Snow triggered a heated debate that rages still, encompassing everything from academic exchanges to partisan abuse. The beginnings of a division originate with the Industrial Revolution and the advent of a mechanical society. The fissure widened in the twentieth century as technology became increasingly divorced from people's everyday lives. Those who talked of Quarks, Dark Matter and Superstrings seemingly shared little common ground with artists attempting to explicate the human condition. Both, properly pursued, share the common characteristic of doubt.
Scientists constantly test and refine their hypotheses.
Likewise, artists engage in a ceaseless inquisition of their own nature and environment. It is arguable that science and the arts, far from being at odds, are complementary and have much to teach each other. One proponent of this view is Richard Dawkins who, in his splendid book Unweaving the Rainbow , argues persuasively that a scientific understanding can be inspirational and liberating for all our imaginations. Dawkins takes issue with John Keats, who famously accused Newton of destroying the poetry of the rainbow by separating light into its prismatic colours. The Milky Way .