Toby Moore: Scientist remains as driven as ever

I was invited to a Super Bowl party in LA, so I figured – why not? I flew out, rented a car, and as I wound my way up the hills of Bel Air, I realized this wasn’t just any party. The address led me to an opulent mansion owned by Dr. Mani Bhaumik – a scientist, entrepreneur and someone whose life story made the Super Bowl seem like just another event.

The game was on, the food was great, and the energy in the room was electric – but being someone who is fascinated by those who have accomplished great things, I was more interested in getting to know Bhaumik than in watching the game.

As I spoke with him, I realized his life’s journey was extraordinary.

He was born into abject poverty in a remote village in India, so poor his family had trouble meeting basic needs. He didn’t receive his first pair of shoes until he was a teenager, but he made up for his lack of resources with an unstoppable hunger for knowledge.

Opportunities were scarce, and success was predetermined. Still, as destiny would have it, he lived with Mahatma Gandhi for a time, absorbing the wisdom of one of history’s most outstanding leaders, not knowing that he, too, would one day leave a profound mark on the world.

Through sheer determination, he earned a place at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, where he pursued physics and eventually became the institution’s first doctoral graduate.

In 1959, he set his sights on the U.S. to pursue postdoctoral research at UCLA. Arriving in the U.S. with almost nothing, he faced an entirely new set of challenges. He was an immigrant scientist in a time when opportunities for foreign researchers were not easily handed out.

But failure wasn’t in Bhaumik’s nature. His relentless curiosity and determination eventually led him to breakthrough research in laser technology.

In 1968, he secured a position as the director of the laser technology lab at Northrop Corp., where he played a pivotal role in the development of the excimer laser. This technology would later revolutionize vision correction, leading to the LASIK surgery that millions rely on today.

Yet, his success wasn’t limited to science alone. Bhaumik had an entrepreneurial spirit that allowed him to expand his work beyond research labs and into the world of business.

His ventures in technology and industry earned him a fortune, enabling him to become a philanthropist.

Adding a touch of Hollywood glamour to his rags-to-riches story, he dated Eva Gabor and was featured in an episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” with Robin Leach.

Despite reaching the pinnacle of both scientific and financial achievement, he sought something even more significant. The fundamental questions of existence. How does science intersect with spirituality? Could quantum physics explain the mysteries of consciousness? Was there a higher power woven into the fabric of the universe?

These questions led him to write “Code Name God,” a book exploring the intersection of cutting-edge physics and the search for meaning.

He wrote, “There is a grand design in nature, and that grand design is the reflection of a grand intelligence.”

Bhaumik didn’t frame this as religious doctrine – he wasn’t preaching faith in a traditional sense. Instead, he proposed that science itself, through the discoveries of quantum mechanics, points toward a unifying intelligence behind the cosmos.

Bhaumik’s journey isn’t over. Even now, he stays up late writing research papers, speaking at conferences around the world, and funding initiatives that promote education and science.

While many might have retired to enjoy the fruits of their labor, Bhaumik remains as driven as ever, not for more success, but for deeper understanding; he’s still asking questions, exploring and giving back.

I finally turned my attention back to the game. But as I watched the players fight for victory, I couldn’t shake the thought – here we were, celebrating champions on the field, and yet I was in the presence of a different kind of champion.

If there’s one lesson to take from Dr. Mani Bhaumik’s story, it’s this: Whether you’re on the field, in a lab, or just navigating life, never stop learning, never stop striving.

• Toby Moore is a Shaw Local News Network columnist, star of the Emmy-nominated film “A Separate Peace,” and CEO of CubeStream Inc. He can be reached at feedback@shawmedia.com.