Cogito137

Cogito is a web-based bi-monthly (once every two months), published on the IISER Kolkata website and available as a wall magazine on campus. The Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘cogito’ (latin: ‘I think’) as the principle, establishing the existence of a being, from the fact of its thinking or awareness. Cogito aims to encourage rational thinking among the scientific community of IISER Kolkata and hopes to spread awareness to the general public at large about scientific concepts. Our content contributors are from IISER Kolkata, but we intend to write and report about science done anywhere in the world. Despite unbelievable scientific progress in the last few decades, there are reasons to believe that our society is yet to develop a basic scientific temper. The proof lies not only in the rampant abuse of nature and natural resources, but also in the pervasiveness of pseudoscience, myths and superstitions. So, it is indeed a challenging time for science in India and an exciting time to be a scientist. Cogito is our effort to ensure that the science we do should not be locked behind laboratory doors or restricted to the reach of the scientific community. We believe it to be of utmost importance to be able to communicate science, effectively, to the masses. Also, since research is public-funded, the scientific community should enable public benefit from research. Such enablement commands scientists to engage with the society, as communicators of the fruit of their work. People need to know why they should care about research, how it can affect their lives, and that science is a way of life. We hope that Cogito will be one such medium, to realise this goal. We accept content submission perennially and perpetually. We welcome anything and everything that communicates science - articles, news, opinion pieces, artwork, photographs, sci-toons, book-reviews, interviews.