RICHLAND, Wash. – Western science and eastern mysticism are more interconnected that one might think, claims an Evergreen State College professor who will present a lecture and Indian dance performance Feb. 7 at Washington State University Tri-Cities.
“Dance of the Atoms: Modern Physics Meets Eastern Mysticism” begins at 7 p.m. in the East Building Auditorium, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland. Admission is free to the public.
Ratna Roy offers a unique blend of Odissi classical dance and discussion on the growing alignment between two worldviews. She will demonstrate that while western science and eastern mysticism appear quite different, they are beginning to converge as each side emphasizes the unity and interrelation of all phenomena in a dynamic universe.
Roy is a professor of expressive arts and consciousness studies at The Evergreen State College, a public college in Olympia, Wash., focusing on liberal arts and sciences. She is artistic director of the internationally regarded Urvasi Dance Ensemble.
She has received several fellowships and awards, including the Advanced Fulbright Fellowship, American Institute of Indian Studies Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowship and Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.
Her premise is that both eastern mystics and modern physicists realize the inadequacy of linear language to communicate multidimensional “reality.” Science has answered with mathematical abstractions; mysticism has answered with poetry: danced myths in Hinduism, riddles in Taoism and haiku in Zen Buddhism.
To inspire discussion, Roy shares a quote from the controversial physicist Fritjof Capra: “The two foundations of 20th century physics — quantum theory and relativity theory — both force us to see the world very much in the way a Hindu, Buddhist or Taoist sees it.”
To inspire discussion, Roy shares a quote from the controversial physicist Fritjof Capra: “The two foundations of 20th century physics — quantum theory and relativity theory — both force us to see the world very much in the way a Hindu, Buddhist or Taoist sees it.”
“Dance of the Atoms” is part of the 2013 WSU Tri-Cities College of Arts and Sciences Season of Events. Co-sponsor Humanities Washington is a vital partner and flagship nonprofit that provides free educational and cultural programs based in the humanities. Humanities Washington is committed to serving the cities and rural communities on the eastern side of the state. For more information, visit http://www.humanities.org.
WSU Tri-Cities is located along the scenic Columbia River in Richland, Wash. Established in 1989 with upper division and graduate programs, WSU Tri-Cities expanded in 2007 to a four-year undergraduate campus offering 18 bachelor’s, 10 master’s and six doctoral degree programs. Learn about the most diverse campus in the WSU system at http://www.tricity.wsu.edu.