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| North Campus |
As
a Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology major here at UCLA, it is no
surprise that most of my coursework is set heavily within the culture of
science, with little room for the arts.
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| South Campus |
Although UCLA does attempt to tear down the barrier between North and South campus by implementing General Education courses, the topics of these courses as well as the lack of options fail to generate a spark in most students to continue studying in a culture that is not their own. There is an apparent divide between North and South campus, not just physically, but also in how the courses are taught, how students of each discipline think, and how students of each campus view the other. As C.P. Snow
mentions in his lecture “The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution,” people
of each discipline believe their subject to be more superior and therefore have
little interest in the other culture, deepening this divide. Also noted by
Snow, this division of two cultures can become a hinder as even the most
intelligent people that specializes in one culture, may have outdated knowledge
in the other culture.
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| Phonautogram |
Therefore I support the proposed Third Culture, referred
to by John Brockman, which bridges a gap between these two cultures. In recent
history, the sciences and humanities have helped one another progress.
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| iPod Touch |
Music
has benefited from improved technologies, moving from a phonautogram in the
mid-1800s to the MP3 files of today. Movies have also benefitted from
technology, progressing from silent, black and white film to the high definition
format we are familiar with today.
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| Silent Films - City Lights |
Science has also benefited from the
humanities. As an MCDB major, I understand that it is important for scientists
to be published or receive grants by having an excellent sense of communication
and rhetoric skills.
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| Modern Films - Iron Man 3 |
Therefore, as an aspiring scientist, I believe it is
important that I not only focus on the sciences but also the humanities as I
will need to develop my writing, analytical, and rhetorical skills in order to
succeed.
Citations
Brockman, John. The Third Culture. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. Print.
Dirks, Tim. "Film History of the 1920s." Film History of the 1920s. American Movie Classics Company LLC. Web. 5 Apr. 2015. <http://www.filmsite.org/20sintro4.html>.
Graham-Rowe, Duncan. "John Brockman: Matchmaking with Science and Art (Wired UK)." Wired UK. Conde Nast Digital, 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.<http:www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2011/03/start/matchmaking-with-science-and-art>.
Sena, Kimberly. "Guest Post: A History of Music Formats." Music Therapy Maven RSS. Wordpress, 14 Sept. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2015. <http:www.musictherapymaven.com/a-history-of-music-formats/>.
Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.
I agree with you when you say that the third culture is important to anyone within a profession that requires written and verbal skills. I am curious of your opinion on the following thought, however: at what point do we go from being two cultures that both value good written and verbal skills to instead becoming a third culture that can appreciate the historical context of both cultures? I think it is important to embrace both cultures, but also draw the line in our analysis where we can see an actual combination of cultures instead of just the use of good grammar and writing skills by both cultures. I think your example of the two cultures combing in the film industry is spot on.
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