Description
Informal learning and outreach has been approached via an exhibition of 30 pieces of physics-inspired jewellery, tableware and decorative objects. Displayed in a public university physics setting, these unexpected objects attract attention. They invite curiosity and conversation in ways that conventional communications from physicists often don’t. Each piece starts with a spark - a relic of an experiment, the appeal of a research image, the elegance of a theoretical idea, or the story of a scientist. The works combine techniques of traditional metalsmithing and fine jewellery-making with scientific experimentation, analysis and problem-solving. Each piece is accompanied by a short explanation (aimed at a general-public level of awareness) of how it relates to physics.
Responses from exhibition interactions indicate these aesthetic encounters can foster meaningful engagement with physics. They encourage question-asking and peer discussion, characteristic of active learning. By creating positive physics encounters, affective barriers of both adults and children who “didn’t think physics was for me” are lowered. The display broadens the public image of the discipline. There is likely educational benefit of wider participation in physics, by addressing who feels invited into physics. The works harness an ongoing theme in contemporary art – the intersection of art and science. Ways that such artworks have been, and could be, used in physics education/outreach will be discussed. By reimagining how physics is encountered, this strategy can open new pathways for learning, communication, and inclusion in physics education.
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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