8 The Norse Code
Sc(eye)nce
BY MAYA HARTIG
The science behind
our eyes is pretty
complicated, but it can
be explained in a few
simple points.
T he word “aesthetic”
originally comes from the
Greek word aisthētikós, meaning
“of or for the perception of the
senses.” Lately, it means “having
a sense of beauty.” What is
really strange is the reason why
many people agree on the same
‘aesthetic’ things. For example,
minimalism is a very aesthetic
style used by many artists. Putting
minimal effort into a drawing is
Aesthetic can be expressed in
many different forms. Lines and
shapes take the aesthetic world
by storm.
considered art for some reason,
but no one questioned it. Until
now.
   Diane Rogers-Ramachandran, a
writer for the Scientific American,
said, “Art is clearly an expression
of our aesthetic response to
beauty.” But the word has so many
February 2017
connotations that it is best—from
a scientific point of view—to
confine ourselves to the neurology
of aesthetics.”
   Rogers-Ramachandran
continues to explain “how visual-
processing systems shape our
feelings about what we see.”
   This means that the way our
eyes process things determine
whether we like them or not.
Symmetry is one example of this.
Symmetry can actually help with
survival for predators. If a gazelle
sees a symmetrical face out of
the corner of its eye, it is going to
run because symmetry probably
means that there is a cheetah.
It seems like common sense to
prefer the aspect of beauty that
helps keep us alive.
   Additionally, environment
contributes to our aesthetic. In
North America, and especially
Montana, most people associate
December-February with the
color white (representing snow),
the same way that Australians
associate summer colors with the
same months.
   “If it looks like the kind of
environment in which you could
survive and thrive,” said Annie
Sneed, designer for co.design,
“you’re going to have an aesthetic
preference for it.”
  Eyes cannot take in too much.
This is why art with the main
focus on one module, such as
a black dot on a white piece of
paper, is more pleasing than art
with the main focus on many
different modules, such as a dress
with twenty different colors and
fabrics. This is why minimalism
is so popular; without twenty
different things to focus on, the
eyes and brain can easily interpret
and appreciate the art.
   The science of art and aesthetic
is similar to the science behind
headphones: few people actually
care. Some people tend to see
art as entirely separate from
science, when in fact, they are
quite similar. Science determines
the entire aspect of whether art is
considered beautiful or not.