Unleashing your cosmic creativity: Using open source tools to create meaningful science visualisations
Workshop by Soheb Mandhai (he/him)
Have you ever looked up and the stars and been captivated by the endless wonders the universe has to offer? As an astrophysicist, I have been on the frontier of research aiming to uncover some of these mysteries. Over my career, I have noticed that only a small fraction of research makes its way to the public eye, despite the high quality and breakthroughs being made! A lot of this comes down to visibility of niche areas and technicality. How can this barrier be overcome? This is a topic I have grappled with for many years and it's not one that is strictly exclusive to astronomy either. I found an answer that enabled me to communicate my research to the public. Art. Art and creative processes provide a means to break down technical concepts and communicate ideas simply and effectively. In context of astronomy, we turn specs of light into ideas explained by science. Pictures of space are naturally photogenic, but the abstract nature of research is less so - with charts, plots, and tables being our main form of dissemination. My quest combined with my interests in video games and 3D modelling led me to a notion that changed my life. Using free, open-source tools (such as Python, Blender, and Gimp/Krita) I have deconstructed complex ideas and created visualisations of concepts that were otherwise intangible. In this session, I will demonstrate techniques that I have learned on my journey and challenge you to create your own space themed art!
| Attending this workshop will cost | Free |
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