Week 1

Snow’s understanding of two conflicting cultures looms in modern American society. Literary and scientific disciplines were historically separate, but also represent separate lifestyles and communities. 

To me, the separation of these two worlds is an allegory for the American political climate today. Nate Silver cited higher education as the largest factor separating Trump versus Clinton voters, correlating with high rural concentrations of Republicans and urban and suburban concentrations of Democrats.

 (Mostly 'less educated' rural counties voted for Trump (red) and 'more eudcated' for Clinton (blue))

Those with college educations have a dominant urban culture and represent the scientific side of this culture war while those with less education are rural and more “emotional” (Silver) as the perceptions of literature and arts tend to be. 

(Scientists historically faced backlash from public opinion. This cartoon depicts modern political conflict that is in line with the two cultures conflict.)

Brockman states “that contemporary scientists are the third culture.” Moreover, Vesna advocates that media artists – who are part of this ‘third culture’ – must carry out dialogue with both humanists and scientists. In order to fix the divide in America, we need both parties and cultures to find common ground and be able to communicate. This comes from respecting each other’s strengths, but not using one’s bias in art to explain science, or vice-versa. 

This danger is seen in the ´Sokal hoax´ where Sokal found people blindly trusted his study if they believed it was backed by science. I have learned from all of this how important it is to question not just other´s convictions, but one´s own, and honestly assess one´s findings to build an optimal future.

Growing up in a conservative neighborhood with liberal parents and friends has helped me appreciate various opinions. I am a political independent with the goal of creating dialogue between people who disagree. I hope that one enriched in arts uses that to enlighten a scientist while science helps bring a new look to philosophers, because we can create a stronger third culture of unity and diversity with respect. 

Again, I don’t want people to change their opinions or interests, but consider those of others to create Vesna’s triangular bridge.

(The potential of humanity by blending our worlds and cultures)

References 

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1959. Print

Silver, Nate. Education, Not Income, Predicted Who Would Vote for Trump. FiveThirtyEight, 22 Nov. 2016, https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/education-not-income-predicted-who-would-vote-for-trump/. Web

Brockman, John. The Third Culture. New York, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1995. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print

Sokal, Alan D. Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity. Social Text, No. 46/47, Science Wars, 1996. Print