element14 Community
element14 Community
    Register Log In
  • Site
  • Search
  • Log In Register
  • Community Hub
    Community Hub
    • What's New on element14
    • Feedback and Support
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Personal Blogs
    • Members Area
    • Achievement Levels
  • Learn
    Learn
    • Ask an Expert
    • eBooks
    • element14 presents
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Spotlight
    • STEM Academy
    • Webinars, Training and Events
    • Learning Groups
  • Technologies
    Technologies
    • 3D Printing
    • FPGA
    • Industrial Automation
    • Internet of Things
    • Power & Energy
    • Sensors
    • Technology Groups
  • Challenges & Projects
    Challenges & Projects
    • Design Challenges
    • element14 presents Projects
    • Project14
    • Arduino Projects
    • Raspberry Pi Projects
    • Project Groups
  • Products
    Products
    • Arduino
    • Avnet Boards Community
    • Dev Tools
    • Manufacturers
    • Multicomp Pro
    • Product Groups
    • Raspberry Pi
    • RoadTests & Reviews
  • Store
    Store
    • Visit Your Store
    • Choose another store...
      • Europe
      •  Austria (German)
      •  Belgium (Dutch, French)
      •  Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
      •  Czech Republic (Czech)
      •  Denmark (Danish)
      •  Estonia (Estonian)
      •  Finland (Finnish)
      •  France (French)
      •  Germany (German)
      •  Hungary (Hungarian)
      •  Ireland
      •  Israel
      •  Italy (Italian)
      •  Latvia (Latvian)
      •  
      •  Lithuania (Lithuanian)
      •  Netherlands (Dutch)
      •  Norway (Norwegian)
      •  Poland (Polish)
      •  Portugal (Portuguese)
      •  Romania (Romanian)
      •  Russia (Russian)
      •  Slovakia (Slovak)
      •  Slovenia (Slovenian)
      •  Spain (Spanish)
      •  Sweden (Swedish)
      •  Switzerland(German, French)
      •  Turkey (Turkish)
      •  United Kingdom
      • Asia Pacific
      •  Australia
      •  China
      •  Hong Kong
      •  India
      •  Korea (Korean)
      •  Malaysia
      •  New Zealand
      •  Philippines
      •  Singapore
      •  Taiwan
      •  Thailand (Thai)
      • Americas
      •  Brazil (Portuguese)
      •  Canada
      •  Mexico (Spanish)
      •  United States
      Can't find the country/region you're looking for? Visit our export site or find a local distributor.
  • Translate
  • Profile
  • Settings
Personal Blogs
  • Community Hub
  • More
Personal Blogs
Don Bertke's Blog A perspective of STEM and Art.
  • Blog
  • Documents
  • Mentions
  • Sub-Groups
  • Tags
  • More
  • Cancel
  • New
  • Share
  • More
  • Cancel
Group Actions
  • Group RSS
  • More
  • Cancel
Engagement
  • Author Author: DAB
  • Date Created: 10 Dec 2017 7:28 PM Date Created
  • Views 2458 views
  • Likes 10 likes
  • Comments 19 comments
  • stem
  • education
  • chemistry
  • science
  • mathematics
  • Technology
  • stemtlc
  • art
  • engineering
  • biology
  • physics
Related
Recommended

A perspective of STEM and Art.

DAB
DAB
10 Dec 2017

The promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is critical for our future.

 

Science is the study of how things work.  Physics involves the physical universe, chemistry involves the interaction of atomic elements to form molecules and biology involves the way molecules interact to make and support life.  As some of you know, I have made some important advances in subatomic physics that will greatly change the future in science if they are true.

 

Mathematics is the language of science.  You often hear the term that its not true until the math works.  The mathematical proof is that tangible description that enables scientists to fully understand and appreciate any proposed solution to a scientific discover.  I have never considered myself great in math, but my education in math has enabled me to make some significant discoveries about how the universe really works.

 

Engineering is the process of using the results of science to create technology to improve the way people live.  Needless to say, I love engineering.  Being a systems engineer, I have developed a great talent for seeing how to apply science in a wide range of technologies.  Some of my creations have made significant impact on how we conduct scientific research.

 

Technology provides the tools people need to accomplish complex tasks.  Advances in technology enable people to improve their quality of life.  I still remember the smile on the search and rescue pilot's face after he test flew one of my avionics devices.  He knew that what I created would save many lives from danger.

 

Face it, everything you use today came from advances in STEM.

 

So where does Art fit in?  Well to tell you the truth, Art is part of the Engineering process.  Art is also a developed skill that too few STEM practitioners fully appreciate.  I know my artistic skills are limited, but I know good art when I see it.  My awards for photography proves that I am not devoid of artistic appreciation, I just lack skills in creating traditional forms of art.

 

Every piece of technology we develop has both function and form.  Most engineers, myself included, mostly focus on the function of the technology we develop. Artist, take the technology and focus more on the form to enhance its function.  The aesthetics of technology greatly influence how easily and how well it can be accepted and used by the general populace.

 

Usability is a major part of product development so that the product is quickly used and accepted as a normal part of  your daily life.  The advance of human factors studies in engineering has tried to address this area.  The challenge is that everyone views usability differently, which drives product designers to some extreme solutions.

 

The smart phone represents a major product developed with both function and form.  There is no technology inherent in the smart phone that we did not have before, but by packaging it into an integrated audio/visual hand held device, the technology was quickly made available in a portable and more usable form.  The rest is history as the smart phone has evolved into one of the most essential pieces of technology most people own and use, some all day, every day.  The fact that I do not own one is not an indication that I do not appreciate the technology.  It is just a reflection of my being an introvert who does not need to be in constant contact with others or the web to survive.  The laptop I am using to write this does a very good job satisfying my connection needs.

 

So why must we push people into STEM?  Well, it is essential for our future.  Our current technology has convinced a lot of people that we do not need to push STEM education on our students when they have access to abundant information over the web.  The problem is having the information you need when you must make life decisions.

 

The problem with ignoring STEM education is that we end up with a population that is functionally illiterate and overly dependent upon information access.  In effect, they are at a critical risk should the technology fail, and yes, that technology is very vulnerable to misuse.

 

I admit, learning STEM is sometimes difficult, mostly because those who teach it, do not really understand it, so they inject a bias during its instruction that dissuades students from becoming enthusiastic about STEM.  That and most students are told that it is "too hard" for them to learn, which in most cases is not true.  It is really a reflection of the education system's inability to teach it properly.

 

A friend of mine mentored me during my college years ran into this issue.  His guidance counsellor had sent him to a "teachers" college because she had convinced him that he could not understand the math well enough to study science as a career.  He soon discovered that the counsellor was wrong and he ended up getting his Phd in Physics, specializing in optics and lasers.  Plus he was a very good teacher, because he actually DID understand what he was talking about.

 

STEM is too important to our survival to let non STEM people, or ignorant teachers, influence our students this way.  I feel comfortable with the membership of Element 14 understanding this issue and focusing their own children into STEM subjects, but we need to do much more in persuading the rest of the students that STEM is not beyond their capability.  More important, we need to help them understand that STEM is vital to their survival.

 

Thank you for reading my perspective.  I look forward to your comments, and hopefully your help in advancing the STEM agenda to students everywhere.

 

DAB

  • Sign in to reply

Top Comments

  • shabaz
    shabaz over 4 years ago in reply to neuromodulator +4
    A lot is also down to culture. If buttons are detrimental to usability, someone should have identified that, and if they didn't, then that firm is not customer-focussed. Engineers might not be well supported…
  • alainlavanchy
    alainlavanchy over 4 years ago +3
    A US teacher had the idea to start each STEM lession using some artistic approach: students had to dance the movement of the earth and moon around the sun kids had to write a poem on volts and ampères…
  • Fred27
    Fred27 over 4 years ago in reply to DAB +2
    I never said that art wasn't important. It just shouldn't all get lumped together, otherwise we get this sort of thing happening. There's a problem with technical literacy and the Chinese - or whoever…
  • javagoza
    javagoza over 2 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    Thanks for commenting, I found this reference
    https://www.braundesign.es/

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • shabaz
    shabaz over 4 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    Braun products have a stunning appearance.

    Another brand with great styled products (various designers) is Brionvega.. I don't own any of their products but do like how nice they look..

    (Image source: flickr)image

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +1 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 4 years ago in reply to DAB

    My favourite artist with an eye for form and function is Dieter Rams from Braun.

    image

    source: https://canoe.design/products/braun-alarm-clock?variant=20595094401

     

     

    image

    source: https://www.wright20.com/auctions/2018/07/dieter-rams-the-jf-chen-collection/183?search=dieter+rams+and+hfg+ulm

     

    image

    source: https://onlyonceshop.com/store/braun-pc-3-vinyl-player

     

     

    image

    source: https://search.muz.li/N2Y4ODk3YzE1

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +1 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • DAB
    DAB over 4 years ago in reply to maxwilko91

    Historically, artist have helped push the development of new technology.

     

    My wife is an artist and through her I have been able to see that anything developed can be both functional and great to look at, it is just a different view of the requirements.

     

    Usability has become one of the most critical issues with apps and computer systems.

     

    I know a lot of great products that failed because they were not intuitive to use.

     

    DAB

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +1 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • maxwilko91
    maxwilko91 over 4 years ago

    Great perspective.

     

    Instead of extending STEM into STEAM and STREAM (with religion haha), why not create art courses variations for developing concepts for STEM. Untechnical concepts to spark creativity for engineers and CAD designer alike, and allow those with creative and non technical minds to exercise what they do best.

     

    Engineers are always trying to make things work, design considerations, constraints etc. Which could be why an artistic mind probably has less mind blockages with their work, and how they will allow a shape to form.

    Let our strengths show, without restrictions, and give art graduates a new industry to thrive in and develop aesthetically pleasing technologies with ergonomic synchronization for its users.

     

    As we know, art is in technology, but not a lot of artists know that they have a place in a technology company.

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
>
element14 Community

element14 is the first online community specifically for engineers. Connect with your peers and get expert answers to your questions.

  • Members
  • Learn
  • Technologies
  • Challenges & Projects
  • Products
  • Store
  • About Us
  • Feedback & Support
  • FAQs
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal and Copyright Notices
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies

An Avnet Company © 2025 Premier Farnell Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Premier Farnell Ltd, registered in England and Wales (no 00876412), registered office: Farnell House, Forge Lane, Leeds LS12 2NE.

ICP 备案号 10220084.

Follow element14

  • X
  • Facebook
  • linkedin
  • YouTube