Author: G.V. Pavan Kumar

Namaste, Hola & Welcome from G.V. Pavan Kumar. I am a Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India. My research interests are : (1) Optics & Soft Matter: Optically Induced Forces – Assembly, Dynamics & Function; (2) History and Philosophy of Science – Ideas in Physical Sciences. I am interested in the historical and philosophical evolution of ideas and tools in the physical sciences and technology. I research the intellectual history of past scientists, innovators, and people driven by curiosity, and I write about them from an Indian and Asian perspective. My motivation is to humanize science. In the same spirit, I write and host my podcast Pratidhvani – Humanizing Science.

Conversation with Aninda Sinha

Aninda Sinha is a theoretical physicist and a professor at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru: https://chep.iisc.ac.in/Personnel/asinha.html

He works at the interface of quantum field theory, superstrings and mathematical physics. In this episode, we explore his intellectual journey and discuss his recent work that led to a new series on pi, generalizing Madava’s series.

References:

  1. “Aninda Sinha.” In Wikipedia, June 8, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aninda_Sinha&oldid=1227837004.
  2. “‪Aninda Sinha – ‪Google Scholar.” Accessed November 15, 2024. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-aNKuhIAAAAJ&hl=en.
  3. “Asinha » Page 1 of 3.” Accessed November 15, 2024. https://chep.iisc.ac.in/Personnel/asinha.html.
  4. Saha, Arnab Priya, and Sinha, Aninda. “Field Theory Expansions of String Theory Amplitudes.” Physical Review Letters 132, no. 22 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.221601.
  5. Ananthanarayan, B, and Aninda Sinha. “Bootstrapping Quantum Field Theory: Past, Present and Future.” CURRENT SCIENCE 126, no. 8 (2024).
  6. Bischoff, Manon. “String Theorists Accidentally Find a New Formula for Pi.” Scientific American. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/string-theorists-accidentally-find-a-new-formula-for-pi/.
  7. From Euler to Veneziano and Back by Aninda Sinha. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtKmoXW8Jmg.
  8. “Michael Green.” Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/mbg15/.
  9. “Michael Green (Physicist).” In Wikipedia, November 12, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Green_(physicist)&oldid=1256888698.
  10. Stringing Madhava’s Pi: Aquantum Field Theory Perspective | Talk by Aninda Sinha. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn_XUxmWlX8.
  11. “Thursday Colloquium | Raman Research Institute.” Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.rri.res.in/events/stringing-madhavas-pi-quantum-field-theory-perspective.

Conversation with Chaitra Redkar

Chaitra is a political scientist, Associate Professor & Chair of Humanities at IISER Pune – https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/humanities-and-social-sciences/people/faculty/regular-faculty/chaitra-redkar/326

She explores modern Indian political thought through the lens of philosophy and history.

In this episode, we discuss her intellectual journey in capturing an interesting trinity.

References:

  1. “Chaitra Redkar – IISER Pune.” Accessed November 8, 2024. https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/research/department/humanities-and-social-sciences/people/faculty/regular-faculty/chaitra-redkar/326.
  2. Redkar, Chaitra. Gandhian Engagement with Capital. First Edition. New Dehli: SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, 2019.
  3. X (formerly Twitter). “Chaitra Redkar (@R_Chaitra) / X,” April 9, 2023. https://x.com/r_chaitra.
  4. “Amazon.In.” Accessed November 8, 2024. https://www.amazon.in/Books-Chaitra-Redkar/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AChaitra+Redkar.
  5. “Chaitra (@my_historical_horizon) • Instagram Photos and Videos.” Accessed November 12, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/my_historical_horizon/.

Gerhard Herzberg – scientific life


References:

Pavan Kumar, G. V. “Gerhard Herzberg (1904–1999): A Pioneer in Molecular Spectroscopy.” Resonance 29 (2024): 1339. https://www.ias.ac.in/describe/article/reso/029/10/1339-1345.

Stoicheff, Boris. Gerhard Herzberg: An Illustrious Life in Science. Ottawa : Montréal ; Ithaca N.Y.: Canadian Forest Service,Canada, 2002.

Stoicheff, Boris P. “Gerhard Herzberg PC CC. 25 December 1904 – 3 March 1999.” Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 49 (December 2003): 179–95. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2003.0011.

Conversation with Gautam Menon

Gautam is a theoretical physicist who is driven by curiosity. His explorations include superconductivity, biophysics, active matter, public health, art, music etc.

He is a Professor & Dean at Ashoka University: https://www.ashoka.edu.in/profile/gautam-menon-2/.

In this episode, we discuss his intellectual journey until now.

References:

  1. Ashoka University. “Gautam Menon.” Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.ashoka.edu.in/profile/gautam-menon-2/.
  2. “Gautam I. Menon’s Home Page.” Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.imsc.res.in/~menon/.
  3. University, Ashoka. “Prof. Gautam Menon Is the New Dean of Research at Ashoka University.” Ashoka University, October 4, 2022. https://www.ashoka.edu.in/prof-gautam-menon-is-the-new-dean-of-research-at-ashoka-university/.
  4. X (formerly Twitter). “Gautam Menon (@MenonBioPhysics) / X,” January 14, 2022. https://x.com/menonbiophysics.
  5. IndiaBioscience. “Interdisciplinarity: How to Make It Work for You,” November 2, 2018. https://indiabioscience.org/columns/opinion/interdisciplinarity-how-to-make-it-work-for-you.
  6. Menon, Gautam I. “Active Matter.” arXiv, March 10, 2010. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1003.2032.
  7. “Science, Journalism, Media: Communicating Science in a Changing India.” Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.imsc.res.in/~scimedia/index.html.

Article on Gerhard Herzberg

The October 2024 issue of Resonance, Journal of Science Education

highlights the life and science of Gerhard Herzberg.

He was one of the greatest molecular spectroscopists who laid the foundation of atomic and molecular quantum mechanics and deeply impacted molecular astrophysics and astrochemistry.

He lived an extraordinary life, first in Europe learning quantum mechanics and then escaping 1930s Germany as his wife was of Jewish origin. Then, he settled in Canada to build and lead his lab, which was considered the ‘mecca of spectroscopy’ at NRC, Ottowa.

I wrote a sci-biography article about him in this issue

Link to full edition: https://www.ias.ac.in/listing/articles/reso/029/10

If you don’t know – Resonance is a pedagogical journal published by the Indian Academy of Sciences. It is a true open-access journal. Free to read and does not charge the authors to publish.

Do explore the past editions. There are some absolute gems. https://www.ias.ac.in/listing/issues/reso