Language is the principle means through which we form an understanding of the world and the foundation in which social and political relations are built. Science provides a language that quantifies and objectifies, encouraging transparency and creating accessibility, when in reality, few have access. The question that emerges is how does objectivity function as a method of understanding rather than a purveyor of truth in science? How do language and narratives shape perceptions?

Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn and Dr. J. Steven Dodge present their approaches to how language is used in science, as objective or embedded with cultural histories and subjectivities. This event is in connection with the current exhibition at SFU Gallery, Ann Beam and Carl Beam: Spaces for Reading, where the artists' works question the construction of history and knowledge through systems of classification and representation.