Vignyana Kathegalu- A series of popular talks in Science

Cosmic rays are highly energetic particles that pervade our Galaxy. They were discovered more than 100 years ago. Their study gave rise to modern subjects like High-energy Astrophysics, Radio, X-ray and Gamma-ray Astronomies and Particle Physics. This lecture covers the story of their discovery, narrates in detail what they are and their importance not only in fundamental science but also for dating life-processes during the last hundred thousand years. Finally, we discuss the physical processes in nature that are most likely responsible for the acceleration of matter to such high energies. Finally, we conclude that despite the dedicated research efforts, the origins of cosmic rays remain a mystery.