S P H I C S
  CENTRE FOR SCIENCE

• Exploration: Visit the center and explore the exhibits.
  
  OPEN: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Snndays.
              2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, on Thursdays.
  CLOSED: Mondays and Tuesdays.
  
  
• Visits: We encourage visits from schools and other organizations.
  
  
• Lectures, Workshops, and Discussion:
  
  
  • Saturdays, 11:00 AM IST: (Currently discontinued)
    Question-Answer Session
        Speaker: K. V. Shajesh, Associate Professor of Practice, Southern Illinois University--Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA.
        Event: Weekend Discussions
        Venue: Sphics Science Center, Thalassery, Kerala 670107, India.
        Zoom Meeting ID: 829 6770 5989, Passcode: ihbar
    
    Here are the past events.
  
  
• Astronomy:
  Courtesy: April K. Hendley
  April is lending one of her (90mm) telescopes to Sphics Science Center. Thank you, April! We also have a 70mm telescope.
  
  
  • Astronomy Nights:
    When: Once a month, weather permitting. All are welcome.
    Where: On the roof top of Sphics Science Center.
    Our region is dark enough that the haze of The Milky Way is visible on a clear night.
  • Sunspot Mornings: [Sample Image]
    The sunspots on the sun can be easily seen using our telescope.
    When: Anytime when the sun is out and we are open.
    Where: On the roof top of Sphics Science Center.

• Sphics Science Center is an initiative to provide resources to those interested and motivated -- both children and adults. Our immediate goal is to connect highly motivated enthusiastic students with mentors using easily available online tools. Sphics Science Center is a center for science activities, where people come together to indulge in discussions and hands-on learning.
  
  
• Sphics Science Center is absolutely free, and we intend to keep it that way throughout its existence. Contributions from our team will cover the expenses.
  
  
• What it's not: Sphics Science Center is not a tuition center or a coaching center. Traditional curriculum may not be followed. The mentors are expected to have a close relationship with a student and plan the curriculum by considering their needs. Each student effectively will have a customized curriculum.

• Postal address:
  

       SPHICS: Centre for Science,
       Chonadam-Kolassery Road,
       Chonadam, Thalassery,
       Kerala 670107, India.
  

  Sphics on the map
  Coordinates: (11.76745, 75.50775)
  Search 'sphics' on Google Maps for directions.
  
  
• WhatsApp Group: Follow this Invitation Link to join our group on WhatsApp. Here is the QR-code for the invitation.
  
  
• Email: sphicssciencecenter@gmail.com; kvshajesh@gmail.com
  
  
• YouTube Channel: Sphics Science Center
  
  
• Zoom Meeting ID: 829 6770 5989, Passcode: ihbar
  Physical presence in the Sphics Science Center is encouraged. However, online attendance is available for most events.

• Our team consists of four founding members: Jupesh Karayil, Prachi Parashar, K. V. Shajesh, and Shamna Kuloth.
  
  
• In the initial phase of the endeavor, we intend to proceed without external support. After a successful launch our goal is to register `SPHICS: Centre of Science' as a Society under the Society Registration Act 1860. In this form, we will grow together in membership.

• Tale of the Sphics logo: On 2020 April 27, right after universities worldwide switched to online mode after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a university web server crashed. While scrambling to find a server in the interim, the domain name sphics.com was created by conjugating the first and last three letters of Spherical Harmonics. Spherical harmonics are mathematical functions $$Y_lm(θ,φ) defined on the surface of a sphere, where $$0 ≤ θ ≤ π and $$0 ≤ φ < 2π. We mapped the surface of the sphere onto a disc after puncturing the sphere at $$θ = π and stretching it out into a disc of radius $$π. In terms of polar coordinates the logo is a contour plot of the real part of $$Y₃₁(r,φ), where in terms of rectangular coordinates $$r and $$φ we have $$ r² = x² + y² and $$ tan θ = y/x. Here is the logo in high-resolution jumbo poster-size pdf (14MB) format, and in postscript (58MB, scalable vector graphics) format.
  
  
• Name: We go by 'SPHICS: Centre for Science' or 'Sphics Science Center' or simply 'Sphics'. The usages of center in American English and centre in British English is adopted interchangeably.
  
  
• QR-code: Here is the QR-code.