https://madrasmedley.com/tags/science/ Recent content in science on Madras Medley Hugo -- gohugo.io en-us © Copyright notice Fri, 24 Dec 2021 18:43:32 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/early-indians/ Fri, 24 Dec 2021 18:43:32 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/early-indians/ Since its inception, the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) has taken various twists and turns and has been responsible for debates in multiple spheres like academia, literature, etc. Owing to India’s unique history, unlike other countries, there have been intense political disputes and consequences with deep-rooted ramifications due to the AIT. Our history books still teach AIT as the primary theory of how we acquired our languages and culture. Few people are even aware of the alternative approach known as the Out of India Theory (OIT) and how it counters the AIT. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/what-if/ Mon, 01 Feb 2021 18:41:46 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/what-if/ Funny and quirky physics book answering wacky questions. Like the author says - there are stupid questions but trying to throughly answer them can take you to some pretty interesting places.  Originally published here. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/aryan-myth/ Sat, 02 Jan 2021 18:41:37 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/aryan-myth/ The Aryan Invasion Myth is a short read on the present state of the long-standing debate on the origins of the Indian people. To the uninitiated, there are broadly two schools of thought concerning the origins of early Indians - The Aryan Invasion Theory(AIT)/Aryan Migration Theory(AMT) and the Out of India Theory (OIT). The AIT claims that there was an original Dravidian populace (Harappan civilization) native to India. These tribes were driven southwards by invading/migrating ‘Aryans’ from the West (Steppes) around 1500 BCE who established the Vedic society and ‘brought’ language(Sanskrit), culture, and religion (Hinduism) to India. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letters-astro/ Mon, 11 Nov 2019 22:41:45 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letters-astro/ I have followed Neil deGrasse Tyson for a long time. YouTube, books, Star Talk podcasts, a live talk, Cosmos, etc., are some of the ways I’ve become accustomed to his style and views on all things under the sun (pardon the pun). In spite of that, this book was a refreshing change, as perhaps for the first time, we get to see the personal, empathetic side of the man, who is exceptionally rational most of the time. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sapiens/ Fri, 18 Jan 2019 19:07:03 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sapiens/ I am a fan of history, and one thing I can convincingly say about historical books is how difficult it is to weave them into an engaging story, no matter how narrow the scope of the book. In that regard, Sapiens is an outstanding book as it tells the greatest historical story of them all - of our own species, Homo Sapiens, and how we came about to be what we are today. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/longitude/ Sat, 20 Oct 2018 22:34:29 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/longitude/ Colonization of the world by European superpowers is something most people are familiar with. But it’s not often clear what exactly made them “superpowers” of that era. Longitude, by Dava Sobel, gives us an insight into one of the important reasons, by delineating the remarkable story of John Harrison, who spent the majority of his lifetime with a single minded focus and dogged determination to solve the 400 year old problem of finding the longitude at sea. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mahabharata-war/ Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:06:22 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mahabharata-war/ It’s not often that you read a book outside of academia, which provides you a wealth of information and value, while building your curiosity. Nilesh Nilkanth Oak has done just that, with his rigorous and scientific method of approach in ascertaining the date and time period of the Mahabharata war. The author, like many previous Mahabharata researchers, has taken the astronomical references provided within the Mahabharata text itself, to determine this. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/astrophysics/ Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:04:45 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/astrophysics/ In spite of a sample size of just one astrophysics book read so far, I’d like to rate this book as a very good introduction to the nature of the universe we live in, and our pursuit in discovering it’s msyteries. Neil deGrasse Tyson explains in easy-to-understand language, how and why we came to be - right from the Big Bang, to the nature of elements, from dark matter and dark energy to supernovas and pulsars , from general relativity and the electromagnetic spectrum to our most recent discoveries of exoplanets. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/code-book/ Mon, 19 Sep 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/code-book/ If you’re looking for an excellent primer to the world of cryptography and cryptanalysis, then The Code Book, is the one you must lay your hands on. The book can be looked at in three perspectives. At a micro level, it is a guide to the various techniques of secret writing, and how they can be deciphered. Right from Caesar’s cipher to quantum cryptography, the book traces how encryption and decryption has evolved in the last two millennia, which, by itself is fascinating.