Week 1 | Two Cultures

[Figure 1] Mathematics and economics
Coming in as bioengineer major at UCLA, I was surprised myself as to how significant the divide between north campus and south campus was. Not only is there a physical divide, with the segregation of the buildings, but there is a social divide as well. I remember vividly during fall quarter of freshman year, of all the murmurs and fuss about how UCLA decided to categorize business-economics as STEM. It was clear to me that the general consensus among my peers was that the business-economics major should have been reclassified. The backlash that was received, as jokingly as they may be, exemplified a prominent stereotype that nonscientists have over scientists. In Snow's book, "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution," he points out that nonscientists tend to view scientists as brash, boastful, and unaware of man's condition. [1] 

Though I can see where my peers were coming from, it made complete sense to me to re-classify business-economics as STEM. The Daily Bruin explained it best when they stated that while economics is centered around human decisions, it also heavily math-based. [2] I believe that this is one of the many examples of the intersection between the two cultures as well as comprises the "third culture" that John Brockman alludes to. Brockman claims that the unification between the literary intellectuals and scientists will actually be due to the rise of contemporary scientists who will bridge that divide. [3].

[Figure 2] Kent State University’s new Home for
The College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Not only do I resonate with Brockman, but I can already see examples of contemporary scientists in industry related jobs. For example, I look to the animators of the popular Disney film, Moana, that created complex algorithms in order to animate the realistic motion of the waves. In fact, according to The Atlantic, the animators and effect specialists worked tirelessly together to not only make the waves look realistic, but to also personify the ocean as warm and encouraging. [4] Additionally, I also turn to the Environmental Design/Architecture major offered at Princeton as another example of contemporary scientists. The program aims to teach students about eco-friendly landscape design through math, physics, drawing, and computer classes. [5] 

Though the artificial divide between the humanities and the sciences occurred some 50-years ago, it's clear to me that with the rise of contemporary scientists, we are headed in the direction where the two cultures will once again become one.


[Figure 3] Baby Moana meets the ocean. Courtesy Disney.













References:

[1] Snow, C. P. "Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution." New York: Cambridge UP, 1959.  Print.

[2] “UCLA Reclassifies Economics, Business Economics Majors as STEM Majors.” Daily Bruin, https://dailybruin.com/2019/11/06/ucla-reclassifies-economics-business-economics-majors-as-stem-majors/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.

[3] Brockman, John. The Third Culture. N.p.: n.p., 1995. Print.

[4] LaFrance, Adrienne. “The Algorithms Behind Moana’s Gorgeously Animated Ocean.” The Atlantic, 31 May 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/05/the-algorithms-behind-moanas-gorgeously-animated-pacific-ocean/528645/.

[5] Environmental Design/Architecture | Careers & Sample Curriculum | The Princeton Review. https://www.princetonreview.com/college-majors/482/environmental-design-architecture. Accessed 1 Apr. 2021.

Images:

[Figure 1] “Mathematics and Economics.” Real-World Economics Review Blog, 5 May 2018, https://rwer.wordpress.com/2018/05/05/mathematics-and-economics/.

[Figure 2]“The College of Architecture and Environmental Design.” KADVACORP, 7 Oct. 2014, https://www.kadvacorp.com/design/college-of-architecture-and-environmental-design/.

[Figure 3] “Wave of Animation: Disney’s Moana Ups the CGI Ante.” Redshift EN, 23 Nov. 2016, https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/moana-animation/.




Comments

  1. Timmy WongApril 4, 2021 at 11:43 AM

    Hey Benny, I found this to be an interesting read. There are lots of things that resonate with me in this. I too find business economics to be a complex subject that lies in between the two cultures. Despite the mathematics and science embedded in the economics, and the humanities that goes into business, we clearly have to consider which plays a bigger role into our judgement. I also concur on your point regarding films, as lots of calculations have to be considered when trying to simulate realistic physics. These meticulous creations are quite astounding to watch. Overall, I hope too that the "third culture" continues to show impressive results.

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