Blog #15

Write two paragraphs–one Barclay and one TREAC. Your Barclay can pair Lehrer with Yo-Yo Ma or it can pair Lehrer with a self-to-text, world-to-text “illustration.”

TREAC Format:

Art has already been integrated into much of scientific history. Most commonly we see evidence of poetic metaphors being used to develop or explain theories of physics. For Example, in “The Future of Science…Is Art?”, Jonah Lehrer explains how Bohr used cubist art to explain that electrons “were like one of Picasso’s deconstructed guitars, a blur of brushstrokes that only made sense once you stared at it”. Bohr’s artistic point of view led him to be able to reject the idea that electrons were like planets, and develop a more fitting and abstract metaphor for the complex theory of electrons. Without art itself and the development of artful metaphors, much of the understanding we have about scientific theories would not be able to be so easily explained. While it is true that the addition of art will improve collaborative efforts toward new discoveries, much of the “art” that is already contributing to science may be overlooked. Metaphors used to explain scientific processes, medical issues, and theories are all ways that art and creativity aid scientific understanding of the objective. We must not overlook the ways that art is already successfully collaborating with science when arguing for more concrete inclusion of art in science.

Barclay Format:

In order for science to continue progressing at the rate we have seen over the past century, human emotion needs to be reconsidered as critical to scientific understanding. In “Necessary Edges: Arts, Empathy, and Education”, famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma depicts the importance of collaboration between science and art, critical thinking and empathetic reasoning. According to Ma, “purposefully seek(ing) to bolster the integrative feedback loops of our dual neural pathways could provide a new energy for creativity in our weary civilization”. In order to get the most out of scientific research, both neural pathways, critical thinking and empathetic thinking, need to be involved. While the brain can only activate one pathway at a time, collaboration between experts on each side of the spectrum can create ideas beyond just their way of thinking alone. It’s not just the artistic perspective that feels they have a place in science. In his essay from the perspective of the scientist, Lehrer writes that “(b)y heeding the wisdom of the arts, science can gain the kinds of new insights and perspectives that are the seeds of scientific progress”. Lehrer agrees that this plateau in discovery can be resolved through collaboration with art and creativity. Many of the concepts left yet to be understood, such as the brain and the universe, requires more than just equations and scientific tests. The first-person perspective needs to be considered as a factor and possible solution to full understanding of ourselves. Perhaps it is time to take a look at these questions from a big picture, holistic point of view.