Humanising Science

The importance of introducing traditional knowledge to young scientists   Can complex scientific concepts and mathematical theorems have a dialogue with Indian folk dance? This was the question I posed as the end-term assignment for the course on ‘Mapping India with Folk Art’ that I was offering to IISc’s undergraduate students in 2015. I asked […]

How a Physicist Became a Mathematician

2023 marks the birth centenary of the influential mathematician Harish-Chandra who spent two important years at IISc   “The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics,” declared the Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei in an essay titled The Assayer published in 1623. Mathematics is an indispensable tool for physicists who strive […]

The Good, the Bad and the Ambivalent: Social Media to Scientists

Researchers at IISc talk about their social media presence and its influence on their professional lives   There has long been a perception that scientists are reclusive and asocial. However, this stereotype is being challenged by the rising number of them who tweet and post on Facebook and LinkedIn. Scientists today have more opportunities than […]

When Continents Collide

Seismologists have their work cut out when it comes to understanding and predicting earthquakes and their impact   Beneath the serene snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas, danger lurks. Scientists are increasingly worried about a big earthquake overdue in the Himalayan region, anticipated to have a magnitude greater than 8.0 on the Richter scale. To give […]

Battling COVID-19, Wave after Wave

Developing COVID-19 solution hasn’t been easy for researchers working since the pandemic began, as well as for those who jumped into the foray recently   When the country was rocked by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021, oxygen conservation became a prime concern. As hospitals designated for COVID-19 became swamped, patients […]

Food For Thought

Owners, students and faculty share their stories of IISc’s eateries   Anindo Roy stood aghast as the excavator pulled down Prakruthi Veg, considered by many an iconic canteen in the campus. “It didn’t feel good. It was like the main building suddenly disappeared,” the PhD student of Materials Engineering says. “All the alumni I speak […]