Fundamatics

Author: Queenbee

  • Our Green Campus

    Our Green Campus

    April, 2020

    No one knew that it would be like this. The reality of a pandemic is also the stillness of silence. 

    The nature of this silence is different; it is more an absence of manmade noise. Now there are no errant voices drifting across from the hostels, no sound of autos and sundry other vehicles laboring up the Sameer hill, the distant sound of traffic and horns that drift across the lake, not even the occasional construction equipment.  

    This is not the first time Fundamatics has dedicated an issue to the campus. This, after all, is not a typical university green space with formal, manicured gardens and lawns but a more naturalistic biodiverse landscape – a beautiful anachronism placed smack dab in the middle of an urban megapolis of Mumbai. 

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  • The World of Folklore and Mythology

    The World of Folklore and Mythology

    January, 2020

    In the age of Alternate Facts and Fake News, Fundamatics thought it would be interesting to devote an issue to Folklore and Mythology. This is not an attempt at being flippant but to an honest effort to bring together a collection of diverse stories from various parts of the country. Folklore is how a People imagine their past and themselves. Folk tales become icons of cultures, and in turn, cultures get manufactured around these tales. The tales are told in various art forms – storytelling, singing, theatre, paintings, sculpture and handicraft – and in turn these art forms shape the tales. We are constrained here to limit ourselves to the written word but the written word is no mean instrument – as we shall see* (hum dekhenge ).

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  • In Conversation with Devdutt Pattanaik

    In Conversation with Devdutt Pattanaik

    Devdutt Pattanaik writes on relevance of mythology in modern times. Trained in medicine, he worked for 15 years in the healthcare and pharma industries before he plunged full time into his passion. Author of 50 books and 1000 columns, with several bestsellers, he is known for his TED talks, his TV shows especially Devlok, and his innovative views on culture, leadership and Indian approach to management. As any issue on mythology would be incomplete without any input from Devdutt Pattanaik , the Fundamatics editorial team reached out to him with few questions that we thought would be interesting for our readers. We are fortunate that he agreed to respond to queries. Hope that you, our readers, will find his replies and comments illuminating, as we did. The illustrations used in his article are by Devdutt Pattanaik.

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  • Revisiting the Constitution of India

    Revisiting the Constitution of India

    Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru addresses the crowd in Delhi on the occasion of India’s 14th Independence Day on 17 August 1960. Above him flies the national flag of India. Image source: Link

    October, 2019 – November, 2019

    A constitution is a political document, framing the aspirations of a people. Far from being a record of the already-achieved, it is effectively a charter of aims and desires, of what a nation strives to be. From 2016 to 2018, IIT Bombay had hosted a series of talks on the Indian Constitution by some of India’s most eminent jurists. Five talks have been chosen for this issue that reflects both general constitutional questions as well as specific concerns – an overview of constitutional issues, gender justice, constitutionality and the death penalty, critical judgments on fundamental and human rights and challenges posed to constitutional freedoms by new technologies. The original audio recordings of all the five talks can be accessed from this page.

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  • Green Energy

    Green Energy


    July, 2019 – August, 2019

     

    We are exploring energy in this edition. While it was one of the most fundamental inventions of the last century, that literally gave us all more time in the day to pursue stuff, gave us all the modern comforts, it has always been in the back-burner for most of us from IITs. It was never very cool. And honestly burning fossils to power our modern lives, at a fundamental level, never seemed like a great idea. Sure enough, we have destroyed the planet as we know it, as we all became slaves to modern, well-powered life. It is time for a refresh though. The last decade has been one of the most innovative for power which makes us hopeful about a better future for our kids.

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  • New Year on a New Note

    New Year on a New Note

    September, 2018 – October, 2018

    After a brief hiatus, the beehivers are back again with a new issue of Fundamatics. We bees have missed the warm, glorious sunshine during the damp monsoon months. So, we are quite happy to leave our hives and once again spread out our dampened wings under the reinvigorating touch of the warm, autumn sun. We are excited about putting the monotone of monsoon skies behind us and embracing a horizon that is bursting with new colours and along with it new possibilities. The vibrant color palette is redolent of revelries that lie ahead.

    We are also feeling slightly overwhelmed, at how time has slipped between our wings. Yes, the year is well on its way out. We will soon need to turn the hourglass for a fresh start. Now is the time to revaluate, to re-engage in a flurry of activity and share myriad pieces with you. Adieu, rain winds. Welcome, glorious clear skies, fresh flowers and new pots of honey.

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  • From the Beehive

    From the Beehive

    June, 2018 – July, 2018

    Healthcare is one of the largest sectors in the Indian economy both in terms of employment and revenues, and paradoxically, one of the greatest challenges facing our nation. A large number of minds from the IITB community are engaged in grappling with key Healthcare issues in various roles – as founders of NGOs that offer primary healthcare, as scientists researching drug discovery, as technologists and innovators solving problems related to delivery and devices, as incubators supporting and guiding start-ups, and as investors funding small firms, etc. In this issue of Fundamatics, we bring you some of their stories, as well as articles exploring different aspects of Healthcare.

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  • From the Beehive

    From the Beehive

    March, 2018 – April, 2018

    The earth has reawakened from her slumber and is exploding with new life. The familiar sights and sounds of nature – blue skies, the warm and glorious sunshine, new foliage and flurry of activity in the animal world – makes one feel like the world is starting anew. The distinctive call of the ever-secretive cuckoo bird rings loud and clear. The coy flowers of spring in their modest shades of pink, purple and white have started mingling with the brazen red of Gulmohars and flaming yellow of copper-pods thus blurring boundaries between the two seasons. A time for planting seeds, both literally and figuratively, this in-between time of the year inspires us to believe that along with the Earth, we too might change, release the past, think creatively and more importantly push boundaries. With spring imperceptibly making way for summer, it is the perfect moment to embark on new journeys and explore new directions. Inspired by this spirit of the season, we bring you this month a multitude of articles, which like the resplendent peacock captures all colours and hues of thoughts in celebration of a world in which all is now truly rejuvenated. (more…)

  • From the Beehive

    From the Beehive

    January, 2018 – February, 2018

    The beginning of a new year always evokes the feeling of a fresh start. There is also joyful anticipation at the prospect of fresh beginnings presented by the new year — new promises, new resolutions, and the never fading hope to achieve them all. We started the new year by capturing the essence of the year that we bade goodbye to. We continue the forward journey with our readers building on the same note of growth, regeneration and hope. Like a bouquet that derives its identity from the colours and diversity of its many flowers, this month we bring you  a rich world of literary experience that ties together multiple strands of thoughts, perspectives, opinions and reflections. Some will make you pause. Others will open doors to a world of new ideas. Yet others will merely entertain you. But, above all we hope that this issue of Fundamatics and all others that will follow this year, strengthens the bond that we have shared over the years. (more…)

  • From the Beehive

    From the Beehive

    December, 2017 – January, 2018

    December is a month of many moods. The season inexorably stirs up myriad emotions. Most of us experience wistfulness at the thought of another year drawing to a close mixed with utter disbelief (how fast that went!). And, then how can we forget the thrill of going on year-end vacation, the joy of reuniting with family and friends and savoring the chill of winter mixed with the warmth of hearth. But, for those of us at campus, December is also something else. It is the time of homecoming – the time of annual gathering of hundreds of alumni who flock to the campus from near and distant shores to reconnect with each other and with their alma mater. This issue of Fundamatics is dedicated to that spirit of revisiting, rediscovering, of making new beginnings and, most importantly, of building upon the past. This month, to remind you of the months gone by, we bring to you the most popular articles from our monthly issues of this year.

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