Does metal get tired? Do plants have feelings? These are unusual questions, but then Jagadis Chandra Bose was an unusually gifted man. Born in 1858, the inquisitive youngster was kept spellbound by tales of heroism and the mysteries of nature. By the time of his death in 1937, he had become a world-famous scientist.

He was among the first people to work on radio waves, as well as the first person to study biophysics, the effect of light and electricity upon plants. He refused to patent most of his inventions, arguing that knowledge should be available to everyone.