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I was inspired by a visit to the Art and Science Museum in Singapore, and wondered if there was a word that can be used to describe something that relates to both art and science.

For example, this word can be used to describe someone like Leonardo Da Vinci who was someone that mastered both art and science, or a place like the Art and Science Museum that was dedicated to both art and science.

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    I think one word to describe two very different things, and only those 2 things, would not be extremely useful.
    – Hank
    Jun 28, 2017 at 14:32
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    polymath? Renaissance man?
    – Carl Witthoft
    Jun 28, 2017 at 14:49
  • Please provide a sample sentence showing how you might use this word (put an X or ___ where the word would go.) It's hard to come up with the right answer without more context.
    – Roger Sinasohn
    Jun 28, 2017 at 15:11
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    @Tom22 I don't think they are close enough to have one specific word that describes those two disciplines and only those two disciplines.
    – Hank
    Jun 28, 2017 at 15:36
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    @Tom22 I think art and science are two words used to describe to different lens through which we view the world, and when we combine both views then a more complete picture of the world that we live in comes into view - hence I have asked the question.
    – Michael Lai
    Jun 28, 2017 at 22:02

2 Answers 2

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A common term in education these days is STEAM, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. From the Wikipedia page on the subject:

Steam fields are science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, together with art. STEAM is designed to integrate STEM subjects and the art of design in education. These programs aim to teach students to think critically and have an engineering or design approach towards real-world problems while building on their mathematics and science base.1 STEAM programs add art to STEM curriculum by drawing on design principles and encouraging creative solutions.

While it's not perfect, it does combine the arts and science in a commonly used term these days.

Note that this can be used as a noun:

she is very interested in STEAM.

or as an adjective:

she is excels in all STEAM subjects.

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    +1 I think STEAM is the closest match to what the OP wants. It doesn't encompass only art and science but i think it's the least vague name that does include both of them. That being said, I unfortunately don't think it fits either situation given by the OP. A STEAM museum would have more than just Art and Science. Plus, it would be a very humid building to be inside of ;)
    – Hank
    Jun 28, 2017 at 15:33
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While not perfect, I think you could refer to a painter or a sculptor as applying a "discipline".

or in the case of a broad selection : multidisciplinary

Certainly "discipline' could refer to a broad variety of sciences...perhaps too broad as it could cross into medicine, law, philosophy etc.

discipline from Oxford Living Dictionaries

2) A branch of knowledge, typically one studied in higher education.

‘sociology is a fairly new discipline’

‘Both men draw not only from their own disciplines but from their knowledge of history, sociology, and literature.’

or

Multidisciplinary at Oxford Living Dictionaries

Combining or involving several academic disciplines or professional specializations in an approach to a topic or problem.

While the connection to art is less common my google search of "disciplines of art" did yield articles that used the word discipline in connection to art.

Here is one headline and article using the term repeatedly in that connection.

“What Kind Of Art Do You Make?”: Defining Your Discipline

Here is an example of an author involved with a MoMa referring to art and science as different disciplines and referring to the combining the two as taking an interdisciplinary approach.

Why So Siloed? Costs and Benefits of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Museums

I remember a high school chemistry teacher of mine singing a song about hydrogen and then asking our class to create our own piece (poem, painting, performance, anything) about our favorite element on the periodic table. Needless to say I will not forget the atomic mass of neon anytime soon. This combination of seemingly disparate disciplines not only allowed appreciation for both, but also lent to an enriched experience for us students. Educators work to create multiple entry points for students to connect to a subject in their own personal ways, because a personal connection means greater retention in the future. As informal learning institutions, museums have the potential to experiment with these types of interdisciplinary practices.

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  • Not close enough for an 'answer' (look at the title question); perhaps a useful suggestion as a 'comment'.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Jun 28, 2017 at 14:58
  • @EdwinAshworth I feel like this is a good term for describing Leonardo Divinci (a man of many disciplines) and I think a Museum of Art and Science could aptly be referred to as a "multidisciplinary museum" .... however -- there is always room for a difference of opinion here. I did provide citations.
    – Tom22
    Jun 28, 2017 at 15:20
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    @Hank I do not believe sports are frequently referred to as "disciplines" however they do take discipline to excel at. Perhaps something like a martial art ...but a martial art is more than a sport .. they are also cultural and quasi-religious rigors . (why the term "art" is applied to them)
    – Tom22
    Jun 28, 2017 at 15:36
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    @Tom22 If you think a sport is not a discipline, then you must not be big into sports. Most professional sports require just as much discipline as most academic fields. That being said, it doesn't change the vagueness of the term "multidisciplinary". I definitely wouldn't use it to describe a museum containing only two disciplines.
    – Hank
    Jun 28, 2017 at 15:39
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    This is heading towards 'disease' for a hypernym of 'cold' and 'flu'. // From a Christie's article: 'When you go to the hospital, a multidisciplinary team consisting of doctors, nurses, cooks, lab techs, housekeepers and others, work together to care for you.' Wot, no artists? // 'multidisciplinary' does not mean 'pertaining to both art and science' (though on occasion the two may correspond – but OP is asking for more than this).
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Jun 28, 2017 at 15:42

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