Encountering Black Holes: Art and Science at the Edge of Astrophysics

Encountering Black Holes: Art and Science at the Edge of Astrophysics

Date:
April 23rd at 7:00pm - April 23rd at 10:30pm

Location:
MAGIC Spells Studio 2180 and 2020/2060

Join the Center for Engaged Storycraft for an on-campus (and live-streamed) presentation by Dr. Manuela Campanelli, RIT Distinguished Professor of Astrophysics and Director of the Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, with a very special (remote) guest appearance by Dr. Peter L. Galison, Harvard University's Joseph Pellegrino Professor of the History of Science and Physics and Director of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments.

Dr. Galison will join Dr. Campanelli in discussing how they've each combined arts, science, and technological expertise in their research on black holes. Their presentations will be followed by a live screening of Dr. Galison's newly released documentary film: _Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know_ that follows the Event Horizon Telescopes' Imaging of supermassive black holes and considers how scientific, artistic, and technological practices coalesce in new and 'all too human' ways in these collaborative efforts.

Dr. Campanelli will be joined by her collaborators in the NSF-funded _Astrodance_ project: Thomas Warfield, NTID Performing Arts; Jason Nordhaus, NTID/Astrophysics; and Elisabetta D'Amanda, CLA/Modern Languages & Cultures.

There will be a Q&A right after Dr. Campanelli's presentation to invite discussion of astrophysics, women in science and engineering, deaf women in astronomy (Annie Jump Cannon and Henrietta Swan Leavitt), public perception of science, imaging sciences, mathematical modeling, physics, history and philosophy of science, interdisciplinary technology, arts, and design; documentary filmmaking, and, of course, storytelling.

The presentation and film screening will be held in two MAGIC auditoriums simultaneously - the Wegman's theater (MSS-2180) and the Sound Stage (MSS-2020/2060). Advance registration is required (an Eventbrite invite will be shared here in the coming week), with a total capacity of 75 for all in-person attendance, following all current social distancing and room capacity guidelines. The presentation will also be live-streamed for viewing from your own screen during and after the event, and the film will be available for RIT faculty, staff, and students on-demand (at no cost) for a 24 hour period beginning on Friday, April 23rd, 2021.