Use of Art in Scientific Education

Abstract

A magnificent channel of scientific dissemination that excites the curiosity of the public, especially the young, is art. Art and science are similar in that both involve inspiration, creativity, research, meditation, and experimentation. Their combination can lead to novel results in both fields and reach the public in a subtle way, as beauty, poetry, and creativity are mixed with scientific facts or investigative methods. An example of this is the work of artists M. Cimadevila and W. Trettnak through which they will make a brief tour. In this chapter, we will see how the two artists make use of the art to approach topics from the world of physics as diverse as luminescence or particle physics, as well as incorporating other topics of social interest such as the role of women in science or ecological topics such as marine pollution by plastic. In their work, they mix and intertwine these themes, showing their beauty or even the problems related to them, disseminating them in many ways in artistic proposals in which they combine art, science, physics, ecology, sustainability, equality, didactics, and dissemination.

Creativity and imagination are basic qualities for a scientist, since science, in reality, is an art.

Ángeles Alvariño. Oceanographer