How do we know what we know?

Every breakthrough discovery begins with a question. In the inquiry, imagination, and innovation theme, you will examine what you don’t know, challenge what you think you know, and learn how to transform these new insights into innovative ideas. You’ll also explore how the quest for answers has long driven art, science, imagination, and the creative process. Here are some of the concepts you will be investigating:

  • How is knowledge discovered? How is it transformed into new technology and institutions?
  • How do artists discover and transform the world into creative works such as visual art, drama, or dance?
  • How do we interpret visuals, sound, and other media in meaningful ways?
  • How can we integrate knowledge from different perspectives to create a more holistic and useful way of understanding the world?

HIGHLIGHTED COURSE

ARTH20400 Visual Culture of Science (INQUIRY, IMAGINATION, & INNOVATION; WORLD OF SYSTEMS/CREATIVE ARTS)

This course explores the intersection of visual culture and science. Students will examine and analyze the ways in which images have been used to document and explain the methods and discoveries of scientific inquiry. Through lecture and discussion, we will consider conventions of representation, semantic encoding, and cultural references of scientific illustrations and visualizations. We will also consider the impact of science on popular visual culture and art since the early 17th century. Examples will be drawn from astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics, among other fields.

Inquiry, Imagination, & Innovation courses include:

Analysis and Performance of Literature

Biological Anthropology

Chemistry and Art

Exploring the World through Evolutionary Biology

Media Literacy and Popular Culture

Religion and Culture

Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe

Understanding Art