Two Cultures

TWO CULTURES

When I first started listening to Professor Vesna about the idea that art and science are separated "unnaturally," my instinct was to disagree. Before delving deeper, I thought that art is a far more expressive undertaking, that is highly subjective and open to interpretation, fundamentally at odds with science which only has one answer and results from passive observation. This explains why at my high school, they kept all the science classrooms on a different floor than the humanities, just like at UCLA where we have divide between North and South Campus.

Sierra Canyon, my high school. Top Floor: Physics; Bottom Floor: English

                                                 

I made an analogy to political philosopher John Stuart Mill's On Liberty, in which he says that a two-party system is ideal, because it is "the opposition of the other [party] that keeps each within the limits of reason and sanity." However, the congressional gridlock as we have in America today is a result of this system. (and stereotypes, like lecture referenced). 

Looks like having two, opposing points of view isn't always helpful

                                                                         

Through the lecture and reading the work of C,P Snow, I understand that when there is no collaboration between the Two Cultures, neither advances in the way that each should. Scientist Richard Feynman, in an article by the BBC, explains that both appreciating the beauty of a flower from an artistic perspective is important, but science can only add to the experience.


 Interestingly, his work in quantum physics is relevant, because the observer can not simply be passive, and instead has an effect on the outcome! (Goethe thought of this active role too)  

Awe-inspiring interference pattern, generated by Feynman Double-Slit experiments 

I understand how science can further art, but I am not sure about the other way around. C.P. Snow, in his last chapter, fails to explain how art's impact on science can help lessen the divide between rich and poor, only how science can help, and the 'Third Culture' as referenced seems to be science-biased. 

Cites:

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Web.

Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web.

Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture" Science 13 February 1998: Vol. 279 no. 5353 pp. 992-993. Web.

Brooks, Christopher. "Richard Feynman on Flowers, Artists and Scientists."BBC News. BBC, 16 May 2013. Web. 

Collini, Stefen. J.S. Mill: On Liberty and Other Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1989. Print.