Science as Connection: Blending Physics, Pedagogy, and Cinema
Prof. Ágnes Mócsy
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Pratt Institute
What does it mean to be human in science? My journey from theoretical nuclear physics research to reimagining education and becoming a filmmaker has been about seeking new ways to answer this question. I will share some ways of bringing science into dialogue with the arts, in the classroom and beyond, in order to spark curiosity, compassion, and a deeper sense of belonging and accessibility. Storytelling is one exceptionally powerful way to foster a thriving environment in our physics community and to have some agency over how we are seen in society.
Building on this philosophy, my recent feature documentary, Rare Connections, reveals the human side of research through the onset of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University. Through a poetic lens sharing intimate portraits of scientists, the film challenges stereotypes and invites audiences to see science as an act of emotionality, creativity, vulnerability, and connection, inviting us to reimagine our relationship with science.
Hosted by Prof. Forro