Model for first-causes
(Gott-Li model for a self-creating universe with toroidal closed timeline curves and
simulated dendritic patterning for space-filling neuronal dendrites )
2018, Ink and watercolour on paper, 36.3 x 55.5cm
Michael WHITTLE
Diagrams courtesy of J. Richard Gott III, Li-Xin, and Kaoru Sugimura
(Gott-Li model for a self-creating universe with toroidal closed timeline curves and
simulated dendritic patterning for space-filling neuronal dendrites )
2018, Ink and watercolour on paper, 36.3 x 55.5cm
Michael WHITTLE
Diagrams courtesy of J. Richard Gott III, Li-Xin, and Kaoru Sugimura
About the Artwork:
‘Model for first causes’ contrasts two very different types of model, one for the origins of the universe and one for the development of neurons in the human brain. In their 1997 paper, physicists J. Richard Gott III and Li-Xin Li posed the question ‘Do the laws of physics prevent the Universe from being its own mother?’
Together they proposed a self-contained circular loop of space-time, capable of generating alternative universes in a branching structure. The neuronal growth model generated by Kaoru Sugimura beneath explores the basic structural units that underlie the brains ability to question not only it’s own origins, but the very origins of reality itself.
‘Model for first causes’ contrasts two very different types of model, one for the origins of the universe and one for the development of neurons in the human brain. In their 1997 paper, physicists J. Richard Gott III and Li-Xin Li posed the question ‘Do the laws of physics prevent the Universe from being its own mother?’
Together they proposed a self-contained circular loop of space-time, capable of generating alternative universes in a branching structure. The neuronal growth model generated by Kaoru Sugimura beneath explores the basic structural units that underlie the brains ability to question not only it’s own origins, but the very origins of reality itself.
Michael WHITTLE
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
SUGIMURA Kaoru:
The interdisciplinary research of Kaoru Sugimura combines physics, statistics, and biology to
elucidate the underlying principles of design in living forms. The researchers in her lab apply
knowledge, methods, and imaging data from non-biological cellular materials to developed new
ways to mechanically measure biological tissues, including the processes of cell packing and
rearrangement. For her innovative work Sugimura was awarded the prestigious National Institute
of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) award, given to researchers who contribute to science
and technology innovation in Japan. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of
Bioinformatics and Systems Biology at the University of Tokyo.
The interdisciplinary research of Kaoru Sugimura combines physics, statistics, and biology to
elucidate the underlying principles of design in living forms. The researchers in her lab apply
knowledge, methods, and imaging data from non-biological cellular materials to developed new
ways to mechanically measure biological tissues, including the processes of cell packing and
rearrangement. For her innovative work Sugimura was awarded the prestigious National Institute
of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) award, given to researchers who contribute to science
and technology innovation in Japan. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of
Bioinformatics and Systems Biology at the University of Tokyo.
J. Richard GOTT:
J. Richard Gott III is Emeritus Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University, and
noted for his contributions to cosmology and general relativity. His paper with Li-Xin Li, ‘Can the
Universe Create Itself?’ explores the idea of how the laws of physics may permit the universe to
be its own mother. His and Mario Juric’s Map of the Universe appeared in the New York Times
(January 13, 2004), New Scientist, and Astronomy. Gott and Juric are in Guinness World Records
2006 for finding the largest structure in the universe: the Sloan Great Wall of Galaxies (1.37 billion
light years long). Gott has received the Robert J. Trumpler Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship,
the Astronomical League Award, and Princeton’s President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching.
J. Richard Gott III is Emeritus Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University, and
noted for his contributions to cosmology and general relativity. His paper with Li-Xin Li, ‘Can the
Universe Create Itself?’ explores the idea of how the laws of physics may permit the universe to
be its own mother. His and Mario Juric’s Map of the Universe appeared in the New York Times
(January 13, 2004), New Scientist, and Astronomy. Gott and Juric are in Guinness World Records
2006 for finding the largest structure in the universe: the Sloan Great Wall of Galaxies (1.37 billion
light years long). Gott has received the Robert J. Trumpler Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship,
the Astronomical League Award, and Princeton’s President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching.
LI Li-Xin:
Li-Xin Li is a theoretician working primarily on astrophysics and general relativity. His research has
touched many fields in high-energy astrophysics and cosmology, including gamma-ray bursts,
supernovae, neutron star mergers, black hole physics, accretion process, gravitational lensing,
creation of the universe, and time travel. Together with Richard Gott, he proposed a model for
the self-creation of the Universe, in which the Universe started from an epoch with closed timelike
curves so that time has no beginning. The model can naturally explain why there is a time arrow
today. Li is currently a Professor at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the
University of Peking.
Li-Xin Li is a theoretician working primarily on astrophysics and general relativity. His research has
touched many fields in high-energy astrophysics and cosmology, including gamma-ray bursts,
supernovae, neutron star mergers, black hole physics, accretion process, gravitational lensing,
creation of the universe, and time travel. Together with Richard Gott, he proposed a model for
the self-creation of the Universe, in which the Universe started from an epoch with closed timelike
curves so that time has no beginning. The model can naturally explain why there is a time arrow
today. Li is currently a Professor at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the
University of Peking.
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