Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science

By G V Pavan KumarScience

Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science episodes

July 09, 2024 Ep. 62: Sadi Carnot & Thermodynamics - Privileged, Profound and tragic life
Sadi Carnot’s
book : https://sites.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/teaching/2559_Therm_Stat_Mech/docs/Carnot%20Reflections%201897%20facsimile.pdf

Other
references:
1.
Thomson, William. 1849. “XXXVI.—An Account of
Carnot’s Theory of the Motive Power of Heat; with Numerical Results Deduced
from Regnault’s Experiments on Steam.,” January. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0080456800022481.
2.
Klein,
Martin J. 1974. “Carnot’s Contribution to Thermodynamics.” Physics Today
27 (8): 23–28. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3128802.
3.
Asimov,
Isaac. 1982. Asimov’s Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology : The Lives and Achievements of
1510 Great Scientists from Ancient Times to the Present Chronologically
Arranged. Garden City, N.Y. :
Doubleday. http://archive.org/details/asimovsbiographi00asim.
4.
Carnot,
Sadi. 2005. Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire : And Other Papers on the Second
Law of Thermodynamics by E. Clapeyron and R. Clausius. New York : Dover. http://archive.org/details/reflectionsonmot0000carn_a8p6.
5.
Dass, N. D. Hari. 2013. The Principles of Thermodynamics. 1st edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

38 min
July 02, 2024 Ep. 61 : Conversation with Sreejith G.J. - Mechanical Engineer to Quantum Condensed Matter Physicist
Sreejith G J is a condensed matter theorist and an associate
professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune.
http://sites.iiserpune.ac.in/~sreejith/index.html
He is interested in strongly correlated quantum physics, including fractional quantum Hall effects and some spin systems.
Interestingly, he started as a mechanical engineer and then
moved to study the general theory of relativity and eventually became a
condensed matter physicist. How did his interest evolve, and how did he become
a physicist?
We address this and other interesting aspects of his career
in this "emergence series".

1 hr 7 min
June 25, 2024 Ep 60 : Neeraja Dashaputre: Education & Pedagogy in Chemistry
Neeraja is an organic chemist who is deeply interested in education. She has been researching and exploring ways to make chemical education appealing and thought-provoking. How & Why does she do this?
Listen to this conversation under the ‘emergence’ series as we humanize science.
References:
1.      “Dr. Neeraja Dashaputre / People - IISER Pune.”
n.d. Accessed June 23, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/institute/people/non-teaching-staff/technical-services/360/dr-neeraja-dashaputre.
2.      “Neeraja (@NeerDash) / X.” 2024. X (Formerly Twitter). June 14, 2024. https://x.com/neerdash.
3.      IISER Pune, dir. 2018a. Caffein. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUteCeOMM4c.
4.      dir. 2018b. Fluorescein. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4OPFOavVhA.
5.      “UTLP
University Teaching and Learning Program.” n.d. Accessed June 23, 2024. https://tltc.umd.edu/instructors/instructor-ta-support/graduate-tas-instructors-and-undergraduate-assistants/UTLP.
6.      “Neeraja
Dashaputre.” n.d. YouTube. Accessed June 23, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvjuyxC4BpSF1wJigbZtpAg.
1 hr 21 min
June 18, 2024 Ep. 59 Conversation with Pushkar Sohoni: From Architecture to Cultural History
Pushkar Sohoni is an architect, architectural and cultural
historian, and associate professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pushkar_Sohoni&oldid=1217982761.

He has been involved in various conservation projects and has written extensively on the history of
architecture, numismatics, and material culture. Sohoni has also been a consultant for the Sahapedia project on culturally mapping the city of Pune and has contributed to several documentaries on the history of Ahmednagar.
In this episode, we explore his intellectual history with a
lively conversation on various topics, including his research interests.
Listen as we humanize science.
References:
1.
“Pushkar Sohoni.” 2024. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pushkar_Sohoni&oldid=1217982761.
2.
“Pushkar Sohoni - IISER Pune.” n.d. Accessed
June 17, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/humanities-and-social-sciences/people/faculty/regular-faculty/pushkar-sohoni/339.
3.
“Pushkar Sohoni - Associate Professor and
Chair, Humanities and Social Sciences - Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research (IISER), Pune | LinkedIn.” n.d. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://in.linkedin.com/in/pushkar-sohoni-11754a13.
4.
“Pushkar Sohoni: Books, Biography, Latest
Update.” n.d. Amazon.In. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.amazon.in/stores/author/B014L77ZCI.
5.
Sahapedia, dir. 2021. In Conversation with
Pushkar Sohoni about the Educational and Research Institutes in Pune | In Pune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhGg8Oo77Vw.
6.
“The Kingdom of Ahmednagar (Lecture 3) :
Architectural History Presented by Pushkar Sohoni. - YouTube.” n.d. Accessed
June 17, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhJ_m7vyxXE.

1 hr 26 min
June 11, 2024 Ep. 58 Conversation with Guruswamy Kumaraswamy: Engineering Soft Matter for a Sustainable Future
Guru is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay : https://sites.google.com/view/guru-group/group-members?authuser=0
Guru and his team are dedicated to optimizing material utilization, designing materials that are
more functional and easier to recycle and reuse. They explore the fascinating world of soft matter, which surrounds us in everyday life, from plastic bags to
biological materials.
Guru’s research focuses on three key areas: sustainable materials and processes, designer functional materials, and circularity through recycling and reuse. His group is
working on innovative solutions like flame retardant nanocomposites, high-functionality membranes, and value-added materials from waste plastics.
In this episode, we explore his intellectual journey from Chembur, IIT Bombay, Caltech, NCL Pune and back to IIT Bombay. Guru explains how and why he is interested in soft matter and sustainability-related problems. He explains how one can evolve research questions that are attractive to academia and industries.
Listen as we humanize science.
References:
1.      “Guru Kumaraswamy.” Accessed June 11, 2024. https://sites.google.com/view/guru-group/home.
2.      “Guru Kumaraswamy - Group Members.” n.d. Accessed June 11, 2024. https://sites.google.com/view/guru-group/group-members.
3.      “Guruswamy Kumaraswamy | Chemical Engineering.” n.d. Accessed June 11, 2024. https://www.che.iitb.ac.in/faculty/guruswamy-kumaraswamy.
4.      “‪Guruswamy Kumaraswamy - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d. Accessed June 11, 2024. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rRaAd4YAAAAJ&hl=en.
5.      “Guruswamy Kumaraswamy (@GuruKumaraswamy) / X.” 2024. X (Formerly Twitter). June 1, 2024. https://x.com/gurukumaraswamy.
2 hr 4 min
June 03, 2024 Ep. 57 Conversation with Venu Gopal Achanta: Journey through Exciton Dynamics, Plasmonics & Metrology
Gopal is an experimental physicist, a Professor
at TIFR Mumbai and currently heads the National Physics Laboratory, Delhi: https://www.tifr.res.in/achanta/.
He and his research group have made important
contributions in plasmonics, metamaterials and metrology. His work on magneto-plasmonics,
plasmonic quasicrystals, exciton dynamics and quantum nanophotonics has opened
some avenues in the field.
In this episode, we discuss his intellectual
journey from Guntur, Mumbai, Japan and back to Mumbai, and on the way we
explore how he got 2 PhDs and plenty of knowledge in semiconductor optics and plasmonics.
We also discuss the importance of metrology in science and engineering and how
it can impact the society.
A small segment in Telugu and some wonder
memories of his student and postdoc days in India and Japan.

Listen as we humanize science.

References:
1.      Achanta, Venu Gopal. 2015. “Plasmonic
Quasicrystals.” Progress in Quantum Electronics 39 (January):1–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pquantelec.2014.12.002.
2.      2020. “Surface Waves at Metal-Dielectric Interfaces: Material Science Perspective.” Reviews
in Physics 5 (November):100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revip.2020.100041.
3.      Akashvani AIR, dir. 2024. Science Talk II Prof Dr Venugopal Achanta, Director, CSIR -
National Physical Laboratory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBW9HVPuVV0.
4.      Belotelov, V. I., I. A. Akimov, M. Pohl, V. A. Kotov, S. Kasture, A. S. Vengurlekar,
Achanta Venu Gopal, D. R. Yakovlev, A. K. Zvezdin, and M. Bayer. 2011.
“Enhanced Magneto-Optical Effects in Magnetoplasmonic Crystals.” Nature
Nanotechnology 6 (6): 370–76. https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2011.54.
5.      “DCMPMS.”
n.d. Accessed May 26, 2024. https://www.tifr.res.in/dcmpms/venugopal_achanta.php.
6.      “FOTON
Laboratory.” n.d. Accessed May 26, 2024. https://www.tifr.res.in/achanta/.
7.      “Metamaterials
for Quantum Technologies by Venu Gopal Achanta - YouTube.” n.d. Accessed May
26, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7FEfz3hxMc.
8.      “Our Director – NPL.” n.d. Accessed May 26, 2024. https://www.nplindia.org/index.php/about-us/directors-message/.
9.      “Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta Elected as a Member of International Committee for Weight
and Measures (CIPM).” n.d. Accessed May 26, 2024. https://www.pib.gov.in/www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1877736.
10.  Rab, Shanay, V. K. Jaiswal, D. D. Shivagan, Goutam Mandal, Ashutosh Agarwal, Sanjay
Yadav, D. K. Aswal, and Venu Gopal Achanta. 2024. “An Update on the State of
the Art of Metric System in India.” https://www.services.bis.gov.in/tmp/WCPGD16325508_01052024_1.pdf.
11.  Science Talk II Prof Dr Venugopal Achanta, Director, CSIR - National Physical
Laboratory. n.d. Accessed May 26, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBW9HVPuVV0.
12.  “‪Venu Gopal Achanta - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d. Accessed May 26, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=ZgLTn-EAAAAJ&hl=en.
1 hr 52 min
May 28, 2024 Ep. 56: Conversation with Devapriya Chattopadhyay– Explorations in Paleobiology and Marine Ecology
Devapriya Chattopadhyay is a paleobiologist and marine ecologist who studies how marine organisms respond to their environment over ecological and evolutionary
timescales. We explore her intellectual journey from Bengal, Mumbai, Michigan, Kolkata and Pune.
She is a professor in the Earth & Climate Science department at IISER Pune: http://sites.iiserpune.ac.in/~devapriya/

Her research focuses on shelled molluscs, using a combination of fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and statistical modelling to investigate predator-prey dynamics, fossil records, and modern distributions along the Indian coast.

Listen as we humanize science.

References :
1.      “Home | Devapriya.” n.d. Accessed May 21, 2024. http://sites.iiserpune.ac.in/~devapriya/.
2.      “‪Devapriya
Chattopadhyay - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d. Accessed May 21, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=uYcuqt0AAAAJ&hl=en.
3.      “Devapriya
Chattopadhyay - IISER Pune.” n.d. Accessed May 21, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/earth-and-climate-science/people/faculty/regular-faculty/devapriya-chattopadhyay/250.
4.      “Devapriya
Chattopadhyay (@Devapriya_Chat) / X.” 2024. X (Formerly Twitter). May 10, 2024.
https://x.com/Devapriya_Chat.
5.      IISER Pune Science Activity Centre, dir. 2022. Rocks Full of Life! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N11vzrQtcZs.
6.      NPTEL-NOC IITM, dir. 2023. Course Structure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQz3J1VMF1Q.
7.      “The Evolution of the Earth and Life - Course.” n.d. Accessed May 21, 2024. https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc23_ce54/preview.
2 hr 34 min
May 21, 2024 Ep. 55 : Conversation with Arnab Mukherjee – From the love of mathematics to computational chemistry
Arnab Mukherjee is a professor of chemistry at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune, India. He is also associated with the Data Science Department at IISER Pune.
His webpage: https://www.iiserpuneccblab.com/
In this episode, we go into granular details about his educational experiences and how he got interested in science. He highlights how chasing marks turned from a boon to a curse with a stunning narrative of his student career. There are some profound lessons to learn from his experiences.
His research interests include computational chemistry and biophysics. Specifically, he and his group work on “various topics ranging from drug-DNA intercalation, DNA structural change, single water
entropy, protein folding and protein-DNA binding, dynamical recrossing and internal friction in proteins and machine learning. He also collaborates with
experimental colleagues in projects such as synthetic ion channels, spectroscopic investigation of molecular recognition, etc.”
Listen as we humanize science.

References :
·
“Arnab.” n.d. Mysite. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.iiserpuneccblab.com/about-me.
·
“‪Arnab
Mukherjee - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=omAZhSEAAAAJ&hl=en.
·
“Arnab
Mukherjee - IISER Pune.” n.d. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/chemistry/people/faculty/regular-faculty/arnab-mukherjee/302.
·
“Arnab
Mukherjee CCB Lab IISER Pune.” n.d. Mysite. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.iiserpuneccblab.com.
·
“Chemical
Principles II - YouTube.” n.d. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyqSpQzTE6M_B9L6Ik0vPzfgVQ879VqXZ.

·
NPTEL-NOC
IITM, dir. 2019. History of Thermodynamics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdIJOG-g6QE.
·
“Teaching.”
n.d. Mysite. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.iiserpuneccblab.com/contact-me.

2 hr 36 min
May 14, 2024 Ep. 54 - Conversation with Dibakar Roy Chowdhury : Metamaterials & Terahertz Technology
Dibakar Roy Chowdhury is a professor of physics at Mahindra University, Hyderabad. https://www.mahindrauniversity.edu.in/faculty/prof-dibakar-roy-chowdhury/
With a rich background in research, including stints at
prestigious institutions like Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Australian
National University, Dr. Roy Chowdhury has significantly contributed to our
understanding of light-matter interaction at the micro-nano scale. Listen to
this ‘emergence’ series, where we explore his groundbreaking research in
metamaterials, plasmonics, and more through his academic journey until now.
Specifically, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of doing experimental
research at a private university in India.
Listen as we humanize science.
References :
1.
“Dibakar Roy Chowdhury.” n.d. Mahindra
University. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://www.mahindrauniversity.edu.in/faculty/prof-dibakar-roy-chowdhury/.
2.
“‪Dibakar
Roy Chowdhury - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=63q8bcwAAAAJ&hl=en.
3.
“Dibakar
r Chowdhury (@DibakarRC) / X.” n.d. X (Formerly Twitter). Accessed May 14,
2024. https://twitter.com/DibakarRC.

1 hr 20 min
May 07, 2024 Ep. 53 : Conversation with Sundar Sarukkai - Making of a Philosopher of Science
Note: The audio in the first 10 minutes is of lower quality

Sundar Sarukkai is a philosopher who specializes in the natural and social sciences.
His webpage :
https://www.sundarsarukkai.in/
He has made significant contributions to the field as a professor and visiting faculty at various institutions.
Sarukkai is the author of numerous books, including
“Philosophy for Children,” "Translating the World," "Philosophy of Symmetry," and "What is Science?" He has also co-authored works exploring Indian philosophy, caste, and democracy. Sarukkai is the founder of Barefoot Philosophers, an initiative to bring philosophy to children
and the public. With his diverse expertise and passion for accessible philosophy, Sarukkai is a captivating thinker in the intellectual landscape.
Listen as we humanize science.

References :
1.      “Sundar Sarukkai, Philosopher, Writer | Barefoot Philosophers.” n.d. Sundar Sarukkai.
Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.sundarsarukkai.in.
2.      Barefoot Philosophers, dir. 2024. A Conversation with Sundar Sarukkai - Philosophy of
Science Workshop (2024). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XszjdsCvCV4.
3.      Christ University, Bangalore, dir. 2023. Dr Sundar Sarukkai Talk on Philosophy and
Literature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tL1GbPYkfs.
4.      DC Books, dir. 2024. The Cracked Mirror: An Indian Debate on Experience and Theory |
Sundar Sarukkai | Babu Thaliath |KLF. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMMoI0ZQgS0.
5.      Toor, Sanchit. 2023. “‘The Challenge Was to Produce a Language, Not Just Use What Is
Accepted as Correct’: Sundar Sarukkai.” Text. Scroll.In. https://scroll.in.
April 22, 2023. https://scroll.in/article/1047684/the-challenge-was-to-produce-a-language-not-just-use-what-is-accepted-as-correct-sundar-sarukkai.

2 hr 12 min

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Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science episodes

About Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science