Trinity College Dublin: Art meets science as CONNECT secures SFI funding to inspire primary school students
This new initiative aims to inspire and engage primary school students, and the public, with research through the commission of five artworks which unite the disciplines of art and science.
CONNECT has partnered with artist Ed Devane to create a musical gyroscope, Rotation Relay to communicate some of the complex ideas in quantum communications including superposition.
Rotation Relay is a musical gyroscope, that can be controlled via a control interface. A gyroscope can rotate in X, Y and Z axes, and each of these rotational speeds will be user controllable. The different axes will interact with each other via LEDs and magnetic sensors to trigger tones in a sequence. This musical information will be transmitted as an encoded audio signal through a laser beam and received at another location. The project is an interpretation of various quantum states including teleportation and superposition and draws from the laser satellite communication that will be used by CONNECT when the technology matures.
The project is funded under SFI’s Discover Primary Science and Maths programme, and in part by The Arts Council.
A virtual exhibition of all five artworks will take place for schools and the public to explore the collection and to delve into the stories behind each commission. In tandem with the exhibition, the collaboration between the SFI Research Centres, artists and the SFI Discover Primary Science and Maths programme will launch educational resources to enable primary school students to investigate the research topics further and to inspire attendees to create their own artworks informed by science, technology, engineering and maths.
The final works of art will be showcased for primary schools nationwide through two interactive virtual exhibitions taking place on Wednesday 12th May and Thursday 13th May 2021. To register for the event teachers can sign up here: Discover Primary Science and Maths Events | Eventbrite.
A public virtual exhibition will run from Thursday 20th May, with an evening launch taking place on this date from 7-9pm.