Intersections of culture and technology at UCSD

The University of California is an interesting place. There are so many opportunities here to explore technological issues, take part in breakthrough research, and learn about pressing social concerns. However, the humanities and the sciences remain historically distant. The chasm between these "two cultures" holds true at many institutions, including UCSD.

I do not mean to imply that the chasm between science and humanity cannot be crossed. In fact, many scholars, including the late Stephen J Gould, believed that this chasm is only an illusion. Science acts as a powerful cultural force. It shapes our world and can alter the future of humanity in a second of brilliant light and the release of atomic energy. How we use this energy is our own choice and those choices are shaped by our collective histories. Further, scientists exist within cultural context. Politics and everyday life shape the technologies around us as much our technologies shape us. Culture, art, and technology are inseparable. Culture, art, and technology are also elusive and difficult topics to traverse.

This blog is an attempt to bridge this chasm (or dispel its illusion, depending on your viewpoint). Some of the students of Sixth College at the University of California, San Diego have been kind enough to make events about these issues available to anybody who is interested. As I said, our university is an interesting place and there are many programs here that explore the intersection of culture and technology. The subject is difficult and writing about it is necessarily difficult because of this. However, the quandary only makes the subject more worthy. Challenging questions deserve more than soundbytes and bullet points; they deserve thoughtful answers.

I hope you enjoy their work. I certainly have thus far and look forward to enjoying it in the future. They have worked hard to make culture, art, and technology (CAT) events at UCSD available to those on and off campus. Thank you for visiting.

Rodolfo John Alaniz
Teaching Assistant, Sixth College
University of California, San Diego