Arts and science

In the course of the interview described here, Van Dyke Parks quotes John Maeda, professor of media arts and sciences at the Media Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

Amidst all the attention given to the sciences as to how they can lead to the cure of all diseases and daily problems of mankind, I believe that the biggest breakthrough will be the realization that the arts, which are conventionally considered "useless," will be recognized as the whole reason why we ever try to live longer or live more prosperously. The arts are the science of enjoying life.

This comment appeared in the November 11, 2003 New York Times; you can see an image of the print version here.

And here are links to Maeda's blog, Thoughts on Simplicity, and to samples of his work. I especially like "Line."