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Art and science

Art and science

Snapshots through time

29 Dec 2018 Tushna Commissariat

Physics, physicists and Physics World have transformed over the past 30 years, and will continue to do so. In this specially commissioned illustration, we look to the past, present and future of a physics lab

To celebrate 30 years of Physics World, we commissioned theoretical physicist, author and cartoonist Clifford V Johnson, to illustrate how a typical physics lab has changed in that time, and how it might change given another 30 years. Johnson is professor of physics at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. His non-fiction graphic book The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe was published in 2017 by MIT Press, and featured on our shortlist for Book of the Year 2018. Take a look at Johnson’s blog Asymptotia, where he talks about his inspiration and creative process for this illustration.

The past, present and future of a physics lab by Clifford V Johnson

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