Knowledge gained by the means of science has been historically shown to impact the shape and ambitions of society. And as technology increasingly plays a larger role in our lives today, I believe, this will continue to be the case.

The editors of SEED magazine seem to agree. Indicated by the magazine’s subtitle, ‘Science is Culture’, the central premise behind SEED is that scientific thought fuels cultural change.

While this connection between science and culture informs much of the magazine’s coverage, they have been running a series of discussions, the Seed Salon, that focuses specifically on this convergence. Each issue runs an edited transcript of a conversation between a prominent scientist and artist. Past participants include: Jonathan Lethem and Janna Levin, David Byrne and Daniel Levitin, and Lisa Randall and Chuck Hoberman.

From the talks that I have read, I am most excited by the discussions that touch on the similarities and differences in process. I have long been interested in the common ground between the scientific method and the creative act, and these active professionals bring some excellent insight into these commons.

Going beyond the magazine, SEED provides an excellent service by providing unedited video of these discussions. Now we can watch these pertinent conversations grow naturally.

Whether read or watched, the Seed Salon is an excellent elixir for a mass media that trends toward covering the end product instead of the means by which that product was created.