Abstract: From ancient monuments to modern day films, the confluence of the arts and physics has resulted in creations that have led to a deeper understanding of nature, to friendly and enchanting ways of perceiving science in action, to giving the arts a new dimension, to technological progress, and to pure fun! In this talk, I will describe the educational power of such confluences and recount some of our experiences in this realm. In a project-based interdisciplinary course entitled Where the Arts meets Physics, we bring alive the universe and the quantum world through installations and performance – cosmic canopies housing black hole mergers, Warhol versions of Bohr-Einstein debates, and more. Collaborations with theater, music and dance have led to several performance pieces that explore the magic and beauty of the quantum world and our cosmos: Quantum Voyages, Quantum Rhapsodies, The Joy of Regathering, and more. I will share the science, stories, and process behind the making and performing of these pieces, and conclude with a description our latest adventure---the creation of a new circus piece for the American Physical Society March Meeting 2023 in Las Vegas, Cosmic Tumbles, Quantum Leaps.
The College of Arts