5 . If you had to pick one, who do you think is greater in terms of their contributions to the Western world: British physicist Isaac Newton or Greek philosopher Aristotle?

Chances are that you’d find it hard to make a decision, at least right away.

But somehow, when choosing a major in college, the line between the two areas of study couldn’t be clearer. Science majors － the likes of technology, engineering, math － are considered to be more practical choices because of the wealth of opportunities, while those who choose a liberal arts (文科) major － language, music, philosophy － may have more difficulty finding a job.

But perhaps we should look at liberal arts studies in another way to understand its value. In the BBC’s documentary Civilizations, for example, presenters (主持人) take us to 31 countries on six continents to appreciate human creativity in its tangible(有形的) form, such as Angkor Wat (吴哥窟) in Cambodia, and the Suleymaniye mosque (苏莱曼清真寺) in Turkey.

To Simon Schama, one of the presenters, human civilization isn’t just about technological inventions or meeting basic needs, but about creating things for the purpose of leaving a person’s “mark of their existence for future humans to witness and admire”.

By comparing science and liberal arts, we’re drawing “an artificial (人为的) line” between the two, wrote Loretta Jackson-Hayes, an associate professor of chemistry at Rhodes College in Memphis, US, on the Washington Post website. And to some of the greatest innovators (革新者) in history, this line never existed in the first place.

Leonardo da Vinci, for example, was just as successful a scientist as he was a painter. He was so interested in biology and anatomy (解剖学) that he drew the famous Vitruvian Man, part of his study of the proportions (比例) of the human body. Then there’s Steve Jobs, who, despite being an engineer, was also an artist. He summarized his view on the relationship between science and the arts in 2011: “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough － it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields (提供) us the result that makes our heart sing.”

9 . Imagine taking to the skies, spreading your arms out and soaring (翱翔) through the clouds. Flying is indeed possible — in your dreams. But no one can control what happens in dreams, right? Wrong. 

Dreams in which you are aware that you are dreaming and can control what happens are called lucid dreams (清醒梦). These dreams are most common during the stage of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Lucid dreaming has been referenced (提及) throughout history. It’s mentioned in Greek philosopher Aristotle’s writing, as well as in Egyptian hieroglyphics (象形文字) and in the oral traditions of Australian aborigines (土著). However, it wasn’t until 1975 that British psychologist Keith Hearne was credited as the first person to produce scientific proof that lucid dreams occur. Since then, we have learned much more about this phenomenon. According to a study published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, 55 percent of people have had a lucid dream at least once in their lifetime, while 23 percent experience lucid dreams once a month or more. 

Though these numbers show that the majority of people don’t have lucid dreams regularly, scientists are developing new technology for those who want to have this experience. For example, Curzio Vasapollo invented a device called ZMax, a headband that can monitor eye movements, body movements and heart rate to help people have a lucid dream.

But why would someone want to have lucid dreams? As it turns out, lucid dreaming can have many benefits. Alix Generous, a young woman suffering from autism (自闭症), said in her TED talk: “I love lucid dreaming because it allows me to be free, without judgment of social and physical consequences.” Also, learning how to have lucid dreams may help those who suffer from nightmares. Through being able to control their actions, they may be able to overcome the cause of their fear.

Lucid dreams may encourage creativity, as well. According to the website Notes Read, those who experience this dream state will find access to “an unbelievable fund of knowledge and inspiration”. For example, British American filmmaker Christopher Nolan took inspiration from his own lucid dreams when he wrote the 2010 sci-fi movie Inception.

Maybe one day, everyone can indulge in (沉浸在) lucid dreams.