Sumanta Baruah’s Cartoons Reveal Ethical & Environmental Issues Of Our Generation

Art and science are closely intertwined, they are not two independent streams of knowledge, as the public perceives them.

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Sumanta Baruah, whose scientific cartoons are on display at the Indian Institute of Cartoonists has proved this.

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He has used his artistic skills to spread awareness on scientific topics.

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Some of a few Sumanta’s cartoons: The legendary scientific apple falls to the ground, but today’s Isaac Newton is too enamoured with his electronic gadgetry to even notice this ‘Eureka’ moment!.

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Some of his cartoons are satirical in nature, commenting on society and the influence of science on environment and daily life.

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“You invented the wheel. Good, but why are you moving it so fast?” asks a polar beart on the last bit of ice to a human drowning due to global warming. In another animated cartoon, there is a “Think” option on the computer keyboard.

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Sumanta Baruah creates cartoons that cover a range of topics, from science and technology to the environment to current political events.

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His cartoons frequently deal with the societal impact of technology, environmental crises, and contemporary socio-political situations.

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He has been drawing cartoons for English and Assamese publications for over two decades (Bijnan Jeuti, Drishti, Satsori, Current Science, Resonance, and Science Reporter, to name a few).

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His cartoons have been shown in both national and international cartoon exhibitions. In 2010, the Indian Cartoon Gallery in Bengaluru hosted ‘Smile-with-Science’; a solo exhibition of his science, technology, and environmental cartoons.

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He spoke at TEDxSIBMBengaluru in February 2020, where he gave a talk titled ‘Cartoons for Science, Society, and Change’.

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