Life

Robertson and McDaniel write about Science in relation to Art. They write, "Scientific images can rival art in their power and authority, posing a philosophical conundrum: If an artist can create an artwork that could pass as a science project, can a scientist produce a work of science that crosses the border into art" (Robertson, McDaniel 251)? Their answer is yes. At the same moment I was reading this paragraph an advertisement for the Discovery series Life (Planet Earth being its predecessor) appeared on the television screen. I could be way off in this comparison, but it seems to me that there is some type of correlation between Robertson and McDaniel's idea about science bordering art in this series. The images in the Discovery channel's series definitely have a scientific basis. It depicts views of all types of life on earth along with commentary about how each organism survives and continues the species. The images are often stunning. Unlike other series before Life and Planet Earth, television channels were producing shows that strictly remained in the realm of science. Obviously, editing and camera angle must be taken into account in all television and film productions, which do involve an art, but the newer Life and Planet Earth series seem to attempt to create an artistic image more so than previous series.

Robertson and McDaniel write about an image bordering science and art saying, "For example, in 2000, a widely reproduced "astrophoto" of the Eagle Nebula (a mammoth cluster of stars in the process of formation seven thousand light-years from Earth) was selected as the image on a U.S. commemorative postage stamp honoring the first decade of the Hubble Space Telescope" (251). It seems, the sheer beauty we find in nature is easily transformed into a work of art. One can take a photograph of a flower from a certain angle, in a certain light and produce a piece of art. It seems that the creators of series like Life are purposefully choosing to create something that borders on science and art to appeal to their viewers. Many are interested in learning about the science behind various forms of life, and when that scientific knowledge is packaged in an artistic way it becomes even more appealing to watch. In saying all of this, I think that it is a great thing that science and art can be combined in such a way. Even though these series do not delve too deeply into more complex scientific knowledge, it opens many doors to education as it draws those who may not have been interested in science at all before it was so aesthetically pleasing to watch.