webinar

Climate narrative from the west often ignores the equity issues and engages in debates with scientifically misplaced metrics such as rise and fall of annual emissions instead of  stock of total cumulative emissions . The root cause of the problem is stock of emissions - and not the annual flow. Even the current net zero emissions narrative does not engage with the issue of equitable actions in proportion to responsibility. Payments for loss and damage to those who suffer without emitting is also a key issue. For example, the recent floods in Pakistan, which is not their doing.

The notion of rationality is much discussed by both Economists and  Philosophers. Perhaps you are rational if you accept certain axioms of rationality. If you prefer A to B and B to C then you must prefer A to C.   Or you can define rationality in terms of the net results of your behavior.  We examine a notion of algorithmic rationality.  Even animals upwards from the humble tick carry out algorithms.  Are they rational?  And can we use this theory to define the IQ of animals?

Two friends with identical interests have to share information in order to determine their optimal decision. Their communication will be observed by an uninformed third party with different interests who fully understands the intended meaning of all messages. Can the friends take their ideal decision without the observer ever objecting?

According to a game theoretical analysis, meanings arise due to the communicative pressure between speaker and hearer. In this talk I will give a game theoretical motivation, using signalling games, for the meaning and prototypes of adjectives that are based on a notion of similarity. Afterwards I will show under which circumstances the meaning of these adjectives come out to be vague.

This talk will discuss the Shrimad Bhagavat Gita as Moksha shastra. The lakshana( characteristics) of a shastra and how the Gita helps in achieving the goal of Moksha will be delineated with appropriate shlokas from the Gita.

Professor Mahadevan’s research interests include researching the possibility of using ancient Indian wisdom to address contemporary concerns, spirituality in the work place, and management paradigms from Bhagavad Gita. In the traditional areas of management, the research interests include design of service systems in customer co-creation of value and order allocation issues in electronic markets. This talk will provide an overview of Indian Knowledge systems. The  talk will discuss the epistemology and ontology of IKS and bring out the contemporary applications of IKS. 

Pakistan is passing through its worst crisis since it's break up in 1971. It is going through a severe financial crunch and on the verge of being declared a bankrupt state. Saddled with political instability, uncontrolled inflation, rising unemployment, insurgency, rebellion the failed State is facing the grim prospects of a civil war.