Event #2: Eco-Centric ART + SCIENCE: Prophesies & Predictions SYMPOSIUM

Event #2: April 21, Eco-Centric ART + SCIENCE: Prophesies & Predictions SYMPOSIUM

Today, I had the opportunity to attend a very interesting symposium, one which connected the arts and science, most specifically, it described the relationship between the world’s sustainability problems and the use of art. First, I got to listen to Ursula Heise, a professor at UCLA who works in the north side of campus for the English department. She said she was going to talk to us about climate change and endangered species, so at first I was very confused into how she was going to link this to art. Because of this, I was very intrigued during her presentation, because she seemed like the perfect example of week’s one lecture, a person who is devoted to both the arts and sciences, bridging this “gap” between the two fields. To me, Ursula Heise was the perfect definition of what John Brockman calls the “third culture.” 

Ursula Heise at the California Nanosystems Institute

Heise started off her presentation talking about the extinction of species, she mentioned how this issue has always been around but not as talked about as it is today. She believes this is because in the old days, people would assume “God wasn’t evil enough to let certain species die out,” so they didn’t think it could actually happen. An important point was that the core of her research in endangered species began with her questioning why people cared so much about this topic? Why do people care about polar bears? Why are so many people talking about climate change? Due to this, she began researching and investigating many cases. Today, she focused her talk on polar bears. 

Polar Bear Endangered due to Global Warming

After showing us pictures of how polar bears are going through extinction—with only 20 to 25 thousand bears left in the world— she showed us pictures of calendars, websites, nonfiction and fiction books, films, and even songs about endangered polar bears. Through this, she proved to us her point that scientists are now using art as a cry for help. They are educating society about the extinction of these animals through art, through mediums that get people’s attention. Heise mentioned that there already exists three books called “The Sixth Extinction,” which talk about mass extinction events caused by human activity. These are just a few examples of how the world’s sustainability issues are being shown through art pieces and literature. 

The Three "The Sixth Extinction" Books 

Heise talked about the two most common literary genres used to talk about these issues. These two genres are tragedy and elegy. Tragedy involves the story of a human person of high social standing who falls partly because of his or her tragic flaw but mostly because of outside forces like fate and destiny. On the other hand, an elegy involves the death of a beloved person, it mentions why he or she will be missed and expresses a deep sense of loss. 

Hiese herself is just one of many authors who have used art to express her scientific concerns. She is a passionate author who has done research on endangered species and has decided to write a book on it. Her book is called “Imagining Extinction” and it describes the cultural meanings of endangered species. I am really glad I got to go to her talk and listen to her because she is a role model to all those who are passionate in both fields, art and science. She is both a scientist who does research on environmental sustainability and she is also an expert in the English department, all at the same time. I really think this combination creates the best of a book, because since she is passionate in both fields, her words are probably really meaningful and can create a huge impact on society. Nowadays, it’s important to use art to raise awareness of scientific problems, because more people will want to learn about these through literature and other forms of art. 

From Left to Right: Paulina Bremer, Event Organizer, Mackenzie Cullens

Works Cited: 

Lee, Kevin. "Polar Bear Tragically Starves to Death Because of Global Warming." Inhabitat. Internet Brands Inc., 08 July 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.