Touching Something No One Found

 

An unusual video clip was produced for a recent reunion of Weizmann Institute physics alumni.

 

The event organizers had turned to faculty alumnus Khen Shalem, who had changed fields to become a director of documentary films (his award-winning documentaries include On the Road to Tel Aviv and, more recently, The Other Side). Shalem conducted hours of interviews with the Institute physicists, which ultimately were condensed to 10 minutes. The physicists spoke about their research, as well as their motivation and the meaning of science in their lives.

Next, musicians Ivri Lider and Johnny Goldstein of The Young Professionals, who had been asked to enter the picture, composed music to accompany what the scientists had to say. The result was a song, Touching Something No One Found, featuring the scientists, with a refrain sung by Ivri Lider.

The making of the clip had given rise to a fascinating collaboration between people working in different fields but similarly driven by inquiry and curiosity. The idea had come from a clip on YouTube, in which someone had added music to the sayings of famous scientists interviewed on TV.

Starring in the clip, which premiered at the reunion of Weizmann’s Physics Faculty, were: Prof. Israel Bar-Joseph, Dr. Nirit Dudovich, Prof. Avishay Gal-Yam, Prof. Eilam Gross, Prof. Moti Heiblum, Prof. Yosef Nir, Prof. Yuval Oreg, Dr. Roee Ozeri, Dr. Shmuel Rubinstein, Prof. Igal Talmi and Prof. Daniel Zajfman.

 

 

At the reunion, Dean Prof. Yosef Nir reviewed the history of the Physics Faculty; Dr. Hagar Landsman of the Particle Physics and Astrophysics Department spoke about her trip to the South Pole, where she participates in the IceCube experiment; and Prof. Avishay Gal-Yam, also of the Particle Physics and Astrophysics Department, addressed the question: Are we alone in the universe? Between the lectures, the alumni and their families listened to a performance by singer Daniela Spector.