by Mallory Abreu
“The difference between arts
and sciences is
not analytical versus intuitive, right?”
That’s what Mae Jemison, the first female African American to travel in space,
questioned during her 2009 TED talk.
Both a NASA astronaut and a dancer, Dr. Jemison has lived her life in the
crossroads between art and science. The fact that she didn’t view career choice
as an either-or situation between the two disciplines is precisely what allowed
Dr. Jemison success in her field. By understanding the intimate relationship
between artistic and scientific thinking, Jemison and other such scholars demonstrate
the vital interconnectivity between analysis and intuition. Jemison remarks
that Einstein once said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the
mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” Turns out, the
mysterious is not the only similarity between the two.
According to a recent
study published in the journal Nature
Communications, about half the genes that influence a child’s math ability
also influence their reading ability. In the study, 2,794 twelve-year-olds,
each a member of a twin pair, were analyzed through standardized testing.
Researchers compared the correlation between genetic properties and test
results by studying numeracy and literacy abilities of both twins, whose
genetic makeup is the same or similar, and unrelated participants, whose
genetic makeup is different. Researchers also analyzed the participants’ DNA
with the intent of honing in on a particular set of genes that could be
attributed to math or reading capability. However, no particular gene set emerged.
Robert Plomin, professor of behavioral genetics at King’s College London and
one of the authors of the study, speculates that this could be because thousands
of genes may be involved in helping to shape these abilities.
Plomin feels further research will help us understand
how we can shape
our educational system to recognize and work with different genetic
propensities. “Heritability does not imply that anything is set in stone,” he
says. “It just means it may take more effort from parents, schools and teachers
to bring the child up to speed.”
Indeed, if education is to be cohesive and beneficial to
students of all learning levels and areas of interest, the arts and sciences should
go hand-in-hand in learning, just as they do genetically. The divide is often
treated as a strict choice: Either you play piano and write poetry, or you
solve algorithms and write lab reports. This sentiment is reinforced through
the idea that every student must find their one “area of expertise” upon which
to focus.
With an actuary for a dad and a scientist for a mom, I oft
felt a little unwise in my pursuit of English. Because my parents’ occupations
and my studies appeared so disparate, I struggled to settle on my own niche. I
refused to pursue anything mathematical because I felt I was following in my
parents’ footsteps. As I continued my English endeavors, the choice became less
of a decision and more so a bounded literary track. I began to feel restricted,
and although I felt that I’d found my personal niche, I regretted that math was
becoming obsolete to my studies. I realized that math was something I truly
enjoyed (although I can probably never say this to my dad, lest he force me
into the actuarial sciences.)
The point is this: Although I came to realize that I
wanted to pursue English in some form, I also understand that math, science and
even engineering fascinate me in ways that are both entirely different than my
passion for language—and yet very much the same. No, I don’t want to be an
actuary. But that certainly does not
mean I need to hate math!
Now that I’m pursuing both English and architectural
studies majors, I realize that my mathematical and literary interests are actually
not that different. Both explore information and sensations the world gives us
and attempt to rationalize, analyze or perhaps just revel in the puzzle. Like
Dr. Jemison, I truly feel that each of my areas of study benefits from the
acknowledgment of an alternative perspective. When I think of the beauty
created from an engineered building or the precise calculations behind a
dancer’s routine, I understand that the arts and sciences are inextricably
combined. So . . . is there really such a large difference between a linguistic
and a mathematical expression? As the phrase goes, “2B or not 2B?” Maybe
Shakespeare was a mathematician in disguise after all.
Did You Know?
Besides being an astronaut, Dr. Jemison is also a
physician, a Peace Corps volunteer, a teacher, and a founder and president of
two technology companies. Currently, she takes an active role in education. In
1994, Dr. Jemison founded The Earth We Share
(TEWS), which promotes science literacy for
students and teachers worldwide. The program is a four-week residential camp
that brings students from around the world together with teachers and college
interns to solve real-world problems.
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