Artist and illustrator Lucy Smith helps botanists to identify new species. Usually they request a set of drawings, she says, with a detailed set of requirements.
But Smith, who joined London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, more than 20 years ago, says: “We also feed back to the scientists and say, 'I’ve seen what you’ve asked me to see. But do you know what, I’ve also seen this? Did you know that this flower has this structure.'”
In the second episode of this six-part Working Scientist podcast series about art and science, Smith is joined by other artists with experience of science collaborations. David Ibbett, resident composer at the Harvard and Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, says:
“By trying to synthesize these different perspectives on what the science means, we arrive at something new.”
Diana Scarborough, artist-in-residence in bionanotechnolost Ljiljana Fruk’s lab at the University of Cambridge, UK, says that the best collaborations are long term ones, requiring also curiosity and passion. “Looking at their research from a different angle opens up opportunities. If I can make a difference at that point, that will be superb.”
Each episode in this series concludes with a follow-up sponsored slot from the International Science Council (ISC). The ISC is seeking perspectives from science fiction authors on how science can meet societal challenges, ranging from climate change and food security to the disruption caused by artificial intelligence.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Science in Africa: ‘The world needs science and science needs women’
Science in Africa: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
Science in Africa: is ‘decolonization’ losing all meaning?
Science in Africa: lessons from the past, hopes for the future
Science in Africa: a continent on the cusp of change
The Dutch city where industry–academia collaborations flourish
Beyond academia: how to “de-risk” a mid-career move to industry
How to select your first scientific role in industry
Debunking the industry–academia barrier myth
Beyond academia: Planning the perfect exit strategy for a scientific career move
Breaking down the barriers that curtail industry collaborations and career moves
How the pandemic widened scientists' mentoring networks
How to keep the scientific-mentoring magic alive
The many mentoring types explained
Mentoring, coaching, supervising: what’s the difference?
How COVID-19 changed scientific mentoring
The mentoring messages that can get lost in translation
Why science needs strong mentors
Communities, COVID and credit: the state of science collaborations
Business of science: The transferable skills that straddle academia and industry
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Reaching your Goals
Insights@work
Joy of Missing Out
The Ken Coleman Show
The Cardone Zone