OoC-IISc-Paraspar-Lecture on "Electricity from Heat" by Vikram Jayaram on 13 May 2024

PARASPAR
Invites you to a lecture on
Electricity from Heat: The Early History of Irreversible Thermodynamics and Birth of Thermoelectricity
Abstract: We all understand that the flow of current leads to heat generation. It is a little less obvious that the reverse also holds: a flow of heat can lead to current generation or the separation of a gas mixture.
Thermodynamics, a deep and dry subject, is replete with colourful individuals and interesting connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena. One such area is the field of thermoelectrics which gave rise to the first example of the application of the famous laws of thermodynamics to intrinsically irreversible processes.
This talk will take a light-hearted look at the evolution of ideas of heat and its conversion to current, long before anyone knew what carried current, and which led to one of the most profound discoveries, namely the Onsager relations, that set the stage for studying systems far from equilibrium, including batteries and life. In a sense, it all began with the discovery of thermoelectricity, almost exactly 200 years ago, by Seebeck.
Speaker: Vikram Jayaram
Honorary Professor
Department of Materials Engineering
Indian Institute of Science
Venue: Faculty Hall, Main Building, IISc
Date: 13 May 2024 (Monday)
Time: 4.00 pm