Why Scientists And Engineers Need To Embrace Arts

Paraphrasing the above quote, I can say all Products are created twice, first in the mind, then in reality.

One common debate in secondary school was about which science or art was superior. Most of the time, scientists tend to win this debate, but reality sees it differently; they aren't opposing each other but rather complementing each other. Both should be addressed as one body of knowledge, not two competing teams.

I could remember feeling better or more opportune to be a science student, and even some exclusivity to be among the very few students in further/additional mathematics classes. But today I know better (maybe not), but I think right now.

I remember feeling so excited about not being subjected to take the literature in English as I was allowed to swap it with geography (one of my favourite subjects, though) in my first senior class. But after discovering my love for poetry and becoming an occasional poet myself under the mentorship of one of the best writers I know, Oluchi Gerald Ibe, I wish I had taken those literature classes then.

As one who enjoys telling stories and using storytelling to effectively engage and communicate, it now dawned on me why God gave us both the left and the right side of the brain; we are meant to use both, not one.

Since the inception of modern-day education, there has always been a debate about whether some complexities of life endeavours are either science or art, more science than art and vice versa.

For instance, the ability of creative imagination and conceptualisation in the mind has been argued by many as more of art than science.

The discrete approach to education focuses on a discrete field of study instead of on value creation vis-a-vis product creation and prevailing human needs, and how it affects so many other things we humans care about. Again, this approach, especially for science-related fields, has often than not played down the creative art process.

With a brief look at our Mother Earth, you will see the artistic fingerprints all over. Nature is very artistic yet deeply rooted in scientific principles, engineering order and operational mechanisms.

An extract from the preface of "Why Maths and Arts are important to me" is summarised as follows: "Maths can be used to analyse artwork, particularly in painting. Art theorists have devised ways of using math to analyse and offer a new level of appreciation of artwork. Math is essential to the inspiration, creation, and appreciation of artwork. Many might think of math as being very quantitative."

Another interesting extract from the book "Physics and Arts" provides further insight, as summarised as follows;

Physicists use art to help them visualise abstract aspects of the physical world. Artists, in turn, use physics to understand, utilise and experiment with their materials. They have each in turn supported the other's growth and development and have evolved together.

Another deep dive on the importance of history in engineering elucidates that historians do not simply narrate the past; they explain and interpret changes and continuities by paying attention to larger issues, for example, class, gender, polity and economy. Such historical narratives, we argue, may have a useful role to play in efforts to shift the perspective of engineering students away from a narrow focus on complex technical solutions, toward the broader context in which their problem-solving will take place. This ability to assess the relationships between engineering problem-solving and the broader social and environmental context is critical to the development of more sustainable and socially just engineering practices. This brings us to the art of communication in engineering.

The art of communication is your ability to listen and deliver information clearly and accurately. This implies that good reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are important components in achieving your effective communication goals.

The art of communication is like the brushstrokes the painter uses to create a masterpiece. Typically, as a master of the art of communication, you will be able to deliver whatever message you need to deliver to your audience every time you speak.

This is precisely what the art of communication is all about. It is the way you can interpret your emotions into words.

Work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Engineers have to communicate daily with fellow engineers, with supervisors, with people in different departments, and even with clients, same as scientists. The work of an engineer or a scientist is complex and technical, but not everyone they work with has the same technical expertise, which makes it even more important for them to have good communication skills. Effective communication in engineering is critical to ensuring that all project participants are on the same page.

When it comes to demonstrating good communication skills, managers and others in leadership positions face a high bar. Nearly every part of a manager’s job involves communication. Engineering managers communicate with clients and their supervisors about new projects. They also relay project parameters and deadlines in their reports, while providing updates to their managers and clients. Good managers invest significant amounts of time in setting their engineers up for success. Moreover, regular communication builds trust and makes it easier for all team members to do their jobs well.

For engineers to be successful throughout their careers, communication skills are just as important as technical knowledge. This is certainly the case in engineering firms, where collaboration is key. One of the best ways for engineering managers to bring value to their companies and help their careers is by learning and practising good communication skills. To elucidate further, let’s take a quick dive into the art of entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is termed an art because it is an amalgamation of a creative mindset and the ability to create something innovative. An entrepreneur needs to possess an artistic vision and an imaginative approach to capture and capitalise on a business opportunity.

When a painter begins their masterpiece, they are looking at a blank slate. When a sculptor begins their masterpiece, they are looking at a lump of clay. What separates the master painter and master sculptor from the rest of the crowd is that they see opportunity from that blank slate or lump of clay. When an entrepreneur envisions their masterpiece, they are looking at nothing other than opportunity. That is the same opportunity that the master painter or sculptor sees.

It takes a true artist to see something out of nothing and an even greater artist to begin the process to sculpt the situation to match that which they envision. Sometimes no one can see what you see, and sometimes people may even tell you that you are crazy for thinking you can see some kind of opportunity. Well, you may be crazy, or maybe you are just crazy enough to believe what you see is possible.

The lines could keep rolling down on the need for scientists and engineers to embrace the arts. Hey, I may be wrong, but I am truly convinced and confident about this. There may be some cons that I do not know about, but I am not expecting there to be any. I truly believe that the pros greatly outweigh and considering the current human evolution, I am damn sure that if we can promote the education that elucidates/educates the mind (both the left and right side of the brain) humans will exist in greater harmony and prosperity.

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About the Author:

Chukwubuikem Felix Amaefule is a digital manufacturing expert, product strategist, and EdTech leader with over 15 years of industry experience. He currently leads the transformational team at Generative CAD Services Limited, building scalable learning and product development solutions to democratise making in Africa.