ARTISTS and scientists from across the globe are to converge on York in an effort to find common ground between their apparently divergent interests - a conundrum that has baffled scholars since Leonardo da Vinci's work during the 16th century.

The quest will fill three days during a conference at the University of York, spanning such subjects as ecology, bioscience and deep space.

The event - Rules of Engagement - being staged from Monday, will consist of talks, events, performances and debate, showing what happens when different perspectives, expectations, interests and even languages come together.

It is being organised by Arts Council England, Yorkshire, in partnership with CNAP, a bioscience research centre at the university, with support from Science City York.

Among the issues for debate will be: "Whether artists have any responsibility towards scientific data, how it is manipulated and presented"; and: "In its interplay with science, is art contributing to knowledge, creating meaning or trying to change the world?"

In centuries past there seemed to be less of a gap between these fields of knowledge. One of the most famous figures to embrace both art and science was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) - the creator of such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, he also had one of the best scientific minds of his time.

As well as making painstaking observations and researching fields such as architecture, civil engineering, astronomy and anatomy, he was intrigued with the concept of human flight and toyed with ideas for flying machines.

The manager of Science City York, Anna Rooke, said: "We are thrilled this national conference is taking place in York. It embodies what Science City York is all about - bringing people together from both

creative and science worlds, to learn from each other, challenge traditional thinking and stimulate new opportunities and discoveries.

"It is particularly relevant because creative technology is the fastest growing area of York's technology base, employing more than 1,000 people in heritage, arts and creative technology enterprises across the city."

The head of CNAP, Professor Dianna Bowles, said: "It is fascinating to explore the ideas arising from the exchanges between science and art, and this conference will benefit CNAP and wider communities in the university sector by giving us insights to the ways in which science can be communicated to many different audiences."

Updated: 10:40 Wednesday, August 31, 2005