Abstract: Automorphic forms are historically used to answer number theoretic questions. For instance, for any integer n, automorphic forms can be used to answer the question: how many integer solutions are there to the equation x^2+y^2+z^2=n? More recently, automorphic forms have also been found to have deep connections to physics through string theory. One particular connection involves the solution of differential equations in automorphic forms. I will tell two seemingly unrelated stories which edify this connection. These stories serve as two examples illustrating how mathematics can be used to influence physics but physics may also be used to influence mathematics!