Two Cultures... but Leaning Towards the Science Side

The idea of "two cultures" coined by Snow resonates with me deeply. Growing up, I was taught that science was the most lucrative field, while the arts and literature were undervalued. As a result, I set my sights on a career in science, dreaming of making a fortune. As a result, I barely touched my fingers on Arts and Literature. However, as I delved deeper into the world of science, I realized that I had neglected the arts and literature for far too long. If it weren't for the general education requirements, I probably would have only pursued studies in science, particularly computer science.

Source: Levels.fyi, 2021

My name is Proud Jiao, and I grew up in Shanghai, China. There, I was always taught that mathematics and English were the most important subjects. I excelled in mathematics and eventually chose to major in statistics at UCLA. However, as I learned more about the importance of computer science and software engineering, I decided to pursue a second major in math of computation to gain exposure to more CS classes.

Despite feeling a divide between the arts and sciences, I've noticed a growing trend toward interdisciplinary studies. These days, everything seems to be geared towards science, even in fields like social sciences, politics, and the arts. For example, social science majors are now required to take programming courses, while art and design students use advanced technology to create their work. Even marketing professionals are using scientific methods like A/B testing to improve their business analysis.

Design Major Must-Learn Tools. Sources: educba.com

This infiltration of technology into every aspect of our lives challenges traditional notions of art and literature. The stereotype of the "poor, suffering artist" termed in Vesna's lecture is being challenged, and instead, we're seeing artists and writers collaborating with AI to create new forms of expression (see winning artwork generated by AI). It's a brave new world, where an artist might spend hours staring at a screen, trying to figure out a prompt that will generate the best artwork from an AI algorithm. The future is exciting, but it's also uncertain, and it will require us to be adaptable and open-minded to succeed.

AI-generated Artwork Wins Art Competition. Sources: New York Times

Sources:

Vesna Victoria. “Two Cultures PT2.” YouTube, uploaded by UC Online, 31 Mar. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUr4xxZ_0gw.

Roose, Kevin. “An A.i.-Generated Picture Won an Art Prize. Artists Aren't Happy.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html.

"RSA ANIMATE: Change Education Paradigms."  Youtube, uploaded by RSA, 14 Oct. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U. Accessed March 31 2022.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures; and the Scientific Revolution. University Press, 1959.

Zaheer, Zuhayeer. “Salaries & Tools to Level up Your Career.” Levels.fyi, https://www.levels.fyi/.