What – Open day at IUCAA with science made interesting for kids and adults
IUCAA is the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, and is housed in University of Pune. On 28th Feb, on the occasion of science day, they have organized a full day of various interesting sessions for people to see. For free.
Basically: “IUCAA takes its research to the masses”.
Anyone can visit the campus to attend and participate in popular science lectures, demonstrations, screening of scientific films, Q&A sessions etc. Work at IUCAA is showcased through a poster exhibition. A sky watching session wraps it up.
Why?
IUCAA is one of the best institutions in the country for pure science, and includes such greats as Jayant Naralikar, Naresh Dadhich (a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences), Thanu Padmanabhan (Padma Shri winner).
It also includes people like Arvind Gupta who have a genius for taking scientific principles and then applying them to “common” things like toys for children (made from everyday objects found in Indian homes).
A chance to visit an institution of this caliber, and interact with actual scientists engaged in cutting edge research, and with links to the best institutions in the world is something that most people in the world don’t have – and we in Pune are lucky to have that opportunity.
Schedule
- Bhaskara 1
- Virtual Astronomy tools Demonstration
- Bhaskara 2 & Outside
- Optics experiments Demonstration
- Experiments in Radio Astronomy
- Lobby between Bhaskara 2 & 3
- Research at IUCAA + Astronomy Posters Presentation
- Bhaskara 3
- Talks by Astrophysicists (duration 30 min each)
- 11:30 p.m. Brahmaand ki Pehli Kiranen – CMBR: Pranjal Trivedi
- 12:30 p.m. Our Expanding Universe: Varun Sahni
- 1:15 p.m. Things around us and elsewhere: Gaurav Goswami
- Chandrasekhar Auditorium
- Astronomy explained through Videos
- Science Toys & Experiments demonstrated by school children.
- 12:00 p.m. IUCAA Observatory Live telecast
- 2:30 p.m. Astronomy Quiz for Public
- 3:30 p.m. “Ask a Scientist”
- Muktangan (Science centre)
- Spectroscopy Demonstrations and model making
- Science Park
- Various Scientific playground models explained by volunteers.
- 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Sky Watching (passes necessary)
- Chandrasekhar Auditorium
- 6:00 p.m. Public Lecture: Nobel Prize in Physics – 2010 (A N Ramaprakash)
This event is free and open for anybody to attend.