Prof. Michelson (left) speaking about Ms. Zeng (right)'s work
photo credit: Jianhua Gong

Stanford University, California (March 12, 2008) – A reception for Karolyn Zeng’s art exhibition at Stanford University hit a high note in the Physics and Astrophysics Building. Over a hundred people attended the reception, including Professor Richard Vinograd (from the Stanford University Department of Art and Art History), Mr. Sandy Miller (Board Member of Cantor Art Center) and his wife, Dr. Xiaoneng Yang (Curator of Asian Art at Cantor Art Center) and Dr. Britta Erickson, an internationally respected art critic and scholar. Mr. Hong Chang, the Deputy Director from the Governor’s Office of California, and Ms. Aileen Kao, mayor of Saratoga city, also participated, and spoke briefly.

Professor Peter Michelson spoke about Ms. Zeng’s work with great enthusiasm. A world-renown astrophysicist at Stanford University, Dr. Michelson is also an experienced fine art collector with an impressive collection of Chinese art works (antique and contemporary). "...quite fascinated to look at really a fusion of Eastern and Western culture, that I think is showing here in her works...it speaks to people, it speaks to me. ...The work you see, for me, reflects these contemporary Chinese art works that I have seen many examples." he said. "I think yours rank highly of that. Congratulations on this wonderful exhibition."

Ms. Zeng has long been fascinated by the intrinsic connection between quantum physics, human genetics and the ancient Chinese I Ching (Book of Changes). During the reception, she revealed one of her discoveries for the first time. In her painting “Grand Unified Field,” one can see the double helix and its base pairs A, C, G and T, the I Ching ring of 64 hexagrams, the 64 codons of human genetic system, and the quantum meson octet hanging next to I Ching’s “ba kua”(the eight trines). She pointed out that the repetition of number 64 is not a pure coincidence.

Ms. Zeng discovered that the combination of binary (2) and three (3) is the key. The I Ching is based on two elements: Yin and Yang. The eight trines are the result of randomly stacking these two (2) elements as three (3) in a group. Combining the eight trines on top of each other produces 64 different hexagrams. Our genetic system is also based on binary (2) elements – the two strains of DNA double helix (a Yin-Yang combination) and the two pairs of nucleotide bases: Adenine (A) and Thymine (T), Cytosine(C) and Guanine (G). The two strains of DNA sequences contain triplets (tri-nucleotide) (3) of A, T, C and G, which serve as templates for the transcription of genetic message to RNA. Sequentially, each transcribed triplet in RNA codes for a single amino acid which is the building block of proteins. In the configuration of the double helix, A and T are joined through two (2) hydrogen bonds, whereas C and G share three (3). A always pairs with T, and C always with G. In 2007, someone in the computational field proved that the 2, 3 Turing Machine is universal.

Ms. Zeng says, “…which means that in the I Ching Chinese discovered this universal code thousands of years ago. And life on Earth has used this universal code ever since its origination in this planet – that’s billions of years ago.” She humorously concludes, “Compass, gunpowder, paper and printing are the four most famous inventions attributed to ancient Chinese civilization. However, the discovery of this Universal Code has much deeper meaning in our contemporary world.”

At the end of her talk, Ms. Zeng presents Mr. Hong Chang a 9x36 inches “Grand Unified Field” giclée and asks him to help her forward the message to the Governor: Let’s talk science and art, but not wars; let’s unite, but not divide; let’s celebrate peace; let’s celebrate love.