Unicaus NEWS
These were some of the many questions raised at Science Sante, a first-of-its-kind gathering held in Bengaluru by Movement for Science Appreciation through Inclusion of Communities (Mosaic), a collective to build a diverse and inclusive community around ‘all things science’.
The ‘un-conference’-style meetup, which featured lightning talks, workshops and group discussions, saw participation from researchers, scientists, educators, students, technologists, and other enthusiastic individuals.
Spirited discussions
The informal discussions, held in smaller groups, saw spirited participation and debates on topics that came as suggestions from the audience at the beginning of the event. From normalisation of pseudoscience to collaborating with AI for accelerating learning to astronomy for the underprivileged, the topics covered a wide range of subjects and stirred rousing conversations.
“It is an experimental meetup, an inclusive format which is very common in the open-source software technology world,” said Kailash Nadh, a member of Mosaic and CTO of Zerodha.
Experimental meetup
Mr. Nadh noted that the participatory format usually sees engagement from people of all ages and experience levels, and interests and knowledge are shared in a free-flowing manner. While it has worked for open-source technology communities, it rarely happens in science, he pointed out.
“We have science conferences , which are strict and serious gatherings. A bunch of us have been wondering for the last many years why something like that can’t be possible for science. Why can’t people who are interested in science- be it an artist or a technologist, or a student- get together, have a rational or philosophical debate or discussion or work on a project together? This experiment is the outcome of a bunch of those thoughts,” he said.
The collective members hoped that the first edition of the meetup, which was held on social reformer and educator Savitribai Phule‘s birth anniversary, would inspire more such initiatives across the country.
Published – January 03, 2026 09:56 pm IST
