Beyond beauty: the art of science
Speaker
Scientists often say their work is beautiful: Marie Curie said she studied radium not for its medical applications, but because 'It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science.' In contrast, artists themselves often report a different experience: Poe asks in his Sonnet to Science, "Why preyest thou thus upon the poet's heart, Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?" This talk is a tour of the aesthetic experience of science, developing its role in scientific practice and in life.
We will see that the aesthetics of science is a powerful discovery of the modern scientific era; that it goes beyond the facts and artefacts that make up the content of science and art; and how it underlies what Wittgenstein called his 'experience par excellence', not because of its beauty, but because of its power.
Meet our speaker and chair
Bryan W Roberts is a philosopher, scientist, artist, and Professor of Philosophy, Logic & Scientific Method at LSE, where he has worked since 2013. He previously taught in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at University of Cambridge, directed the LSE Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Sciences, and chaired the LGBTQ staff network Spectrum. He is now PI for an ERC grant about the edge of the universe. His 2022 book is called Reversing the Arrow of Time.
Roman Frigg is Professor of Philosophy and Head of Department at LSE's Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method. He is the winner of the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. His research interests lie in general philosophy of science and philosophy of physics.
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The Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method was founded by Karl Popper in 1946 and is renowned for a type of philosophy that is both continuous with the sciences and socially relevant.
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