Jagadish Chandra Bose
1858–1937 · Indian (Bengal) · Victorian Era / Early Modern
Known for: Pioneered radio and microwave research; demonstrated that plants respond to stimuli
Jagadish Chandra Bose demonstrated wireless signaling in 1895—before Marconi's famous experiments—and invented the mercury coherer and other microwave components. He then turned to biophysics, using his instruments to show that plants respond to stimuli, challenging the boundary between living and non-living matter.
He refused to patent his inventions, believing scientific knowledge should be free. His Bose Institute in Kolkata remains a leading research institution.
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