Social media and social networks have helped to connect friends, businesses and people with shared interests. A similar initiative for science geeks aims to be the definite platform for science learning. Founded by Adit Gupta, Sumit Maniyar and Sakshi Majumdar, Function Space serves as a definite web-portal to connect people interested in learning science. According to co-founder Sumit Maniyar, “Function Space offers the scope to discuss, learn and solve problems at one place. It’s a complete ecosystem in the field of science learning.”
He says the initiative started as they wanted to create a one-stop solution for learning science. Maniyar, B.Tech from IIT Bombay and CFA, explains the concept behind Function Space. He says, “We do not offer any courses but rather focus on continual learning. The best way to master science is to learn stuff, discuss it with peers/experts and solve questions. We provide all the steps required for science learning (Learn-Discuss-Problem-solving). We have video lectures, articles, ebooks to complete the learning aspect. We discuss stuff with some of the best minds in the world and solve challenging problems.” Elaborating further on their web solution, Maniyar adds, “In addition to conventional education, we provide articles, discussions, videos on latest technology, innovations in Science. This enables our users to stay on top of latest developments in his/her field of Science.”
According to Maniyar, some of the challenges/discussions posted on the website are real-life problems faced by science professionals and are not part of traditional curriculum. He says, discussing and solving these problems gives a deeper insight into how science concepts are applied in real life.
Another salient feature of Function Space is the ability to interact and learn from the brightest professionals from organisations like GE research, Google, Microsoft, MIT, Stanford, IITs and other elite institutes. Maniyar says, “Our users range from students in high school to senior research scientists working in prestigious institutes like CERN, Switzerland, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan and BARC, India.” With mobile computing taking centrestage, the team’s next priority is to launch native apps for iOS and Android platforms.
