Soon, you may no longer have to find science lectures on YouTube or even make your way to institutions to attend one. Bengaluru’s National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) has launched an initiative to deliver science to the people, right to their doorsteps – literally!
‘Science And The City’ is the initiative that will bring top-notch science lectures on popular topics right to your apartment. That too at no cost at all!
With science being the talk of the town, with debates ranging from the credibility of human evolution to the efficacy of vaccinations, NCBS has decided to promote science from the grassroots level.
What if you could host a popular science talk in your own apartment block!
We have great public talks at @NCBS_Bangalore, but it's often hard for people across the city to get here. That's why we started Science and the City.
Sign up here to host a talk: https://t.co/gSdwP9sgjD pic.twitter.com/XscrTZMrzy
— Mukund Thattai (@thattai) April 7, 2018
Talking to The Hindu, Mukund Thattai, a scientist from the NCBS associated with the programme, said: “We have a regular schedule of public lectures on our campus through the year. However, the distances and travel times in Bengaluru being what they are, even people interested in the lecture topic find it hard to attend,”
True, most of the prestigious science institutions are situated outside of Bengaluru, and even the National Centre for Biological Sciences is 14 kms away from the heart of the city. And there is also the problem that a topic of interest may or may not be the topic of the lecture when you are free.
Adding to the statement, Mukund Thattai added how this initiative came about.
“Many of my colleagues have already been giving popular talks in their apartments and housing societies. So we thought, why restrict this to our apartments. Why not go to any apartment where residents are interested? That’s the genesis of ‘Science and the City’.”
Apartment residents willing to host science talks can fill up forms available here. You can select topics and other various details that will suit you. “Hosts must ensure that the venue has sufficient seating, some basic refreshments and, if possible, projectors. We will provide a publicity flyer, but hosts must spread the word in their buildings,” Mr Thatai said.
Aiming to extend science, NCBS wants these venues to serve as a hub where people from in and around the neighbourhood can also attend the talks.
The speakers for the lectures would either be faculty members or post-doctoral researchers at the NCBS and inStem, the Stem Cell Institute. And the best part is that it’s free of cost!
The success of this initiative depends on the people. People like you and me who want to relay the knowledge of the world to everyone, benefitting the future to come. So let’s book a lecture today!
(Edited By Vinayak Hegde)
Hey, you may also like: How a Sea Journey By CV Raman Placed India On The Global Science Map
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