Queering Computation • Tim Atherton

Computation is intertwined with essentially all aspects of physics research and is invaluable for physicists’ careers. Despite its disciplinary importance, integration of computation into physics education remains a challenge and has tended to be constructed narrowly as a route to solving physics problems. Moreover, little attention has been paid to who is doing computation vis a vis marginalization, nor to the masculinized culture around contemporary computing. This talk centralizes the idea of “Queering” computation by proposing an educational environment that centralizes inquiry, agency and scientific practices. Central to the design is Making, the creation of shared physical and digital artifacts intended to promote students’ creativity and self-expression alongside doing physics.

In this interactive talk, Dr. Tim Atherton will introduce the design of our environment, present evidence from our explorations of four years of implementation at Tufts University. Participants will try elements of the activity and identify ways that they could adapt and incorporate this into their own environment. The workshop will conclude with data on how Queer people have engaged in this environment and prospects for future refinement.