January 22, 2008 · 09:28 AM

Reality Formula

There are new discoveries every day about our universe and its origins. They come from very different approaches - sometimes, science even links with art to gain some of the most surprising insights.

Discussing on stage are Lisa Randall, professor of theoretical physics at the Harvard University, who studies particle physics and cosmology and Héctor Parra, a Spanish musician and composer who studied at the Barcelona Conservatory and is currently a professor of Electro-Accoustic Composition in Zaragoza.

Bly: This is going to be experimental, a lab session. We are going to talk about the relationship between art and science.

A picture of a green bunny is shown. Artists want to communicate an idea. It has to do with genetics. There is a relationship between science and art.

Randall wants to express new ideas of looking at our universe. She shows a presentation: "Warped geometry", talking about Einstein (time-space doesn't have to be flat, it can be curved). That gave rise to cosmology.

Randall: We know the universe homogenous, isotopic of large scales. There could be other dimensions than the ones we know. These extra-dimensions could be a chance for our universe. These very abstract ideas could give rise to everyday visual consequences.

Try to imagine a higher dimensional world in which particles and matter are stuck on a "brane": braneworld, 3D Flatland. We live in a 3D world, but this world could be part of something bigger.

There are very many different mass-scales in universe; in a 3D world you wouldn't expect that.

Randall: Why is gravity so weak compared to the other elementary forces? A tiny magnet can pick something up; it competes against the whole world. That is very puzzling. Warped geometry could address this problem. There is a warped time-space geometry, so it is natural for gravity to be weak.

The audience listens to a demo of Hector Parra of pure electric sounds. Parra has been working on sounds to create an new universe.

After Randall's warped geometry Parra plays some warped sounds.
One example: pure energetic music, to which more electric sounds are added.

Next example: musical tags inspired by nature.

Next example: different metallic sounds

Parra: The idea is that music can evolve, it can be inspired by the fantastic theories of our universe.

Curator Franziska von Habsburg states: There is a difference between traditional collectors and collecting art in the future. I am a catalyst trying to build new boundaries to art. I wanted to bring a collaboration between artists and architects. Art needs exploration of space; this is so much richer than the traditional way of framing pictures etc.

Von Habsburg talks about "The morning line". It is not just architecture, not just a pavilion, but also a method to present amazing new composers.

Ritchie has trouble getting his presentation started.

Ritchie talks about ideas of the 19th century, and about the moment when people started to reflect on the future and science fiction came up in the 20th century (Mary Shelley).

Ritchie shows picture of different architectural models of the future.
Fiction and reality become more and more confused.

Ritchie: Upcoming question: the world is full. Where is the edge of the universe?

Shows picture of new architecture (islands in Dubai): We are getting ready for something entirely different.

The morning line: a building that is different every time it is rebuilt.

Ritchie: We have to move forward and take the world with us.

 

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