Week 1: Two Cultures

Sunday, April 16

In line with Snow's claims, I can clearly see a distinction between the two cultures: literary intellectuals and scientists which is evident even at UCLA.In UCLA, the campus is split in half as the North Campus (humanities and arts) and South Campus (sciences and engineering). As a Biology major dealing with calculus, biology,  and many more integrative sciences, I rarely am involved in the former. As I walk along the hills of bruin walk every morning, I always hear people discussing about how life would be so much easier as a humanities or an art major. As I hear those comments, I began to contemplate. How could someone make such assertions when they had never been a humanities major as the two were widely different subjects. Obviously, behind these claims were stereotypes.

    UCLA is home to many intellectual minds.

John Brockman claimed how "scientists themselves, a third culture" and that there would not be a need to have the two together as the two cultures were so different. However, in today's society, literary intellectuals and scientists are becoming more and more alike with each other. Wilson points out how artists have "been eager to learn about technological research". As Bohm describes creativity and originality which separated Albert Einstein from the many famous scientists, he stresses that scientists today need to have those qualities in order to succeed. Scientists must not only be intellectually adept, but also have a creative mind. Kelly also explains that creativity is important in order for one to do well in what he or she does. In a way, the two cultures are represented as yin and yang, the two need to coexist for the other to exist.

                                                      The famous yin and yang symbol depicts two
                                                                  very different but important qualities that balance
                                                      each other.
Before this class, I never really considered the idea of the two cultures blending together. I always thought of the two as very distinct forms of ideas. However, I now understand that the two can be integrated together and when they do, it will concoct well. As I continue to pursue my career in Biology, I will always remember to not only think like a scientist, but to also be creative in my thinking.

    Scientists are known to be very intellectual people 
    but must also have a creative side to them to succeed.

Bohm, D. On Creativity.  Leonardo 1(1968): 137-149. Print.

Kelly, Kevin. The Third Culture. Feb. 1998. Web.

Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1961. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. Toward a Third Culture: Being in between. Leonardo. 34(2001): 121-125. Print.

Wilson, Stephen. Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology. New York, 2000. Print.