05-05-2025
Science or the arts: What does the world need today?
The Hindu Huddle On Campus, 'India in Dialogue', held at the VIT Chennai campus on Monday (May 5, 2025) began on a robust note, with the first of two panel discussions led by students from engineering and law streams, debating 'Science or the Arts: What does the world need today?'
Moderated by Deputy Editor, The Hindu, R. Sujatha, the discussion began with students Pratibha V.B. and Vaishnvi M. giving their views on what both fields contribute to humanity and its development. Both are pillars of human civilisation, and both shape the world, the students pointed out, but in different ways — while art was an inspiration and a motivator, science was the inventor and implementer. While science was the path to progress, without art, there would be no purpose to that progress, they pointed out.
R. Aditya, however, had a different point of view, stating that the arts, more than ever, were important in today's world, as they could potentially help save science. Using the example of vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy, now the United States' health secretary, and the fraudulent products brought out during the COVID-19 pandemic purporting to cure the viral disease, he pointed out that scientific communication was in danger and it was the arts that could help, it was the arts that promoted critical thinking, teaching people to question.
Another student Roshan Daniel Raj argued that the problems that we had now, such as climate change and geopolitical troubles, however, were more technical than philosophical and required scientific solutions, sparking another debate, with members of the audience too, pitching in with their views.
Pro Vice-Chancellor T. Thyagarajan, who had earlier welcomed the gathering, said this was a unique programme, aligning with the college's philosophy of holistic development of the students.
