Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars — mere globs of gas atoms. Nothing is
"mere". I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The vastness
of the heavens stretches my imagination — stuck on this carousel my little eye can catch one-millionyear-old light. A vast pattern — of which I am a part. What is the pattern or the meaning or the why? It
does not do harm to the mystery to know a little more about it. For far more marvelous is the truth than
any artists of the past imagined it. Why do the poets of the present not speak of it? What men are poets
who can speak of Jupiter [Roman God] if he were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of
methane and ammonia must be silent?
-Richard Feynman
Day 1:
Respond to this physicist. Does science ruin the beauty of nature? Does classifying and picking apart a
flower make it less beautiful or more amazing?
Pick a side. (No middle-zees) Write your response. You may want to include a quote from a different
scientist or artist to back up your argument. (Be sure to cite your source if you do!)
Take some time with this. One or two sentences will not do.
Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars — mere globs of gas atoms. Nothing is
"mere". I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The vastness
of the heavens stretches my imagination — stuck on this carousel my little eye can catch one-millionyear-old light. A vast pattern — of which I am a part. What is the pattern or the meaning or the why? It
does not do harm to the mystery to know a little more about it. For far more marvelous is the truth than
any artists of the past imagined it. Why do the poets of the present not speak of it? What men are poets
who can speak of Jupiter [Roman God] if he were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of
methane and ammonia must be silent?
-Richard Feynman
Day 1:
Respond to this physicist. Does science ruin the beauty of nature? Does classifying and picking apart a
flower make it less beautiful or more amazing?
Pick a side. (No middle-zees) Write your response. You may want to include a quote from a different
scientist or artist to back up your argument. (Be sure to cite your source if you do!)
Take some time with this. One or two sentences will not do.
Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars — [saying they are] mere globs of gas atoms.
Nothing is "mere". I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The
vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination — stuck on this carousel [Earth] my little eye can
catch one-million-year-old light [from other stars]. A vast pattern — of which I am a part. What is the
pattern or the meaning or the why? It does not [hurt] the mystery to know a little more about it. For far
more marvelous is the truth than any artists of the past imagined it. [The truth is even better] Why do
the poets of the present not speak of it? What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter [Roman God] if he
were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent? [You call
yourself a poet? This stuff is incredible…where are the poems about this stuff?]
-Richard Feynman
[I added everything in brackets]
Day 1:
Respond to this physicist. Does science ruin the beauty of nature? Does classifying and picking apart a
flower make it less beautiful or more amazing?
Pick a side. (No middle-zees) Write your response. You may want to include a quote from a different
scientist or artist to back up your argument. (Be sure to cite your source if you do!)
Take some time with this. One or two sentences will not do.
Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars — [saying they are] mere globs of gas atoms.
Nothing is "mere". I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The
vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination — stuck on this carousel [Earth] my little eye can
catch one-million-year-old light [from other stars]. A vast pattern — of which I am a part. What is the
pattern or the meaning or the why? It does not [hurt] the mystery to know a little more about it. For far
more marvelous is the truth than any artists of the past imagined it. [The truth is even better] Why do
the poets of the present not speak of it? What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter [Roman God] if he
were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent? [You call
yourself a poet? This stuff is incredible…where are the poems about this stuff?]
-Richard Feynman
[I added everything in brackets]
Day 1:
Respond to this physicist. Does science ruin the beauty of nature? Does classifying and picking apart a
flower make it less beautiful or more amazing?
Pick a side. (No middle-zees) Write your response. You may want to include a quote from a different
scientist or artist to back up your argument. (Be sure to cite your source if you do!)
Take some time with this. One or two sentences will not do.