14 Ui08 An Intro EDIT.doc 12731/69 HED: When Art Becomes Science DEK: Art has always been the product of art-science collaborations. 2008 may be when we finally see science emerge as the result. PQ: TK WC: 597 The ongoing dance between art and science has come a long way since its most popular image was that of a glowing rabbit. Eduardo Kac's transgenic green bunny started a trend of bio-art that allowed the world to examine the social and ethical ramifications of science. But although art-science has propelled art into these and other new dimensions, science has remained squarely within its own realm, largely unaffected by the persuasions of the arts. But there's a sense that this may be changing. While it's hardly a novelty that scientists and artists would commingle with grand intentions, there is a palpable sense that the expectations of these collaborations are now much higher than before. A new breed of contemporary cross-over art-scientists are starting to explore a future for science which incorporates the thought process of the artist. Last November in Prague, creative thinkers from around the world gathered at the art-science Mutamorphosis conference, at which questions were raised as to why only one project out of tens could actually demonstrate a collaboration that led to success on both art and science fronts. That project was Blue Morph, a partnership born out of an artist-in-lab program. Jim Gimzewski, a director at the California Nanosystems Institute, discovered that he was picking up vibrations from yeast cells with atomic force microscopy, and reached out to Victoria Vesna, media EFTA00588923