A Night with Faust

Two wearable computers will be one of the highlights of the first annual symposium sponsored by the Duke University Scholars Program, to be held Tuesday, April 25, in the Bryan Center on Duke's West Campus. "From Faust to the Future" will explore aspects of the bargain that Faust (known also as Dr. Faustus) would probably make with the Devil today in a world marked by an explosion in knowledge, with genetic engineering, the Internet and supercomputers. The symposium's focus will be on creativity and elements of artistic composition, biotechnology issues, intellectual property and computer advances. The University Scholars Program is a group of undergraduate, graduate and professional students with interdisciplinary interests, funded under a pioneering grant from Duke trustee and alumna Melinda French Gates and her husband, Bill Gates. The symposium, open and free to the public, will be held in the Bryan Student Center, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., beginning in the Sheafer Theater with an hour's piano performance, then moving to Von Canon C with a panel discussion and reception. Featured also will be a display of new books by Duke authors and books published by Duke Press. Peter Limbrick, the University Scholars Program director, said he hopes for lots of audience involvement. "It's a chance to celebrate intellectual life at Duke." Billed as an evening of "great music, cool technology, new books and big ideas," the event promises an audience survey, with instantaneous results. The first University Scholars Program group of 18 students, all of them chosen for their stellar intellectual records, began meeting together last fall. Limbrick said in their first public event in September, the "Unis," as they call themselves, focused on the following questions: What is knowledge? What are its costs and rewards? What constitutes too much knowledge? After this gathering, Limbrick said, "One theme kept coming up: This really relates to the Faust story." Faust was the legendary medieval character who sold his soul to the Devil in return for knowledge and power. In the past, the figure has served as the basis for Renaissance playwright Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus," as well as for German writer J. W. Von Goethe's "Faust." He also has been an inspiration over the years for numerous musical compositions, including works by Berlioz and Liszt. Graduate student Peter Woodson will sport one of the two wearable computers. In his studies, Woodson investigates ways in which the World Wide Web has led to new communities in cyberspace that can be used for environmental purposes. The Internet, he said, has allowed scientists from a variety of disciplines to address such issues as global warming in concert. He also said the Internet has been used to monitor such industries as the logging industry to ensure sustainable forest management. Woodson said his wearable computer has a headset with a small projection mirror, which rests in front of your eye like a monitor. The headset also includes a video camera and a microphone for voice commands. The small keyboard straps to your forearm, he said. The CPU is belted to your waist, and is slightly bigger than a Walkman. "It uses a remote network, so you can wander freely and access the Web," he said. Woodson will be tethered, however, during the symposium. He said the CPU on his belt will be attached to a LCD projector via a cable, so audience members can observe him surfing the Internet. The second wearable computer will be displayed by another Uni student who will be the audience. Limbrick said the Unis themselves planned the symposium, working in small groups. Several of them will be featured on the program, including undergraduate music composer David Plylar and graduate and professional school panelists Joe Crozier, Michelle Mitchell and Peter Woodson. Crozier is from the social psychology department and will speak about genetic engineering. Mitchell is from the Fuqua School of Business and will talk about intellectual property. Woodson is from the Nicholas School of the Environment and will address the subject of the Internet. Music composer David Plylar, a junior, explores in his studies the nature of creativity and the art of composition, particularly in the field of music. He will present one of his original piano compositions, "Fantasy-Variations on Thematic Material from Liszt's Faust Symphony." Duke assistant professor of music Randall Love will perform the piece, which Plylar said was too difficult for his own piano skills. This marks the first time that someone else has performed the junior's work in public. Plylar said he conceived of his piece as a virtuoso work, composed in a late Romantic spirit. He said the piece was very dramatic and easy to listen to, but also academically engaged. "I wanted it to be something that my mother would like and get something out of it viscerally." At the same time, he said, he wanted to go beyond traditional harmony, evidenced in classical compositions, and explore 12-tone serialism, in which a composer assigns no special place to any given pitch. The piece ends with a fugue. Plylar said he based his piece on Goethe's Faust. "One of the things that was definitely useful for me is that Goethe's version of the Devil is somebody that you like. You get along with this guy. He comes into your life, and gives you everything you want. "Today there's all these ethical concerns about genetic engineering, all these issues with the Internet. There is a downside to [these advances], perhaps, that we need to address."

Written by Linda Haac.