MetaFilter posts tagged with physics and art

Quantum Art

jefficator — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:36:53 -0800

Julian Voss-Andreae makes art based on quantum physics.

How Much

homunculus — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:55:56 -0800

Quantum of culture. Terminology from quantum theory shows up frequently in art, films, poetry and sculpture. Robert P. Crease gauges the impact of quantum mechanics on popular culture. [Via]

Let Me Just Roll Up My Sleeves to Make Sure You're Not Dying

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:06:05 -0800

Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium - "Underneath their sober lab coats and flannel shirts, scientists hide images of their scientific passions. Here they are revealed to all." From the science journalist and writer responsible for The Loom and numerous other published works.

She blinded me with science!

dmd — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:59:35 -0800

Gorgeous images, selected solely for their artistic appeal, from the pages of Physical Review B.

Impossible Crystals

parudox — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:54:55 -0800

"This is a story of how the impossible became possible. How, for centuries, scientists were absolutely sure that solids (as well as decorative patterns like tiling and quilts) could only have certain symmetries - such as square, hexagonal and triangular - and that most symmetries, including five-fold symmetry in the plane and icosahedral symmetry in three dimensions (the symmetry of a soccer ball), were strictly forbidden. Then, about twenty years ago, a new kind of pattern, known as a "quasicrystal," was envisaged that shatters the symmetry restrictions and allows for an infinite number of new patterns and structures that had never been seen before, suggesting a whole new class of materials...."

Physicist Paul J. Steinhardt delivers a fascinating lecture (WMV) on tilings and quasicrystals. However, it turns out science was beaten to the punch: a recent paper (PDF) suggests Islamic architecture developed similar tilings centuries earlier.

handprint: watercolors & watercolor painting

ijoshua — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:14:40 -0800

i began cataloging the colors, and put the color list on the web. over time, the paint catalog turned into a web site.

Learning can be fun.

nickyskye — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 12:57:05 -0800

Science sites of all kinds for kids. Archeology. Entomology. Natural Symphony. Baseball in Space. Philosophy. Process or Content. Science songs. Physics songs, relativity. String theory. Science and Art.

Is This It?

mayfly wake — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 14:35:12 -0800

Bubble Chambers are used to observe the tracks of subatomic particles at extremely high resolution. The photographs taken of these tracks are often stunningly beautiful and elegant. This website contains a java applet which simulates a bubble chamber, to gorgeous effect.

Art & Physics

Morphic — Fri, 15 Nov 2002 13:44:38 -0800

Art from physics: it's a groovy gas. It's transonic flight. It's a pi-muon death cycle. It's a dark matter detector. It's a Super-Kamiokande with 9000 neutrino eyes. Dream on!