SIR JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE was one of the first scientists in the world to undertake interdisciplinary research by looking at plants from the vantage point of physics.

He subjected plant and animal tissues to various kinds of stimulus, and found that they all showed an electric response. Finding that this reaction occurred in metals as well as plants and animals, he then proceeded to study the differences in response under various conditions.

He found that all materials are numbed by cold, intoxicated by alcohol, wearied by excessive work, stupefied by anesthetics, excited by electric...