Speaker: J. Murray Gibson, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois

Title:  The Physics of the Blues- revealing the symbiosis of art and science

Abstract:   Art and science have a fundamental symbiosis. Scientists seek beauty through simplicity and rely on creativity and intuition as they seek to understand nature. Aesthetic appreciation in art is often based on unconscious understanding of mathematical or scientific underpinnings. Music forms an excellent example of the latter. The musical scale and tonal harmony are “axioms”, based on physics and mathematics, upon which creativity can flourish. Listeners have at the least an unconscious understanding of these axioms on which to base their interpretation of music. These axioms, which form the composer's “palette”, have changed over the years, driven by desire for creative freedom. I will demonstrate this through an exposition of western music, beginning with baroque and ending with the blues. There will be live physics and live music. Beyond illustrating the physics behind music, I will briefly show how music is a tool to illuminate diverse physical phenomena, from quantum mechanics to the meaning of life.

Murray Gibson is an Associate Laboratory Director of Argonne National Laboratory, and is Director of the Advanced Photon Source. He has been a professor of Physics and of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois . His research has focused on understanding the structure and properties of thin solid films. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. While he is a professional physicist, he is an amateur musician.

HOME