Week One

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

   Week One: Two Cultures

Differences in the way people perceive the world has led to the development of two cultures. In the lecture published by C.P. Snow in 1959, he introduces the idea of two cultures; one based on literary intellects and one of scientific intellects. In Snow's definition of natural scientists, there is an exclusion of those studying the theological and metaphysical sciences, mentioned in Victoria Vesna's article. The idea of a "third culture" is emerging, which combines the two cultures introduced by Snow and includes the "left-out" sciences.  

Picture of split brain showing both cultures

Personally, I am getting my Bachelor's of Science in Biology so I am more of a scientific intellect. My roommate on the other hand, is getting her Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology. There are significant differences between our school work and our general thinking processes. Even the areas of campus we were heading to were different. Specifically on the UCLA campus, there is a division between north campus and south campus. Classes in north campus, where my roommate would typically go, were generally arts and humanities courses. Classes in south campus however, where I would typically be, were generally STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) courses. 

Map of UCLA Campus, showcasing division of North and South Campus

The thought about the existence of these two cultures has always been in my mind, but I never thought about those who lie within the third. As Kevin Kelly writes in his article, the third culture is an "offspring of science" and is based around technology. John Brockman defines the intellects within the third culture as people who look at the "deeper meanings of our lives." In today's society, the gap between the two cultures has shrunk and more people are identifying within the third culture. In some ways, I do identify within the scientific intellects but I also have interests that lie within the middle, like astrology. The emergence of the third culture allows me to explore my thoughts about the deeper meanings of life and has opened my mind to the possibility of looking outside the realm of the traditional cultures. 

Picture of Astrological chart 

References:

Graham-Rowe, Duncan. “John Brockman: Matchmaking with Science and Art.” WIRED UK, WIRED UK, 4 Oct. 2017, www.wired.co.uk/article/matchmaking-with-science-and-art.

Kelly, Kevin. “The Third Culture.” Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 13 Feb. 1998, science.sciencemag.org/content/279/5353/992.full.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. 

“UCLA Campus Colored Map.” Maps.ucla.edu, UCLA, maps.ucla.edu/downloads/pdf/UCLA_Campus_Colored_Map.pdf.

Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121–125. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1577014.