Divine Intervention, Dinosaurs, and Darwin’s Descent

Divine Intervention, Dinosaurs, and Darwin’s Descent

In the lives of historical figures, a single event, action, belief, or product is often taken as being emblematic of the entire individual. Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, Marie Curie developed the theory of radioactivity, and – my personal favorite from years of rote memorization in American history courses – Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Entire lives are crunched down into easily-remembered factoids that typically obscure more than they illuminate. The legacy of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins – arguably the first great paleo-artist – has suffered the same fate.

Reclaiming 'intelligent design' with stunning photos

Link: Reclaiming 'intelligent design' with stunning photos

The Art of Science contest at Princeton University has a simple goal: to show off the most beautiful and coolest of all images produced at the university in the course of scientific research.

Whether mapping neurons or photographing the field coils of an electrical generator, a scientist rarely sets out with a strong aesthetic vision for his or her work; the purpose is not to create something that looks good. Nevertheless, often in the pursuit of some scientific goal, “Art happens,” says Princeton’s vice-dean of engineering Pablo Debenedetti, who announced the 2011 winners on Friday. “Science and engineering are profoundly human activities. They often produce beautiful objects,” Debenedetti explains. Art of Science, a competition and art show launched in 2005 and which has run annually since 2009, gives researchers and students a forum to appreciate that beauty in their work.

Mathematics as the raw material for art

Link: Mathematics as the raw material for art

IF YOU think of cosmology, you picture colourful nebulae; with neurology, intricate brain scans. But what does mathematics look like? That’s what a team of world-class artists and mathematicians set out to discover.

The product of the collaboration is the exhibition Mathematics - A Beautiful Elsewhere, at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, France. Curator Thomas Delamarre hopes it will do nothing less than provide an “answer to the abstraction of mathematics”.