DESMA 9 Week 1

Mr. Brockman believes that scientists are communicating directly with the public, hijacking the positions once held by literary scholars, as the new source of truth. He also suggests that literary intellectuals are isolating themselves from scientist. Conversely, Baron Snow postulates that literary and scientific field are starting to work closely together and that soon any gap, imaginary or real, between both fields will be minimized.

Personally, I would agree with Baron Snow’s idea of the “Third Culture”. However, it is pertinent to first acknowledge that there still exist a divide between the humanities and science disciplines. An example of the above-mentioned divide can be obtained from the UCLA meme page on Facebook. Since most jokes are based on truisms, the response from the general student body to any joke posted on the page is an indicator of agreement with the essence of said joke. Therefore, given the largely positive response to memes about the archetypal “South Campus Major” and “North Campus Major”, it is evident that stereotypes about students in either discipline are still prevalent. 

Meme Poking Fun at the Stereotype that South Campus Majors are Socially Awkward

Fortunately, despite the above, there has been an observable uptick in collaborations between experts in both fields globally, especially in the field of architecture. While I might be a Mechanical Engineering Major, I also enjoy studying architecture, specifically architecture that make use of modern materials and advancements.

An interesting example of such architecture would be the Christ Church Cathedral, located in Christchurch New Zealand. It was built in 2013, after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which inflicted irreparable damage to the city’s main cathedral. Using modern building techniques and a good understanding of origami, the “Cardboard Cathedral” was erected and still stands till today. 

Night View of the "Cardboard Cathedral" in Christchurch, New Zealand

Another inspiring structure would be the Supertree Grove in Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. The solar-powered trees not only look aesthetically pleasing, but also serves as a power source for the entire park. 

Night View of the Supertree Groves at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay

Architecture has always been a field where the line between arts and sciences is blurred, as with many other disciplines. Discoveries in science are often a by-product of creative thinking, just as how science influences art nowadays. Therefore, in my opinion art and science are not two separate concepts but just opposite sides of a coin. Ergo, students should strive towards being the renaissance woman/man. 

Sources:

Snow, Charles Percy. The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge U Press, 1961. Print.

Graham-Rowe, Duncan. "John Brockman: Matchmaking with science and art." WIRED UK. WIRED UK, 23 May 2016. Web. 04 Apr. 2017. <http://www.wired.co.uk/article/matchmaking-with-science-and-art>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121–125., www.jstor.org/stable/1577014.

Said-Moorhouse, Lauren. "Solar-powered 'supertrees' at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay." CNN. Cable News Network, 10 June 2015. Web. 04 Apr. 2017. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/08/world/asia/singapore-supertrees-gardens-bay/>.

"Newly Released Photos of Shigeru Ban's Cardboard Cathedral in New Zealand." ArchDaily. N.p., 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. <http://www.archdaily.com/413224/shigeru-ban-completes-cardboard-cathedral-in-new-zealand>