Cosmic zoom
CosmicZoom is a virtual exhibition organized by ICTS. This exhibition takes the visitors through the different length scales of the Cosmos, from the smallest scales of subatomic particles to the largest scales of the observable universe. Several online events were organized in April 2021 as part of the CosmicZoom, which are archived here.
Past Lectures
Cosmology: from Big Bang to the present day
Tirthankar Roy (Cosmologist, NCRA)
18 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract: The currently accepted model of cosmology is that our Universe consisted of dense matter and energy at early times. With time, the Universe expanded and cooled down, thus allowing formation of galaxies, stars, planets and life. Understanding the sequence of these events using a...more
The life of whales and dolphins
Dipani Sutaria (Ecologist, Saving our Seas)
17 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract : The life of whales and dolphins, with a special focus on Arabian Sea Humpback whales, India Mammals returned to water from land about 65-53mya from at least three different terrestrial mammalian groups, and are thus a product of convergent evolution. Evolution that over time, created the...more
The interesting life of the giant honey bee
Axel Brockmann (Biologist, National Centre for Biological Sciences)
16 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract : In the last year Axel’s lab started to study the social life of the giant honey bee, Apis dorsata. Everyone in Bangalore and India knows that bee that likes to nest in trees in rural areas but prefers balconies and water towers in the cities. Many people are afraid of them and it is...more
Life: Its origin and place in the universe
Sanjay Jain (Theoretical Physicist, University of Delhi and Santa Fe Institute)
15 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract : A living cell is a highly complex chemical organization in which many different types of molecules exist and play different roles. Through their interactions the molecules end up cooperating with each other to collectively endow the cell as a whole with the property of life, even though...more
Cloudy and turbulent days, and the wait for rain
Rama Govindarajan (Fluid dynamicist, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences)
14 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract : A cloud in the sky looks like a gentle huge powder puff, but actually has violent turbulent motion going on inside it. We will discuss the formation of a cloud and the origin of this turbulence. We will discuss that this turbulence is crucial for the growth of raindrops. Every cloud...more
Probing life's engines
Shashi Thutupalli (Bio Physicist at NCBS/ICTS)
13 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract: Metabolism is the veritable engine of life, driving the mind-boggling complexity of life-forms and their function -- single organisms can range in size from a few hundred nanometers (bacteria, archaea) to 10s of meters (blue whales) to even hundreds of kilometers (pando); very little...more
The Search For Habitable Worlds
Anand Narayanan (Astrophysicist, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology)
11 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract: Over the past three decades, tremendous progress has been made in the detection of planets beyond the confines of the solar system. In my presentation, I will go through the techniques that have been most successful in finding planets orbiting other stars, and the ways in which...more
How do insects fly?
Sanjay P Sane and colleagues (National Centre for Biological Sciences)
10 April 2021, 10:30 to 12:00
Online
Abstract : Insects dominate the earth in sheer numbers and biodiversity. There are more insects in the world than all other animals combined. What makes insects so successful from an evolutionary standpoint? There are many answers to this question. First, the evolution of flight which enabled them...more
The Impossible Dream of Neutrino Astronomy
Basu Dasgupta (Theoretical Physicist, TIFR )
09 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract: Neutrinos are unique: almost massless, barely interacting, and capable of preserving quantum coherence over macroscopic distances. This unique mix of properties proves to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it makes neutrinos an extraordinary tool, allowing us to probe new...more
Solar System: A Testbed for Physical Theories
H R Madhusudan (Educator, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium)
08 April 2021, 19:00 to 20:30
Online
Abstract : The Solar System has, for long, been studied first with the unaided eye followed by other instruments and tools. We have gathered enormous knowledge about the system as a whole, and about individual bodies such as planets, satellites, comets and dwarf planets to name a few. This far, the...more

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