Week 1: Two Cultures

I have seen this separation of the two cultures all throughout my life, and have been influenced by them tremendously. C.P. Snow proposed this theory of the two cultures in his 1959 lecture on art and science, where he indicated the separation was between literary intellectuals and natural scientists. Being that I am a psychology major, this divide is quite evident in my academic life. Although I will graduate with a bachelor of arts in psychology, my four years of undergraduate education have included vast courses on neuroscience and biology. At UCLA, Psychology majors are the only students who have core classes in both north (humanities) and south (sciences) campus. 

(Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden, North Campus, UCLA) 

                                                               

                                                                          (Court of Sciences, South Campus, UCLA)

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but both my parents were born in Iran. I grew up intertwined in both American and Iranian culture, both of which vastly differ from one another. Although they are different, they are similar in the sense that this two culture divide is present in both.

(Representation of my two cultures together)

Today, the line of division in the two cultures is blurred, as many artists are currently engaged in the world of technology and science. However, Stephen Wilson mentions that this influence is not a two way street, and many scientists engage in "the classical worlds of art, theatre, and music but do not see art as relevant to their professional work as researcher." Bohm explains that in actuality, artists and scientists are not so different, both feeling "a fundamental need to discover and create something new that is whole and total, harmonious and beautiful" (138). 

(Book by Eliane Strosberg that discusses the intersection of art and science, and 
the impact this intersection has on society)

Prior to this week, I had never thought about the integration of art and science together, or aware of how significant their combination was in my life. After reading and viewing the materials for this week, I began imagining a third culture. I also reflected on the combination of the various "two cultures" in my own life. Separate from the third culture C.P. Snow introduced, this third culture of technology increases opportunities, communication, and expression. I believe that is everyone utilized the apparatus of the third culture, they would be able to master their particular skill, have knowledge of other skills, and ultimately create new ideas that benefit all aspects of society.

(Einstein's Art And Science by Clary Meserve) 

SOURCES
A'Garous, Seoren. United States Flag and Iran Flag. Digital image. 7 Aug. 2014. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.

Archinect. UCLA Court of Sciences Student Center. Photograph. N.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.

Bohm, D. "On Creativity." Leonardo 1.2 (1968): 137-149. Print.

Fowler Museum. Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden. Photograph. N.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.

Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." Science 279.5353 (1998): 992-993. Print.

Meserve, Clary. “Einstein’s Art and Science.” Painting. Fine Art America. Art, 13 Jan. 2014. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.

Strosberg, Eliane. Art and Science. New York: Abbeville Press, 2001. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-125. Print.

Wilson, Stephen. “Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology.”San Francisco State University. N.p., 2000. Web. 28 March 2016.