Art-Science Collaboration on Apocalyptic Space Threats

From the spectre of nuclear war to uncontrolled global warming, pandemics and unaligned artificial intelligence, there is no shortage of imagined ways in which our world could end. Pre-dating these ‘home grown’ threats of current concern is the possibility of a celestial catastrophe, a bolt from the heavens that destroys humanity. Such ideas are as old as civilization itself, passed down to us in ancient myths, folklore, and religious texts.

In 2023, Dr Richard Wilman, Associate Professor in Physics, held a Fellowship at the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic Studies (CAPAS) at Heidelberg University, Germany, to research such space risks. He focussed on the threats to Earth – and any life-bearing planets elsewhere in the Universe – from the likes of asteroids and comets, solar outbursts and exploding stars in our Galaxy. Whilst at CAPAS, he also participated in outreach events, including film commentary for their open-air Apocalyptic Cinema and public lectures for World Asteroid Day.

In June, Dr Wilman returned to Heidelberg for an expert panel discussion following a performance of the new opera ‘Collision’ at Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, a production inspired by the dramatic events of 1910 when the Earth passed through the tail of Comet Halley.

Dr Wilman was joined on stage for the discussion by current CAPAS Fellow, Dr Nikita Chiu, Associate Professor in Space Innovation & Technology Governance at Durham University’s Responsible Space Innovation Centre. Dr Chiu’s ongoing research investigates the dynamics between technological advances and governance, with a focus on identifying global mitigation measures against compounded risks associated with the commercialization of emerging technologies, including threats posed by space debris

The cross-faculty panel reviewed the performance from their disciplinary perspectives, and engaged in a stimulating discussion with the audience and opera director on the interplay between science and art, space-based threats and the cosmic apocalypse.

Research at CAPAS employs a transdisciplinary approach to investigate the effects of catastrophes and end-time scenarios on societies, individuals, and environments through the prism of apocalypse. Each year CAPAS awards around ten fellowships to international scholars from a variety of disciplines, to conduct collaborative research on theoretical and practical dimensions of catastrophic scenarios and their aftermath.

Art-Science collaboration at CAPAS, including its Apocalyptic Cinema programme, is led by Eva-Maria Bergdolt. Science communication is an important aspect of the Centre's work, with artistic exchange providing opportunities to reach target groups which might otherwise be excluded. Collaboration with the arts and finding common ground among different disciplines is pivotal for the outreach of the Centre.

While science and the humanities deal with facts, theories, and empirical data more broadly, art can explore and inspire critical engagement with the emotional, philosophical, and metaphorical dimensions of the topic. Thus the interplay between art, science, and the humanities promotes a multifaceted understanding from varied perspectives, blending individual and collective reflections and behavioral responses. It opens up possibilities of questioning and experiencing the apocalypse as a complex imaginary.   

For more, see a review of the event in the CAPAS magazine Apocalypse Quarterly: https://www.capas.uni-heidelberg.de/en/opera-collision

Links:

Dr Richard Wilman - Durham University

Dr Nikita Chiu - Durham University Business School

EVA-MARIA BERGDOLT - CAPAS (uni-heidelberg.de)

Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies - CAPAS (uni-heidelberg.de)