Some believe that the human construct of mathematics, the
language of science, is what forms our image of the natural world. Others
believe that the natural world demands mathematics to unlock its workings.
In this age of creationism, anti-vaccination, Bible
literalism, climate change denial and more, science has come under attack and
challenged with cynicism, even while science has more than demonstrated the
beauty, complexity, connectedness, mystery and startling absurdity of the
world.
This mystery and absurdity have nothing to do with magic or
the occult. Rather they are the very things that put us in awe of the universe
and of our own existence. Great
discoveries like the structure of DNA, the structure of the solar system, the
nature of bacteria, the discovery of radiation and the moon landing were never
ends in themselves. Each unlocked more questions, more mystery, more
unchartered places to go.
As busy human beings trying to be happy, to survive, to
raise our children, we mostly don’t think about mystery and absurdity in the
world. So we mostly don’t let ourselves enter into a state of awe. In many ways
this is why we can seem so lost and feel so empty, trying to fill ourselves up
with stuff.
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