A. R. Venkatachalapathy is a prolific historian, writer and Professor whose work explores the social and cultural history of colonial Tamil Nadu. In 2024, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award.
His notable books include “In Those Days There Was No Coffee,” “The Province of the Book,” “Tamil Characters,” and “Swadeshi Steam,” which examines V.O. Chidambaram Pillai’s role in anti-colonial maritime resistance. His scholarship spans Tamil literature, publishing history, and intellectual culture, blending rigorous archival research with literary analysis.
In this episode, we explore his intellectual journey as a historian and bilingual author.
Jyotishman Dasgupta is a professor at TIFR, Mumbai, in the Department of Chemical Sciences. His research focuses on probing dynamical structural events leading to charge generation in molecular materials, particularly for bio-inspired photocatalysis and solar electricity generation. He uses ultrafast spectroscopy, including Stimulated Raman spectroscopy, to study reaction mechanisms in these systems.
Jyotishman effectively combines his love and passion for research and teaching with compassion and mentoring researchers. In this free-wheeling conversation, we discuss his intellectual journey so far.
Welcome to the podcast, Pratidhavani – Humanizing Science Vijay is an Associate Professor of Physics at IISER Pune, and works on various aspects of Soft Matter Physics, including deformation and flow of soft matter, and active matter.
In this episode, we discuss various facets of soft matter physics and Vijay’s research on these fascinating materials.
Sahu, Ratimanasee, Mohit Sharma, Peter Schall, Sarika Maitra Bhattacharyya, and Vijayakumar Chikkadi. ‘Structural Origin of Relaxation in Dense Colloidal Suspensions’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121, no. 42 (2024): e2405515121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2405515121.
Amit Agarwal is a professor of physics at IIT Kanpur specializing in theoretical condensed matter physics, quantum transport, and new physical phenomena in low-dimensional systems. His research explores topological materials, collective excitations, nanoscale device modeling, and the quantum many-body effects central to emerging quantum technologies.
Amit is also the recent recipient of the Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Physics – 2025
In this episode, we explore his intellectual journey in physics.
Aparna Deshpande is an Associate Professor of Physics at IISER Pune, specializing in atomic-scale exploration of two-dimensional materials and their interfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy. She is deeply engaged in research on nanomaterials and is active in physics education (as part of the department of science education at IISER Pune), communication, and outreach at IISER Pune.
Aparna is also the faculty in charge of the Smt. Indrani Balan Science Activity Centre at IISER Pune, where she leads diverse science outreach and STEM education initiatives, promoting hands-on multi-lingual learning and innovative workshops for students and teachers across India.
In this conversation, we explore her research in physics and science education.
Arka Banerjee is a cosmologist and an Assistant Professor of Physics at IISER Pune. His research focuses on exploring the connections between fundamental physics at microscopic scales and the formation and evolution of large-scale structures in the Universe, such as galaxies and cosmic voids. To pursue these questions, he develops new simulation methods, constructs summary statistics for cosmological data, and generates forecasts for upcoming observational surveys.
In this episode, we explore his intellectual journey and research.
Kollegala Sharma is a renowned science communicator and prolific Kannada writer, celebrated for making science accessible through articles, books, radio dramas, podcasts, and translations. A former chief scientist at CSIR-CFTRI Mysore, he has received prestigious awards for his exceptional contributions, including pioneering India’s first Kannada science podcast and editing the state’s popular science magazine, Kutuhali.
In this conversation (in English), we discuss what motivates him to do what he does so well…communicate science…
Shivprasad Patil is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune.
His main academic interests include nanotechnology, atomic force microscopy, and single-molecular interactions. His research centers on experimental nanomechanics and force spectroscopy, especially for probing phenomena at the single-molecule level.
In this conversation, we explore his intellectual journey from a small village in Maharashtra to a professor at IISER Pune
My guest this time is Professor Robert T. Pennock, University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, with appointments in Lyman Briggs College, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering: https://pennock5.msu.domains/
Robert’s research explores the deep connections between science, ethics, and philosophy. His recent book, An Instinct for Truth, presents science as a moral discipline grounded in intellectual virtues like honesty, curiosity, and humility.
At the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, he leads interdisciplinary work on digital evolution, using artificial life systems to explore questions about complexity, adaptation, and the evolution of intelligent behavior.
In this episode, we explore his intellectual journey with an emphasis on philosophy of science.
Miller, Jon D, Belén Laspra, Carmelo Polino, Glenn Branch, Mark S Ackerman, and Robert T Pennock. 2024. “Citizen Attitudes toward Science and Technology, 1957–2020: Measurement, Stability, and the Trump Challenge.” Science and Public Policy 51 (3): 526–42. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scad086.
Dr. Vipul Dutta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Guwahati. He holds a PhD from King’s College London, specializing in diplomatic and economic history. His research interests include South Asian diplomatic and military history as well as Indian business history. His monograph, Making Officers out of Gentlemen (2021), explores the development of military institutions in colonial and post-colonial India. At IIT Guwahati, he teaches modern Indian history and business history, including the NPTEL course Indian Business History. His teaching approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on case studies to connect historical themes with contemporary issues.
In this episode, we explore his intellectual journey so far.
VISMAYA - History & Philosophy of Physics 