First-Year Seminars 110PZ - Interweaving Themes in Physics and Art

Physics and art represent the world in seemingly different ways. They share, however, many common themes: the guiding role of symmetry, the tension between order and disorder, and the emergence of structure from many simple constituents. We will explore some of the big ideas in physics, including quantum mechanics, relativity, entropy, and chaos theory, by looking at how these underlying themes are represented in the visual arts. Islamic tessellations, Japanese Suminagashi paper marbling, and works by contemporary artists will guide us toward an intuitive understanding of some of the most exciting ideas in physics, without the need for any prior physics background.

Mount Holyoke first-year students only, by placement.