Patterns Across Space and Time

Program Description

In the physical world there are patterns, forms and rhythms that can teach us about how the universe is ordered. In this program we will study many of these phenomena and the physical laws that govern them. We will work with static and dynamic forms in multiple dimensions; the linear, the planar, the spherical and the temporal. We will analyze phenomena that are similar in spite of their occurrence in different orders of magnitude. For example, what are the similarities between the spiral of a seashell and that of a galaxy? Do the rate of energy loss in a bouncing ball mirror the rate of color loss in an autumn leaf? How are the interference patterns of sound, light and ocean waves alike? We will investigate cyclical patterns that occur at both the cosmic and the personal level, such as planetary motion, tides and our own circadian rhythms. As we analyze these and other patterns, we will gain an understanding of their origins and the forces that shape them.

Our approach to this subject will be from two perspectives, as scientists and artists, as we engage in quantitative reasoning on one hand and creative expression on the other. First we will address the question “What makes something a pattern?” Then we will engage in a variety of activities to explore the nature and structure of different kinds of patterns. Students will work to develop techniques of observation, measurement, documentation, analysis and description. They will employ drawing, time-lapse photography, motion analysis and animation to study and represent phenomena they have observed. They will use clay to explore shape and spatial relationships. They will learn to describe patterns and change quantitatively and create mathematical models based on the physical laws that shape them.

Part of our inquiry will focus on the differences between creative and quantitative representations. We will explore the limitations inherent in each approach and we will investigate the roles that abstraction in science and art play in our understanding of reality. Many of our lectures, readings and seminar discussions will be about epistemology or the history and theory of knowledge, as it relates to our subject. The diverse ways humans employ and recognize patterns are culturally and historically determined. We will therefore also explore the perception, interpretation and use of patterns in several different cultures, both ancient and modern.

Credit awarded in Mathematics, Physics, History of Science, Epistemology, Drawing, Animation, Animation Studies, Expository Writing, Cultural Studies