In this fascinating talk, we explore the unexpected connections between neuroscience, quantum computing, and visual art through a unique interdisciplinary collaboration at Yale University.
This talk features a panel discussion following the screening of a documentary about Italian visual artist Serena Campini, who served as an artist-in-residence at the Yale Quantum Institute. Through her residency, Campini created stunning multilayered artworks inspired by both neurological imaging and quantum states of light.
Our guests include:
Serena Campini, visual artist and art historian who has spent over a decade collaborating with neuroscientists and quantum researchers
Michael Higley, neuroscientist at Yale Medical School whose lab studies synapses and memory formation
Harshvardhan “Harsh” Babla, a PhD student researching quantum error correction and extending quantum memory
Donna Fetis, gerontologist and educator specializing in aging, caregiving, and dementia
Florian Carle, representing the Yale Quantum Institute
The conversation reveals remarkable parallels between how memories form in the human brain and how information is stored in quantum computers. Both systems deal with fragile connections that can be lost or corrupted, yet both also demonstrate remarkable resilience and the possibility of restoration. Campini's artistic process—using handmade paper, copper engravings, and flowing inks—becomes a meditation on the delicate spaces between neurons and the ethereal nature of quantum superposition.
Discover how cutting-edge quantum research aims to build computers that could revolutionize everything from drug discovery to fundamental physics, while grappling with the challenge that quantum information is incredibly fragile and easily destroyed by environmental interference.
Meanwhile, the discussion of memory and dementia offers both sobering insights about cognitive decline and hopeful perspectives on human connection and neuroplasticity.
This talk beautifully demonstrates how art can serve as a bridge between complex scientific concepts and human experience, making the invisible visible and the abstract tangible.