Arthur I. Miller, author, science historian and Professor Emeritus at University College London, recently visited the classroom of Senior Fellow in Critical Writing, Jo Ann Caplin as well as participated in an informal discussion and lunch at Kelly Writers House. His book, Einstein/Picasso: Space, Time and the Beauty that Causes Havoc, nominated for a Pulitzer, is the centerpiece of Caplin's seminar.
Miller, who holds a Ph.D. in Physics from M.I.T. and taught at Harvard, says he was always fascinated by the nature of things, which led him to the history of science and the creation of the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London. Through studying creativity in science Miller realized the essential role played by visual imagery and its centrality in the creative thinking of artists and scientists. His own work as a scientist, writer and historian explores the interrelations between intuition, aesthetics, visual imagery and representation as scientists and artists attempt to 'read' nature.
Other books by Miller include: Insights of Genius: Imagery and Creativity in Science and Art; Deciphering the Cosmic Number: The Strange Friendship of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung; Empire of the Stars: Friendship, Obsession and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes; and Albert Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity: Emergence (1905) and Early Interpretation (1905-1911).