We’ve reached space, created robots and produced humans in test tubes.

The inventions around us, big or small, are all results of ideas and men and women who pursued them to the finish.

Here are 10 scientists who believed their ideas had the power to change the world and went on to do it.

1. Meghnad Saha

The complexities of stars puzzled Meghnad Saha, who went on to come up with the Saha equation. The astrophysicist’s equation answered critical questions about the universe.

Image credits: Twitter: @sudipkmaity

2. Srinivasa Ramanujan

The Indian mathematician came up with his number theory that explained how different integers could be added together. This was instrumental in explaining the properties of numbers.

Image credits: Twitter: @Naveen_Odisha

3. C V Raman

A beam of light scatters in different directions on passing through a medium as there is a change in the wavelength of light. The Raman effect helped scientists understand how molecules interact.

Image credits: Twitter: @mla_sudhakar

4. S N Bose

The Bose-Einstein equation explored the universe of quantum physics and shed light on how particles interact in different energy states. It also explained why the behaviour of elements changes with temperature.

Image credits: Twitter: @mcnees

5. Bibha Chowdhuri

The first woman particle physicist in India, Chowdhuri’s work revolved around cosmic rays and it is said that she was involved in the Kolar Gold Mine experiment planning.

Picture credits: Twitter: @cosmic4steam

6. Jagdish Chandra Bose

Bose’s work on plants received global acclaim. He postulated that plants were akin to any other life form, with awareness of surroundings, reproductive features and life cycles. This opened new arenas in botany.

Picture credits: Twitter: @Indiagovin

7. S Chandrasekhar

What are the principles of energy in galaxies? What is the evolution of the stars? Chandrasekhar, through his work in the field of stellar dynamics, found out how stars collapsed, and the reactions that caused them to.

Picture credits: Twitter: @royalsociety

8. C V Vishveshwara

Known as the ‘Black Hole Man of India’, Vishveshwara worked extensively on black holes, their occurrences, the information they hold and what makes a black hole so intriguing.

Picture credits: Twitter: @JNPlanetarium

9. Janaki Ammal

Ammal’s work in the fields of botany and cytogenetics is widely known. She is responsible for creating intergenic hybrids among sugarcane species, thus resulting in sweeter varieties.

Picture credits: Twitter: @LiveHIndia

10. Venkatraman Radhakrishnan

Radhakrishnan’s work in radio astronomy was the founding block for the millimetre wave dish, receivers and also low-frequency radio observatories at Gauribidanur and Mauritius. He was held in high regard by astronomers all over the world for his work on pulsars.

Picture credits: Twitter: @KumariDiya