BEAUTY in SCIENCE and SPIRIT,
with FOREWORD by Philip Hefner
"If
nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing."
Scientist-Mathematician Henri Poincaré
Science
and technology without spiritual and moral guidance can result in the
exploitation of nature’s beauty. Deforestation and the combustion of fossil
fuels contribute to the growing threat of global climate change. The power of
spiritual values can help in orienting us towards a better balance between
ecology and economics. How does science contribute?
Over many centuries, the mathematical beauty of modern science emerged
from the mystical beauty of spiritual stories, illumined by art. In 1859,
Charles Darwin explained the evolution of "forms most beautiful" by
variations and the natural selection law. Yet many, including the intelligent
design community still doubt Darwin. How could a process having randomness lead
to life and even beauty? Dr. Carr shows how randomness coupled with law is
creative, as evidenced by mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot's recent discovery
that fractal geometry permeates nature’s beauty, from snowflakes to the
branching of plants and lungs. Both fractals and evolution are characterized by
the interplay of chance and necessity.
This
interplay can be extended to science and spirit. The scientific account of the
origin of the universe complements that of spiritual stories. Each can be
beautiful in its own way, because spiritual and scientific stories have
different purposes. Spiritual stories
answer "why" and give guidance and motivation for living. Scientific
theories explain "how," give a coherent rational account of
measurements, and make predictions. Integration of the "how" with the
"why" can lead to a beautiful new
story that transcends national and cultural differences.
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THIS BOOK:
·
"BEAUTIFUL DUALITY: Exploring Science's
Fit with Art, Religion… Can humanity
reconcile two of its deepest drives: the drive to understand the things we see,
and to understand the things we feel? If so, that would be beautiful indeed.” David Brooks, Nashua Telegraph.
