For too long the arts and humanities have been seen as separated from the sciences. That was not always the case. In his contribution to Challenging the Divide, Dr Scoresby Shepherd, a marine ecologist, writes of the 'Ionian Enchantment', the connection that the ancient Greeks made between poetry and science. The term now for that connection is 'consilience', a term used by Edward O. Wilson, one of America's great scientists and a winner of the Lewis Thomas Award. Part of the story of that unfortunate separation, how it came about and its effect in the twentieth century is in the first chapter of Challenging the Divide.

The contribution part of this section of the website will grow as more is discovered about poets and scientists exploring each others disciplines.

A recent discovery is David Haines, a composer in love with science, writing love songs for science, and science oratorios, Lifetime and Powers of Ten, performed in Devon, UK, and in Massachusetts USA.

In 2009 Singtastic.com was formed as an online music publisher offering support materials and resources for each song featured. Amanda Gefter, 'Opinion' editor for the New Scientist magazine sees his website as 'fantastic' and wishes 'more people saw science as inspirational.'

In Challenging the Divide, the sculptor, Marc Rogerson has collaborated with Dr David Paganin, working in quantum physics at Monash University.

Poets in Challenging the Divide include Tony Page with his collection Gateway to the Sphinx and poems by Peter Goldsworthy, Gwen Harwood and Judith Wright. Judith Wright, in particular, did not want to be relegated to the 'Arts'.