The Saturday, 27th January 2007: 2.00 to 4.00 pm, Auditorium I in Gujarat Science City

The Gujarat Science City is announcing the popular science lecture on the topic "Three Fallacies of Newtonian Science" to be delivered by Prof. Arvind Kumar, Director, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai on the Saturday, 27th January 2007 at 2.00 pm in Auditorium I. 

The lecture is seventh in its series titled as "SCIENCE MATTERS" that aims to bring awareness among the young students, parents, teachers and the media persons about the fascinating world of basic sciences and its promising future. The series deals with topics on frontier areas of science and technology for the spreading of new knowledge and awareness among the students as well as the public at large. 

Science provided a way for people who were willing to think critically to go beyond doctrine and shared opinion.  The idea of trial and error, of conjectures and refutations, has had a liberating effect on human society and has made possible the material progress of recent centuries.  Science gave us a way of knowing what we know and what we do not know.

The talk on Three Fallacies of Newtonian Science will describe the three conceptual fallacies in classical physics. The modification in these fallacies ushered in the three great revolutions of twentieth century science, namely, Relativity, Quantum Mechanics and Chaos and Non-linear science. 

Prof. Arvind Kumar is an eminent theoretical Physicist and the founder of the national and international science olympiad movement in the country. He is currently Chairman of the Steering Committees for Science and Astronomy Olympiads. He is the pioneer of significant new programmes in science and mathematics curriculum and history of science including the recently implemented National Initiative on Undergraduate Science programme, aimed at motivating and nurturing talented undergraduates towards advanced studies and research in basic sciences. 

Multi-faced interests, zeal to learn and understand new things, and finding pleasure in doing things, are the hallmarks of Professor Arvind Kumar. His recipe for life is a sensible mix of love, sincerity and hard work. He is an expert and pioneer, who has the power to create, the ability to lead and the foresight to build the future today. 

With his direct involvement in several national level scientific and educational committees, he has many major contributions in the field of science education and popularization. He received the Indian Nuclear Society's INS Science Communication Award 2003.  He received the Godavari Gaurav award of Kusumagraj Pratishthan in the category Gnyan for the year 2006. During his tenure as Centre Director, HBCSE received the 1999 NCSTC National Award of the Govt. of India for popularization of science among children.

The lecture will give an insight about philosophy of science as well as introduce the steps for logical and analytical thinking. Although current research in physics indicates fallacies and limitations to the Newtonian view, Isaac Newton is recalled as a founding father of modern thought. As Newton "stood on the shoulders of giants" for a better view, now we too may search for the truth, and our vantage is from above his shoulders. 

All are cordially invited to attend the programme at Auditorium I in the Science City.