The universe is an extraordinary place. At the cosmic scale, the universe expands, galaxies form and swirl around their centers, stars ignite into being and undergo fiery deaths, and massive objects set off gravitational ripples in space-time. At the planetary scale, Newtonian mechanics dictates the path of orbits around the Sun, a beautiful planet called Earth harbors life, rivers flow from calmness to turbulence. At the microscopic scale, the laws of quantum physics defy imagination, atoms together form complex building blocks of matter, and under ultra-cold conditions, quantum states of matter exhibit beguiling emergent behavior.
In the project-based course Phys498-Art, Where the Arts meet Physics, the class explored this extraordinary place under three umbrellas – the Universe, Fluids and Flow, and the Quantum World. Collaborators, guest presenters, and consultants across campus shared their expertise on these topics and a wide spectrum of the arts. The class adapted diverse artistic media to bring their explorations alive; you are warmly invited to experience the world they created.
Explore the Quantum World Exhibits
Explore the Multi-categorical Exhibits
Instructor and Creator of Course: Professor Smitha Vishveshwara, Department of Physics
Class Participants: Claire Baum; Latrelle Bright; Carolyn Kan; Sean Lang; Eva Miller; Hannah Morsch; Karmela Padavic; Kaliroe Pappas; Andrew Parpart; Matthew Quiroz ; Napat Saengthongsrikamol; Grace Sun; Maddie Terlap; Smitha Vishveshwara; Xiuting Wu; Kaan Yumlu;
Collaborators: Latrelle Bright (Theater); Sharlene Denos and Lark Moreno (University Laboratory High School); Kirstie Simson (Dance); Stuart Shapiro and Rebecca Wiltfong (Physics); Jamie Nelson, Robert Byrd, and Jim Wentworth (CITL Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning); SWIP (Society for Women in Physics); Caitlin McCoy (MRL/MatSE); James Shin (Engineering IT); Elisandro Cabada (Grainger Library);
Course Guests and Consultants: Physics: B. DeMarco, B. Gadway, J. Filippini, T. Hughes, P. Kwiat, M. Selen, D. Van Harlingen
Landscape Architecture: D. Hays
Sponsors: Dept. of Physics; Materials Research Laboratory; Grainger Library – IDEA Lab; Krannert Art Museum