Should Science and Art Actually Be Separated? Science v. Art at UCLA is unfortunately synonymous to practical v.

impractical, endless job opportunities v. no future, and even intelligent v. brainless. The two cultures hardly, if ever mix, and even the campus is split between North campus (for the arts) and South campus (for the sciences). But both are equally important, and are largely connected. There is no doubt that human beings would prefer something that is aesthetically pleasing to something that is ugly (though both are relative), and people would prefer something that is efficient and reliable to something that inefficient and unreliable. Therefore, there should be no reason why science, that ultimately helps people understand the universe and drives towards a better use of resources, and art, that ultimately deals with things that are of beauty, should be separate from each other. Humans want both art and science in their lives. Apple Inc., for instance, makes some of the best selling products in the world* because they combine art with science. When the MacBook and iPhone were introduced to the world, both featured aesthetically pleasing designs that ran fast and efficiently (for the most part) and effectively. Although Apple restricts consumers in terms of options (only certain Apps and songs can be purchased, there is a limited number of software options compared to PCs, etc.), and are more expensive than average related products, it is largely successful because of the fact that its products look good and perform well. No company whose consumers are the common man would be successful if its product was ugly but efficient, or aesthetically pleasing but inefficient. Thus, in the capitalist society in which we live, that is driven by both the arts and sciences collectively, art and science should be intertwined. It is also necessary to study and practice both the arts and sciences because both improve the world. In Walden, Henry David Thoreau argues that societys progress is bounded by the individuals creativity. It should then be necessary to study both the arts and sciences that allow us to see different perspectives, gain insight to the Truth, and ultimately be more creative. Simply put, a lack of art would not allow individuals to use half of his/her brain, and if we wish to improve the world, would it not be better to use your whole brain rather than half? *= http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2009/full_list/ http://www.bgu.ac.il/museum/pics/31.jpg