Nuclear Physics in the Lab, in Society, and in the Arts

Nuclear physics does not exists in isolation. This profoundly technical field, whose discoveries shape medicine, energy, the environment, and our understanding of the universe, unfolds simultaneously in laboratories, in society, and increasingly in the arts. Yet the public often encounters it through fear, mythology, or incomplete narratives.

Storytelling, one of humanity’s oldest bridges, offers a way to reshape these narratives. In this talk, I explore how non-traditional forms of science storytelling within the arts, dance, poetry, and especially cinema, can create new connections between disciplines, ideas, and communities. These approaches challenge stereotypes, expand accessibility, and deepen belonging.

Through my feature documentary Rare Connections, filmed at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), I share how artistic collaboration can illuminate the scientific process and reveal the humanity driving it. I’ll illustrate that when art enters the lab, scientists open up in unexpected ways, allowing experts to be seen as whole people, and research culture shifts toward greater visibility, inviting society to reconsider its relationship with science. While my shared stories come from FRIB, they resonate far beyond nuclear physics, speaking to anyone propelled by passion, uncertainty, or the desire to connect their work to a wider world.

Ultimately, as a physicist filmmaker, I argue that collaborating with the arts offers a powerful new space for nuclear physics to be seen, felt, and understood, and a path for scientists to broaden the reach and impact of their work.