Understanding the art of science
Salty or sweet? Cats or dogs? Art or science? Sometimes, the answer is both. Like popcorn and M&M’s, art and science bring out the best in each other. They sit on opposite ends of a shared spectrum, but the real magic happens when these disciplines meet in the middle. (Think robot art.) From communication to chemistry, art and science are becoming increasingly intertwined in all the best ways. Ready to discover the power of this dynamic duo? Here are three resources: one to follow, one to watch, and one to try for yourself.
Do the robot (but make it art)
Meet Sougwen Chung, an award-winning artist who showcases her original human-meets-machine masterpieces on Instagram. While paving the way for continued AI and artist collaboration, Sougwen explores the similarities of human and machine communication. Her findings? Robots make mistakes, too! “Part of the beauty of human and machine systems is their inherent, shared fallibility,” she says. Follow @sougwen to freshen up your Instagram feed and learn how she combines hand-drawing with computer generation to create unforgettable works of art.
Netflix and distill
Art and science have been closely woven together since the dawn of time…or at least since the 1800s. In an episode on coding, the “Explained” docuseries traces inspiration for the binary coding process back to 19thcentury weaving looms. (“Thanks, Art!” –Science.) What started as a series of zeros and ones has evolved into a multilingual method of communication between humans and computers that impacts our daily lives. Watch this episode on Netflix to explore the basics of coding, the people behind the programming, and the future of automation.
Practice random acts of science
First name Science, last name Bob. Okay, so it’s actually first name Bob, last name Pflugfelder. But students, teachers, and fellow scientists know him as Science Bob. This innovative teacher and author is dedicated to sharing the world of science in visually interesting ways that encourage others to practice random acts of science—while giving them the tools to do so. From multi-hued milk to color-changing carnations, visit sciencebob.com for videos, activities, and experiments that can be done at home or in the classroom.
Explore a world built on STEM
Help your students see how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math shape
communities across the globe.