Unit 1: Two Cultures

Picture of me and our team's
competition rocket from 2016.

As a student studying Aerospace Engineering, I aspire to design and manufacture rockets, spacecraft, and aerodynamic vehicles.  To do so, not only do I need technical knowledge, I also need creativity to inspire these ideas into creation.  In fact, Steven Pinker said that people should be educated in both sciences and philosophies - you can’t be ignorant to one or the other and still be taken seriously (beautyandtruth09).  I believe that this balance of creativity and technical knowledge acts as the bridge between what C.P. Snow calls “two cultures”- the scientist culture and literary intellectuals culture (Snow).  

Map of UCLA indicating the clear distinction between
north campus ("literary intellectuals" culture) and
south campus ("scientist" culture), each on opposite sides of
the UCLA campus.
Courtesy of: http://www.ucla.edu/pdf/ucla-campus-map.pdf

Specifically at UCLA, the division between these two cultures is obvious.  Considering that it takes 13 minutes to walk from an art class to an engineering class, making it impossible to take both classes back-to-back, this proves The RSA’s point where schools, to this day, are organized on factory lines with separate subjects and separate buildings (The RSA). This, in turn, further divides the gap between the two cultures as they become more isolated from each other, and when cultures are isolated from each other, there is more room for misunderstanding (Vesna).

This is an example of how one occupation
(marketing) uses both science and art
for their craft - it's not just one culture
or the other, it's the combination of the
two, which optimized the individual's
full potential.
Courtesy of: http://newinternetorder.com

As an engineering student in the scientist culture, I would say the majority of my close friends can be categorized in the literary intellectuals culture with majors ranging from Art, Psychology, English, Theater, and more.  From these relationships and understanding their experiences, I have a broader understanding of life and ways of thinking, which in turn helps me with the creative aspects in my craft.  Now aware of the two distinct cultures and the necessity to communicate with the other culture, I want to encourage other engineers in my classes and my “literary intellectual” friends to get outside of their bubble and get to know the other culture.  Interestingly, in the early 1930’s, the Association for Advanced Science stated that “scientist” is analogous to “artist” (uconlineprogram).  I believe that by making a conscious effort to emerge oneself in the other culture, this will bridge the gap to make these two terms analogous once more in today’s society.

References:

1. beautyandtruth09. "SEEDMAGAZINE.COM Two Cultures Steven Pinker." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 18 May 2010. Web. 7 April 2017.
2. Snow, C.P. "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution." New York: Cambridge UP, 1959.
3. The RSA. "RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms." Online video clip. Youtube. YouTube, 14 October 2010. Web. 7 April 2017.
4. Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121-125.
5. uconlineprogram. "TwoCultures pt2." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 31 March 2012. Web. 7 April 2017.