Sonali Mohapatra is multifaceted. She is a motivational speaker, physicist, strategist, author and a researcher at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Currently residing in Brighton, the 27-year-old is the founder of the magazine @carvedvoices, which focuses on women empowerment. Sonali, who has also authored Leading Ink, a book of poems, spoke to Orissa POST on her journey as a scientist, author and more.
Tell us about your childhood and what interested you in science.
I grew up surrounded by story books. Sci-fi books were my favourite. My mother would motivate me to participate in science exhibitions and take me to science parks regularly. When I was in Class II, I participated in a project ‘Magnets and Magic’ and won a prize, a science fiction book. Since then I have been attracted towards the subject. My grandfather too was a science enthusiast and we would have frequent conversations on physics. I read a story where a boy modified his microwave oven into a lab where he turned coal into diamonds and ended up building a spaceship. When I was in Class VII, I was chosen to participate in the National Science Congress. I am grateful to my parents Pramod Kumar Mahapatra and Baby Satpathy for motivating me to take up science.
How did you make it to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics?
When I was in Class 12, I won the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) fellowship. It was a great moment for me as I had always wanted to get into basic science research. I enrolled in the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata where I got a chance to explore various branches of science under the guidance of some of the best brains in India. We would often have seminars attended by top scientists of the world. It was a dream come true for me when I met Professor Roger Penrose.
IISER gave me an opportunity to realise my dreams and start my research work in the field of quantum gravity. When I was in my fourth year, I chanced upon a book, The Three Roads to Quantum Gravity by Lee Smolin, a prominent physicist and the one behind the theory of Loop Quantum Gravity. Smolin was at Perimeter and I decided to apply for their special one-year master’s programme. I was one of the lucky 30 across the world to win full scholarship for the programme. In 2014, I went to Canada to attend the course, where I came across some amazing women scientists who were founders of some of the most prominent theories in the world. Unfortunately, many of these names never come to the fore, as gender discrimination exists everywhere. It was a big eye opener for me.
I realised that I should devote more time to work than fighting for my rights, as only my work would speak for me. India got Independence long back, but women are still not safe. Women still don’t feel safe walking on the streets. Unfortunately, those who disrespect women scot-free. This made me launch a magazine in collaboration with Shantashree Mohanty, a civil judge from Odisha specialising in criminal law.
You are also a motivational speaker. This is an area completely different form science.
I do not believe in the extreme distinction between science and literature. Most scientists love literature, music and other art forms. Some of them are even skilled at playing musical instruments. I have been writing poetry since I was four years old. My family has a long history of poetry, starting from my grandmother, who never had any formal education after class four. However, she wrote and recited poetry regularly. Although I have been inspired by a number of Odia and English poets, I primarily write in English. I express my emotions through poems. My first book of poems, Leaking Ink, was published in 2016. Carved Voices, an international magazine founded by me, is circulated in 18 countries. As a motivational speaker, I have been invited across the world for talk sessions and also for radio shows, such as at the University of Cambridge and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
What has been your proudest moment as an author?
I felt very proud when I launched my magazine.
Tell us about the subject of your research work.
I am researching on the theory of gravity. We know how gravity works on earth and in our solar system but there are still many mysteries such as the inside of black holes, which are yet to be solved. This is considered part of new physics, which is called Quantum Gravity. I am researching on gravitational waves. When a very big star, a lot bigger than sun, collapses under its own weight, at times it creates a black hole. Scientists recently spotted two black holes which were rotating around each other, which could collide and merge to form a bigger black hole. This process creates ripples in the surrounding space-time, called gravitational waves. We can actually detect those ripples on earth to test the theory of gravity. These were recently discovered by LIGO, 100 years after being predicted by Einstein.
What has been the most exciting discovery made by you?
I worked on a theory called ‘Effective Quantum Gravity.’ Using these techniques, we discovered new kinds of gravitational waves which could be created in our universe. We have proposed experiments to detect these in two papers, which have been published in international journals. I have also worked on modelling a hypothetical star, which could be present in our universe but may not have been spotted yet. These stars are called ‘Boson Stars’ because they are made up of elementary particles called Bosons and they might not produce normal light like our sun. Thus, it would be difficult to detect them. I am also only the second person to have worked on a theory called ‘Meta String Theory’ with scientist Laurent Freidel, my supervisor and collaborator in Perimeter. This is another possible theory for quantum gravity.
What are the moments you cherish most in life?
One of my most memorable moments was meeting Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Another such moment was when I enrolled at Perimeter. Besides, I have had the pleasure of meeting Prof Stephen Hawking on his 75th birth anniversary, just a year before he passed away.
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP
