Two Cultures

In looking at the concept of "Two Cultures", I found that John Brockman someone expanded on  but did not completely agree with the ideas of C.P. Snow. In C.P. Snow's book entitled Two Cultures and in a follow up essay, he writes about a possible third culture in which the scientists and artists collaborate with one another. Brockman does not see this as entirely true as he has come to the conclusion that scientist do not necessarily need a middleman to communicate their work to rest of the world. They are capable of doing this themselves. I find John Brockman's view to be true as well but not in every situation. There are certainly some grey areas in which some individuals are literary intellectuals in addition to being scientists.

Relativity, 1953 M.C. Escher

http://seedmagazine.com/images/uploads/13JLMCE600x575.jpg

My version of two cultures comes in the form of my interest in biology in addition to my deep love for history. These are two entirely different subjects but I have grown to appreciate that biology gives me an understanding of how life came about in scientific terms. On the contrast, history allows me to explore the past and look at all the ways that people have viewed many different concepts in addition to how it has changed over the years.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xvEOICRwA/TQ_ejhXnaWI/AAAAAAAAC1I/grwdXGUtS10/s1600/HisSciColl-sm3.jpg

At UCLA, the line between two cultures is very obvious one that comes in the form of North Campus and South Campus. North Campus is known as the home of the humanities majors while South Campus is for science/ math related majors. North Campus seems to have a much more aesthetic appeal to it; there are more trees, fountains, and art sculptures. South Campus is mainly concrete and brick with many high rise buildings.

http://www.housing.ucla.edu/housing_site/guesthouse/gallery/SculptureGarden_RGB.jpg

http://www.environment.ucla.edu/media/images/sam-large.jpg

This perspective of the discrepancy between the two cultures has definitely opened my eyes to not just my immediate world but to the things I have to yet to see or learn. From now on, I will begin to look for  these two cultures because it is apparent that you can find them just about anywhere. As a biology major, I have had my share of the sciences but am now aware that there can be an artistic side to it as well.

Citations:

John Brockman: Matchmaking with science and art 
<http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2011/03/start/matchmaking-with-science-and-art>
M.C. Escher, Relativity
<http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/the_future_of_science_is_art/P3/>
Art and Science
<http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xvEOICRwA/TQ_ejhXnaWI/AAAAAAAAC1I/grwdXGUtS10/s1600/HisSciColl-sm3.jpg>
UCLA Scultpure Garden
<http://www.housing.ucla.edu/housing_site/guesthouse/gallery/SculptureGarden_RGB.jpg>
UCLA Engineering Building
<http://www.environment.ucla.edu/media/images/sam-large.jpg>