Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Wed, Jul 28 2010
Interpreting the universe
I was working on a poem the other day, a type of haiku, but more free in its form. It occurred to me that language is often used to convey science and math, but language ends up being much more of an art than a science. Science and math tend to be static in their rules, though science does have to deal with theories that come and go, making it less static than math. Language has enough rules to make it begin to work. From there, cultural, geographical and personal influences change it, giving power that neither science nor math can claim.
People often attempt to define the universe using math and science, which is a noble pursuit, but it may be a mistake to ignore the art of language when defining our world. I think that must be why there are not only scientists and mathematicians, but artists and poets. We're not more important than the scientists, but we reflect and communicate the parts of the universe that are not easily described by, or contained in, equations and formulas.
posted at: 22:41 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
I was working on a poem the other day, a type of haiku, but more free in its form. It occurred to me that language is often used to convey science and math, but language ends up being much more of an art than a science. Science and math tend to be static in their rules, though science does have to deal with theories that come and go, making it less static than math. Language has enough rules to make it begin to work. From there, cultural, geographical and personal influences change it, giving power that neither science nor math can claim.
People often attempt to define the universe using math and science, which is a noble pursuit, but it may be a mistake to ignore the art of language when defining our world. I think that must be why there are not only scientists and mathematicians, but artists and poets. We're not more important than the scientists, but we reflect and communicate the parts of the universe that are not easily described by, or contained in, equations and formulas.
posted at: 22:41 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
