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Completed Events |
| 153. |
Centre for Contemporary Studies |
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Presents
a talk on
“Phases and faces: Bronze and high-tin bronze
metalware traditions from southern India” 
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by
Dr.
Sharada Srinivasan
Associate Professor
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
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Date & Time: Thursday, 4th February 2010, 4.00 p.m |
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Venue : Centre for Contemporary Studies Seminar Hall,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012
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Abstract:
This lecture summarises some of the speakers original ethnometallurgical
and archaeometallurgical investigations made over the past decade and
half on archaeological bronzes which demonstrate the ways in which the
properties of bronze of different compositions including high and lower
tin bronze were skilfully exploited in Indian and south Indian antiquity
to get a range of artefacts suited to specific functions. The skills
in making bronze statuary is best exemplified by the 10th century Chola
figurines of Tamil Nadu with continuing icon making traditions at Swamimalai.
At the same time, the use of specialised bronzes of a higher tin composition
known as high-tin bronzes exploiting the properties of intermetallic
compound alloys has been established through these studies. It is also
demonstrated that from early antiquity going back to the south Indian
megalithic period, an interesting alloy of bronze, exploiting the properties
of the beta intermetallic compound was used to make elegant vessels
and continuing into recent times to make vessels, musical instruments.
On the other hand the properties of the intermetallic high-tin delta
compound of bronze are still exploited to make fine mirrors in Kerala.
Thus the paper covers many fascinating facets of the alloys of bronze
and correlations between the ‘phases’ and ‘faces ‘of
bronze. |
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152. |
Centre for Contemporary Studies |
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Presents a talk on
“Galileo, Carnot and the Physics of Computation”
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by
Prof.
Edward Fredkin
Visiting Research Professional at Robotics Institute
Carnegie Mellon University, USA
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Date & Time: Friday, 8th January 2010, 4.00 p.m
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Venue : Centre for Contemporary Studies Seminar Hall,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012
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Abstract:
Two of the wonderful ground rules for the development of newly invented
science, utilized by both Galileo and Carnot, are the concepts of studying
a closed system, and further, studying a system without friction. The
logic is simple and straightforward: If we want to find a law of nature,
then our experiments, whether carried out or simply imagined, are greatly
simplified by eliminating forces or energy flow between the “outside”
and the “inside” of the closed system. One way of accomplishing
this is to imagine that the temporal evolution of state takes place
without friction, which could contaminate the observed data by converting
energy of motion into lost heat.
Both falling objects and thermal engines undergo temporal evolution
of state; which means that they share that property with physics in
general. As to friction, systems from the scale of gravitationally bound
collections of Galaxies down to molecules and atoms, all operate with
essentially zero friction. The most important property of such systems
is that the laws that constrain their temporal evolution are generally
exactly reversible.
On the other hand, the operation of nearly all theoretical models of
computation, from automata theory to Turing machines to general computer
science are not merely contaminated by friction but they are totally
dominated by friction; obscuring any possible connections between the
functions of theoretical models of computation and theoretical physics.
All of the Boolean gates in ordinary computers are necessarily always
converting energy into heat
By merely emulating what Galileo and Carnot might have done if computers
had been introduced back then, we can finally make that connection between
digital computation and theoretical physics. |
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151. |
Centre for Contemporary Studies |
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Presents a talk on
"Embodied Histories?
How Rhythm Cultures Challenge Postcolonial Methodlogies" |
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by
Dr. Ananya Jahanara Kabir
Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial English, AHRC Knowledge
Transfer Fellow School of English, University of Leeds, U.K
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Date & Time: Thursday, 7th January 2010, 4.00
p.m |
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Venue : Centre for Contemporary Studies Seminar Hall,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 |
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All are cordially invited
Tea/Coffee will be served at 3:30 p.m.
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Abstract:
This paper will articulate my emergent thoughts on the relationship
between knowledges encoded in practices of the body, such as dance and
music, and textual, analytical forms of knowledge production, including
methodologies for studying 'postcolonial' societies and cultures from
across the Global South. By using rhythm cultures from Latin America,
Africa and South Asia in contrast and conversation (such as in diasporic
spaces and through oceanic transmission routes) I will discuss both
the historic difficulties and the philosophical rewards of carrying
out such a research agenda. My own attempts, as a South Asian academic,
to understand Latin American/ Carribean embodied histories through listening
and dancing to Cuban music will be used as a self-reflexive commentary
on the limits and possibilities of attempting this version of 'South-South
dialogue'. |
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