For physics and astronomy professor Farhad Zadeh, conducting research and publishing his findings are only part of his job. He also feels a personal responsibility to share the stories of science with nonscientists.

“Astronomy is very much liked by the public,” he says. “Still, although our work is widely supported, we have an obligation to make people aware of what the universe is like. I find it very satisfying to be able to communicate at that level.”

One original way in which Zadeh has stepped beyond traditional scientific domains is through a collaborative art exhibit with photographer Pamela Bannos, a senior lecturer in art theory. The show, which debuted at the campus’ Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art in 2001 (additional venues are under consideration), features optical telescope pictures, images created with radio telescope data and renderings of celestial phenomena made with photographic darkroom techniques.

“People didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t,” says Zadeh. “For example, radio is invisible, yet it’s visible. It challenges you to think about what the eyes can see.” (The exhibition’s Web address is http://spaceimages.northwestern.edu.)

In another effort to engage nonscientists, he and other department members launched a public lecture series last spring that uses science as a hook into other subjects, such as history, art and literature. “I like to give the public a big picture of what’s going on,” Zadeh says. “There are so many interdisciplinary projects right now, it’s interesting to bring together people from different fields.” (These videotaped lectures can be seen at www.physics.northwestern.edu.)

Zadeh also designed a class on imaging and astronomy, which debuted this spring. Directed toward undergraduates in nonscience majors, the course gives students a flavor of what it is like to conduct scientific research.

The class draws upon real-world examples from the instructors’ own research to illustrate how image analysis is used to extract information in astronomy. “One of the objectives,” says Zadeh, “is to communicate that astronomical images obtained in different wavelength bands can be used as a vehicle to gain a better understanding of the physical laws. In particular I hope the students learn about the processes involved in producing the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation over a wide range of frequencies.”

The images used are real celestial phenomena, such as a supernova remnant (the remains of an exploded star). Special computer software will enable students to conduct research online without becoming mired in the technical details of observational astronomy. All three projects have been done in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology’s academic technologies unit.

Says Zadeh, “It’s important to make the world accessible to nonscientists.”

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