Chennai Mathematical Institute

Seminars




Computer Science Seminar
Date: Thursday, 11 July 2024
Time: 03:45 PM
Venue: Seminar Hall, CMI
Computational Gastronomy: A Data-driven Science of Food

Ganesh Bagler
Infosys Centre for Artificial Intelligence, IIIT-Delhi.
11-07-24


Abstract

Cooking is an art. Besides being the basis of nutrition and health, culinary idiosyncrasies are at the core of our cultural identity. Combining and processing raw ingredients to compose delicious dishes is a creative act. However, the increasing availability of data and the advent of computational methods for their scrutiny are dramatically changing the artistic outlook toward gastronomy. The application of data-driven strategies for investigating gastronomic questions has created an all-new paradigm for studying food and cooking. Computational Gastronomy asks exciting questions about food and cooking, helping decode culinary mysteries. Making food computable will enable data-driven innovations and transform the food landscape to achieve better public health and nutrition toward a sustainable future.

Speaker Bio: As a teenager, Ganesh Bagler aspired to be an astronomer. Trained in physics, computer science, and computational biology, he has had an adventurous journey from astronomy to gastronomy. Prof. Bagler is known for his pioneering research in 'Computational Gastronomy.' By building keystone data repositories, algorithms, and applications, his lab has established the foundations of this emerging data science that blends food with artificial intelligence. Innovative research from his lab has contributed to this niche dealing with food, flavors, nutrition, health, and sustainability. Prof. Bagler has an audacious dream of transforming the food landscape by making food computable.