West Bengal, India
Residence	United States
Citizenship	United States
Fields	Physicist
Institutions	University of California, Los Angeles, California State University, Long Beach
Alma mater	Scottish Church College University of Calcutta IIT Kharagpur
Doctoral advisor	Satyendra Nath Bose Paul Dirac
Known for	LASIK

Mani Lal Bhaumik is an Indian-born American physicist. He has been an author, lecturer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

His early contributions to laser technology are exemplified by the development of the excimer laser at the Northrop Corporation Research and Technology Center in Los Angeles. As team leader, Dr. Bhaumik announced the successful demonstration of the world's first efficient excimer laser at the Denver, Colorado meeting of the Optical Society of America in May 1973. Subsequently, it found extensive use as the type of laser that made possible the immensely popular Lasik corrective eye surgery, eliminating the need for glasses or contact lenses in many cases. In recognition of his pioneering research in high energy lasers and new laser systems, Dr. Bhaumik has been elected by his peers to fellowships in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as well as of the American Physical Society.

Dr. Bhaumik's current interest is in sharing with the public the advances in quantum physics and cosmology and their implications for both material and spiritual development.

He was given one of India's prestigious civilian award - Padma Shri - in 2011.

Biography

Bhaumik was born in a small village in Tamluk, Medinipore, West Bengal India, and thrust into the vortex of the struggle for Indian independence. Education provided him a way out of poverty. He walked four miles barefoot to the nearest school, and endured famine, flood, and armed threat. As an impressionable teenager, He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Scottish Church College and an M. Sc. from the University of Calcutta. He won the attention of Satyendra Nath Bose (co-creator of the Bose-Einstein Statistics) who encouraged his prodigious curiosity. Bhaumik became the first student to receive Ph.D. degree from the IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) at Kharagpur in history when he received his Ph.D. in Quantum Physics in the year 1958.^[1] His thesis was on Resonant Electronic Energy Transfers, a subject he would have cause to use in his work with lasers.

Professional career

Receiving a Sloan Foundation Fellowship in 1959, Dr. Bhaumik came to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for post doctoral studies. 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 at Long Beach. 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 the team responsible for the development of the excimer laser technology. Dr. Bhaumik announced the successful demonstration of the world's first efficient excimer laser at the Denver, Colorado meeting of the Optical Society of America in May 1973. The application of this class of laser in the patented Lasik eye surgery would eventually eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses in many cases.

In recognition of his pioneering research in high energy lasers and new laser systems, he was elected by his peers as a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as well as of the American Physical Society.

Dr. Bhaumik's current interest is in sharing with the public the astounding 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 internationally published Code Name God and The Cosmic Detective, articles, lectures, and TV programs like the award-winning Cosmic Quantum Ray. He is also keenly interested in research on the origin and the nature of consciousness and how that knowledge can be utilised in improving the quality of our existence. ^[2]

Dr. Bhaumik has published over fifty papers in various professional journals and is a holder of a dozen laser-related U.S. patents. His latest paper, Unified Field—the Universal Blueprint? appeared in the February 2000 issue of the International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences. 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.

He is the official patron of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA).www.Astronomy2009.org

Books, media, and philanthropic activities

Dr. Bhaumik utilized the earnings from his scientific career to seed various investments and was able to leave the poverty of his childhood behind. His life was chronicled on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Later he discovered that spirituality is an essential ingredient for an abiding happiness and turned to the study of the relationship between advanced science and spirituality.

His intensive search spanned a decade, produced a number of significant papers, 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 forcefully that contrary to the popular misconception, 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, Quantum Ray, shown on the HUB channel, reaching 60 million homes in USA and distributed worldwide.

Dr. 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. But he is perhaps best known and revered internationally for his creation of the Bhaumik Educational Foundation, based in Calcutta, which provides full scholarships to needy but brilliant students who wish to apply themselves to studies in science and technology.^{[3] [4]}

Code Name: God

First published in the U.S. in 2005, Code Name God (Crossroads Publishing ISBN 10-0824525191) is a distillation of Dr. 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 called "The Perennial Philosophy." In particular, Dr. Bhaumik finds strong support in advanced physics and cosmology for the Neo-Platonic 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 and be in some manner co-eternal and co-equal with human consciousness. The book and its premise have been praised by luminaries of both the literary and scientific words, including Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 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, author of The Tao of Physics, 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, the former director and head of the theory division at CERN, 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, 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, and Code Name God is to date the most explicit statement of these implications to issue from an established scientist.

The Cosmic Detective

Published in 2009 by Penguin (ISBN 9780143330691), 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 (IYA2009) declared by the UN General Assembly. The slogan of IYA 2009 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. Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, President of The International Astronomical Union states,”The Cosmic Detective is an inspirational read. Dr. 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.” Dr. 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 Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, 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 different languages throughout the world.

Honors and awards

• Elected fellow of the American Physical Society, 1976. ^[5]
• Elected fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for development of high power lasers and new laser systems, 1982. ^[6]
• Elected to the prestigious Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.
• Elected Member of the scientific honor society, Sigma Xi, Los Angeles
• Received Honorary D.Sc degree for Lifetime Academic Achievements from Indian Institute of Technology, 1995
• Received Lifetime Achievement Award, North America Bengali association, Los Angeles, 2003
• Honored by the Cultural Association of Bengal for Philanthropic Services to community, New York, 2005
• Received Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award from Indian American Heritage Foundation presented by Sir Ben Kingsley, Beverly Hills, 2005
• Received Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science and Philanthropic Contribution from Asian Heritage Committee, New York, 2006
• Elected fellow of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, India, 2006
• Listed in Who’s Who in America and in Who’s who in the World
• Listed in the American Men and Women in Science
• 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 ^[7]

Dr Mani Bhowmick has been presented the Ram Mohan Mission Puraskar as a lifetime achievement for being a vibrant laser scientist.

• Received the prestigious Padma Shri Award 2011 from Government of India for distinguished service in science and engineering.^[8]

Selected appearances on radio and television

• Voice of America, May 25, 2005
• PBS Syndicated TV program “Between The Lines” , June 17
• Syndicated Cable Program “Bridging Heaven and Earth” Sept 15
• Jim Engster Show, New Orleans, Louisiana May 13
• “Wake up America”, Palm Springs, California May 14
• Joey English Show, Palm Springs, California May 19
• “Journey Home”, KSFR, Santa Fe, New Mexico July 11& 19
• “The Aware Show”, KPFK, Los Angeles November 10
• Durdarshan Indian National TV, 2005,2006,2007
• Reach MD XM 157, 2007.

Philanthropic endeavors

• President, Cosmogenics,Inc., an educational foundation based in Los Angeles, which donates seed money to educational projects.
• Founding Director, Friends of Kolkata Museum of Arts, Inc., Los Angeles, set up for raising funds to support the museum in Calcutta.
• Founder of the annual Bhaumik International Award at UCLA for the best scientific evidence demonstrating effect of mind on healing.
• Managing Trustee, Moni Bhaumik Educational foundation in Calcutta, India. The Foundation provides full financial support for university education of over one hundred highly meritorious but extremely underprivileged students from rural Bengal.
• He made a substantial donation to his Alma Mater, IIT Kharagpur, to set up the Dr. Mani Bhaumik International Center for Advanced Research, IIT-KGP at Kolkata for conducting cutting edge research and providing world class postgraduate education.

Due to his extraordinary achievements Dr. Bhaumik is revered in his native West Bengal, where a book length biography, Mani the Jewel, has been a consistent bestseller.

Notes

1. ^ From a village boy, $150m and example to follow, Shiv Sahay Singh, Thu Aug 25 2011, Kolkata
2. ^ http://nias.res.in/docs/international-conf-2012/2012NIASConferenceBlurb02.pdf
3. ^ http://www.nriinternet.com/NRI_Sciectists/USA/A_Z/B/Dr_Mani_Bhaumik/index.htm
4. ^ http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/partypictures/2005/11_18_05/partypictures11_18_05.php
5. ^ APS Membership Directory 1996-1997, Page 33
6. ^ American Men and Women of Science, 14th Edition, Volume 1, Page 388
7. ^ http://www.vamban.com/profiles-of-recipients-of-the-2010-pravasi-bharatiya-samman-award/
8. ^ "Padma Awards Announced" (Press release). Ministry of Home Affairs (India). 25 January 2011. http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=69364. Retrieved 25 January 2011. 

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.
• “The Cosmic Detective: Exploring The Mysteries Of Our Universe” published by Puffin Books of the Penguin Group, 2008.
• http://www.astronomy2009.org/organisation/structure/partners/patron/
• India Gazette, January 2010
• Walter Thirring quote: CODENAME GOTT (ISBN: 978-3-902406-85-9) published by Seifert Verlag, Vienna, 2011.

External links

• Indian Life and Style
• Pride of India
• Hindustan Times article
• New Kerala
• American Physical Society
• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• IMDB Page
• Code Name God
• Cosmogenics
• Cosmotoons, Inc.
• Indian American Heritage Foundation

Persondata
Name	Bhaumik, Manilal
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth	Medinipore, West Bengal, India
Date of death
Place of death