Science or Art? Why Not Both? | Nicole Pfiester | TEDxRHIT

“Artists are right-brained and scientists are left-brained.” While this statement has been debunked over the years, it remains stuck in the memory of society, frequently repeated as people explain why their brain works in a particular way. However, the creation of artistic works and the pursuit of scientific knowledge have more in common than one might think. All artistic media is built on a foundation of science; from the way light interacts with pigments to produce the color we see, to the choices of materials for colorfastness, fluidity, or any other property the artist needs. The ability to combine those materials into a compelling piece does not happen by chance, it comes from years of experience and experimentation. Similarly, experimentation and the scientific method is a cornerstone of science, but the biggest discoveries wouldn’t have come to be without imagination and creative problem-solving. Even the basis of training and sharing scientific knowledge and techniques mirrors the apprenticeships and oral traditions that allow art techniques to be passed from expert to student. The deeper one looks, the more similarities appear. By treating them as fields that have no overlapping skill sets, we are doing a disservice to artists and scientists alike.
Identifying as an artist or a scientist should not be an either/or scenario; creativity and artistic expression are closely intertwined with science. Breaking down expectations for what scientists look and act like and embracing creativity as an important skill will help more people see themselves as scientists and engineers. Dr. Nicole A. Pfiester is an interdisciplinary scientist, with degrees in physics, electrical engineering, and materials science engineering. She has published work on thermophotovoltaics, infrared photodetectors, and optical properties of materials. Her present research interests include creating nanostructured materials with properties not seen in nature to improve the performance of cameras and sensors. Pfiester has received several awards for her work, including selection as a 2020 SPIE International Optics/Photonics Society’s Defense and Commercial Sensing Rising Researcher and a 2020 Mistletoe Research Fellow. She is also passionate about helping undergraduate students pursue their scientific ideas, often delving into nanotechnology production and applications and helping all students, regardless of major field of study, see themselves as scientists. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx