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DTSTART:20250101T000000
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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20261111T133000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20261111T144500
DTSTAMP:20261105T005426Z
CREATED:20261103T052615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261105T005426Z
UID:103731-1794403800-1794408300@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:Physics Seminar_The Thick Stellar Disk of Andromeda and a Comparison to the Triangulum Galaxy
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: I will discuss three independent lines of evidence that point to M31's stellar disk being thick: (1) measured trends in the reddening of red giant stars as a function of sky position caused by the thin layer of interstellar dust indicate that the stellar disk is geometrically thick\, with a scale height of ~ 1 kpc; (2) red giant stars in the disk are observed to have a high line-of-sight velocity dispersion (~ 50–70 km/s) in our group's SPLASH survey; and (3) the observed chemical abundance trend in [alpha/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] space is similar to that of the MilkyWay thick disk\, not the Milky Way thin disk. I will also present a comparison of the resolved stellar population kinematics of M31 and M33 as a function of stellar age and galactocentric radius and what they may be telling us about the dynamical heating of these two galactic disks. \nAbout the Speaker: Prof Puragra (Raja) GuhaThakurta is a Distinguished Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UCSC. He is theFaculty Director/Founder of Creating Equity in STEAM (CrEST) and the founder of the CrEST programs StS\, PyaR\, SIP\, and the Global SPHERE Network. He and his students conduct research in observational astrophysics – their areas of interest include the structure\, dynamics\, formation\, and evolution of the stellar halos and stellar disks of galaxies\, galactic archaeology\, dark matter\, dwarf galaxies\, chemical enrichment\, and rare phases of stellar evolution. This research makes extensive use of the Keck telescopes\, Hubble Space Telescope\, James Webb Space Telescope\, Lick Observatory Shane telescope\, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope\, Subaru Telescope\, etc. Beyond the CrEST programs\, he has served as an instructor for the COSMOS program for many years and currently serves as an instructor for the Project for Inmate Education at Santa Cruz County Jail. He was awarded the AAS Education Prize in 2025. In his imaginary spare time\, Raja enjoys spending time with his family\, art (detailed portraiture)\, and playing/watching a variety of sports. \nWe look forward to your active participation.
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/physics-seminarthe-thick-stellar-disk-of-andromeda-and-a-comparison-to-the-triangulum-galaxy/
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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20261111T133000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20261111T150000
DTSTAMP:20261028T222954Z
CREATED:20261028T222954Z
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SUMMARY:Philosophy Colloquium - Sania Ismailee - Why the Essential Religious Practices (ERP) test is the wro
DESCRIPTION:Philosophy Colloquium \nTime & Date: 13:30-15:00\, Wednesday 11 November 2026  \nRoom: AC02-LR103 \nRefreshments will be provided  \nSpeaker: Sania Ismailee (BML Munjal University) \nTitle: Why the Essential Religious Practices (ERP) test is the wrong answer to the Indian headscarf case \nAbstract: In 2022\, Karnataka\, a state in South India\, introduced a Government Order (GO). The GO allowed college committees to require a uniform. The eventual uniform rules accommodated Sikh turbans as a constitutional right but excluded Muslim headscarves as a symbol disrupting peace and harmony. As a result\, several headscarf-wearing Muslim girls dropped out of educational institutions. \nThe Karnataka High Court denied accommodation to Muslim headscarves. It held that they do not pass the Essential Religious Practices (ERP) test. Indian courts use the ERP test as a tool to adjudicate matters of religion. It involves courts in theological questions\, such as determining whether practice X is foundationally religious or not. Several legal scholars have criticised the ERP test. Some have proposed alternatives. \nDrawing on existing critiques of the ERP and on the political philosophy literature on accommodating religious symbols\, I develop a two-pronged alternative to the ERP test. I call it the Sincerity and Disproportionate Burden (SDB) test. Under the SDB test\, a religious symbol should be accommodated if two conditions hold. First\, the practice is a sincerely held belief. Second\, the rule disproportionately burdens that sincerely held belief. The SDB test does not require courts to wear a theologian’s hat. \nA significant advantage of the SDB test is that it offers a criterion for thinking about the similarities and the dissimilarities of religious symbols like the turban\, the headscarf\, and the saffron shawl. The Karnataka High Court arbitrarily clubbed Muslim headscarves and saffron shawls as symbols disrupting peace and harmony.
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/philosophy-colloquium-sania-ismailee-whythe-essential-religious-practices-erp-test-is-the-wro/
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