Breaking the Wall of Two Cultures. Science and Humanities After Climate Change

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It is now more than 50 years since the British novelist and scientist C. P. Snow first described a chasm between literary intellectuals and scientists, instigating decades of debate on the existence of the "two cultures" and the possibility of a "third culture," a group that could bridge the gap between scientists and humanists. In this video lecture from the 2009 Falling Walls Conference, Dipesh Chakrabarty, historian and editor of the literary publication Critical Inquiry, attempts to forge that bridge by examining the scientific axiom that humans are now to be regarded as a major geological force on our planet. Analyzing scientific theories of anthropogenic climate change can spur discussions about our conceptions of history and thus end a period of unnecessary fence building between the disciplines. In a time of globalization, isn't it more important, while acknowledging differences, to pursue an orchestrated continuing effort to discover and increase human knowledge?