Week 1: Two Cultures

C.P. Snow’s interesting perspective on the Two Cultures is unique because he is a member of both worlds.  Being a scientist as well as a writer, Snow is able to compare and contrast both lives.  He notes that both sides are equally as smart in his book, The Scientific Revolution, despite popular belief.

C.P. Snow sits in between both cultures

Dr. Victoria Vesna sees many similarities in the way artists and scientists think and she notes that they share the same creative process in her piece, "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between". Her video lecture is shown below.

I see the separation of the two cultures everywhere around UCLA’s campus.  The first and most obvious division can be seen in the split between North and South Campus.  Those who study on North Campus are discovering the arts and social sciences, while those residing in South Campus through all hours of the night are slaving away on meticulous scientific and mathematics challenges.  These divisions in the areas where students study prevent the third culture in learning by not allowing for collaboration between schools of thought.

A clear rivalry

The piece of material that influenced me the most in this week’s agenda was the Changing Education Paradigms video.  This way of thinking makes me question the education system that I was brought up in and makes me wonder if I have been molded away from my natural interests by my environment.  With these new ways of thinking about learning, I see great potential for improving my study habits.  If the natural environment for learning is indeed in groups, as in accordance with the ideas of Sir Ken Robinson, then this should be a strategy I implement on a more frequent basis.  A separation of two cultures has been the norm for centuries, but the potential for collaboration between the two cultures is what excites me for the future.

Works Cited

N.d. Scientific American Global RSS. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-update-on-cp-snows-two-cultures/>. 

N.d. Twitter. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <"BruinWalk." Twitter. N.p., 13 May 2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. .>. 

Robinson, Ken, Sir. "Changing Education Paradigms." RSA. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <https://www.thersa.org/discover/videos/event-videos/2008/06/changing-paradigms/>. 

Snow, Charles P. "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution." Nature 184.4684 (1959): 411-12. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. 

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being in between." Leonardo, n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Flinks.jstor.org%2Fsici%3Fsici%3D0024-094X%25282001%252934%253A2%253C121%253ATATCBI%253E2.0.CO%253B2-3>. 

Vesna, Victoria. "TwoCultures Part1." University of California. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/346337/pages/unit-1-view?module_item_id=6472132>. 

Vesna, Victoria. "TwoCultures Part2." University of California. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/346337/pages/unit-1-view?module_item_id=6472132>. 

Vesna, Victoria. "TwoCultures Part3." University of California. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/346337/pages/unit-1-view?module_item_id=6472132>.