Lessons in observation
What do the gold-plated skeleton of a wooly mammoth, an immersive art history class, and a pack of monogamous mice have in common? Plenty, it turns out, and those similarities can teach us about our past, our present, and our future, according to two Harvard experts who discussed the overlapping approaches to their cutting-edge work in the fine arts and genetics at a Feb. 16 Miami event organized by the Harvard Alumni Association. In the hourlong conversation, held at the Faena Forum before a crowd of more than 400 Harvard alumni and friends from Miami and beyond, Hopi Hoekstra and Jennifer Roberts said the humanities and the sciences share key goals and processes, including a steadfast commitment to the kind of close observation that can inform how we see, appreciate, and interpret the world around us. The faculty exchange, moderated by Susan Fales-Hill ’84, formed the centerpiece of the latest gathering in the...