We, the science activists associated with Breakthrough Science Society, are deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely demise of Professor Thanu Padmanabhan, who passed away in the wee hours of Friday, 17 September 2021. Professor Padmanabhan had made seminal contributions to the areas of quantum gravity and cosmology. He was an intrepid researcher starting from his early student days, never afraid of tackling difficult problems. His first paper was published while he was still an undergraduate student, and he continued to be involved in research till his last breath. He left behind the rich legacy of over 300 research articles, hundreds of popular science articles, and twelve books.
Along with serious research, he was also actively involved in popularising science. His series of articles published in Resonance titled “Snippets of Physics” and “Dawn of Science” (which was later published as a book) attracted many youngsters to study the history of science in general and physics in particular.
Indeed, in his last interview, given just days before his demise, he had expressed his wish that he would like to be remembered as someone who has inspired the younger generation of scientists. True to that spirit, he used every opportunity to interact with students.
With his sad and untimely demise, we have lost a great scientist and an avid science populariser. We express our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.