The material of decay first caught our attention when a researcher noticed the weathered door panel, speckled with patches of peeling paint, during a routine supervision session - what is decay? Defining decay stems from our empirical observations, typically involving a spectrum of irreversible, continuous downward processes often laden with negative connotations. However, is this portrayal truly applicable to all phenomena categorized as decay? 

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Our project endeavors to challenge and deconstruct the traditional understanding of decay by uncovering its dual nature in terms of continuity, reversibility, and scalability. These characteristics take on unique interpretations drawn from the realms of quantum mechanics, general relativity, and new materialism. Based at the University of Cambridge, the Diffraction Theatre team seeks to explore transdisciplinary intersections between the arts and sciences, and to inquire and critique the emergence of a new managerialism in higher education at the University of Cambridge.