SCI-CULTURA

A few people have been slightly confused by the name of this blog. It is not about science per se, but about using scientific principles of observation and deduction (minus experimentation), to examine expressions of African culture. In short, applying critical thinking/analysis to cultural expressions that grab my attention, which are almost exclusively the arts- film, fashion, photography, theatre, etc.

Having said that, I had a burning urge to bring sci-art into the mix. Sci-art, as the word suggests is a representation of the merger of science and art. It’s about using any artistic expression to convey scientific principles such that the lines that define science and art become blurry. At a talk I recently gave at TEDxNairobi, I highlighted the greatest sci-artist of all time and all round hero, the Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci.

Dr Tim Jones (aka Physicus) is a science communicator, amongst other titles, and has initiated a rather ambitious but exciting and fun sci-art project, using the exquisite corpse technique usually applied by surrealists to produce visually um, surreal images.

All Dr Jones asks is that you draw (either manually or digitally), what you think is important about science. A compilation of images is growing here to produce the Exquisite Corpse of Science.

The wonderful thing about this project is that you need not be a scientist or artist. Anyone and everyone can contribute. (This means you). Do see Dr Jones’ blog, Zoonomian, for more detailed background on this project, including a funky video on vimeo, and instructions on how you can contribute to the Exquisite Corpse of Science project.

Here’s my input:

My attempt to put this into words:

To me, science is about asking questions and seeking solutions; unraveling with an aim to understand and document  internal (within the human body) and external (outside of the human body) micro-systems, as well as macro- systems within which we exist.

Just as the iris is at the centre of the eye and at its core, the pupil, the entry point for light which then casts an image in our brains, so too is the earth, the centre of our human existence (and also of this image), where we live and toil to illuminate our knowledge and understanding.

The micro-systems that we examine, unseen by the naked eye, are building blocks for that which we see unaided by microscopy and are represented here by (i) the singular cell organism, the amoeba, and (ii) at the sub-level, an atom – depicted here with the earth as the nucleus and surrounded by a cloud of electrons in orbit, which is in turn analogous to planets suspended in a galaxy, held in place by gravitational forces. In addition, science is about experimentation based on different or changing hypotheses which subsequently adapt based on proven findings – represented here by the different directional images of an eye. I.e. seeing things at different angles or a multi-dimensional view.

At the super macro-level, we can not ignore that we earthlings are but a grain of sand in a system of wonderous, awe-inspiring, colourful galaxies, our knowledge and understanding of which is limited, to say the least. In effect, what I am implying here is science may not have all the answers, but that we are recognisably part of something far greater than ourselves, that we may never be able to visualise or quantify. Or understand. But we can try.

Regular sci-cultura posts will resume shortly.