There is no doubt that science involves creativity despite art and science being taught as separate disciplines in modern education systems. Using an example of the interdependence of the two, Dr Sabyasachi Mukherjee, director general of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), observes that the first step towards civilisational values began with our ancestors when they created the first complex tools over 1.7 million years ago. “The crude stone hand axe was one such example that demonstrates scientific innovation with artistic expression of early humans. Hence, sciences and the arts have become essential ingredients in human expression,” Dr Mukherjee shares. He also believes that the interdependence of the two fields is an important point of discussion in a rapidly changing contemporary world. The museum will elaborate on this intriguing confluence in their 37th Coomaraswamy Memorial Lecture, hosted jointly by CSMVS and the Museum Society of Mumbai. Padma Vibhushan Dr Anil Kakodkar, nuclear scientist, chairman, Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, and former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, will deliver this year’s lecture titled Science and Civilisational Values. In the past, the event witnessed lectures delivered by scholars from the field of arts and histories, making this occasion, where a scientist takes the podium, a first.

Echoing the fact that science involves creativity, Dr Kakodkar notes, “They say that mathematics is a multidimensional language. There are aesthetics in many equations, fundamental science questions, and parallels in concepts of self-similarity, energy-matter duality, cycles of destruction and creation, etc. between modern physics and our ancient mysticism.” He highlights that science, culture and arts evolve in an interdependent manner. The lecture will explore the impact of this evolution on civilisational values and their impact on societies, particularly in the context of the transition to the knowledge era. So, what are the opportunities and challenges that follow this intersection? He points out, “Art is human expression while science enables new materials and tools that lead to human empowerment. Science and technology can supplement human creativity but if not handled well can also negatively impact it.”