Prior to this week, I did not give much thought to the idea
of two cultures mentioned by CP Snow. Literary intellectuals and scientists
have been “increasingly split into two polar groups” where communication between
both fields is minimal (Snow 4). This problem is further enhanced by the school
system and is evident even in universities such as UCLA. I am a third year
Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology major at UCLA. Because of lack of interaction between the sciences,
humanities, and arts, I did not have much exposure to anything other than the natural
and physical sciences. This summer, I will be applying to medical schools, and
this week’s discussions of the two cultures allowed me to contemplate the role
of art and humanities in medicine.
A Method of Dividing The Two Cultures
in regards to the anatomy of brain. Largely Rejected.
(Slide Player)
At first glance, many pre-med students may ask “What do the
arts have to do with medicine?” It has been embedded in our minds that the two
fields are separate and non-overlapping. However, after some research, I realized
that art is of the utmost importance. In a TED Talk, Jill Sonke, a director of
the Center of Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, directly explained
that art and expression of one’s thoughts and emotions can serve as the best
medicine. One patient suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia would dance with Sonke in
the hospital and simply the act of dancing alleviated any pain. Doctors were able to wean the patient off of strong pain medications because dancing served as the ultimate pain killer.
Jill Sonke's Ted Talk: Why Medicine Needs Art
There is literally a North and South campus, and many
students rarely visit the side of the campus that is outside of their field. I
thought it was natural to have this divide in the school. However, the two
cultures were naturally in a symbiotic relationship. They became unnaturally separated
(Vesna 121). The third culture is very important now. John Brockman defines the
third culture as contemporary scientists establishing communication between
both fields. However, the essence of the third culture lies between the
increasing use of the same methodologies in the humanities, arts, and sciences.
Separation of the UCLA campus into North (humanities) and South (sciences). Image taken from UCLA biochemistry website (http://www.biochemistry.ucla.edu/Faculty/graphics/map1.jpeg)
Sources:
"John Brockman: Matchmaking with
science and art." Interview by Duncan Graham-Rowe. Wired UK. N.p., 3 Feb.
2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2017.
Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the
Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.
Talks, TEDx. “Why Medicine Needs Art | Jill Sonke |
TEDxUF.” YouTube, YouTube, 22 Apr. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=23mve5S90Ws.
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a third
culture: being in between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-125.
Hey Isaac, I really enjoyed reading this blog. I can relate to your post as I am also pre-med and have mostly been involved in more scientific classes. I found the part you mentioned about arts overlapping with medicine. As I am a psychology major, I have come to realize there is a lot more to do with medicine than just the biological component. I have learned how certain art and expressive programs can help relieve pain and depressive symptoms in many people. Even learning to be more expressive, especially in artistic or creative ways can help improve long-term health such as cardiovascular symptoms, HIV+ symptoms, and general satisfaction with life. Hopefully soon a third culture involving both the humanities and sciences together will be emphasized in the future.
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