Princeton University explored the intersection of discovery and beauty this semester with its ”Art of Science Competition.” According to the project’s web site:
This spring we asked the Princeton University community to submit imagery produced in the course of research or incorporating tools and concepts from science. The response was overwhelming: more than 200 entries from nearly 100 individuals in 15 departments. We selected 55 of these works to appear in the 2005 Art of Science Exhibition.
The winning entries and the on-line gallery are quite stunning, and nudge the boundary between art and imagery (the only difference being intent, really). I’ve said it before, I know, but art and science are closer siblings than we generally admit…both are ”ways of knowing” the world.
ENTRY UPDATE: For those following the podcasting conversation of previous posts, Apple has just released version 4.9 of its iTunes software, with support for podcasting. Let the fun begin.
Science is definately a complex subject, and also at times, a field with a lot of ego at stake. That is understandable. There have even been bouts of “outsiderness” within the scientific community (molecular biology vs. ecology, or mathematics vs. physics), and and also the dogma rising above scientific acumen are too numerous (even once is too much as within the “Clovis first” mandate). Skepticism has long served science well, however it might be time for the new paradigm — a subtle, yet powerful shift in approach and thinking. Could “selfless restraint” fill that duty? It offers all the appropriate elements minus the excess baggage that all too regularly goes with skepticism. One look at the “skeptics” forums and online resources, and you can see the type of illogics that occasionally find their way into scientific thinking.