ART AND SCIENCE - Why people find Science more appealing than Art

Scientists tell very interesting stories - like "Big Bang" origin of the universe, why the universe is expanding , what can happen to it in the future, how a human brain works, how we - the human beings - have evolved as the  most intelligent forms of life - some with proof and some without it! News papers report them with dedication. Day in and day out the media sings the songs of science's glory. Both children and adults get fascinated by them.

But all this is making some people in the art world uncomfortable and they are complaining! No, I am not kidding. Go read the book Art and Science by Sian Ede which has lots of complaints. These people complain that Science is being given more importance - with the media letting it occupy the first pages leaving the last pages to fine art ( Can they say the same about movies and movie and rock stars?!).  They also say people are much more likely to be seriously persuaded, moved, worried and enchanted by science than by art! It seems parents are encouraging their children to pursue science subjects rather than art.

Well, well, well, my dear artist friends, don't get disheartened, my vote goes to both art and science and I advice everybody to follow both the subjects.

But  have you ever thought why this is happening if this is really happening? I feel science's appeal lies in its exciting and mind blowing experiences! And the reassurance it gives the worried minds! It not only reports about a happening, but also explains why it happens only in that way and not in any other way, why it is irrelevant, relevant or helpful  in our lives. It also shows how we can exploit the situation to benefit us. For instance if a plane gets caught in turbulence and crashes, scientists explain why such accidents happen, what factors influence them,  how to avoid such situations in the future, how new technologies can be tried to help solve the problems. That is science for you. It tries to soothe your jumpy nerves! All that art can do in such a scenario is paint a picture of it - which can be gruesome in some cases.  If you try to calm down a little bit by looking at a beautiful art piece, yes, it can work as a booster dose. During one of those trying times  Georges Braque, one of the famous artists of Cubism era,  said:  'Art upsets, Science reassures' ! I won't go that far and denigrate art but would say art makes you think with your heart (emotional part of the brain) but science not only makes you think with your brain (reasoning part of it) but act in a rational way!

Yes, art can take to a world of  wonderland of imagination and make you temporarily excited about it and forget your worries. But if you want to solve your problems permanently, science is the only solution! However, some people will be put off by science because it is a complex subject unlike art - but if  you understand it, there is nothing like science that excites you and thrills you to the core!

The basic human nature dictates that if people think something can help them, they will instantly and definitely accept it. If they think something will not have a direct and immediate benefit, they show lukewarm response. If they think something harms them, they will reject it.

Science bridges this gap between  happenings in our lives and their origins and consequences so beautifully that people get assurance and comfort from the knowledge.

If you go somewhere no one has ever gone before, if you discover or invent something new,  it is the most exciting thing that can happen to any human mind. Nothing can compare to the thrill it brings. People can instantly identify it and realize that only the most courageous with a dash of intelligence can do such things.

When a beautiful art work is created - no doubt it can make people happy with its visual appeal and can bring satisfaction to the artist - but it does not give the thrill that is associated with science and the confidence and trust the knowledge brings. Can an artist ever feel what Neil Armstrong felt when he first landed on the moon? Can s/he ever feel  what Watson and Crick felt when they first discovered the DNA structure? Can an artist or art work  assure you  about improving your health condition like a doctor does? As a person who has experienced firsthand all that several worlds could offer - I can say these words with all the confidence truth can carry! 

So artists, stop complaining about science. Let us concentrate on how science and art can help each other for their mutual benefit.

( A Mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions - Oliver Wendel Holmes Jr.)

Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa

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