On June 29, 2007,
the original iPhone was released by Steve Jobs at the MacWorld
convention, marking the start of a new era in mobile computing. The
touch screen interface changed how we physically interacted with
mobile computers, the idea of apps and the App Store brought with it
a new level of modularity and customization, the intuitive controls
set a new expectation for ease-of-use, and the overall design set a
new standard for simplicity. The creation of the iPhone is as much an
artistic feat as technological, and demonstrates the wonder
achievable by individuals with specialized roles working together.
Steve Jobs releases the iPhone at MacWorld 2007
In his essay, The
Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution, C.P. Snow argues that
a successful education system will focus on both the sciences and
humanities (35). Although well-rounded individuals versed in both the
sciences and humanities seems appealing, the increasing complexity of
our technology makes it prohibitively expensive. When working on
systems with millions of interacting pieces (like the iPhone), a
great deal of specialized knowledge is required across many domains;
acquiring this knowledge comes at the cost of time and money. I think
that education systems which enforce breadth requirements should be
replaced with a system that nurtures an individual's curiosities.
In his RSA talk,
Changing Education Paradigms, Sir Ken Robinson advocates for
non-standardized curricula and methods of testing, collaborative
learning environments, and equalizing the worth of all fields of
study (The RSA). As a learner, I most identify with
non-standardization and collaboration. Throughout my career at UCLA,
I have always despised paper exams; I am a tinkerer by nature and
would much rather prefer working on a team building something in the
physical world. Further, I believe that as the complexity of our
technology necessitates specialization, so does it necessitate
collaboration.
Sir Ken Robinson's Changing Education Paradigms Talk at RSA
In her article,
Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between, Victoria Vesna
echoes this sentiment of the necessity of collaboration: “The work
of artists working with technology demands interaction with scholars
from a wide variety of disciplines such as computer science , social
studies, philosophy and cultural studies (124).”
As a piece of
technology, the iPhone not only works (almost) flawlessly, but is
fun, intuitive, and artful in many ways. It was created by highly
cohesive teams composed of individuals with specialized
domain-specific knowledge. To continue to enable works of art and
technology like the iPhone, I believe our education systems should
embrace the difference between art and science, while also embodying
the collaborative spirit.
Bibliography
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third
Culture: Being in between" Leonardo 2001: 121-125. Print.
Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and
the Scientific Revolution. New
York: The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, 1959. Print.
The RSA. “RSA ANIMATE: Changing
Education Paradigms”. Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 14 Oct
2010.
I really liked your comparison of art and science through the iPhone. This is an interesting example of how art and science have collaborated. I remember when the iPod was the greatest thing, then shortly after we were introduced to the iPhone. The iPhone just keeps getting better and better by the people that are bringing the two cultures of art and science together.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris! As a fan of Apple products, in its simplicity and human-centered design, I completely agree with your comments on iPhone being a combination of arts and science. A contrast would be with Microsoft, Google and other IT product companies, who design their products from the viewpoint of engineers to the viewpoint of general users, instead of the other way around (wink wink from Linux). I'm a computer science major at UCLA, and aspire to become an entrepreneur or product manager in the future, because I believe the two roles take both CS knowledge and an appreciation to arts and humanities. So your message resonates with me. I would also recommend you to look into Pixar, ( founded by Steve Jobs, coincidence?), a company that relies equally on its computer graphics technology， artistic finesse, and creative storytelling. It also inherits the perfectionism spirit of Steve Jobs. In the end, if you are interested in Pixar and combination of arts and science, I would recommend the book Creativity Inc, written by Edwin Catmull (cofounder of Pixar), a book about leadership and creativity, and the combination of arts and science. Thanks for the blog, and good luck with your future pursuits!!
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