Monday, July 29, 2019
By:
It's all coming together.
My project website is ready to launch with only minor adjustments. Check it out here: http://www.physicscentral.com/explore/art/
I've spent most of my week just wrapping things up and spot checking to make sure my work is up to snuff. There are still some minor things to do for the art gallery project, but overall it's finished! I'm finalizing my illustrations for Physics Quest, and spent a decent amount of time working on the scientist biography and narrative to drive the story along. I finally figure out what to do for the puzzle game at the end, which I'm very excited about and proud to show everyone.
Next week is our final presentations, and I've been working on my power point. I just wish I took more pictures, honestly!
I did realize, however, that in the last 9 weeks of working on my physics-art project, plus a few weeks prior of working with my mentor to write a proposal and scope of work document....we never named the project! A bit of brainstorming has given me a few options, which I'll list for you all in no particular order.
1. PHYne Arts
2. Expressions in Art and Physics (or Expressions for short)
3. Virtual Art for Physics Engagement
4. ArtBridge
5. It's Not That Scary (after my senior thesis exhibition)
All of these have their pros and cons. Number 3, for instance. Great, catchy name which accurately describes the projects, if not the goal. But the acronym....VAPE. Hilarious, but maybe not the most professional for PhysicsCentral, haha. 4 is probably my favorite, but ArtBridge is definately already trademarked by some other company. Personally, I'm leaning towards PHYne Arts, but it's more likely that we're just going to go with the standard naming conventions on Physics Central.
If you've clicked on the link above, you'll see that the page is currently just listed as "Physics In Art". Not the most fun name, but straightforward and gets the job done. I'll have to tuck away the brainstorming session for future physicsy art things!
This being our last real weekend in DC, I also made it a point to see some of the more tourist-y things out here. I went to the Air and Space Museum, which was a m a z i n g! The planetarium show I went to, Journey To the Stars, was narrated by none other than Whoopie Goldberg. What a fun trip! I also really loved that it was evident that there was a real effort to show scientifically accurate illustrations of the cosmos. Though it didn't exactly have a strong plot structure, it was structured enough to keep my attention throughout the whole show without just trying to dazzle me with a pretty light show. I love myself a good planetarium show, and this one checked all the boxes for me. Plus, the seats were comfortable, and the show was only 9 bucks! I only wish I had more time to go back and see the other shows!
Sunday, I also checked out the Spy Museum. It's one of the few paid attractions in DC, but it was massive and super interactive! I kind of wish they stuck to the more fictional or historical aspects of spying, because some of the more modern stuff did make me a bit uncomfortable. In particular, there was a game that you could play called "Red Team" or something like that, where you were basically in the scenario of advising President Obama on whether or not to bomb the house that Osama Bin Laden was suspected to be in.
I think the point of the excersize was to show that even with a ton of good intel, it was a difficult decision to make with real consequences. However, they never really talked about what the negative consequences were, and (at least to me) it seemed like they presented all the questions in a way that it would be difficult to disagree with the historical decision.
Little stuff, like that, and another whole room dedicated to the Israli-Palestinian conflict which almost completely demonized the Palestinian people as suicide bombing terrorits, just generally kind of made me feel weird about the whole thing. This is a place for kids and families! If I didnt know anything about these events before visiting the museum, I might come away with a lot of one-sided opinions.
Having previously visited the Spy Museum in Berlin, it was especially interesting to compare and contrast the experiences. Instead of being a fun filled day of dodging lasers and playing spy, it ended up being a lot of heavy thinking about international conflicts, propaganda, and the state of our nation.
So yeah, was it worth the 23 bucks? Probably. The production quality was really great, and there was TONS of stuff to do. But if you do visit, try and remember that they aren't necessarily giving you the whole story.
Anyway, so as not to leave you all on such a heavy note, let's talk about next week!
It's our final week together, and you'll only be hearing from me one last time unless we connect somewhere else. I've got three more real days of work, and then Thursday and Friday I'll be out doing preperation and wrap up stuff for SPS. My final presentation will be done on Friday, which I think should also be posted here for everyone to be able to take a peak through.
Then, Saturday, I'm on a plane home! I am so excited to go back home, guys. I love DC, I love this internship, and I love my fellow interns, but there is nothing like going home after being away for a long while. If you want to keep in contact, or just see what I'm going to be up to next, check out my website and give me a shout!
See y'all one final time, next week!
Isabel Bishop