Art for sciences

The Horse Fair as "observed" by artist Wayne Thiebaud

The May issue of Discover magazine has an article on "The Nature of Observing. " It suggests ways to improve observation skills for the sciences; for example observing stars through a telescope.

It notes that some medical students are taking an art course to improve their skill. Cool.

"Medical students across the nation have embraced the fact that repetitive visual inspection can enhance one's ability to see exceptionally fine detail. Universities now offer innovative courses to help future physicians "learn how to look" through the study of art. The students repetitively inspect works of art to hone their critical observation skills, which could make all the difference when it comes to interpreting, say, an X-ray or MRI or making an accurate diagnosis. One study in the Journal of the American Medical Association notes that medical students showed about a 10 percent improvement in their ability to detect important details after taking these courses."