Zeroing In
Zeroing In works on decoding science, and the details of life there with eminent scientists, researc
24/06/2023
Women in Science | E3 | In Conversation with Prof. Rama Govindarajan |
Full episode out now!
The third episode of Women In Science series features a beautifully nurturing conversation with a leading exponent in the field of fluid mechanics and aerodynamics internationally, Prof. Rama Govindarajan. A Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardee (2007), Prof. Govindarajan is a very well-renowned engineer and physicist, whose work in the field has opened up new avenues for research and interconnections to other previously ‘unrelated’ disciplines that allow new insight to looking at the highly complex problems prevalent in fluid dynamics at different natural scales.
After completing her Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi, she did a Masters at Drexel University, before joining the National Aerospace Laboratories in Bengaluru as a scientist. Later, she decided to pursue a PhD at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, under Prof. Roddam Narasimha, the icon of Indian Aerospace, followed by a postdoctoral research stint at Caltech. She then took up a faculty position at the JNCASR, Bengaluru, and later moved to TIFR. Currently she pursues her research at ICTS, TIFR, Bengaluru.
Her career trajectory is embellished with brilliant contributions to research, bold choices, and a singular take at practising science.
In our conversation, hosted by Dr. Dhavala Suri and Naman Jain, we discussed at length about her formative years, ideas, and the source of her simplicity, whilst also digging into the excitement of research and what inspired her research trajectory at different points in time.
Dive in to the fascinating conversation lined with the simplicity of brilliant questions, and an inspiringly thought-provoking take at the natural world.
Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/3R6Soe3kzJs
S04 | E03: Zeroing In with Prof. Debayan Gupta | On Keeping and Working with Secrets for Scaled Societies
In the information era where knowledge is vast and the possibilities are only limited to one’s imagination, Computer Science has advanced to the extent where this very write-up can be polished and generated with the help of a computer. While advanced technology can be captivating, it also brings us to question the philosophical boundary of data privacy in modern societies.
Join us in understanding the critical importance of scaling in the machines and how we can build better checks and balances systems in the ever-changing world with Dr. Debayan Gupta.
Women In Science with Dr. Dhavala Suri | Episode-1 Trailer | Shattering the Barrier of Inequitable Opportunities in STEM Careers with Dr. Darshana Joshi
Women have been breaking barriers and making significant contributions to the field of STEM for centuries, paving the way for generations of female scientists, engineers, and innovators. From Ada Lovelace to Katherine Johnson, female scientists have made incredible advancements in fields such as mathematics, physics, and computer science. Today, women continue to push boundaries and redefine what is possible in STEM, driving innovation and advancing our understanding of the world around us.
In the first episode of the series, we invite you to be inspired by the incredible story of Dr. Darshana Joshi, founder of Vigyanshaala International. Through her work, Dr. Joshi is revolutionizing science education in India and beyond, empowering students and teachers alike to explore the wonders of science and technology.
Stay tuned for the full episode coming out soon.
Inklings | Part Nine: Was Galileo looking for Saturn's Rings?
In the new feature of our series "Inklings", we unleash the wonder of the cosmos with our journey through the history of telescopes. From Galileo's groundbreaking invention to the cutting-edge technology of modern-day telescopes.
Embark on a journey (a rather short yet informative) through time and innovation as we explore the evolution of telescopes, from their humble beginnings as simple optical devices to the advanced instruments used by astronomers today.
Video credits and voice over by Nikhil Anand
Season 04 | Episode 03 : Zeroing In with Prof. Vinay K. Dadhwal | Pertinence of Remote Sensing in Agriculture
Full episode out now!
The most basic of survival necessity is food—the plate at the end of the day. While the human population began settling down from the hunter-gatherer stage, it became quite essential for us to find ways of bringing our food to our vicinity. Settlement meant a big leap in the techniques of how food was grown, from calculating rains to fighting insects. There’s so much that our food depends on—from the clouds in the sky to water in the drain. But how do you look at the clouds above and water beneath?
It’s quite astonishing to think how closely connected satellites are to the food we eat. Agriculture as a field took a big leap when instruments were placed up in the sky to map it ground below.
We had the incredible opportunity to discuss ideas and questions with a renowned scientist and veteran, Prof. Vinay K. Dadhwal who has played a pivotal role in advancing agricultural methods and technologies in India. He has also headed some great organizations in India including National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram.
Tune in to the episode from our website: zeroingin.org or listen on any of your favorite podcast platform.
27/02/2023
Beyond the scenes of Zeroing In with Prof. Geetam Tiwari | Our conversation with Prof. Geetam Tiwari, a renowned civil engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi delves into the intricacies of urban planning and the evolution of human settlements, shedding light on the challenges we face in modern city life.
Artwork by Rashi Jain
Listen to the complete episode on YouTube or your favorite streaming platform: Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast.
Find the link for the episode in the bio.
If you have any suggestions/comments, do write to us at [email protected]
Season 4 | Episode 2: Zeroing In with Prof. Geetam Tiwari | City Planning and Routes to Engineering a Mega City
The full episode is out now!
What does it take to design, create, and settle a city? Humankind has resolved these questions in varying epochs and geographical contexts, very differently, when looked into the details of — and through all these brilliant ways of becoming, we have shaped our worlds today- in the charming cities and towns we inhabit.
Human colonies have been an intriguing subject not because the idea is new, but precisely the opposite— making it quite a rare definition of ‘interesting’ in the current day of rapidly growing areas of interest and applications. Hereby, the ideas of civil engineering, city planning, urban planning, traffic control, and pedestrian safety are only some of the ideas that come in the same gamut — the ideas that we were able to discuss with Prof. Geetam Tiwari, a distinguished expert in the field, and currently a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
In our conversation with her, we traveled along the curious pathways leading to a fundamental understanding of the shaping of city spaces, in context with the historical pillars of human settlements, as well as the ones that we inhabit currently across different continents and socio-economic influences among other multifarious factors that make the discipline fascinating beyond measure.
As is largely true with our everyday life this discussion sheds some nurturing rays of revelation on why our everyday cities and towns look the way they do — the details that we forget to notice, and what goes into thinking and making such a complex organism — a city itself.
Take the plunge and discover more about this fascinating topic here!
Links to the complete episode are in the comments.
S04 | E02 Teaser - Zeroing In with Prof. Geetam Tiwari
On City Planning and Routes to Engineering a MegaCity
City life is a complex and intricate experience that we all navigate in our own ways. Our daily routines, shortcuts, and familiar routes give us a sense of familiarity and belonging in the cities we call home. In fact, that is how we sometimes substantiate our claims for having actually experienced a city. And for each new place, you’d move to, you’d do this all over again, and then call it your own.
But what does it take to chart this out from zero— to build the map of a city from scratch, and plan for all of these intricate, and inherently chaotic scenarios, that touch and actually shape human lives on a very everyday basis, and in turn define a human settlement?
Here’s a sneak peek of our beautiful journey of discussing these questions and much more with an expert from the field, Prof. Geetam Tiwari a distinguished civil engineer. Her expertise and experiences will offer invaluable insights into the planning, building, and evolution of cities, and the ways in which they shape human civilization. Join us for this exciting exploration of the origins and evolution of our urban landscapes from a scientific and technological perspective.
Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay.
Season 4 | Episode 1: Zeroing In with Prof. Kalyan Chakraborty | On Scientific Perspectives of Human History & Archaeology
Link: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/lCZ1IE0 # #
Have you ever wondered how human civilsations took shape? How much do we know from our shared past, and how far do we have a scientific basis for these stories?
Exploring the depths of our past and unearthing the mysteries of ancient civilizations - this is what makes archeology such an endlessly fascinating subject. From discovering ancient artifacts and deciphering hieroglyphics, to reconstructing lost cities, and piecing together the lives of our ancestors, the discipline offers a peephole to understanding the planet and our society that has formed over a span of several millennia.
For the Season 4 of Zeroing In : Of A City, as we embark on the journey of figuring our way through the making of the civilization that we live in, we start with the first puzzle piece of delving into all that has come before, and finding how much we know of it in the scientific context. The archaeological perspectives borrow the contexts from history, art, and literature, while also form a solid ground for scientific innovation and discovery.
In our conversation with Prof. Kalyan Chakraborty, Professor of Archaeology at the Ashoka University, we discovered some fascinating methodologies of building and putting together the stories from buried relics, deciphering mysteries while also understanding the intriguing ideologies and philosophies from around the world, centuries old and present, alike.
Dive in to the full episode to hear on about the nurturing togetherness that we share as humankind, and the origins of it all, as we have traced, to find a sense of belongingness - with the planet, and within ourselves - in the infinite scheme to things.
S04 | E01 Teaser — Zeroing In with Prof. Kalyan Chakraborty
While building up a city, it’s quite crucial to go down a bit.
It is amusing to see how much a half-broken eating bowl buried under the ash of Pompeii can reveal stories of its citizens. But archeology isn't just about digging up dusty old relics and theorizing about the past. It's about understanding the way people lived, their beliefs and customs, and how they interacted with the world around them.
In the first episode of the new season of Zeroing In we begin by doing some intriguing digging! In our fascinating conversation with Prof. Kalyan Chakraborty, we do some major digging up on how stories are unraveled from broken pieces of history found in depths underneath the surface.
Tune in to our episode coming out this weekend!
16/10/2022
Travelling can be pretty fun, but what if we are travelling to the depths of the ocean where we can only survive for 10 minutes? What DOES the Twilight Zone hold, that captures our imagination despite the dangers? Take a 'deeptour' with us to see what the ocean might hold for us and how we might be able to survive to admire it!
Written by Muskan Garg and Sahil, Edited by Vagisha.
Read the full article at: https://medium.com/the-continuum-zeroing-in-blog/a-trip-to-the-depth-of-the-oceans-the-twilight-zone-2c3dbf765066
09/10/2022
With the Nobel Prize 2022 being announced, we go back a little in time to look at the story of Abdus Salam, a Pakistani Nobel Laureate with the unique combination of science and faith at the fulcrum of his magnificent life, and discuss the reasons behind his forgotten legacy in his own country.
Read the article on here: https://medium.com/the-continuum-zeroing-in-blog/abdus-salam-a-story-of-physics-faith-and-nationality-4e78fb8537b0
Written by Promiti Mitra and Edited by Vagisha Bhatia.
Visit our website www.zeroingin.org for other fascinating deep dives into science and beyond.
04/09/2022
The Not-So-Fine Print: Privacy in the Age of the Internet.
Decoding how your privacy on the internet is compromised on a daily basis and how it affects you.
Read the complete blog on our website— zeroingin.org or head to our Medium page ‘The Continuum’ .
Blog link: https://medium.com/the-continuum-zeroing-in-blog/the-not-so-fine-print-privacy-in-the-age-of-the-internet-5b5d516c9e6d
Happy reading!
25/08/2022
Hear all!
Zeroing In is here with yet another session of Zoning Out!
Let's unwind the past and zoom into the future as we geek our way into the world of Clocks and Timekeeping!
Join us this Friday (August 26, 2022) at 1900 Hrs IST.
Bring your ideas to the table as we bring you an open playground where you are free to zone out into the depths of imaginations.
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHKuyTbmd_JDoV3M4BK3PadilNbBtA5xo0oxcCpyzINEbivg/viewform
to get the meeting link for this session.
Follow our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/zeroinginpodcast/ to get more content for this session.
See you all there!
21/08/2022
In our deep philosophical musings of existential crisis, we fail to appreciate the daily mundanity of life and the everyday objects which surround us.
Let's explore the story of one such trivial object: Safety pins!
Read the full piece by Muskan Garg here - https://medium.com/p/342c67100e85
Stay tuned for more such articles that uncover the long forgotten histories!
19/06/2022
Hello!
This year, we are opening a call out for working as a part of and shaping Zeroing In for the upcoming Season 04 and the blog – on all ideas science and beyond!
We are offering ZI Creatorships and ZI Fellowships spanning flexible periods within 4 - 6 months (typically 5-7 h/week), involving varied forms of possible engagements and involvement with one of our projects.
The work roles span multiple disciplines from (the non-conventional analogues of) that of researchers, writers, designers, illustrators, media editors, marketing managers, orators and podcast hosts. You will be working in a team of 6 to 9 passionate individuals, spanning various disciplines and expertise, on shaping a complete Season’s activities and initiatives with Zeroing In, with the resources, established structure, core team and advisory body of the organisation, around when needed.
The call for applications is open from June 19 up to July 02 midnight, 2022.
To apply, you can send your CV/Portfolio with a brief letter of motivation to [email protected] or alternatively, you can fill-up the form on our website
(https://zeroingin.org/joinus.php).
Season 03 | Episode 04: Zeroing In with Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy on Statistical Physics and Spearheading the Study of Active Matter—
Full episode out now! Click on the link below -
https://youtu.be/zCzwy8Afvvk
Our everyday lives are lined by collective behaviour of all kinds of things, particles, and beings. Have you wondered if it is possible to formulate physical ideas that can lead us to understanding these fascinating behaviours that seem to appear out of sheer randomness — imagine the flocking of birds, movements of schools of fish, aggregation of bacteria, self-arrangement of bio-polymers— the highly non-trivial out of equilibrium systems that are driven by supply of energy, essentially the living or non- living-systems? The study of such systems is now popularly termed as active matter, and our guest for this episode, Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy, is known to have made seminal contributions to the field amounting to giving birth to and shaping the field of active matter, and laying the foundations of the hydrodynamical approach for studying these systems.
Prof. Ramaswamy, Fellow of the Royal Society, is currently a Professor at the Centre for Condensed Matter Physics at IISc Bangalore. His research addresses the quintessential questions of the physical world wherein the quantum mechanical descriptions do not enter the scene and the classical pictures rule over the complexities, using the powerful principles of the symmetry and conservation laws, under the broad regimes of condensed matter physics.
Listen in to our discussion with Prof. Ramaswamy, where we delved headlong into discovering more about the vast horizons and excitements in the field of active matter— Prof. Ramaswamy makes a call to all the bright young minds, to take a curious look at what wonderful ideas are in store to make sense of the physical world, and the apparent randomness in the absurdity of life.
Music by penguinmusic from Pixabay
Visit us on www.zeroingin.org
20/04/2022
S03 | E04 Teaser: Zeroing In with Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy • How do you connect the tiniest particles of universe to macro systems — what do you find common in a bunch of strongly interacting atoms and a flock of bird?
All these systems are brought under the same hood by Condensed Matter Physics! Perhaps a seemingly complex and advanced topic for a non-field person, condensed matter physics is one of the most active fields of physics, given the diversity of natural systems and phenomena existing to study it.
We made our attempts in unravelling this phenomenal research field with an extremely enthusiastic physicist, Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy FRS, Professor, IISc Bangalore.
Stay tuned as we bring you an enthralling conversation on this subject with such a brilliant mind on the other side!
Find the trailer here -
https://youtu.be/retSBh-Ta38
Background track credits: Lobo Loco - Take my Hand
The episode comes out this weekend!
Teaser — Zeroing In with Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy How do you connect the tiniest particles of universe to macro systems — what do you find common in a bunch of strongly interacting atoms and a flock of bird?...
Inklings | INSPIRESAT 1 : Big science of Nanosatellites
Circumscribing our homeland, Earth, are enumerable objects— the moon, the ISS and great many numbers of satellites— dead and alive.
Joining the league of satellites orbiting the Earth for various purposes— communication, surveillance, navigational and many more— is a relatively tiny one, aiming at big science!
The INSPIRESAT 1 is a nano-satellite built together by students and industry, as part of the INSPIRE Program, to serve the bigger purpose of making space science and technology accessible at university level.
In part one of the series, join us in a scintillating conversation with one of the principle investigators of the mission, Prof. Amal Chandran, Director (Space Science & Technology), Satellite Research Centre, NTU, Singapore and INSPIRE PM, LASP University of Colorado, as we discover the stories of running a small satellite program across three continents as well as the fascinating science these nano-satellites can explore.
Find the video here -
https://youtu.be/aovBWZWKEc8
03/04/2022
Inklings Video releasing today!
Stay tuned.
Learn about the technicalities and scientific goals of the satellite as well as some insiders from the students who have partaken in the process of its launch from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology.
Artwork by Kriti Raj
31/03/2022
Beyond the scenes of Zeroing In S03 | E03: In a scintillating conversation with Prof. B. C. Joshi we ventured from the outer space to the very fundamental ideas of science.
How do we map the sky from the ground? What does the daily life of an Astrophysicist look like? How is research in observational astronomy carried out? Why is the discovery of Pulsars considered so remarkable and there on the study of it? What does it take to construct sustainable research? — Discussing such essential and fascinating ideas, our conversation with Prof. Joshi paints quite a version of pursuing a life in science.
Tune into the two-part conversation on any of your favourite podcast streaming platform or visit us on zeroingin.org.
Let us know your comments here or you can mail us directly at [email protected]
27/03/2022
Does humanity have a plan if we get a call from outer space?
There are some questions that keep you up at night and then there are ones, which make you question the entirety of human existence. Let’s take a look at one of those questions!
Read our new blog on the Medium here -
https://medium.com/the-continuum-zeroing-in-blog/does-humanity-have-a-plan-if-we-get-a-call-from-outer-space-9858d1a23885
S03|E03 Trailer Part 2: Zeroing In with Prof. B. C. Joshi • What does it take to pursue observational astronomy and how does it look like? For all these stars, and the exotic (anti)matter that lies all across our universe— how do we even muster the courage to embark on a journey that leads to deciphering these puzzles that lie far, far, far away?
Listen in to the beautiful excerpt from our discussion with Prof. Bhal Chandra Joshi, an astrophysicist who deals with addressing a plethora of these fascinating questions, and in turn, discovering new mysteries— he talks about what the nourishing excitements that such an odyssey brings along.
Second part of the episode releases this weekend! Stay tuned and listen in to the first part if you haven’t yet on zeroingin.org or find us on any of your favourite podcast platforms!
Artwork by Aksh*ta Arora
27/03/2022
Pulsars are fascinating. Universe is filled with astronomical elements as intriguing as pulsars and this is one of the hottest areas of research in Astronomy today.
Did you listen to the first part of our latest podcast- Zeroing In with Prof. B.C. Joshi? Let us know your impression/ideas in the comments.
Look out for the second part releasing today!
S03 | E03 Trailer: Zeroing In with Prof. Bhal Chandra Joshi • Full episode Part 1 out now!
The universe we inhabit is teeming with remarkable mysteries, far removed from the extraordinarily insignificant corner that the Earth occupies. Mysteries of which, we can only see the traces of, and they still, very beautifully, cradle answers to the questions of our very existence — we talk about the process of discovering these answers, and delve even more into the journey of setting out to seek out further questions with our guest for this episode, Prof. Bhal Chandra Joshi, from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) - TIFR, Pune, India.
Listen to the full episode here: https://youtu.be/r61cn1CCW7A
Sound credits: REDproductions from Pixabay
Visit us on www.zeroingin.org
Teaser — Zeroing In with Prof. B. C. Joshi
Looking up at the night sky, how do you identify the difference between all the twinkling objects above?
Among those stars are the kinds that revolve with such precision that they act as very stable clocks and give a competition to the precise atomic clocks — the Pulsars. Pulsars are rotating neutron stars which emit radiations in a wide range of spectra and observing them reveals a plethora of exciting details which offer scientific understandings beyond measures.
Studying these fascinating objects of the sky in his everyday life, in our recent conversation, Prof. Bhal Chandra Joshi talks with an infectious passion about the world beyond the sky.
Stay tuned for this fascinating conversation coming out this week!
Music credits: Living in Hope by Purple Planet Music.
05/03/2022
A signal, a ray of hope that humanity has been looking for since time immemorial is finally heard. Will the world decode it? Is it an invitation for cooperation or a blunt dismissal?
Read "The Message" to see what becomes of this rare interaction(https://medium.com/the-continuum-zeroing-in-blog/message-from-the-other-world-7f7fef5f7084).
Written by Sahil Mittal and Anagha Sethuraman
Edited by Vagisha Bhatia
Poster designed by Sahil Mittal and Ananya Jain
22/02/2022
The Continuum is here— https://medium.com/p/988def9cda2b !
Check out the story of Zeroing In!
The tapestry of science is ever-expanding and so is our mission to build an interconnected community of STE(A)M professionals in India. In our latest venture, we have decided to roll out a platform where we will be able to put this tapestry in words—The Continuum, Official Blog of Zeroing In.
Read the story behind our venture and what we have in store for you in the future here: https://medium.com/p/988def9cda2b !
Zeroing In with Prof. Kurien Issac • Click, clank, grrrr, hummm— meddling with the symphonies of the mechanical world, our guest for this episode, Prof. Kurien Issac gives us a peek into the extremely fascinating and intriguing field of kinematics and mechanics.
Discover our conversation with Prof. Issac, Senior Professor, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum and find the immensity of the functioning behind our world.
Listen to the complete episode on -
https://youtu.be/hSG8gaZg_6w
Or visit www.zeroingin.org to find us on your favourite streaming platform—Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google podcast and more.
19/02/2022
S03 | E02: In the completeness of meddling with the symphonies of the mechanical world, our guest for this episode, Prof. Kurien Issac, Senior Professor, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, gives us a peek into the extremely fascinating and intriguing field of kinematics and mechanics, which covers the beautiful overlapping bits of mechanical and aerospace engineering, while introducing further directions of research including robotics.
Throughout his research work so far, Prof. Issac, has made significant contributions in the wide areas of mechanics, robotics, and aerospace, and has even created quite a number of novel mechanisms, ranging from variations of four-legged robots to those of ornithopters. Currently a Senior Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIST, his research directions span the wide arenas of optimization techniques and designs, robotics, mechanism control, humanoids and landing rovers.
Dive in to the conversation, as Prof. Issac takes us along a breezy ride through some very internal understandings of the mechanical world, introducing us to the gears of our fast moving lives that are enabled in many dimensions by the excellence mastered by the researchers and engineers practicing in the field. It was an absolute pleasure to uncover some exceedingly intricate ideas, which Prof. Issac articulates with stellar insights, and inspiring humility, lined with equal amounts of fascination!
Discover our conversation with Prof. Kurien Issac, as we uncover the underlying immensities of the functioning behind our everyday world.
Hosts being Shreya Mishra and Manish Kumar Mishra.
Music credits to Sankalp Hongal and Ethan Phangcho. Episode artwork by Aksh*ta Arora.
Find the full episode on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSG8gaZg_6w
For more such conversations, visit us on www.zeroingin.org or write to us at [email protected]
Zeroing In with Prof. Kurien Issac | On Mechanical Explorations and Tooling with Ideas In the completeness of meddling with the symphonies of the mechanical world, our guest for this episode, Prof. Kurien Issac, Senior Professor, Indian Institu...
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