BENGALURU, Aug. 10 -- Indian physicist Deepak Dhar has been awarded the 2026 Dirac Medal by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). Dhar is known for his work on how simple interactions produce complex behaviour in large systems, with applications ranging from earthquakes and traffic jams to financial markets. Dhar is now an Distinguished Professor at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences in Bengaluru, a position he has held since 2024. The recognition adds to a career that has already earned Dhar some of India's highest scientific honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2023. For Dhar, the award centres on his work on the Abelian sandpile model, a mathematical system used to understand how large systems can move from small, ordinary changes to sudden, large events.htc...