Last night, science met art in Caltech’s Feynman Lecture Hall as part of MACH 33: The Caltech Festival of New Science-Driven Plays. Scientists, actors, writers, and directors come together once a year to put on staged readings of new plays, for which scientists from Caltech and JPL, which Caltech manages for NASA, serve as advisors. The festival kicked off Wednesday night with “Parity,” a play based on the life of Chien-Shiung Wu, also known as the First Lady of Physics and the Queen of Nuclear Research. The idea of parity was accepted as a law in physics until the 1950s when Wu, a professor at Columbia University, disproved it against all odds.
The play was directed by Sandra Tsing Loh (BS ‘83) and written by Howard Ho, with Caltech’s Cliff Cheung, professor of theoretical physics and director of the Leinweber Forum for Theoretical Physics, serving as the science advisor. Various actors not affiliated with Caltech played several roles, including Olivia Xing who played Chien-Shiung beautifully. Caltech’s Hirosi Ooguri, the Fred Kavli Professor of Theoretical Physics and Mathematics at Caltech and the Kent and Joyce Kresa Leadership Chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, played both a waiter in a Chinese restaurant and Wu’s father. Historian David Zierler of the Caltech Heritage Project played J. Robert Oppenheimer.
After the play, David Hitlin, a professor of physics at Caltech, shared personal memories of Wu from the audience—she was his thesis advisor at Columbia University in the 1960s.
Mach 33 plays, put on through Theatre Arts Caltech (TACIT), continue through May 16.
#Caltech #TACIT
Is there life on other planets? What did the universe look like in its earliest years? At the moment, we don’t know, but having a telescope on the moon might change that. 🌕📡
Caltech astronomer Nivedita Mahesh unpacks two of the biggest unanswered questions in astronomy and why we need to go to the far side of the moon to answer them. #AskCaltech
May the 4th be with you!
The research established that a TIE fighter’s twin ion engines could overcome Yavin 4’s aerodynamic drag and achieve atmospheric escape, suggesting a significant tactical advantage the Rebellion may have overlooked.
#Caltech #Maythe4th
DiscoTech 2026 wrapped up with the iconic Egg Drop from Caltech Hall—the tallest building on campus! Teams engineered creative contraptions to protect their eggs from a 9-story fall. Congrats to Team Mimetite for taking the win! 🥚🧡
#Caltech #CaltechAdmissions #CaltechClassOf2030 #FutureOfSTEM
Caltech Giving Day is here. Join the Caltech community in supporting the students, faculty, and research that advance discovery at the Institute. Give today via the link in our bio or at fund.caltech.edu/2026givingday. Every gift counts!
#CaltechGivingDay
Quantum computers, explained through music. 🎻
Caltech researcher Volkan Gurses walks us through how qubits work and the biggest engineering challenges in building a quantum computer.
What do you want to #AskCaltech? Leave us a comment or visit the link in our bio.
Shu-ou Shan, Caltech’s Altair Professor of Chemistry, has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest honorary societies. She joins 251 other new members this year who have distinguished themselves in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science.
Shan’s research primarily focuses on protein biogenesis, tracing the complex molecular pathways that ultimately lead to the production of proteins in the body. It is a long and twisting road from the instructions provided by a genetic code to the creation of new proteins and the manifestation of biological effects. Much can happen along the way. Shan’s research has delved into the various selection and triage mechanisms—these can be thought of as proofreaders and filters—that intervene to ensure that proteins are properly assembled and delivered to their correct locations.
American public 🤝🏼 university research
Federal funding for research is crucial to inventing new technologies, like the chip that powers the camera in the phone you're holding. Caltech's provost explains.
World-changing discovery happens at Caltech. Learn more at researchimpact.caltech.edu.
#Caltech #FederalFunding #WhyResearchMatters #ResearchImpact #FutureOfSTEM
This Earth Month, we’re celebrating the research and partnerships shaping a more sustainable future, from air quality to energy and beyond. Together with @cityofpasadena , we’re highlighting how discovery and community go hand in hand. 🌎
#Pasadena #Caltech #EarthMonth #EarthDay
