Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Thoughts on Isaac Asimov's “Science and Beauty”: Science and Art Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

Asimov, in “Science and Beauty” argues against Walt Whitman's belief that looking further into a subject with science obscures or destroys its beauty. Science not only gives us new beauty as Asimov argues, but adds to the classical forms of art we take for granted.

The middle of the nineteenth century was a golden age for chemistry. In 1856 William Henry Perkin created mauve dye from coal tar. (http://www.colorantshistory.org/) For the first time in history humanity had access to synthetic dyes and pigments. This ushered in a new age for fashion. Certain pigments used in painting were rare. Colours, such as bright blues, were very rare naturally and no doubt expensive. Only the most successful and wealthy artists could afford them. Chemistry ushered in human made pigments of extraordinary beauty, durability, and availability allowing far broader access to the medium.

We can now view things in the electromagnetic spectrum which our eyes cannot naturally see. For example, all one has to do is look for images produced by recent astronomers using tools like the Hubble telescope. Physics has showed us that the light we see is only an infinitesimal part of the actual spectrum. Computers allow us to convert these invisible images to ones which our eyes can see. Infra-red, gamma rays, radio waves, and x-rays can all be translated into the visible spectrum. We can now see beauty in the universe that our ancestors would not have been able to perceive!

Computers and statistics have been used to assist in answering questions about the most famous author in the English language. William Shakespeare has a number of conspiracy theories surrounding him. Some argue his works were written by a committee of people. Others contend his works are actually written by any number of authors of the period such as the Earl of Oxford or Christopher Marlowe. Through computer statistical analysis, there is good evidence that the works of Shakespeare were written by a single individual and are unlike the writing of other contemporary authors. (http://www.shakespeareauthorship.com/elval.html)

The relationship between art and science is a two way street. The noted science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke (2001, A Space Odyssey), conceived of the idea of the geostationary orbit. In this type of orbit, a satellite, positioned over the equator, moves in lock-step with the earth and does not change position relative to the surface of the earth. This orbital belt is called the Clarke Belt in his honour. Without this little piece of science we wouldn't have the communication satellites we use for television and telephone.

We are wonderfully imaginative beings. Creativity is one of the characteristics that makes humanity unique from the other life we share this planet with. We use creativity to adapt to our environment and to surround ourselves with beauty. Science and art are two sides of the same coin.