The Phenomenal Atlases of Contemporary Physics: Knowing the Imperceptible

Abstract

Physicists study the physical world on spatial, temporal and complexity scales inaccessible through ordinary human perception. How, then, does a person ground their understanding of physics at these scales in the sensory impressions and emotional states made possible by their body? The author describes a framework that approaches this question by integrating artistic and intellectual methods, and is informed by the history of science, theories of embodied cognition and Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of phenomenology. Its goal is to understand the subjective, internal representations of physics concepts used by practicing physicists and to explore their impact on their collective research efforts.