Week 1: Two Cultures

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In the articles by Powers, Gould, Thresher, Shulman, and Johnson, there is an overarching theme of the connection between art and science, particularly in a creative sense. As noted in Goulds interview/article, scientists and artists "have the same goals" but they "reach them in different ways." In the Powers article, the use of art to learn scientific concepts and phenomena is highlighted given the visual aspects that many may encounter when attempting to grasp an idea.

At the UCLA campus, these two cultures are split with ideas if North campus (humanities/art) and South campus (science). There can sometimes be certain stereotypes attached to the students that identify with either side of campus — most involving lifestyles that are heavily influenced by the "difficulty" of the majors that are associated with North and South. It is often believed that students from North campus have an easier load to the students from South campus, and that North campus students have more time for leisure in comparison the the stereotypical South campus student who you will often find pulling long hours at a library. 

Seeing how many of the writers emphasize a collision of art and science that is not often seen or translated onto the immediate world of most individuals, I think my perspective has changed in thinking of ways in which the two cultures of art and science can be better integrated within schools. Having a better understanding on how this division came to be in the first place, I feel more compelled to view art and science as interconnected in the way they attempt to interpret the world as well as better understand it.

As a social science student, I can use these ideas and perspectives to find ways to incorporate both art and science into my research interests, especially as they relate to the environment and sustainability. 






*All images taken by me (Izellah Sanchez)

References:

Gould, Julie. "Art and science: the dance of innovation." Nature, vol. 603, no. 7902, 2023, pp. 151-152. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03389-5.

Johnson, Matt. Mind Brain and Value. "What's the Connection Between Art and Science?" Psychology Today, 20 Dec. 2020, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-brain-and-value/202012/whats-the-connection-between-art-and-science.

Powers, Anna. "Why Art Is Vital to the Study of Science." Forbes, 31 July 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/annapowers/2020/07/31/why-art-is-vital-to-the-study-of-science/?sh=6399c8842eb2.

Shulman, Ken. MIT News. "Art, science, and the science of art." Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 5 Oct. 2023, https://news.mit.edu/2023/art-science-and-science-art-1005.

Thresher, Ann C., "The Divide Between Art and Science Is a Mistake." Institute of Art and Ideas, Publication Date (if available), https://iai.tv/articles/the-divide-between-art-and-science-is-a-mistake-auid-2660.


Comments

  1. Tiffany Jean DESMA9April 7, 2024 at 10:39 PM

    Hi Izellah,
    I find it super interesting how you touched on the stereotypes and the challenges and lifestyles tied to the majors on the north and south sides of the campus. I agree that north campus majors can definitely bring a ton of their skills into scientific research, showcasing their creative ideas and perspectives. Also, your discussion about how the articles by Powers, Gould, Thresher, Shulman, and Johnson made various connections between art and science really highlights the creative link between the two groups. It's cool how you made those connections!

    ReplyDelete

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