Capturing Light: A Time Machine from Aristotle to Feynman

Library exhibit — Opening reception celebrating Capturing Light exhibit, April 15, 2026

In collaboration with library staff members, Ph.D. candidate Amjad Alqahtani has curated an exhibit tracing humanity’s centuries-long quest to answer the question “What is light?” Told through rare books and historical documents from the library’s collection, the exhibit follows the evolution of theories of light from antiquity’s philosophical views to the complexities of modern quantum mechanics.

At the opening reception, Amjad discussed his selection of exhibit items and the role they have played in our understanding of the nature of light.

The exhibit will be on display in Lauinger Library through May 31, 2026. The main display is in the Stephen Richard Kerbs Exhibit Area, and a companion display on scientific inquiry, featuring some of the library’s oldest and rarest holdings, is located in the Booth Family Center’s Spotlight space. Visit the library website for the online version of the exhibit.