How a grad student choreographs life in science and art
Asked to explain decay, some scientists might talk about mold and cheese. Or sugar and teeth. Or bacteria and enzymes. Soon, Frederick Moss might just dance. A chemistry Ph.D. student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Moss is also a professional dancer, gliding between the seemingly incongruous worlds of science and art. Neither is just a hobby. So when one tries — and fails — to appropriate the other, he cringes. “You don’t have either side taking the other seriously,” Moss said. “It’s either just using it as inspiration or using it as some comedic bit.” They might not be the most obvious coupling, but art and science make a productive pair. Recent neurological research suggests that incorporating singing, drawing, or dancing into studying can help students remember slippery subjects better. Educators even have a term for the happy marriage: STEAM, where that “A” stuck inside STEM stands for Art. Moss would make...