Oxford Playhouse, Fri March 16th 2007 |
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Jon Spooner and Unlimited Theatre staged the rather slick Ethics Of Progress at the Oxford Playhouse. Jon and his one man show used an interesting array of images and short video clips projected on two screens to illustrate his points. He leaped energetically about the stage, and talked the audience though the rather intimidating concepts of quantum physics including quantum computers, superposition, entanglement, and teleportation. At just under sixty minutes, this was an action packed show that artfully combined science with entertainment.
The science was described clearly and simply, though quantum physics itself defies our current logic of the way the world works, which makes it a bit hard to swallow. Jon acknowledges this, and tells us that Einstein himself described the results of entanglement as ‘spooky action at a distance’. How’s that for a technical description! Ethically, there are the usual arguments for any new technology – potential military uses balanced with providing solutions to existing problems (e.g. eliminating the need to use vehicles to travel). Teleportation, Jon suggests, may even prove whether we really have souls, and thus could also impact the debate of whether there is a God. There was an opportunity for questions at the end, at which point an academic in the field was brought on to stage, as well as pre-recorded answers from Dr. Vlatko Vedral, the collaborator and inspiration for the show. Ethics Of Progress is an interesting snapshot into the world of quantum physics, and requires no prior knowledge from the audience. Academics and students of higher level education (particularly in science) may find it a bit too basic for their liking, but entertaining nonetheless. One show only in Oxford but it will also be touring local schools and other cities, see http://www.unlimited.org.uk/shows/ethics.php for details. Kate Bottriell, 19/03/07 |
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