Kaapi with Kuriosity


Kaapi with Kuriosity is a monthly public lecture series organised by the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR), in collaboration with the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium and other educational institutions in Bengaluru.

The aim of the talks in this series is to stimulate the curiosity of the public towards the myriad aspects of science. The setting for these talks will be informal with a lot of scope for open discussions. The scientific background assumed will not be beyond the school level. As such, they are easily accessible to school/college students, families and working professionals interested in science.

Contact: outreach @ icts . res . in

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Past Talks
Quantum Technologies
Aditi De (HRI, Allahabad)
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm Sunday, 16 June 2019
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
The quantum theory of nature, formalized in the first few decades of the 20th century, contains elements that are fundamentally different from those required in the classical description of nature. Based on the laws of quantum mechanics, in recent years, several discoveries have been reported which...more
A few examples how the science of complex systems changes our view of the world
Stefan Thurner (Science of Complex Systems, Medical University of Vienna)
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Sunday, 26 May 2019
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
The science of complex systems is a relatively new field that tries to understand the nature of systems that were up to now thought to be way too complicated to be accessible to science. These systems include eco-systems, societies, financial markets, or cities. In combination with big data for the...more
Symmetry and the Laws of Nature
Umesh Waghmare (JNCASR, Bengaluru)
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Sunday, 14 April 2019
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bengaluru
Principles of symmetry are the most fundamental ingredients of our physical description of nature evolved over the last century: (a) permissible physical laws and interactions are constrained by symmetry and involve regularities irrespective of diverse systemic details, (b) spontaneous symmetry...more
How fish swim?
Jaywant H Arakeri (IISc, Bengaluru)
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm Sunday, 17 March 2019
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
Fish and other aquatic animals swim in myriad ways. From the fast swimming shark where mostly just the tail wags, to the eel where a wave moves down its whole body as it swims forward, to the sting ray that seems to ‘fly’ through water. Are fish more efficient swimmers than man-made underwater...more
The Tau of Ramanujan
Eknath Ghate (TIFR, Mumbai)
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Sunday, 10 February 2019
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
The sequence of numbers 1, -24, 252, -1472, 4830, ... was extensively studied by the great Indian mathematician Ramanujan almost a century ago. These numbers - the values of Ramanujan's tau-function - have been the guiding force behind several themes in Number Theory. They continue to tantalize us...more
Our amazing Universe: astronomical revelations and new mysteries
François R. Bouchet (lnstitut d'Astrophysique de Paris, France)
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Sunday, 20 January 2019
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
Dr. Bouchet will describe current astronomical observations that precisely constraint the nature of the Cosmos in which we live, leading to radical ideas for the origin of the structures within it. This touches on questions such as: How did the Universe originate? What is it made of? Why is it the...more
States of Matter
Deepak Dhar (Visiting Faculty, IISER Pune)
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Sunday, 09 December 2018
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
We have all read that matter exists in one of three different states: solid, liquid and the gaseous state. But what exactly is the difference between these states? Are there other states of matter possible? This talk will begin with these easy to pose questions, and I will try to show that a good...more
Life and Motion, One Molecule at a time
Roop Mallik (TIFR, Mumbai)
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm Sunday, 18 November 2018
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
We are driven by molecules. Think of them as machines, so tiny that you cannot see them easily, even with the best microscopes. These “nano-machines” work away busily all the time inside your muscles, in your brain and every corner of your body. You need them to breathe, blink, talk, swat a...more
Science, the fulcrum for social and economic change
K. VijayRaghavan (Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. Of India)
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Sunday, 14 October 2018
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
Science is not only beautiful but is also the fulcrum on which the strong crowbar of national missions, security, and our very future can rest, allowing modest investment to lift huge loads. This fulcrum must be strong and correctly placed. Today, it is poorly positioned and not strong enough...more
A finite discussion on the Infinite
Tanvi Jain (Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi)
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Sunday, 09 September 2018
J. N. Planetarium, Sri T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore
“From time immemorial, the infinite has stirred men's emotions more than any other question. Hardly any other idea has stimulated the mind so fruitfully. Yet, no other concept needs clarification more than it does.” - David Hilbert We shall try to understand the intriguing concept of the infinite...more

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