Week 1: Two Cultures

In Snow's work "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution", he raised a concept of polarization of two cultures. In his opinion, science and literacy belong to totally two different cultures. These two cultures often stand against each other. While people are used to living in a non-scientific culture, their lives can gradually turn out to be anti-scientific. "The feelings of one pole become the anti-feelings of the other." The difference between north and south campus in UCLA is a great example. North campus is for art and literacy majors and the south is for science majors. So north campus has more sculptures, as a way of art expression, than south while the buildings of south seem more advanced in technology. When I walk from north campus to south, I can experience a obvious change of environment like the styles of the architectures. Also, the south students seem serious about the academic while north students are more social and conversable, forming two different cultures on campus.

Biomedical Library (South)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st5Iq65ntXo

Murphy Sculpture Garden (North)
http://yylab.seas.ucla.edu/ismen/UCLAPhotos.html

However, this perspective is restricted to the social environment at that time; since Snow published this article in 1959, the world was not as advanced as today and it had not been developed into modern "computer-internet" time. People did not realize how to combine these two cultures with modern technology. Computer technology plays the most important role in the combination of the two cultures and in the formation of the so-call "third culture". The third culture, according to "The Third Culture" by Kevin, is based both on technology and art. This combination offers a new orientation of expression and communication. 

Compared to the old Mac released in 1984, nowadays Mac is not only a computing machine, but also a piece of art work. It looks more beautiful and comfortable.

http://www.slideshare.net/iterra/history-of-macintosh

This third culture revolution will spread in more places and fields in the world. I think all the productions that we make today will tend to be more artistic. Also, technology will not only enhance the efficiency and function but also the appearance.

This third culture perspective makes me find that every one on the planet is composed with two cultures. As a student, during the study from kindergarden to universities, I have discovered a lot of subjects that I am interested in. Although I am a math major now, I am still trying to take more art and humanities classes on north campus. I find that, as a member of this diverse society, every one has some contacts with the combination of arts and science such as sci-fi. These kinds of combination make our world a better place to explore and enjoy.


Resources:

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/279/5353/992.full>

"UCLA Biomedical Library Tour - 2012." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st5Iq65ntXo>

"UCLAPhotos." ismen. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://yylab.seas.ucla.edu/ismen/UCLAPhotos.html>

"History Of Macintosh." Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations, documents, infographics. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://www.slideshare.net/iterra/history-of-macintosh>