Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science

Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science

By G V Pavan KumarScience
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Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science episodes

  • Ep. 42 : Conversation with Akhlesh Lakhtakia - Electromagnetics, Biomimicry and Indo-US Higher Education

    Akhlesh Lakhtakia is a distinguished Evan Pugh University Professor and

    Charles Godfrey Binder Professor within the Department of Engineering Science
    and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University : https://sites.esm.psu.edu/~axl4/

    As per Penn state website, he (recently) served as an expert consultant for

    the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, as chair of the U.S.-India
    Higher Education Partnerships Committee and as a Jefferson
    Science Fellow (his term ended recently).

    With over four decades of academic excellence, Lakhtakia is renowned for his

    pioneering research in complex material electromagnetics, particularly
    sculptured thin films, chiral materials, and biomimetic applications. As a
    leading figure in his field, Lakhtakia continues to inspire and influence the
    next generation of researchers and scholars.

    In this episode, we discuss his journey from Lucknow to Pennsylvania,

    scholarship, writing process, life as an academic, and his recent efforts to
    build Indo-U.S. relations in higher education.

    Listen, as we humanize science.

    References :

    1.     “Akhlesh Lakhtakia.” 2023. In Wikipedia.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akhlesh_Lakhtakia&oldid=1169384975.

    2.     Website: Accessed February 17, 2024. https://sites.esm.psu.edu/~axl4/.

    3.     “Akhlesh Lakhtakia - Evan Pugh University

    Professor - Penn State University | LinkedIn.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024.
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhlesh-lakhtakia-767556109.

    4.     “‪Akhlesh Lakhtakia - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d.

    Accessed February 17, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=wC7o_VAAAAAJ&hl=en.

    5.     “Biologically Inspired Design: A Primer |

    SpringerLink.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-02091-9.

    6.     “Craig Bohren.” 2023. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Craig_Bohren&oldid=1192250085.

    7.     “Jefferson Science Fellow - Lakhtakia Bio.”

    n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/Jefferson/PGA_377438.

    8.     Lakhtakia, Akhlesh. 2013. “So Long, Farewell,

    Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!” Journal of Nanophotonics 7 (1): 070198. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JNP.7.070198.

    9.     Nehru, Jawaharlal, and C. D. Narasimhaiah.

    1989. India Rediscovered. Oxford University Press.

    10.  Robbie, K., M. J. Brett, and A. Lakhtakia.

    1996. “Chiral Sculptured Thin Films.” Nature 384 (6610): 616–616. https://doi.org/10.1038/384616a0.

    11.  “The Far Side Comic Strip by Gary Larson -

    Official Website | TheFarSide.Com.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://www.thefarside.com/.

     

    2 hr 4 min
  • Ep. 41 : Conversation with B. Ananthanarayan : High Energy Physicist with a Sense of Humour

    Balasubramanian Ananthanarayan is a Professor at the Centre for High Energy Physics, Indian Institute of Science: https://chep.iisc.ac.in/Personnel/pages/anant/index.html

    His research interests include low energy physics at high precision, beyond the standard model physics at colliders, and

    collider physics, particularly focusing on the 'new physics' that can be uncovered at the International Linear Collider with polarized beam. He has also been involved in a project developing the theory of unitarity bounds to obtain
    precise information on form factors.

    Additionally, he blogs and has contributed articles to Resonance and Current Science. Ananthanarayan is also known for his sense of humor, as evidenced by his light-hearted anecdotes and favourite poems.

     

    References:

    1.    “B Ananthanarayan.” n.d. Accessed February 13,

    2024. https://chep.iisc.ac.in/Personnel/anant.html.

    2.    “B. Ananthanarayan.” n.d. Accessed February

    13, 2024. https://chep.iisc.ac.in/Personnel/pages/anant/index.html.

    3.    “‪B Ananthanarayan - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d.

    Accessed February 13, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=jJZMQiIAAAAJ&hl=en.

    4.    “B Ananthanarayan (@bananthanarayan) / X.”

    2021. X (Formerly Twitter). November 30, 2021. https://twitter.com/bananthanarayan.

    5.    Ananthanarayan, B., Sumit Banik, Souvik Bera,

    and Sudeepan Datta. 2023. “FeynGKZ: A Mathematica Package for Solving Feynman
    Integrals Using GKZ Hypergeometric Systems.” Comput. Phys. Commun. 287:
    108699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2023.108699.

    6.    Ananthanarayan, B., and Subhendra Mohanty.

    2021. “The Accelerating Universe: Evidence and Theories.” The European Physical Journal Special Topics 230 (9): 2051–53. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-021-00259-x.

    7.    “Anant-Observations.” n.d. Accessed February

    13, 2024. https://anant-observations.blogspot.com/.

    8.    “Welcome to The Institute of Mathematical

    Sciences | The Institute of Mathematical Sciences.” n.d. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www.imsc.res.in/.

     

    2 hr 16 min
  • Ep. 40 : Conversation with Suresh Govindarajan - The IIT Physics Professor who runs Marathons

    Suresh joins me from the Zanzibar (Africa) campus of IIT Madras !

    Suresh Govindarajan is a theoretical physicist and a professor in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. https://physics.iitm.ac.in/~suresh/index.html


    He specializes in String Theory, and his research interests include conformal field theory, black holes, statistical physics, combinatorics, and mathematical physics. Suresh is also an avid long-distance runner who runs marathons and other long-distance events. In this 'free-running' conversation, we discuss his biographical journey. His trials and tribulations in constructing a career as an academic, his wonderful story of how he overcame barriers during his PhD and postdoc, and how and why he took up a new challenge when he was around 40: marathon running.


    Listen, as we humanize science.


    References :

    1. “Suresh Govindarajan DLM (@modularform) / X.” 2024. X (Formerly Twitter). February 4, 2024. https://twitter.com/modularform.
    2. “Personal - Suresh Govindarajan.” n.d. Accessed January 31, 2024. http://sgovindarajan.wikidot.com/personal.
    3. “IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus | Empower Your Future with IIT.” n.d. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://zanzibar.iitm.ac.in/.
    4. “Prof. Suresh Govindarajan | Faculty | IIT Madras Zanzibar.” n.d. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://zanzibar.iitm.ac.in/schools/engineering-and-science/faculty/prof-suresh-govindarajan.
    5. “Refined Counting of Higher-Dimensional Partitions - Boltzmann.” n.d. Accessed January 31, 2024. http://boltzmann.wikidot.com/refined-counting.
    6. “Suresh Govindarajan.” n.d. Accessed December 28, 2023. https://physics.iitm.ac.in/~suresh/.
    7. “‪Suresh Govindarajan‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬.” n.d. Accessed December 28, 2023. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=s6In0_oAAAAJ&hl=en.
    8. “Suresh Govindarajan’s Other Home Page - Suresh Govindarajan.” n.d. Accessed December 28, 2023. http://sgovindarajan.wikidot.com/.
    9. “The Partitions Project - Boltzmann.” n.d. Accessed January 31, 2024. http://boltzmann.wikidot.com/the-partitions-project.
    10. “Zanzibar.” 2024. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zanzibar&oldid=1199920039.

      11. 2 hr 22 min
    11. Ep. 39 : Conversation with Susmita Adhikari - Exploring the Dark Matter Halos and the Galactic Dance

      Susmita Adhikari is an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at IISER Pune.

      She obtained her PhD in Astronomy from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and has held postdoctoral positions at The Kavli Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, and the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at The University of Chicago & Fermilab. Her research focuses on cosmology, astrophysics, dark matter halos, and structure formation. She studies the formation and structure of dark matter halos, the co-evolution of galaxies within them, and the connection between cosmic structure formation and the sources of gravitational waves. She uses theory and simulations to interpret observations of gravitationally bound objects, aiming to understand the underlying nature of dark matter and gravity.In this conversation, we discussed how she got interested in physics and how it evolved into a research career in astrophysics. We discussed her experience of studying and researching in India, and the USA; how she got interested in dark-matter haloes and cosmology. Also, we discussed her interest in Odissi and other forms of classical dance. Listen as we humanize science.

      References :

      1. “Susmita Adhikari - IISER Pune.” n.d. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/physics/people/faculty/regular-faculty/susmita-adhikari/382.
      2. “Susmita Adhikari - INSPIRE.” n.d. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1671322.
      3. “Susmita Adhikari (@susmita_a) / X.” 2024. X (Formerly Twitter). January 26, 2024. https://twitter.com/susmita_a.
      4. International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, dir. 2023. From the Edge of a Dark Matter Halo  by Susmita Adhikari. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYVjO6hqI7I.
      5. TEDx Talks, dir. 2021. The Weight of Darkness; Dark Matter and Universe | Susmita Adhikari | TEDxTKMCE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-7c3uiZkjA.

        6. 1 hr 33 min
      6. Ep. 38 : Conversation with Atikur Rahman - Explorations in Nanoscale Physics and Technologies

        Atikur Rahman is an Associate Professor of Physics at IISER Pune, where he leads the Nano Energy & Quantum Transport Lab. https://atikurrahmanl.wixsite.com/scientist-site

        His research focuses on understanding fundamental charge transport properties and applications of quasi-1D (nanowires and nanotubes), 2D materials, and mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures. His group studies electronic transport properties under varying temperature, magnetic field, and light conditions to understand the effects of interactions and disorders on the charge transport properties of quantum confined systems. They use various experimental techniques, including electrical, optical, and optoelectrical measurements, to characterize nanodevices. The group has extensive experience in synthesizing 2D and 1D materials, nanodevice fabrication, and tuning materials properties through nanotexturing. They are also involved in building new experimental setups and encouraging students to set up new measurement capabilities.

        In this conversation, we discuss his research journey; and how and why he got interested in condensed matter physics and related technologies.

        Listen..as we humanize science...


        References :

        “‪Atikur Rahman‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬.” n.d. Accessed January 13, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=ue65bNkAAAAJ&hl=en.

        “Atikur Rahman - IISER Pune.” n.d. Accessed January 13, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/physics/people/faculty/regular-faculty/atikur-rahman/321.

        “Atikur Rahman (@atikur321) / X.” n.d. X (Formerly Twitter). Accessed January 23, 2024. https://twitter.com/atikur321.

        “Home.” n.d. Scientist-Site. Accessed January 13, 2024. https://atikurrahmanl.wixsite.com/scientist-site.



        2 hr 4 min
      7. Ep. 37 : Conversation with Shivakumar Jolad - A Physicist turned Quantitative Social Scientist

        Shivakumar Jolad works as an Associate Professor of Public Policy at FLAME University, Pune, India. His primary research interests are social policies focused on Education, Migration, and Human Development. He studies the structure of the schooling system, education policy, and governance in India. He has also worked on gaps between Language Diversity and Medium of Instruction in India. His other work includes: assessing the impact of COVID-19 on unorganized sector workers, food security and psychological distress of migrant workers, and tracing the migration and urbanization history of metropolitan cities in India.  Jolad has a PhD in Physics and a doctoral minor in Demography from Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA. Before joining FLAME University, he taught at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar  India.

        medium page: https://shiva-jolad-46811.medium.com/


        References :

        1. “Prof. Shivakumar Jolad | Faculty - FLAME University.” n.d. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://www.flame.edu.in/faculty/shivakumar-jolad.
        2. “‪Shivakumar Jolad‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬.” n.d. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Yp43tdkAAAAJ&hl=en.
        3. “Shivakumar Jolad (@shivakjolad) / X.” 2023. X (Formerly Twitter). December 6, 2023. https://twitter.com/shivakjolad.
        4. Jolad, Shivakumar. 2023a. “Demography in Service of ‘Other’ Social Sciences.” Medium (blog). May 22, 2023. https://shiva-jolad-46811.medium.com/demography-in-service-of-other-social-sciences-6cfef9fae568.
        5. 2023b. “The Constitution and Its Gandhian Alternative.” Medium (blog). October 7, 2023. https://shiva-jolad-46811.medium.com/the-constitution-and-its-gandhian-alternative-b2599c9ed4c4.

          6. 2 hr 6 min
        6. Ep. 36: Conversation with Ashish Arora - The Magic of Experimental Physics

          Ashish Arora is an Assistant Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune, India. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/physics/people/faculty/regular-faculty/ashish-arora/374.

          His research interests include experimental condensed matter physics, magneto-optics, 2D materials (semiconductors and magnets), and low-dimensional physics.

          He is also deeply interested in public outreach of science and has a YouTube channel and Facebook page called “India’s Science Theatre.” Links in the references below.

          This episode discusses his intellectual journey from childhood till now. Through this journey, we learn how he developed an interest in experimental physics and how he motivated himself to overcome hurdles during his PhD.


          Listen…as we humanize science…

          References :

          1. “Ashish Arora – IISER Pune.” Accessed January 6, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/physics/people/faculty/regular-faculty/ashish-arora/374.
          2. “Playing with the Wonder Materials.” Accessed January 6, 2024. https://www.uni-muenster.de/news/view.php?cmdid=10757&lang=en.
          3. “‪Ashish Arora‬ – ‪Google Scholar‬.” Accessed January 6, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=2GyHZQMAAAAJ&hl=en.
          4. India’s Science Theatre | Facebook. n.d. Accessed January 6, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/groups/sciencetheatre/.
          5. Science Quiz for All: Scientists of India [S01E07]. n.d. Accessed January 6, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwhVEvoOp3Y.

            6. 1 hr 42 min
          6. Ep. 35: Conversation with Neeldhara Misra - Journey of a Computer Scientist

            Neeldhara Misra is a computer scientist interested in algorithm design, computational social choice, and combinatorial games. She is an Associate Professor at IIT Gandhinagar: https://www.neeldhara.com/

            This episode discusses her intellectual journey from literature and mathematics to computer science. Through this journey, we learn how she developed an interest in this field and her experience communicating computer science and mathematics.

            Listen...as we humanize science.

            References:

            1. “Neeldhara - About.” n.d. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://www.neeldhara.com/about.
            2. “‪Neeldhara Misra‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬.” n.d. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=XFgieDYAAAAJ&hl=en.
            3. “IIT Gandhinagar | Neeldhara Misra.” n.d. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://iitgn.ac.in/faculty/cse/neeldhara.
            4. “Neeldhara – Blog.” n.d. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://www.neeldhara.com/blog.
            5. “Neeldhara - On Career Choices.” 2023. May 26, 2023. https://www.neeldhara.com/blog/on-career-choices/.
            6. “Neeldhara 🐦|🐘 (@neeldhara) / X.” 2022. X (Formerly Twitter). November 20, 2022. https://twitter.com/neeldhara.
            7. “Concrete Mathematics.” 2023. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Concrete_Mathematics&oldid=1191307072.
            8. “Home | Center For Creative Learning.” n.d. Center For Creative. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://www.ccl.iitgn.ac.in.
            9. “Home - Mount Carmel College.” n.d. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://mccblr.edu.in/.
            10. “Masala Lab.” n.d. Penguin Random House India (blog). Accessed December 26, 2023. https://www.penguin.co.in/book/masala-lab/.
            11. “The Man Who Loved Only Numbers.” 2022. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Man_Who_Loved_Only_Numbers&oldid=1120987937.
            12. “Theoretical Computer Science | The Institute of Mathematical Sciences.” n.d. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://www.imsc.res.in/theoretical_computer_science.


              13. 2 hr 8 min

            About Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science

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            Namaste, Hola, & Welcome from G.V. Pavan Kumar.