Arts as a Link between Science and Society - three specific ways!

The arts as a link between Science and Society - three specific ways! 

In a previous post, I proposed that the arts may be a way to reduce disconnects between science and society, and that "The arts and sciences can help bring people together, help develop a common vocabulary and a common language by which people can understand the world around us." 

The sciences and the arts are typically thought of as two disparate disciplines with little overlap. However, a growing field of study is exploring these two disciplines as having more in common with one another than previously appreciated. My work under the umbrella of Vichaar (Sanskrit for “thought” or “perception”) explores the convergence between Bharatanatyam and neuroscience. 

In this post, I propose three potential aspects of the arts when it comes to being a bridge between the sciences and society:

• Describing and appreciating science as a human endeavor with its flaws.
• Addressing and describing the inherent ambiguity that exists in science, and
• Communicating scientific results to a range of audiences using lessons from the arts.

The ramifications of this approach are immense: a greater science literacy in non-scientists, an appreciation of the beauty that exists in the doing and thinking of science, an increase in the relevance to the concerns of the larger culture because of greater curiosity and engagement on the part of the public, and increased funding for science as we remove it from the trappings of jargon. On a related matter, I wonder if the arts can be used as a way for society to communicate with science.