G V Pavan Kumar

Pratidhvani - Humanizing Science

Science EN ↓ 132 episodes

Namaste, Hola, & Welcome from G.V. Pavan Kumar. Pratidhvani (ಪ್ರತಿಧ್ವನಿ/प्रतिध्वनि) means reflection or resonance (of sound). Here, the aim is to resonate with knowledge & humanize science. The podcast conversation has two themes:1) Intellectual journey of scientists, philosophers and historians of science;2) History & Philosophy of Physical Sciences & Technology I am a Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India. I run this podcast in my personal capacity. Main feed of the podcast: https://historyofscience.in/

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: historyofscience.in

Author

G V Pavan Kumar

Episodes

Ep. 08 : Gripping History of Laser Invention 23.06.2023 58:10

I tell the story behind laser invention. It is a story of human imagination, tenacity, invention of a device, intense competition, blame and humor. I discuss how cold-war era USA created an environment to innovate and compete, all thanks to Sputnik... References : Hecht, Jeff. Beam: The Race to Make the Laser. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. https://global.oup.com/academic/product...

Ep. 6: Importance of Failed Experiments 09.06.2023 49:09

How does science approach failure and ignorance? What is an experiment? What can we learn from a failed experiment? How ignorance plays a relevant role in science and technology? I discuss these and related issues in this episode. References : 1. Chalmers, Alan Francis. What Is This Thing Called Science? Hackett Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2013. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/W...

Ep. 5 : Ashkin's Story - no prize to Nobel prize 03.06.2023 44:29

References : “The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of Americ….” Accessed May 31, 2023. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11797471-the-idea-factory . Ashkin, Arthur. Optical Trapping And Manipulation Of Neutral Particles Using Lasers: A Reprint Volume With Commentaries. World Scientific, 2006. NobelPrize.org. “The Nobel Prize in Physics 2018.” Accessed June 2, 2023. https://www.nobelpriz...

Ep. 4 : Science, Rationality and Compassion 27.05.2023 30:52

References : Watson, Peter. “Ideas: A History from Fire to Freud.” Accessed May 26, 2023. https://peterwatsonauthor.com/books/ideas-a-history-from-fire-to-freud/ . Pinker, Steven. “Rationality.” Accessed May 26, 2023. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Rationality/HT0NEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover . “Tarka Sastra.” In Wikipedia, July 8, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/inde...

Ep. 3 : Six Jugalbandis of Scientific Research 20.05.2023 33:59

References discussed in this episode : · “Jugalbandi.” In Wikipedia, March 14, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jugalbandi&oldid=1077148368 . · Dyson, Freeman J. “Is Science Mostly Driven by Ideas or by Tools?” Science 338, no. 6113 (December 14, 2012): 1426–27. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1232773 . · “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.” In Wikipedia...

Inspirations from Japan 14.05.2023 46:48

(G. V. Pavan Kumar, “OMC 2023,” Scatterings, April 21, 2023, https://backscattering.blog/2023/04/21/omc-2023/ ) (G. V. Pavan Kumar, “Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop – History of Optical Manipulation,” Scatterings, April 19, 2023, https://backscattering.blog/2023/04/19/halina-rubinsztein-dunlop-history-of-optical-manipulation/ ) (G. V. Pavan Kumar, “3 Axis Pendulum at Yokohama City : An Introduction,” Sc...

Pratidhvani (ಪ್ರತಿಧ್ವನಿ/प्रतिध्वनि) - Origins 12.05.2023 36:28

References : Kumar, G.V.P., 2023. Science + History —> better Science. Scatterings. URL https://backscattering.blog/2023/04/01/science-history-better-science/ (accessed 5.11.23). Kumar, G.V.P., 2022. 12 Years as a faculty member in India – 12 lessons. Scatterings. URL https://backscattering.blog/2022/05/25/12-years-as-a-faculty-in-india-12-lessons/ (accessed 5.11.23). Weinberg, S., 2003. Fo...