From Dublin to Bangalore – Science Gallery model goes global

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Having made science ‘cool’ at home, Dublin’s Science Gallery has global plans that are taking it as far afield as Bangalore, writes Ann O’Dea.

The highly acclaimed Science Gallery on Dublin’s Pearse Street has been bringing cutting-edge developments in science, technology and the arts to the general public since 2008, through interactive and award-winning exhibits, but the team behind the gallery now plans to replicate that successful model in a further eight countries.

From Dublin to Bangalore – Science Gallery model goes global . Michael John Gorman, founding director of Science Gallery

A donation of €1m from Google in December 2011 was used to set up the Global Science Gallery Network, which plans to open similar galleries in key cities worldwide. India was chosen alongside the UK, Singapore, the United States, Australia and Russia for the first wave of science hubs to be launched.

And it is not difficult to see why the idea is meeting with some success. Here in Dublin, the gallery has become part of the arty tech and science ecosystem, thanks to its quite unique model, says founding director Michael John Gorman.

“When we opened in February 2008, one of the reasons was we felt there was a real need to inspire and engage more 15- to 25-year-old young adults around science, technology and engineering, and to get more people considering courses and careers in these areas,” he says. “Since then, I think there is a mind shift that has happened where now people actively seek out science-related events and entertainment.”

The Brian Cox phenomenon

He does concede this may be partly attributable to the Brian Cox phenomenon – the ultracool British particle physicist and TV celebrity – not to mention figures like Ireland’s own Dara O’Briain, comedian and broadcaster whose background is in mathematics and theoretical physics. Indeed, O’Briain sits on the gallery’s Leonardo Group, 50 ‘creative’ individuals, scientists, technologists, designers and artists who feed ideas into the exhibitions.

“It was a deliberate decision when we were starting out,” says Gorman. “Many science attractions around the world are focused on very young children and families, and on school groups. We made a decision that we would have a more adult engagement with science technology and the arts. There’s this widespread idea that science is for kids and art is for adults. I don’t know why that exists as a perception but it needs to be challenged.

“When we were setting up the gallery at the boundary of the university (Trinity College Dublin) it seemed like there was an opportunity for the gallery to be a porous membrane for the university and its researchers, and for all the exciting stuff going on behind the closed doors of labs, to bring that out to the public, and draw the public into interactions with the university. We were determined that we wouldn’t vandalise the science, we wouldn’t dumb it down. There was nothing out there like that.”

In 2012, 300,000 visitors went through the Science Gallery’s doors. “To put that into perspective, when we’re starting up the gallery back in 2007-2008, our target was 50,000 visitors a year,” says Gorman.

Not only that, but 2012 saw its exhibitions tour to Singapore, Manila, New York and London.

“At the beginning of June, we had three exhibitions opening in three continents in three weeks,” says Gorman. “We also ran Ireland’s largest ever TEdx event in September in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, which sold out and had 2,000 people listening to people talking about the future of science and technology. In a strange way science has become cool.”

It was because that concept was quite unique that the gallery felt it could replicate the model as a ‘plug in’ to universities in other key urban centres around the world.

Science Gallery and India

Today, excitement is building in India, where in November the Karnataka State Government signed a memorandum of understanding with Science Gallery, and is launching the feasibility analysis this month. A strong steering committee is already in place, with stakeholders like the Indian Institute of Science, the National Centre for Biological Sciences, and the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology already involved in the process.

And the Bangalore Science Gallery has other heavyweight backing, with none less than India’s leading businesswoman, self-made entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw a strong supporter of the initiative.

Often cited as India’s richest woman, Mazumdar-Shaw’s $800m business Biocon is one of India’s leading drug companies, with a workforce of some 6,000. She was included in Forbes’ The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2012 and Time magazine’s The World’s Most Influential People in 2010. When I mentioned the Bangalore project on Twitter, to my surprise, she shot off a rapid and enthusiastic response.

Mazumdar-Shaw herself has strong Irish connections. She worked as a trainee manager in a biochemicals company in Cork back in the 1970s, before starting Biocon in the garage of a rented home in Bangalore in 1978, with seed capital of an equivalent $200 in today’s money. In 2001, Ireland’s Minister for Health at the time, Mary Harney, appointed Mazumdar-Shaw to the board of Science Foundation Ireland. Today she is Irish consul general in Bangalore.

She, too, tells me Bangalore was the obvious choice, as a “leading hub of information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology, not only in India, but in Asia.

“The Science Gallery project is a welcome and timely addition to Bangalore’s growing stature as India’s science and technology capital,” she says. “It provides an ideal platform for interactive and multidisciplinary learning and knowledge creation.”

“Conceptually, the Science Gallery is the perfect format for advancing scientific education that has a mindset of explorative research,” she continues. “As the Irish consul general in Bangalore, I am delighted to see this meaningful and path breaking bond between the two countries being catalysed by Trinity College.”

Science Gallery is funded by a combination of Trinity College Dublin support, Government support, corporate partnerships, foundations, philanthropy and earned income.

“These supporters allow us to keep entrance to Science Gallery free of charge, which was a key principle from the outset,” says Gorman.

The earned or operational revenue has grown to about a quarter of its funding, says Gorman, thanks to the growing success of the café, the retail space, corporate hire and of course the successful touring exhibitions. During the financial year 2010/2011, Science Gallery increased its annual turnover by 20pc from 2010 to €2.2m.

Back in Bangalore, Gorman says the feasibility analysis should be completed in April, and shortly thereafter the gallery should move to the development stage, but the UK is likely to pip them to the post. Closer to home, Science Gallery is in advanced discussions with King’s College, London, regarding the setting up of a Science Gallery on its Guy’s Hospital campus there, scheduled to open in 2015, close to the Tate modern and the Shard building – a suitably edgy location for a very cool concept.

A version of this interview first appeared in The Sunday Times on 27 January

source: http://www.SiliconRepublic.com / Home> Innovation / by Ann O’Dea / January 30th, 2013

Puttur to get library, art gallery after Karanth

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

Mangalore :

If everything goes according to the plan, Dr Shivarama Karantha Balavana  in Puttur will soon have a library-cum-art gallery after writer Kota Shivarama Karanth .

The new building, which will also have a skating rink on its terrace, will be opened at Balavana by March.

The library will have complete works of Karanth and available books and research papers on the writer, and the art gallery attached to the library will have paintings and pictures of Karanth.

Assistant commissioner, Puttur sub-division H Prasanna told TOI that, Balavana, where the revolutionary writer had lived, will be preserved as a historic monument. “The gallery has been designed in such a way that more windows will be placed to make it bright even during power cuts. The full-fledged building will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 80 lakh by the district administration under the chief minister’s special funds,” he said.

“The 15,000 sqft gallery, which is under construction, will have more than 20 tall windows and facilities will be made to display paintings on the wall in between the windows,” he said.

As many as 13 artists from various parts of the state had sketched characters and messages in Karanth’s novels as part of a literary interaction and oil painting camp on works of Karanth at Balavana on Monday. “We have plans to organize two more such camps in the days to come. All paintings created at these camps will be kept at the new gallery,” Prasanna said.

There are also plans to create mural art on two huge walls on either side of the hall of the art gallery, he added. “We have requested the department of Kannada and culture, Kannada Book Authority, Mangalore University and other institutions to contribute books and research papers on Karanth to the library,” he said adding. The terrace of the building will be converted into skating rink for children,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com /Home> City>Mangalore / TNN / January 30th, 2013

Padma Bhushan for Rajesh Khanna, Rahul Dravid

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports, Uncategorized

Noted physicist Yash Pal and space scientist Roddam Narasimha were named for the Padma Vibhushan awards Friday, with 106 other Padma awardees, including actors Sharmila Tagore, Sridevi, the late Rajesh Khanna, late satirist Jaspal Bhatti and Olympic medallists Mary Kom, Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijay Kumar.

Sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra and painter S Haider Raza were among the four chosen for the second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan. Nobody was named for the Bharat Ratna for this year too.

Cricketer Rahul Dravid made the 24-strong list for the Padma Bhushan . List of Padma Awardees

Joining him was Godrej group chairman Adi Godrej and missile scientist A Sivathanu Pillai. The awards will be presented in March and April.

Kom, silver medallist at the London Games, is the only Olympian in the Padma Bhushan list. India’s other two Olympic heroes, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and shooter Vijay Kumar, were named for the Padma Shri, along with actors Sridevi and Nana Patekar, filmmaker Ramesh Sippy and fashion designer Ritu Kumar.

Rajendra Achyut Badwe, director of Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Centre, oncologist Pramod Kumar Jhulka of AIIMS, homeopath Vishnu Kumar Gupta and sculptor Rajendra Tikku were named for the Padma Shri.

Four more sportspersons were named for the Padma Shri — mountaineer Premlata Agrawal, para athlete Hosanagara Nagarajegowda Girisha, boxer Ngangom Dingko Singh and rower Bajrang Lal Takhar.

source: http://www.HindustanTimes.com / Home> North India> New Delhi / by HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times / New Delhi, January 26th, 2013

Divya Drushyavali photo expo of Kailas Manasarovar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Mysore, Jan. 25 :

Akka Adventures has organised ‘Divya Drushyavali,’ an expo of 31 photographs of Kailas Manasarovar taken by M.Madan Gopal, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, at the Institution of Engineers on JLB Road.

The expo will be open for public today and tomorrow between 9 am and 8 pm. An avid wildlife lover and traveller Madan Gopal is also a keen listener of Hindustani Classical music, voracious reader and is now addicted to the Himalayas.

His interests other than trekking in the Himalayas include taking pictures of the landscapes there during sunrise and sunset. ‘Divya Drushyavali’ tries to convey this passion to the world through 31 photographs from his collection of more than 5000 photos.

Following Mysore, the expo will be held in Bellary, Raichur, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Dharwad.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / Home> General News / January 25th, 2013

We need to learn from craftsmen: Scientist Sharada Srinivasan

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Science & Technology

Bangalore :

Scientist Sharada Srinivasan , who won the Dr Kalpana Chawla  Award for Young Scientists recently, has explored linkages between art, metals and materials, heritage, archaeology, aesthetics, science and technology and the performing arts. Apart from being a professor of heritage at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore and collaborating research with people all over the world, she’s also an adept Bharatanatyam dancer. She speaks about her life and work:

Tell us about your work…

A major aspect of my work includes archaeo-metallurgical characterization and technical fingerprinting of South Indian bronzes of the Vijaynagar and Chola periods, uncovering of evidence for the smelting of copper, lid and tin bronzes of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. I’ve also worked on preservation of ancient mirror-making in Aranmula (Kerala). Certain parts of north Karnataka also produced high carbon steel during 700 BC, which I’m looking into as well as gold mining heritage sites in North Karnataka. We found evidence of bronze melting from a very long time ago around Hassan.

What are the major challenges?

Metallurgical items are often not taken very seriously by many at archeological sites though they give many insights about the era in which they were crafted. Modern mining also destroys much of our old heritage mining sites. Also, we need more support and grants for our work.

What do you think of heritage in Bangalore?

I’m concerned about the heritage culture of Bangalore. We need to build a museum culture.Youngsters spend a lot of time at multiplexes and malls which they could well spend at museums and heritage sites learning about culture and history. Museums here are disconnected when it comes to providing information to youngsters. The central government needs to inspire museum employees to do better as most artifacts on display have only brief descriptions. There needs to be creativity in this and apt explanations which youngsters can relate to.

What’s the solution?

Academic courses need more of practicals in subjects like history, and students need to learn from craftsmen  and artisans. Also, the scientific community needs to come up with relevant services that help the community.

What do you think about cannons found near the City Market?

They look like cannons from the 18th century but more scientific testing needs to be done to prove they belonged to Tipu Sultan

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Bangalore / by Rhik Kunda, TNN / January 26th, 2013

City Doctor’s tryst with destiny

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Travel

…from US Golf Open to Mysore’s Dolphin Cup

By Dr. Eskay Ghori

It was a wonderful morning at the JWGC Golf Club in Mysore reminding me of the day I set out to watch the US Golf Open in San Francisco on June 14, 2012. My son Zaid Ghori had bought me a ticket to the US Open as a Father’s Day surprise gift. Back here, the Dolphin Cup Golf Tourney was being played in Mysore when a lady golfer walked in with her daughter-in-law. I exchanged pleasantries and promised to catch up with them at Regaalis hotel in the evening where the prize distribution and a grand dinner party was organised by the Dolphin members.

For the first time since June 14 last year, I practiced a few shots and putted, the game and the swing was there and thought of future golf as a would-be 62-year-old man having played a handicap of 3 as a youngster and having won many a golf tournament in Nigeria, England and India.

It was 7.30 pm and all dressed formal for the evening, I stepped in accompanied by my wife Dr. Reshma Ghori to the poolside party at Regaalis. I saw Indira Venkatraman seated with her daughter-in-law Jennifer, who is an American lawyer living in San Francisco, California, USA, wearing a wonderful saree. I was told by Indira, the golfing lady member and a good socialite, that I have lost weight. I said, “Yes I am on weight control as advised by my doctor as I had a cardiac event, in simple terms a heart attack, at the US Open Golf Championship at the Olympic Club in Daly City near to San Francisco — a very challenging golf course by the Pacific Ocean, hilly with cold breeze blowing. I had forgotten to take my jacket in all the excitement to meet Vijay Singh whom I happened to know in Nigeria from his rookie days. Indira told me that her son Anand was a marshall at the US Open at Olympic Club and he was at the dinner at Regaalis.

As we were talking, her son Anand Venkatraman walked in and I asked him, “You marshalled at the Olympic Club in the US Open on the 14th of June 2012?” He said, “Yes, I did.” I asked him, “Do you remember a golfing spectator collapsed and was pronounced dead and the US Open came to a stand still for a few minutes, even Tiger Woods had to wait!” He said, “Yes, I was told he was an Indian.” I said, “Well Anand, it is me the dead man alive and fine, thanks to marshalls like you and the team of cardiologists who happened to be watching golf on the 14th tee box where Vijay Singh was teeing off. I collapsed and my heart, I was told, stopped for 3 minutes.” On hearing this, Anand was so overjoyed that he embraced me.

I was very lucky. They rushed me after giving me first aid and had me in a hospital in the nick of time and a life was saved like so many lives that are saved every minute in the United States with their state-of-art medical services — the emergency response team.

I felt like sharing this coincidence with my long-time friend and Editor-in-Chief of Star of Mysore K.B. Ganapathy who was enjoying the party with JWGC Captain P.M. Ganapathy, JWGC President Dr. P.A. Kushalappa and Dr. Joshi of the Dolphins who had invited us.

Is it not destiny that I had to meet Anand Venkatraman here in Mysore, a software marketing wizard who lives in San Francisco and a marshall. God, the supreme power, has many surprises for us in many ways — when it’s not your time to go up the seven skies, it’s not and when it is time to go, nothing can stop the order from God Almighty.

As a medical doctor who has spent all my career in the emergency rooms in India, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, I have seen many a drama. But when it happened to me, I realised the value of a good emergency response. As lady luck would have it, I met a friend John Paul, an American golfing spectator whom I later called an angel who stayed by my side till the evening until my family arrived.

The excellent services at Seton Medical Center, a cardiac specialist hospital in San Francisco whose Medical Director Dr. Hasselherst was the one who gave me CPR with the help of an Aneasthetist Dr. Martin, who incidentally works at Loma Linda Hospital with Dr. Ramdas Pai, a Cardiologist who happens to be my friend and junior at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, and told him that an Indian doctor had collapsed.

I did call Dr. Pai as soon as I was well enough to call from Seton Medical Center. He was also watching golf at the 14th tee of Loma Linda Hospital and the world-famous cardiac surgeon Interventionist Dr. Felix Milhouse and Dr. Gauhar Khan, a cardiologist at Modesto California, who took care of my follow-ups.

The time when one gets to the age of 60 is very crucial. One must get a heart check every year, a simple ECG, consult your family physician, eat a lot of vegetables and stick to a healthy diet, go for walks and keep stress at bay.

I cannot but less thank my wife Dr. Reshma Ghori, my son Zaid Ghori and would-be daughter-in-law Shanaz Ahamed for all the care and attention given for me to be back in Mysore with my friends and daughter Nisha Ghori, who travelled to the US to see me and brought me home. While I was getting well, I had an august visitor in Dr. Shivaram Malavalli who gave me much inspiration as his brother, urologist Dr. Sitaram Malavalli, also living in Modesto California where I lived.

The world is a small place and I always believed in the world as a place rather than a place as the world. Thank you God for this new life. Life is a very precious gift from God, take good care of it. I told my son Zaid Ghori that he not only bought me a gift of a ticket for Father’s Day but ended up giving me the gift of LIFE.

[Dr. Eskay Ghori runs Jubilee Clinic at Sareniza Villa in N.R. Mohalla, Mysore. Mob: 9945852340]

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com /Home>  Feature Articles / January 19th, 2013

Lalbagh Flower Show 2013: Flower show, a brilliant work of art

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment

A Bangalorean visits the Lalbagh Flower show and finds much joy and photo ops.

I would like to share my joy and happiness on visiting the Lalbagh Flower Show organised by the Horticultural Department of Government of Karnataka.

Every year, they focus on a theme – this year the idea was to celebrate Republic Day and the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The department has put in a great deal of hard work in the excellent arrangement of flowers, vegetables and potted plants.

 

The show was inaugurated on January 18th and is open till January 28th.

Feel free to share the pictures with your friends and relatives so that everybody enjoys the beauty of Mother Nature seen at Bangalore twice a year.

This year, there is a parking problem as no vehicles can enter the garden area. Visitors have to park their vehicles elsewhere and walk to the venue. Despite this, the visit is worth as such flower arrangements are rare. Congratulations to the Horticultural Department team for such a fantastic show.

Srinivasan S is a resident of Chikkallasandra.

source: http://www.bangalore.citizenmatters.in / By S. Srinivasan / January 23rd, 2013

Competition with a spiritual touch

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Gospel event

The students of St Joseph’s College of Commerce recently held their annual gospel fest, ‘Revelations’.

The inter-collegiate fest not only gave the students a platform to showcase their talent, but also a chance to get in touch with their spiritual side.

One would assume that a gospel fest would tend to be a bit boring, but the fest was anything but that. There was a lot of healthy competition and fun-filled events, like in any other fest.

There were close to 17 colleges that registered for the various events. While the events revolved around the biblical theme, each had its own fun twist.

The day-long fest had events like ‘ice-breaker’, ‘western music’, ‘vernacular music’, ‘creative writing’, ‘collage’, ‘debate’, ‘Bible quiz’, ‘costume presentation’, treasure hunt’, ‘street play’, ‘Bible punter’, ‘pick and sing’ and many others.

“This fest really aims at bringing out the best in each one of us. Also, it helps us youngsters get in touch with our spiritual side,” says Pilith Pericho, a student of SJCC.

The highlight was the ‘ice breaker’ round, where students from various colleges came up on stage in groups of eight and presented the vision of their college in a unique and funny way. While some sang songs, others danced.

There were also a few who used skits with funny one-liners to introduce their college.
Girls from Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College put up one of the skits in the round.  Gurneet, a student of the college, says that such fests really help the students get charged up.

“We tried to show the vision of our college in the form of a skit. Such events really help us bond and give us a chance to get to know many others in the student  community,” she adds.

Another highlight was the ‘Bible punter’, where the students were tested on their knowledge of the Bible.

For Adrian Jeffery, a student of SJCC, the best event was the western music competition.
“There is some really good talent here. It is a great platform to show that,” he adds. At the end of the day, Kristu Jayanthi College took the overall trophy and St Joseph’s College of Arts and Science was the runners up.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Supplements> Metrolife / Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

Kundapur Bar Association bags Inter-District Cricket Trophy

Sports

Kundapur,22 Jan 2013:

The city Bar Association bagged inter-district cricket trophy for the first time in the history of Kundapur, during the tournament held at St Philomena College, Puttur.

Karnataka Advocate General K M Nataraj inaugurated the tourney.  Over 18 teams of Bar Association from different districts participated in the tourney.

Kundapur team led by its captain lawyer Raghavendra Charana Navada defeated Mangalore B team in the first round.  Vishwanat adjudged man of the match by hitting 4 sixes.  Kundapur team also defeated Udupi team with huge runs.  The captain Raghavendra Charan adjudged man of the match by hitting 2 sixes and top bowling.

Kundapur team defeated strong team of Bantwal to reach the final.  Raghavendra Charan adjudged man of the match by bagging 4 wickets in 1 over.  Kundapur team in finals with Puttur team managed to win the trophy with 10 wickets.

Vishwant was adjudged as top bowler, while Puttur team member Narasimha Prasad adjudged top batsman.

Dakshina Kannada fast-track court judge T G Shivashankar Gowda distributed the trophy at the occasion.

Puttur Bar Association president Devanand K, secretary Jagannat Rai, lawyer T N Poojary, Kundar Bar Association president A B Shetty, lawyer Sasidar Hegde, and others were present at the occasion.

source: http://www.Bellevision.com / Home> News / by Bernard J. D’Costa , Bellevision Media Network / Kundapur, January 22nd, 2013

Musicians of Rudrapatna

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Rudrapatna is not a forest, a mountain, a trekker’s delight or a water body, although there is one nearby. Rudrapatna is for music lovers and if you love carnatic music, then this place is worth a visit. It is said the village is an abode of Veda, Nada, and Taranga and its music is famous and goes back hundreds of years in time.

Some of the greatest carnatic musicians such as RS Keshavamurthy, RK Srikantan, RK Srinivasamurthy, RK Suryanarayana, RN Thyagarajan and RN Tharanathan (also known as the Rudrapatnam brothers), RK Raghavan, RK Prakash, RK Prasanna Kumar, RK Padmanabha, RS Ramakanth, RN Sreelatha and Rathnamala Prakash  and others had hailed from this village.
The story goes that two groups of people from Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu settled in the area. While one group performed rites like yagna and yaga, the other spent their time on music. Many musicians in the state today relate to Rudrapatna. The influence of music is obvious in the village. For example, a temple has been built in the shape of a veena and the garden is filled with artistic works of musical instruments.
A temple at the village built in the shape of a veena

While on a trip to Rudrapatna, one can also visit Ramanathapura, a village on the banks of the Cauvery. Sitting on the banks here while the sun sets is a soothing experience. The fish in the river are an attraction, so much so that vendors sell puffed rice with which visitors feed the fish. Local villagers have converted the area into a ‘fish sanctuary and have banned fishing at this spot. Besides, the fish sanctuary, there are a couple of temples dedicated to Lord Ram. It is believed that Ram had visited this place. The architecture of the temples, located on the banks of the river, is also worth noting.

Food: There are no big hotels near Rudrapatna or Ramanathapura, but one can get food either from Holenarasipur or Arkalgud.
How to get there
Hit the Nelamangala Road and head to Channarayapatna and from there to Holenarasipur. From Holenarasipur head to Ramanathapura. Those who plan to visit Shravanabelagola can also visit Rudrapatna. The road is in fairly good condition.
source: http://www.BangaloreMirror.com / Home> Columns> Quick Getaways> Story / by Sridhar Vivan / Wednesday, January 16th, 2013