When you walk out of the Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB), a public institution for research-based engagement borne out of an initiative by Karnataka government and the crème de la crème of Bengaluru’s elite business class, you are sure to find yourself still contemplating the current season’s science exhibits.
The Gallery threw open its doors to its latest exhibition, Sci560, last Saturday to address the need for a cultural conversation around science and research in Bengaluru. The exhibition has been crafted to ignite curiosity in everyone who walks through SGB’s wide halls, drawing them into the rich and intriguing story of Bengaluru’s scientific past.
Glimpse Into The Past
As you step into the main building and wander into Exhibition Hall 1 to your left, you are greeted by Lasya Digvijay, a visual designer by trade, and Maithri, a fresh graduate in microbiology and chemistry. Together, they take you through the intriguing story of B.V. Sreekantan, once a student of the legendary Homi Bhabha, and his enigmatic experiments on cosmic particles known as ‘Muons’ and ‘Neutrinos’, conducted deep within the many shafts of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF).
But why KGF? Maithri reveals that KGF had electricity as early as 1905, making it an ideal site, in addition to the mine’s tremendous depths. It was here, in the subterranean dark, that Sreekantan’s work became groundbreaking as it offered the world the very first evidence of atmospheric neutrinos in 1965.
Maithri and Lasya are participants in SGB’s interdisciplinary mentorship initiative, which is focused on young adults aged 15 to 28. Approximately 30 individuals, referred to as ‘mediators,’ have been selected for this programme and will be responsible for explaining the exhibits to SGB visitors during this season.
Across the Activity Hall, in another exhibition hall, Pravalika, a freelance industrial designer, and Sangeetha Reddy, an MSc Physics student from the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), guide you into the mysteries of the cosmos through the lens of a photometer. This delicate instrument, they explain, measures the intensity of light that travels across the vast expanses of space.
With patient precision, they unravel the workings of the photometer, before drawing a shimmering thread that ties it to Bangalore. India’s first astronomical observatory, they reveal, was established in Madras (now Chennai) in 1792 and later relocated to Kodaikanal in 1901, where this very photometer played a crucial role. The triumphs of these observatories in deciphering the secrets of the stars eventually led to the founding of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru— today a north star of the city’s enduring legacy in space research.
On the first floor of SGB, Maansi Sharan, a Master’s student, takes you through the intriguing experiments of Obaid Siddiqi at the National Centre of Biological Sciences (NCBS). She also shares the story of the ‘Jivanu’ experiments from the 1950s to the 1970s, where chemists Krishna Bahadur and S. Ranganayaki at the University of Allahabad explored the spontaneous emergence of life-like properties from simple chemical mixtures—'abiotic soups’ of carbon-based molecules, ammonia, phosphates, and mineral salts—offering insights into the origins of life.
These are among the many exhibits that connect the dots on Bengaluru’s centuries-old science scene at SGB.
“Exactly 40 years ago in 1984, when I came to this city, I was a young journalist and Nandan was busy setting up Infosys. I was reporting and writing on the city, rapidly learning about its people, culture, institutions, and politics. It quickly became evident to me that this city has a rich history of innovation and inquiry. This is a city of pioneers—a place of legal thinkers, creative minds, and a diverse public, including people from all corners of India and many parts of the world,” says Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.
An author and a noted philanthropist, Nilekani has contributed Rs 3 crore for the Sci560 exhibit season. In total, she has donated Rs 17 crore to support the mission of Science Gallery Bengaluru.
Speaking on the sidelines of Sci560 launch, Nilekani told BW Businessworld that Bengaluru’s elite, including startup and business leaders, must step forward to create more spaces for citizens to engage at and help build the future of the city.
“Bengaluru has grown beyond the pillars of its origins to become home to a constellation of institutions in fields like theoretical sciences, astrophysics, engineering, biological sciences, and more. Yet, many of these institutions seem far removed from the lives and aspirations of ordinary citizens. If we want all who come here to take pride in this city and contribute to its future, we must intentionally build deeper connections to these institutions,” she adds.
On the day of the launch, Karnataka government announced another Rs 10 crore corpus for the Gallery.
Having fully moved into the current facility only in January this year, much of SGB’s construction and planning are still ongoing.
A former faculty member at King’s College London and a curator to the Science Museum in London, Founding Director Jahnavi Phalkey is the main force behind the Gallery.
“Our focus is to secure funding for the remaining four labs, so we can have them up and running by next year. Once everything is fully operational, we will have six labs, four exhibition halls, and plenty of community spaces. There’s also a small area at the back that remains uncovered for now, as we’re currently focusing on the park, where we plan to have an open café,” says Phalkey, speaking on plans for 2024.
“We’re also planning to create a black box kind of theatre and a few additional rooms, including office spaces—because teams always grow bigger than expected. We aim to get all of this constructed in the coming year, along with the new building to support more future projects,” she adds.
But her focus remains on executing the current season successfully, which took about 12 months of conceptualising.
Sci560 exhibition at Science Gallery Bengaluru will run till December this year.
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