Week 1 Two Cultures
CP Snow introduced us to the idea of two cultures 50 years ago, and this idea is still worth exploring. The interview and lectures provide me with an idea of how art and science are separated yet connected.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-update-on-cp-snows-two-cultures/
Being an Electrical Engineering and Applied Math double major that loves art, I’m very interested in this topic as it is very relevant. I firmly believe art and science are inspirations of each other and enhance each other. “Art and science serve a functionally similar role, informing the different ways in which we come to know and re-know our human and physical worlds.” (Brygier, 1997) Einstein is a great violinist; Da Vinci is both an artist and a scientist; Schrödinger is a good poet… No one can be a completely passive observer of the world, among his understanding there must be some art, some imaginary, some romance that lead towards a soft and emotional filter of the world from which he sees it. In UCLA, I have been to the opposite side of campus many times and even taken DESMA classes and enjoyed them. I have many of hobbies such as piano and dancing, and it works great together with my science courses.
I noticed the education issue about separation of art and science back when I was reading the book “The Crowd,” which criticizes public education of only teaching each person a limited set of knowledge while we need a comprehensive understanding in order to have the necessary abilities including ability of judgement and experience. After this week, the video on the website emphasized this issue of again, which is thought-invoking. Personally speaking, I am very open-minded, so I always question authorities; but most people couldn't break the rules easily. Meanwhile, the education system deepened their stereotype of the deep gap between art and science. So courses like DESMA 9 are very good to inform people about this issue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Even though it is difficult to change people’s minds about stereotypes, I will still try to encourage more people to think more about the relationship between art and science, and hopefully get a chance to experience the other side.
Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961.
Print.
"The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind : Gustave Le Bon : Free Download & Streaming." Internet Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.
"J.b.krygier: Cartography as an Art and a Science?" J.b.krygier: Cartography as an Art and a Science? N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.
TheRSAorg. "RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.
Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web.
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