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REVIEW
“The taste of a triangle”. This reference to the difficulty of explaining a synaesthesia symptom was made by Mark Lythgoe as an apt analogy for the problem scientists often face in describing their work to non-scientists or even to other scientists working in a different field of science. The occasion was a panel discussion held at the Royal Society on 30 September 2003 and organised by the Gulbenkian Foundation to mark the publication of the book commissioned by the foundation: ‘Science, not Art’. This book of diaries kept by ten younger scientists over a six month period elegantly avoids such difficulties of explanation by providing insight into their work through their everyday activities. It should be accessible to anyone, whether or not science is a part of their lives. The book is a companion to a very well received book of artists’ diaries ‘Art, not Chance’ and this scientists’ version deserves to be just as well received. The diaries reflect much variety in the lives of each of these scientists as well as the variety in the different fields of work. Yet there are some strong common themes that emerge. Most prominent is the ‘roller-coaster’ existence of the scientists with peaks of elation at revelations mixed with the frustration and despair of rejection (usually of grant proposals) and the mundane work. There is also a sense of passion about the science that each of these scientists is involved with, which explains how they can survive the troughs. The diarists consist of a mathematician, a cosmologist, an ecologist and meteorologist, a neurophysiologist, a marine biologist, a palaeopathologist, a biophysicist, a geneticist, a physical chemist, and a doctor and space physiologist. Consequently the diaries cover a broad range of experiences from field trips (the rainforest and the mid-ocean ridge), to the angst of defending a 20 million dollar grant proposal. The diaries touch on the rivalry with other scientists, collaborations with colleagues and PhD students, presenting and publishing concerns, the difficulties of juggling work and family life, and the significance of coffee for inspiration. The panel at the Royal Society event involved two science diarists: Marcus du Sautoy (mathematician) and Mark Lythgoe (neurophysiologist) along with two art diarists: Shobana Jeyasingh (choreographer) and Lawrence Norfolk (novelist) and was chaired by Sian Ede (the Arts director of the Gulbenkian Foundation). The discussion brought out the mutual understanding of the significance of specialised languages and narratives in each area of expertise even though the details could not easily be conveyed directly. For art and science diarists alike, the creative journey is clearly central, but the creativity is always rooted in the necessary and seemingly endless grind of experiments and everyday chores. The diaries appear to be an excellent way to engage a broader public audience without having to explain what the sound of a triangle tastes like! Chris (computer scientist)
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Science,
not Art – Ten Scientists’ Diaries ed Jon Turney, 2003, Calouste
Gulbenkian Foundation, ISBN 0903319985, 160 pp, £8.50 pbk.