Interdisciplinary Art+Physics Course, Future Weird, Offered in Fall 2025

FUTURE WEIRD (PHYS 495 / ARTS 499) is an interdisciplinary studio course combining visual art, speculative storytelling, and physics to explore emerging AI, quantum mechanics, time travel, entropy, and more. Students will prototype interactive artworks and build speculative worlds using tools like 3D modeling, Arduino, and generative AI.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30 AM–12:10 PM @ Siebel Center for Design

And for context, here’s a slightly fuller description of the course we’ve been sharing with advisors and faculty:

PHYS 495 / ARTS 499

FUTURE WEIRD: ART, PHYSICS & THE STORIES WE TELL MACHINES

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30 AM – 12:10 PM

Siebel Center for Design, Room 1002

This interdisciplinary, studio-based course brings together visual art, speculative fiction, physics, astronomy, and AI tools to explore how creative technologies and scientific inquiry can shape future worlds. Through speculative storytelling, hands-on prototyping, and critical reflection, students will translate complex physics concepts into immersive, visual, and narrative works, culminating in a public exhibition.

The course is open to advanced undergraduates and graduate students from all disciplines, but we believe it's especially ideal for:

Students with interests in worldbuilding, storytelling, illustration, and game design

Students seeking practical experience with AI tools, 3D modeling, Arduino/microcontroller integration, and emerging media

Students looking to deepen their engagement with science and build interdisciplinary portfolios

This course will also be counted as a required breadth course for Physics graduate students!