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One would imagine that scientists believe less in rituals. ISRO scientists pray at the Thirupathi temple before every mission.

salilpa 13y ago
not just isro scientists. even when our aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was launched, we had an elaborate pooja
- tapsboy 13y ago
  As an atheist, it bothers me, when the "secular democratic republic" uses public money to hold ceremonies that cater to one community/religious traditions
  - g8oz 13y ago
    I think the rise of the BJP has made it clear that the non-dominant communities are expected to know their place.
swatkat 13y ago
Yes, that's the tradition :) Former Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair on Monday said, “This has been a tradition. I had also gone to Tirupati before the Chandrayaan mission.” But more than religious beliefs, he said these temple visits helped des-stress the mind and offer clarity. But beyond this, do superstitions and other beliefs have a hold on the scientists? “Not really,” said Mylswamy Annadurai, the project director of moon missions Chandrayaan 1 and Chandrayaan 2. “I read a page of Bhagawad Gita daily and will do so on Tuesday.” He added, “But yes I have just got a jar of peanuts and a good luck card from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Nasa. This is a very nice gesture. I will distribute these peanuts in my office on Tuesday morning.” Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) consider circulation of peanuts auspicious. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news-feed/science/ahead-of-mars-mission-temple-run-goes-hand-in-hand-with-rocket-science/article1-1147077.aspx http://www.hindustantimes.com/news-feed/science/ahead-of-mar...
- maaku 13y ago
  Regarding the peanuts (in case this was lost on others): it's a JPL tradition that mission control open and share a jar of nuts right before the launch / orbital insertion / landing, for good luck. The point, obviously, is that space programs everywhere have good luck superstitions, many of them making less sense than a religious ritual.
  - sateesh 13y ago
    >> is that space programs everywhere have good luck superstitions, many of them making less sense than a religious ritual. Why so ? How does a religious ritual makes more sense than good luck superstitions ?
    - amalag 13y ago
      Religious rituals are meant to connect with the divine. The idea being they are not inventions of ordinary people. Some created superstition just gives some order in someone's life and is just a shadow of a proper ritual.
      - sateesh 13y ago
        You seems to be reasoning that rituals are _not_ inventions of ordinary people where as superstitions are, hence one should give more credence/weight to rituals. My point is rituals are creations of ordinary people, just that they are ceremonious doesn't make them any higher truth.
        wrongc0ntinent 13y ago
        It does, to those practicing them.
    - lmm 13y ago
      Religious rituals tend to have a more developed sense of internal consistency, and a framework or at least a rationale that makes several different rituals fit together. Simple good-luck superstitions tend to be more ad-hoc. (All IME)
fit2rule 13y ago
Its not like NASA scientists don't have their rituals too. The Russians, as well, have a history of sticking to their superstitious habits also. Science doesn't mean you have to be an emotion-less robot.
- discardorama 13y ago
  Everyone has rituals. Read them here: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/space-mission-superstitions/ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/space-mission-supe...
- pramalin 13y ago
  India's superstitions are far more deeper and affect common people in their daily life. Kudos to ISRO on this mission, as they might have faced lots of opposition to their operations from many sides. Even the Nobel laureate scientist C.V Raman opposed space explorations in his time, saying that they are meddling with Gods. For example, Mars is considered as a malicious planet in their astrology and people fear its effects next to Saturn. It is hard for one to find a matching person to marry if he/she is are afflicted by Mars, because one of the belief is that such afflicted person's in-laws will face untimely death. This belief causes so much grief for the parents looking for alliance (ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangal_Dosha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangal_Dosha). Hopefully scientific missions such as this will help the people to shed their unfounded fear and live better life.
  - svasan 13y ago
    >>> Even the Nobel laureate scientist C.V Raman opposed space explorations in his time, saying that they are meddling with Gods. Could you provide some citation here? As far as CV Raman's religious inclinations were concerned, my understanding is that he was an agnostic [1]. Being a scientist himself, I don't think it would have been in his nature to stifle the spirit of scientific inquiry in the name of religion. [1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._V._Raman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._V._Raman
    - pramalin 13y ago

salilpa 13y ago

not just isro scientists. even when our aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was launched, we had an elaborate pooja

tapsboy 13y ago
As an atheist, it bothers me, when the "secular democratic republic" uses public money to hold ceremonies that cater to one community/religious traditions
- g8oz 13y ago
  I think the rise of the BJP has made it clear that the non-dominant communities are expected to know their place.

swatkat 13y ago

Yes, that's the tradition :) Former Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair on Monday said, “This has been a tradition. I had also gone to Tirupati before the Chandrayaan mission.” But more than religious beliefs, he said these temple visits helped des-stress the mind and offer clarity. But beyond this, do superstitions and other beliefs have a hold on the scientists? “Not really,” said Mylswamy Annadurai, the project director of moon missions Chandrayaan 1 and Chandrayaan 2. “I read a page of Bhagawad Gita daily and will do so on Tuesday.” He added, “But yes I have just got a jar of peanuts and a good luck card from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Nasa. This is a very nice gesture. I will distribute these peanuts in my office on Tuesday morning.” Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) consider circulation of peanuts auspicious. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news-feed/science/ahead-of-mars-mission-temple-run-goes-hand-in-hand-with-rocket-science/article1-1147077.aspx http://www.hindustantimes.com/news-feed/science/ahead-of-mar...

maaku 13y ago
Regarding the peanuts (in case this was lost on others): it's a JPL tradition that mission control open and share a jar of nuts right before the launch / orbital insertion / landing, for good luck. The point, obviously, is that space programs everywhere have good luck superstitions, many of them making less sense than a religious ritual.
- sateesh 13y ago
  >> is that space programs everywhere have good luck superstitions, many of them making less sense than a religious ritual. Why so ? How does a religious ritual makes more sense than good luck superstitions ?
  - amalag 13y ago
    Religious rituals are meant to connect with the divine. The idea being they are not inventions of ordinary people. Some created superstition just gives some order in someone's life and is just a shadow of a proper ritual.
    - sateesh 13y ago
      You seems to be reasoning that rituals are _not_ inventions of ordinary people where as superstitions are, hence one should give more credence/weight to rituals. My point is rituals are creations of ordinary people, just that they are ceremonious doesn't make them any higher truth.
      - wrongc0ntinent 13y ago
        It does, to those practicing them.
  - lmm 13y ago
    Religious rituals tend to have a more developed sense of internal consistency, and a framework or at least a rationale that makes several different rituals fit together. Simple good-luck superstitions tend to be more ad-hoc. (All IME)

fit2rule 13y ago

Its not like NASA scientists don't have their rituals too. The Russians, as well, have a history of sticking to their superstitious habits also. Science doesn't mean you have to be an emotion-less robot.

discardorama 13y ago
Everyone has rituals. Read them here: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/space-mission-superstitions/ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/space-mission-supe...
pramalin 13y ago
India's superstitions are far more deeper and affect common people in their daily life. Kudos to ISRO on this mission, as they might have faced lots of opposition to their operations from many sides. Even the Nobel laureate scientist C.V Raman opposed space explorations in his time, saying that they are meddling with Gods. For example, Mars is considered as a malicious planet in their astrology and people fear its effects next to Saturn. It is hard for one to find a matching person to marry if he/she is are afflicted by Mars, because one of the belief is that such afflicted person's in-laws will face untimely death. This belief causes so much grief for the parents looking for alliance (ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangal_Dosha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangal_Dosha). Hopefully scientific missions such as this will help the people to shed their unfounded fear and live better life.
- svasan 13y ago
  >>> Even the Nobel laureate scientist C.V Raman opposed space explorations in his time, saying that they are meddling with Gods. Could you provide some citation here? As far as CV Raman's religious inclinations were concerned, my understanding is that he was an agnostic [1]. Being a scientist himself, I don't think it would have been in his nature to stifle the spirit of scientific inquiry in the name of religion. [1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._V._Raman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._V._Raman
  - pramalin 13y ago