The Paths of Art and Science - Essay Example

The Paths of Art and Science Science and art have been entwined over the centuries and has prompted us to wonder how much of science is art, and how much art is science. Art and science are two disciplines that walk side by side going different directions, their paths occasionally crossing as they seek a common destination. The adage that science seeks truth and art seeks beauty is a simplified explanation, and though accurate, fails to recognize the similarities and connections between the two endeavors.

Science and art have been closely linked through time and have relied heavily on one another for their advancement. Science needs art to illustrate the concepts and discoveries in a way that can be conceptualized by a viewer. Microbiology, deep space, sub atomic physics, and light beyond the visual spectrum all require an artist's rendition. As art strives to tell us more about who we are and describe the world around us, the artist relies on science to discover what that world is. Music and perspective require extensive math, while artists demand a better understanding of nature and the nature of life.

Beauty in art is a perceived notion based in the observer's experience and comprehension of the art. The beauty in science is only evident to those who have a deep enough understanding of the subject to appreciate its truth. Yet, both are concerned with describing our universe in a way that is accurate, intuitive, and leaves us with a deeper understanding of who we are and what it means to be a part of the universe.Today's art depends on many scientific and technological advancements as new mediums and methods become available.

The cinema, with special effects, is filled with technology. New methods of creation and the effects of widespread distribution impact music, sculpture, and literature. Science education benefits from the use of artistry in the classroom. Literature often relies on science to tell an accurate story, while science depends on the writer to craft the words to make the science fit our limits of comprehension. Science and art both seek the elegance expressed in the simple complexity of recurring themes in a symmetrical world.

Art and science both strive for the same ultimate goal, whether its the Great American Novel or the Unified Theory. It is the search for the simple truth presented in an elegant way.Science, by definition, has strict conventions and rigors placed on it to assure that the search for truth is an accurate portrayal of what exists. The emotionalism of art, free of these bonds, has no requirement to be accurate in its search for what might exist. Literature abounds with examples of scientifically descriptive prose that pre-dates the actual discovery by generations.

Science fiction is also filled with visions of the future that helplessly remain fiction. Art seeks to entertain and hopes to enlighten while science strives to enlighten and hopes to entertain.Art, without the limitations of science, is able to stretch the imagination and pull us in new directions. Art has the ability to raise the expectations of human capacity and elevate the human mind. Science can confirm or deny that these expectations exist or not. Art can portray the soul and spirituality of the mind in limitless fashion, but science necessitates that the portrayal be tested and repeatable.

Art, through beauty, elevates us to what might be. Science, through truth, tempers our path with the reality that is.As art and science travel through time, they walk separate paths leading opposite directions. Yet, these paths cross and ideas mingle. They need each other. For without both, our understanding of ourselves would be a singularly flat concept. Art and science embrace each other's passion for the search of a common goal. They each seek to describe the world in ways beyond the capabilities of our human senses.

They each strive for the simple truth behind the complexity of life. That the truth is elegant is truly a thing of beauty.