proofmathisbeautiful: freshphotons: Sketch for ‘Symmetry Break’, 2009 Steel chain and mixed media 17” x 20” x 8” (43 cm x 51 cm x 20 cm) The spontaneous breaking of symmetry is a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in nature. In physics those situations are described by an energy landscape, called a potential that goes from having only one minimum (the lowest energy configuration to which the system is driven towards) to having more than one minimum. The appearance of a second minimum forces the system to ‘make a decision’ which minimum it will occupy. Seen from the outside, the system suddenly flips into a new state. In this sculptural sketch, I used pieces of chain that go from a physically possible hanging configuration to configurations that seem to violate the laws of physics more and more. The initial hanging curve gets penetrated from below with a narrower curve such that the chain successively develops two minima. This evolution suggests something miraculous, similar to the surprising and counter-intuitive phenomenon of symmetry breaking. This is awesome!!

proofmathisbeautiful:

freshphotons:

Sketch for ‘Symmetry Break’, 2009

Steel chain and mixed media

17” x 20” x 8” (43 cm x 51 cm x 20 cm)

The spontaneous breaking of symmetry is a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in nature. In physics those situations are described by an energy landscape, called a potential that goes from having only one minimum (the lowest energy configuration to which the system is driven towards) to having more than one minimum. The appearance of a second minimum forces the system to ‘make a decision’ which minimum it will occupy. Seen from the outside, the system suddenly flips into a new state. In this sculptural sketch, I used pieces of chain that go from a physically possible hanging configuration to configurations that seem to violate the laws of physics more and more. The initial hanging curve gets penetrated from below with a narrower curve such that the chain successively develops two minima. This evolution suggests something miraculous, similar to the surprising and counter-intuitive phenomenon of symmetry breaking.

This is awesome!!

Reblogged 11 months ago from proofmathisbeautiful (Originally from freshphotons)
140 notes
Tagged: math, sculpture, .
Source: symmetrymagazine.org
  1. flasd reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  2. crystalclearraindrops reblogged this from freshphotons
  3. frappesmegala reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  4. thefreckledl reblogged this from timelordlaura
  5. timelordlaura reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  6. makeanx reblogged this from freshphotons
  7. lookdeep reblogged this from freshphotons
  8. recalculate-restate-reverberate reblogged this from sciencelovesart and added:
    Neat idea, and it reminds me a lot of my theoretical neuroscience work last semester.
  9. problemsolver reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful and added:
    Created by Julian Voss-Andreae
  10. mathsisthenewblack reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  11. attchu reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful and added:
    ooooo!! imma nerd, i admit it :p
  12. oh666 reblogged this from freshphotons
  13. franciscello reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  14. heabuh reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  15. microbatdynamo reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  16. youremother reblogged this from separate-integrate
  17. therearepeoplewho reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  18. separate-integrate reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  19. doniitoo reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  20. angelzenon reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  21. loveisthewateroflife reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  22. ehyp reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  23. sciencelovesart reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful
  24. indeprehensibilisadamas reblogged this from proofmathisbeautiful and added:
    Something you’d definitely find in my home. That is, if I had my own place. Beautiful.