25

STEAM
The age of
STEAM
Introduction
Welcome to the new age of STEAM!
No, Im not talking about the well-known
by-product of boiling water STEAM
is something slightly different. It is the
natural evolution of STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics)
to incorporate a working relationship with
the arts, thus STEAM is science, technology,
engineering, arts, and mathematics,
working together for the benefit of all.
One of the core aims of STEAM is to
facilitate a working relationship, and in
some cases a symbiosis, between various
disciplines of STEM, and the art sector,
where artists are allowed to freely explore,
and express the principle, and concepts of
STEM. It is a relationship where both sides
can mutually work together. Artists will
not be purely used as illustrators but may
be involved during various stages of a new
product development, from idea generation
to design and development. As STEAM
develops it will host workshops, where
scientists, engineers, and artists of various
disciplines will come together and freely
exchange ideas, and hopefully spawn their
own spin-off projects.
This venture will actively reach out to the
general public, and actively engage with
people from outside of science, engineering,
and the arts, with the active goal of
inspiring them, as well as demonstrating
the benefits and impact that these sectors
have on their lives. We aim to develop
an active community where anyone can
become involved.
History
Over the years, numerous potentially
amazing engineering and science projects
have fallen by the wayside, or failed to
achieve funding grants, not because those
projects were not brilliant, but due to the
inability of the project to clearly express
the core values that they aimed to achieve
and in a language that is both engaging,
and that people outside of their field can
understand. As an engineer, Ive seen this
flaw reoccur time and time again. At times
I have struggled or had to take extra effort
to understand what a project is trying to
achieve, although some of those projects
may have been technically fascinating. I
am of the view that if a skilled engineer is
having to take extra effort to understand a
prospective projects brief, then how do we
expect to gain support from those outside
of our field, such as financial backers?
One of the most important lessons that I
learned from studying design, was that it
doesnt matter how great a product you
have designed; if you cannot market it then
it will go nowhere.
This flaw is something that LiftPort are
acutely aware of. Michael Laine, president
of LiftPort, coined the term STEAM several
years ago. LiftPort is a company that is
currently designing a Lunar based space
elevator and is one of the prime movers of
David Evans BEng GradIED introduces STEAM, where
science, technology, engineering and mathematics
meet art and work together.
Artists will not be purely
used as illustrators but
may be involved during
various stages of a new
product development,
from idea generation to
design and development.
26
STEAM
STEAM. At present a relationship between
Dundee and LiftPort is being forged, where
local writers, illustrators and jewellers, plus
artists of various other disciplines, will be
working on STEAM as well as with LiftPort.
The research
For approximately a year, I conducted an
independent, impartial investigation into
the possibilities of art and engineering
working together. During the course of this
investigation I met and interviewed artists
of various disciplines ranging from fine art
to jewellery, as well as exploring the point of
view from both artists and engineers alike.
An independent jeweller by the name of
Leanne T Evans, helped during the course
of the investigation as she gave me a copy
of her dissertation The Bridging of the Gap
between Art and Science, which gave a
point of view from an artist, who also has
a strong interest in the sciences. In her
dissertation she states that Leonardo da
Vinci made great achievements as an artist
and as a scientist, by painting the well-
known Mona Lisa and his groundbreaking
anatomical research, shown in his Vitruvian
Man with its detailed drawing of muscle
and bone structure. It seems that as time
has gone on, the relationship between art
and engineering has begun to separate and
become isolated from one another.
At first glance the mere thought of science,
engineering, and art working together
may sound somewhat strange. Each sector
seems to have predominant characteristics,
science with its sceptical yet inquisitive
nature; engineering, bound by strict
procedures; and the creative, yet unbound
nature of the arts. Although different, they
are but the three corners of a triangle.
By working together they will have a
far greater influence on the public and
hopefully on innovation.
STEAM is not only about the relationship
between science, engineering, and art, it
also aims to promote the interchange of
ideas of various disciplines within these
sectors. For example, principles learned
in aircraft engineering, can be overlooked
in other engineering disciplines. Bringing
the two disciplines together allows for an
exchange of ideas which may have been
previously overlooked. We aim to promote
innovation from new as well as old ideas
and create new relationships between
existing disciplines.
DSEA
To allow for the long-term growth and
sustainability of STEAM, instead of a
short-lived flash in the pan approach an
association called DSEA (Discovery Science,
Engineering, and Arts) has been created.
This association is staffed by professionals
of various disciplines and is member driven.
DSEA is based in Dundee, but is involved
with artists from throughout the globe, as
well as aerospace groups such as LiftPort,
and ISON.
The age of STEAM will drive forward a
change of culture; will you be on board?
liftport.com
www.facebook.com/isonspace?fref=ts
leannetevansjewellery.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/
DSEA/716575035034939
At first glance the
mere thought of
science, engineering,
and art working
together may sound
somewhat strange.