Week 1 Blog, Laura Ponce, DESMA9

Hi everyone! My name is Laura Ponce and I am a 4th year psychology major. I am super excited to take this class this quarter! This week, we covered the idea of “Two Cultures”. It was very interesting. Growing up, I always thought of the arts and sciences as two separate worlds. In my academic journey and home environment, there wasn't much emphasis on the arts, which led me to see them as very distinct from the sciences. 

Eskridge, Robert. “The enduring relationship of science and art.” (2003). https://archive.artic.edu/sciarttech/2a1.html 

At UCLA, there exists a noticeable divide between students pursuing degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and arts (referred to as North Campus) and those focusing on STEM fields (known as South Campus). This physical separation often results in limited interaction between individuals from different academic backgrounds, as students primarily engage with peers who share their majors and disciplines. There's a significant economic disparity between the two groups, as young scientists are more likely to secure lucrative job opportunities compared to their peers who are in the arts, further widening the gap between the two cultures (Snow, 1959). This dynamic highlights not only the physical separation of academic disciplines but also the socio-economic disparities and cultural divisions that exist within educational institutions like UCLA.

Professor Vesna highlights the communication gap between the arts and sciences, attributing it to the lack of collaboration between philosophers and scientists. She emphasizes the necessity for artists working with technology to interact with scholars from diverse fields and cultural studies in order to bridge and synthesize different worlds (Vesna, 2001). 

Galovic, N. (2018, February 7). The unexpected intersection between art and science. CSIROscope. https://blog.csiro.au/unexpected-intersection-art-science/

The concept of the third culture is explained as an offspring of science and technology. As technology becomes increasingly pervasive in society, particularly among younger generations, it reshapes cultural norms and perceptions, leading to the phenomenon where individuals once marginalized as "nerds" become socially accepted and even celebrated (Kelly, 1998). This third culture is contradicted by Duncan Graham-Rowe, who states that his idea of the third culture does not encompass literary intellectuals having communication with scientists (Graham-Rowe, 2011). 

There is a mutual influence between art and technology that emphasizes the respect for innovation and unconventional thinking within technological fields. Wilson suggests that artists who take the time to understand the scientific context of innovation can contribute meaningfully to the intersection of art and technology (Wilson, 2000).

Dr. Christine Liu. (2020, February 1). As a trained scientist and a self-taught artist,. twitter.com/14ne0hzxhw. Twitter. https://twitter.com/christineliuart/status/1223673670649823233

 

Works Cited:

Snow, C.P. "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution." Cambridge University Press, 1959.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo, vol. 38, no. 4, 2001, pp. 121-        125.

Kelly, Kevin. “The Third Culture.” Edge.Org, 27 Feb. 1998,

    www.edge.org/conversation/kevin_kelly-the-third-culture.

Graham-Rowe, D. (2011, February 3). John Brockman: Matchmaking with science and art. WIRED.         https://www.wired.co.uk/article/matchmaking-with-science-and-art 

Wilson, S. (2000). Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology.