It was many years ago. I watched a television program that followed the daily life of a boy with an IQ close to 200, possessing a mind comparable to Einstein. While he explored subjects like physics and mathematics, he was also passionately engaged in creative activities such as drawing and making music. "When you delve into science, the door to art opens." He said that.
When you delve into science, the door to art opens.The words he spoke still leave a strong impression on me.(It may not be the exact words since I remember them vaguely) Generally, science and art are often thought to be incompatible, but isn't there a vanishing point where they intersect? The boy's words sparked this line of thought.
Kiyoshi Oka, Torahiko Terada, and Ukichiro Nakaya - I have been drawn to the words of scientists since my student days. In the worlds they describe, while touching upon the ordinary landscapes we see every day, there lies a new discovery and beauty that transcends the familiar scenery. Their intellectual words, characteristic of scientists, are somehow poetic and invite us into unknown realms.
In the essay collection by Torahiko Terada, which I pulled out from the bookshelf after a long time, it was written, "Is it really true that the world of scientists and the world of artists are so incompatible?"
Terada, a physicist, had a deep interest in art and literature as well. For him, science was not just a series of equations, but an endeavor to explore the beauty of nature. The physical phenomena he studied were not only analyzed scientifically but also moved him with their beauty and rhythm.
As Yukichiro Nakatani expressed, "Snow is a letter sent from the heavens," when scientific observation reaches its peak, it connects to a poetic world. Similarly, as Kiyoshi Oka reached the "world of emotions" through his research in mathematics, at the end of science lies the realm of sensitivity.
Artists and scientists share essential qualities in that both require keen observation and rich imagination. At their core lies a fundamental sense of "wonder" and "aesthetic appreciation."
This perspective also applies to craftsmanship. It involves discerning materials, trimming away the excess, and finding a beautiful balance. This is not just design; it is a scientific act of capturing the laws of nature, and the ability to intuitively recognize the beauty inherent in the finished work is the essence of art.
What science aims for with its eyes and art with its heart, to borrow Terada's words, is indeed the "same true half." By touching the world where reason and sensibility resonate with each other, I believe we can become aware of a deeper and richer vision of the world.
