Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Two Cultures: 50 Years On

Panel discussion at the Royal Society

Tuesday 5 May at 6:30pm

Chair: Lord Melvyn Bragg; Speakers: Professor Stefan Collini FBA, Rt.Hon John Denham MP, Ms Sian Ede, Professor Marcus du Sautoy

In May 1959, the British scientist and novelist C P Snow delivered his influential Rede Lecture on 'The Two Cultures'. Its central argument was that a breakdown of communication between the two cultures of modern society - the sciences and the literary - was holding back our ability to tackle the world's problems. The term 'two cultures' persists as shorthand for the notion that there is a damaging rift between science and other types of knowledge. Fifty years on, the Royal Society is hosting a public debate to revisit the two cultures argument and assess its applicability to our situation today. Was the two cultures idea exaggerated at the time? Is it a damaging simplification? Is it relevant today? Are the most important intellectual endeavours those which lie in between or combine different cultures? The panel representing science, humanities, politics and the arts will discuss these and similar questions.

For more information including speaker biographies please visit our website. Admission free – no ticket or advance booking. Doors will open at 5.45pm. Seats allocated on a first-come-first served basis. This event will be broadcast live at royalsociety.org/live. Visit our videoarchive at royalsociety.tv

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