Why Art Needs Science and Science Needs the Arts
by Jaya Myler and Anita Sampayanathan
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you ‘grew up’? A nurse, a scientist, a firefighter, a doctor, engineer, a rockstar or an artist? Most of us were pushed in school or as we entered university to choose pathways that were entirely business or science-focused, or told that these fields were more sensible than choosing to pursue creative aspirations. But any dichotomy between science and the arts is unnatural, and without the two coexisting, many of the innovations that we rely on daily would not exist.
As entrepreneur and author Seth Godin put it: “Art isn’t only a painting. Art is anything that’s creative, passionate, and personal… there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo.”
Combinatorial innovation, which is at the heart of Asia P3 Hub’s approach, requires creativity for existing science, ideas, technologies or resources to be brought together and combined in new ways. The combination of the creativity of the arts with the technical knowledge and skills of science to create something new has led to many of the combinatorial innovations that we now take for granted.
Think about the now ubiquitous digital camera. The first iteration of the digital camera was patched together using a Super-8 lens, magnetic tape from a portable cassette recorder and a TV screen. A truly combinatorial innovation that brought together technology and art. Later these cameras were integrated into our mobile phones, putting a camera in the hand of most people on the planet.
Social media influencers no longer need to invest in high-tech professional tools because their computers and phones are sufficient. Phones take HD pictures that are sometimes better than that of a DSLR camera. Computer software and phone apps are able to professionally edit photos. Science and arts have evolved technology and enhanced it into tools for entertainment and professional use. Ada Lovelace, commonly considered the world’s first computer programmer, writes that “imagination is a combining faculty that brings together things, facts, ideas, conceptions in new, original, endless, ever-varying combinations.”
Steve Jobs was known for focusing as much on the design of Apple technology, as the functionality of products, and insisting that devices looked perfect inside and out. And he once said about the computer, “a computer is the most incredible tool we’ve ever seen. It can be a writing tool, a communications centre, a super calculator, a planner, a filer and an artistic instrument all in one, just by being given new instructions, or software, to work from.”
The Mozart Effect
Art and music have also inspired scientists throughout the centuries. Einstein played Mozart’s music pieces while figuring out general relativity. It is often said that classical music stimulates brain development, an effect called the ‘Mozart effect’. The ‘Mozart effect’ is the idea that if babies and children listen to his music, they will be more intelligent, given that Mozart grew up a child prodigy. Scientists have discovered that classical music has indeed enhanced the activity of genes involved in dopamine secretion (the feel good hormone), and transport synaptic function, learning and memory.
Nobel Laureate scientists are apparently: 2 times more likely to play a musical instrument, 5 times more likely to engage in crafts, 8 times more likely to engage in visual arts, 10 times more likely to write poetry and 20 times more likely to engage in performing art, than their counterparts.
In recent years there has been a movement towards including Arts in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) acronym — moving from STEM to STEAM — a push that recognises the importance of the arts, and also how crucial creativity is to more science-based fields. A Joint resolution was even introduced to the United States House of Representatives in 2013 underlining the importance of adding art and design into Federal programs that target the STEM fields to encourage innovation and economic growth in the US.
Art and Science Getting Combinatorial for a Cause
In 2016, artist and photojournalist Justin Guariglia, and the geoscientists at NASA joined forces to better present the effects of climate change to the public in innovative ways. Guariglia was the first artist to be embedded on a NASA Greenland mission, joining lower altitude flights through 2020. This is just one innovative idea that combines art and science for sustainability.
One of the challenges that can often face scientists who are doing work for the environment, or working on crucial health issues, can be how to break down the complex topics they’re working on and engage communities with their work to bring about change. Art can play a role in making science more accessible, and helping communities to engage with health and science information, or bringing scientific data to life.
An art installation called Parting of the Plastic Seas was recently set up in Vietnam, to engage people with the reality of single-use plastic waste. The project was made from 168,000 used plastic straws, combining art with scientific knowledge to get people to pay attention to the plastic epidemic threatening the oceans we rely on. The coming together of art and science can bring about different perspectives and help to make us more aware of the world around us, not just politically, economically and environmentally but also socially.
Science and the arts together have enriched our lives and led to some of the ideas and innovations that have transformed our world. And the interplay between technology and the creative arts will continue to have a huge impact on entertainment, technology, experimentation and creation, with applications for the humanitarian sector and beyond.
This article was written by Jaya Myler and Anita Sayampanathan.
Jaya Myler is a non-profit manager with more than 12 years of experience working with international NGOs, corporate and consumer brands, in both developed and developing country settings. She has a strong background in managing projects and programs, and advocacy and communications, and experience working in environmental, education, and WASH NGOs. She is passionate about water and sanitation, education and poverty alleviation. She has experience working on multi-sector partnerships with NGOs, corporates, academia and governments, and is a big believer in the power of cross-sector collaboration to drive innovation and achieve impact. She holds a Master of Media Practice. She is currently Asia P3 Hub’s Communications and Marketing Consultant.
Reach out to Jaya via LinkedIn, Twitter, or email.
Anita Sayampanathan is a Singaporean currently pursuing a degree in Agricultural Economics from University of Melbourne. She is interested in the areas of food and water sustainability, poverty and food security programmes. Over the years, Anita has received awards in academics, leadership and music, and is very engaged in community activities and volunteering. Anita is an intern of Asia P3 Hub in February 2019, doing research and writing.
You can reach out to Anita via email.
