Sidney Perkowitz, Candler Professor of Physics Emeritus at Emory University, writes about science and art, and other popular topics in science. His latest books are ‘Physics: A Very Short Introduction’ and ‘Real Scientists Don’t Wear Ties’.
The great 19th century English artist J. M. W. Turner had an innovative style that earned him the title “the painter of light” and is considered a forerunner of Impressionism. A different aspect is that Turner’s works were influenced by the technology of the time and its scientists. One such link was with Mary Fairfax Somerville, a Scotswoman recently honored for her pioneering scientific work by her portrait on a Scottish banknote.
Sidney Perkowitz explores how our knowledge of light’s intangible nature has evolved into deeper understanding – deeper, but incomplete, for light still holds mysteries. Yet we know it well enough to predict its behavior and manipulate it with exquisite finesse for scientific research, technological application, and aesthetic use.