Outreach

Over the past four years, some members of our group have been highly active in outreach, delivering more than twenty shows in the Marche region.

Our outreach efforts have been prominently featured in some of the most notable dissemination festivals in Marche: Fosforo Scienza, Galactica, Fermhamente, and, of course, the annual Research Night.

Among the various shows conducted for this purpose, we would like to highlight:

SCIENCE IN DIVINA COMMEDIA

A show where several professors and students from our university come together to unveil the scientific concepts embedded in Dante Alighieri’s masterpiece.

Regarding physics, we explored how the poet managed to integrate all the prevailing physical theories of his time into a unified model. This process of synthesizing previous frameworks can be considered an ante litteram example of scientific discovery. Dante spent years searching for a way to reconcile Aristotelian theory with heliocentric cosmology and, ultimately, with creationism. Although not science in the modern sense, it can certainly be said that the Divina Commedia is, among other things, a work of physics in its original Greek definition.

SCIENCE IN PAINTINGS: THE MATHEMATICS BEHIND ESCHER

Our group has also focused on uncovering the mathematical and physical beauty hidden in visual art. Specifically, during an eight-month span in 2023, we successfully presented the science behind the work of Dutch engraver M.C. Escher, performing our show at five locations across the Marche region.

Before hundreds of citizens, we recounted how Escher’s studies led him to develop his distinctive artistic style. In particular, we analyzed one of his most famous works, Print Gallery.

Print Gallery is, without exaggeration, an extraordinary example of how mathematics can shape artistic creation and influence our perception of the world. The artwork depicts an impossible world governed by non-Euclidean geometry, but it was left incomplete by the artist, as he lacked the mathematical tools to fully grasp its implications. Only recently, a group of mathematicians managed to solve the mystery hidden within this painting, completing it using mathematical tools essential for studying the theory of general relativity and the curvature of spacetime.

LE AFFINITÀ ELETTIVE: THE PHYSICS OF SOUND

This show was developed with the support of three Italian universities: Roma Tre, the University of Terni, and the University of Camerino. As part of this project, we were hosted in several locations, including the Palladium Theatre in Rome, where we had the privilege of speaking before hundreds of attendees, accompanied by professional dancers.

The show aimed to delve into the life of the renowned composer Niccolò Paganini. While actors narrated episodes from his personal life, a group of professors and students from our university explained key scientific concepts related to music. Specifically, our team contributed by discussing the phenomenon of resonance and the role of the mathematical Fourier transform in analyzing sound waves and quantum wave functions.

SCIENCE IN MODERN CINEMATOGRAPHY: TESLA COILS

Our most recent project focused on addressing misconceptions about the historical figure of the famous scientist Nikola Tesla. To achieve this, we introduced his most iconic invention, the Tesla coil, through the lens of cinematography.

After screening selected scenes from the movie The Illusionist, we explained what a Tesla coil is capable of achieving, separating reality from fiction.

This show featured live experimental demonstrations using an actual Tesla coil. We illustrated how electromagnetic induction can transmit electrical energy wirelessly while highlighting the physical limitations of the invention and exposing the inaccuracies often portrayed in modern films.