Week 1: Two Cultures

Learning about the "two cultures" in this week's lectures and readings has pushed me to reflect on my major as whole. As a second year student studying business economics, I realized that as CP Snow discussed, the separation of sciences and the arts is evident to the point that we often overlook the necessity of applying both cultures in the real world. Despite that my major does not involve the arts, I have noticed that many of my lectures take place on the north side of campus, particularly in the Broad Art Center. I feel that this is especially profound relative to the idea of the separation of two cultures because it symbolizes an effort to encourage students to take the time to appreciate all parts of the campus as they make their frequent commutes to class. Personally for me, I have developed a greater appreciation for art at UCLA as I continue to walk past various sculptures and differing styles of architecture on the north side of campus.

Eli & Edythe Broad Art Center UCLA — STUDIOpractice Architects
Broad Art Center at UCLA

With regards to the idea of connecting the sciences and the arts, I definitely agree with John Brockman's statement that "contemporary scientists" are the third culture capable of bridging the gap. We can see this application in many aspects of life such as the media we enjoy as well as artistic expressions in the form of NFTs. Many of these projects require a sufficient understanding of technology and skillsets such as software engineering, in which in these environments the two cultures work collaboratively. For instance, the creation of NFT art requires not only artistic ability, but also the skills of a computer scientist.

Sotheby's to Present Landmark Live Evening Auction For Single Lot of 104 CryptoPunk NFTs | Press Release | Sotheby's
Collection of 104 NFT "CryptoPunks" worth upwards of $30 million

The most interesting idea to me is Victoria Vesna's emphasis on the need for professions related to the sciences to establish an understanding of the arts. For instance, as a business economics major aspiring to obtain a managerial position at a firm, I found the study of linguistics as well as public speaking to be helpful in developing myself into a more well-spoken and well-rounded individual.

"Major Levels of Linguistics"

Sources:

Brockman, John. “The Third Culture.” N.p.: n.d., 1995. Print.

Kazakina, Katya. “Sotheby's Expected to Sell 104 CryptoPunks for a Record $30 Million. Instead, the Collection Was Pulled Just before the Sale.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 24 Feb. 2022, https://news.artnet.com/market/cryptopunk-sale-withdrawn-2077147. 

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

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.

“Eli & Edythe Broad Art Center UCLA.” STUDIOpractice Architects, https://www.studiopractice.com/eli-edythe-broad-art-center-ucla. 

“Linguistics: Home.” Library Guides, University of Washington, https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/linguistics. 


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