The University of California’s Fig. 1 YouTube series takes on the question of “Why Science Needs Art,” breaking it down in less than a minute. Right brain, meet left brain!
The star researcher in this week’s episode is UC Santa Cruz professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, a big believer in computer simulations, who explains, “In astronomy, we rely heavily on our visual intuition, because of course it’s not an experimental science.” He’s standing in front of a 40-screen “Opti-Puter,” which allows illustration of events like neuron star collisions, and the ability to see them in a three-dimensional way that’s easier to understand.
The video also notes that Ramirez-Ruiz (“an alchemist with a computer,” he’s also a Jorge Luis Borges fan) has collaborated with dancers as well, who performed choreography based on star movements. Subject of a future video, perhaps?
Image via Globalization ICAS.
