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 Ranjini Bandyopadhyay

Ranjini is a experimental soft condensed matter physicist. She is a Professor at Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru.

Ranjini’s lab webpage : https://ranjinibandyopadhy.wixsite.com/complexfluids

She and her lab have been working on fascinating experiments on soft squishy matter including : Structure-dynamics correlations in colloidal suspensions; Mixed clay dispersions; Active colloids (synthesis and the study of active glasses); Interfacial instabilities and many other things.

In this episode we explore her biography, her ability to design and develop experiments, the difference between impact of research and impact factor of research, the process of articulation, importance of soft matter science and its relevance to India.

Listen…as we humanize science…

youtube (audio) :

spotify :

apple podcast :

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-15-conversation-with-ranjini-bandyopadhyay-the/id1687861465?i=1000623858813

google podcast :

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9lMTcyMGUwYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

References :

Twitter. “Ranjini Bandyopadhyay (@RanjiniRRI) / Twitter,” July 20, 2023. https://twitter.com/RanjiniRRI.

“Ajay K. Sood.” In Wikipedia, July 19, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ajay_K._Sood&oldid=1166154434.

“Ajay Sood’s Home Page.” Accessed July 23, 2023. http://www.physics.iisc.ernet.in/~asood/.

Basak, Rajib, and Ranjini Bandyopadhyay. “Encapsulation of Hydrophobic Drugs in Pluronic F127 Micelles: Effects of Drug Hydrophobicity, Solution Temperature, and PH.” Langmuir 29, no. 13 (April 2, 2013): 4350–56. https://doi.org/10.1021/la304836e.

complexfluids. “Group Members and Recent Lab News.” Accessed July 23, 2023. https://ranjinibandyopadhy.wixsite.com/complexfluids/page3.

complexfluids. “Ranjini Bandyopadhyay.” Accessed July 23, 2023. https://ranjinibandyopadhy.wixsite.com/complexfluids.

“Durian Group – Home.” Accessed July 23, 2023. https://www.physics.upenn.edu/duriangroup/.

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. The Emperor of All Maladies. HarperCollins UK, 2011.

Nagel, Sidney R. “Experimental Soft-Matter Science.” Reviews of Modern Physics 89, no. 2 (April 12, 2017): 025002. https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.89.025002.

Phillips, Rob, and Stephen R. Quake. “The Biological Frontier of Physics.” Physics Today 59, no. 5 (May 2006): 38–43. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2216960.

Born before Oppenheimer: molecular quantum mechanics

Related Twitter thread

Conversation with Amitabh Joshi

Amitabh Joshi is a Professor in EVOLUTIONARY AND ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY UNIT at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Adv Sci Research, Bengaluru. He is also a poet in Urdu and English (and occasionally, Persian).

his lab webpage : https://sites.google.com/view/ebl-jncasr/home

his twitter link : https://twitter.com/joshiamitabhevo?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

In this episode, we discussed him becoming a biologist; his journey in to the  realm of genetics and evolutionary biology; science and its interface with society; on how to do research; and how to think of problems; we also discussed interface of art and science and; in a way, we broke the myth of CP Snow’s essay on “Two cultures”. Also, don’t miss the fabulous recitation of poems in Persian and Urdu – including lines from Iqbal and Rumi, and delightful insights on his thoughts in eloquent Hindustani. There is so much to listen, learn and think about…as always on a conversation with Amitabh

Listen…as we humanize science…

on youtube (audio) :

on spotify :

on google podcast :

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9lMTcyMGUwYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/ODc3MjgyN2UtMTA4OC00NGUzLTkxN2UtYjM2MzlhMDAzNDZj?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiwwOTq4byAAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

on apple podcast :

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-14-conversation-with-amitabh-joshi-the-beautiful-mind/id1687861465?i=1000623112998

References : “The Two Cultures.” In Wikipedia, June 28, 2023. ⁠⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Two_Cultures&oldid=1162392930⁠⁠.

“Amitabh Joshi.” In Wikipedia, January 21, 2023. ⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amitabh_Joshi&oldid=1134862112⁠.

“Amitabh Joshi | Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.” Accessed July 13, 2023. ⁠https://www.jncasr.ac.in/faculty/ajoshi⁠.

Amitabh Joshi at Navisht 2019, 2019. ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuZI0Lu1r9E⁠.

“EBL, JNCASR.” Accessed July 29, 2023. ⁠https://sites.google.com/view/ebl-jncasr/home⁠.

“EBL, JNCASR – Amitabh Miscellaneous Interests.” Accessed July 29, 2023. ⁠https://sites.google.com/view/ebl-jncasr/amitabh-miscellaneous-interests⁠.

“Joshi, Amitabh.” Accessed July 13, 2023. ⁠https://press.princeton.edu/our-authors/joshi-amitabh⁠.

Joshi, Amitabh. “Poems Recited by Amitabh in This Podcast.” Google Docs. Accessed July 31, 2023. ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BzJFUuunbWctVd_yCKARKtdEczlUXEfI/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=108686585365385026951&rtpof=true&usp=embed_facebook⁠.

Conversation with Saptarshi Basu

Our youtube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@g.v.pavankumarlab2908/playlists

Please subscribe and share…

Saptarshi Basu is a ‘Pratt and Whitney Chair Professor’ at Mechanical Engineering department of Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru . Saptarshi lab webpage : https://www.saptarshibasulab.com/

His research interests include Multiphase transport processes. Atomization and sprays, Micro-nanoscale transport in droplets, Combustion.  In this episode we discuss his dreams, transition from Engineer to a Scientist, his philosophy on research, teaching and academia; Segments on covid related work, Rabindra sangeet & many other things

Listen as we humanize science…

spotify :

google podcast : https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9lMTcyMGUwYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

apple podcast :

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-13-conversation-with-saptarshi-basu-dreams-droplets/id1687861465?i=1000622340022

References :

  1. “Saptarshi Basu | webpage : https://mecheng.iisc.ac.in/people/saptarshi-basu/.
  2. “Amazon.In.” Accessed July 15, 2023. https://www.amazon.in/Books-G-Venkataraman/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AG.+Venkataraman.
  3. Borderless. “Abhisar by Rabindranath Tagore,” September 14, 2021. https://borderlessjournal.com/2021/09/14/abhisar-by-rabindranath-tagore/.
  4. “College Street (Kolkata).” In Wikipedia, April 4, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=College_Street_(Kolkata)&oldid=1148195301.
  5. “Manik Bandopadhyay.” In Wikipedia, March 5, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manik_Bandopadhyay&oldid=1142950285.
  6. “Park Street, Kolkata.” In Wikipedia, March 12, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Park_Street,_Kolkata&oldid=1144224604.
  7. “Poem: Can Death Be Sleep, When Life Is But a Dream by John Keats.” Accessed July 15, 2023. https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/can-death-be-sleep-when-life-dream.
  8. Popova, Maria. “When Einstein Met Tagore: A Remarkable Meeting of Minds on the Edge of Science and Spirituality.” The Marginalian (blog), April 27, 2012. https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/04/27/when-einstein-met-tagore/.
  9. “Rabindranath Tagore.” In Wikipedia, July 5, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rabindranath_Tagore&oldid=1163532295
  10. “Rabindranath Tagore – Verses – কথা – অভিসার (Abhisar).” Accessed July 15, 2023. https://www.tagoreweb.in/Verses/kotha-39/abhisar-1211.
  11. “Satyajit Ray.” In Wikipedia, July 14, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Satyajit_Ray&oldid=1165363344.
  12. “South Point School.” In Wikipedia, June 1, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Point_School&oldid=1158045282.
  13. “Srinivasa Ramanujan.” In Wikipedia, June 2, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Srinivasa_Ramanujan&oldid=1158140678
  14. “The Last Leaf.” In Wikipedia, March 22, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_Leaf&oldid=1145991454.

Critical thinking in Indian STEM students

Conversation with Nagaraj Balasubramanian

Nagaraj is a cell biologist and an Associate Professor of Biology at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune.

He is a scientist who interfaces with society and has a keen sense aesthetics and love for music.

We discussed research/education/music+Spic-Macay/a fascinating story of a concert+small segment in Tamil+ a Hindi poem & many other things

Listen…as we humanize science

You can also listen at :

Youtube : https://youtu.be/IfAebdM6yIo

Google podcast : https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9lMTcyMGUwYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/NDY1MTQyMmUtNzQyMS00NTlhLTkyZjQtMGNhZWFmOGE3NTg0?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjA1JqdzJmAAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

Apple podcast : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-12-conversation-with-nagaraj-balasubramanian-cell/id1687861465?i=1000621582402