This talk provided yet another link between the arts and the sciences, something that has become something of a theme in this seminar series. Professor Carlin Berkowitz discussed how the field of anatomy and art have been strongly connected throughout history, citing a prominent scientist as an example. Charles Bell was a professor in anatomy before it was officially recognized as a field, so he used a variety of different teaching techniques to get his message across to students. Some of these learning styles included wax models, sketches, and models, which made room for art to enter the classroom.\u00a0 When looking at a field such as anatomy, it is virtually impossible to teach a course in anatomy without using visual aids. And in order for these visual aids to be lifelike and to be viable teaching models, biologists need artists to recreate accurate human bodies for study. This way of learning can be applied to not just fields like anatomy, but to many different scientific fields of study.<\/p>\n
While art and the humanities may not play a role in necessarily enhancing the knowledge base available to scientists, it can assist scientific learning in other ways than simply the pursuit of new knowledge. Some fields of study favor a specific learning style over others, and in the case of scientific study, oftentimes it is very helpful to learn new material visually. As a biology major, I can certainly attest to this, as gaining a better knowledge of the various biological systems that are studied is made much easier by having a visual basis that accompanies them. In my classes at Colby, I have had to learn about the inner workings of a cell, the relationship between various organisms, as well as life cycles of both plants and animals. This information is incredibly difficult to be relayed through only text or written information. Additionally, topic such as chemistry need a solid visual basis when looking at models of molecules, and diagramming reactions. While these are less based in reality or lifelike, they serve valuable purposes in the classroom.<\/p>\n
Overall, this talk hit on points that I agree with as a visual learner, and as someone who can now see that the art behind many scientific models and diagrams goes unnoticed. Many classes I have taken in science have involved art in some way, and in one of my biology classes, we spent a class in the art museum and were taught how to sketch various organisms scientifically. To conclude, art is found all over science, and helps create a solid learning base for students, anywhere from textbooks to museums.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This talk provided yet another link between the arts and the sciences, something that has become something of a theme in this seminar series. Professor Carlin Berkowitz discussed how the field of anatomy and art have been strongly connected throughout history, citing a prominent scientist as an example. Charles Bell was a professor in anatomy … <\/p>\n