I’ve been spending time lately looking at an amazing book my dad gave me, The Deep by Claire Nouvian, a photo essay about the creatures that live down there where no one goes (except, maybe and unfortunately, certain oil companies). The pictures, like the one above, are astounding, and Nouvian makes clear that we have only scratched the surface of the type of live that exists in that world. One can’t look at those pictures without thinking several things.
First, are there not certain similarities between the things deep underwater and those deep in space?
Second, it seems to me that Nature (with a capital “N”?) is really willing to try anything. A creature with seven eyes – let’s see. One lung? A mom who carries her unborn babies in her mouth? (Some frogs). Many of these experiments don’t work, or don’t work for long. (Hmmm – humans?) The restrictions on what kind of life is actually supportable for any length of time condemn many of them very quickly, but nature (small “n”?) seems to be shrugging its shoulders, unperturbed by its many failures and then saying, “Okay, what about this?”, and coming up with something even more bizarre. Every once in a while, one of them works – for a while.
In short, humans spend a lot of time asking “Why?” and the universe seems happy to ask “Why not?”
Good science begins in wonder. So does a good life, I think. So along with asking why, it’s a good idea just to walk around with your mouth open at the millions of bizarre things the universe offers up.
Love this line: “Good science begins in wonder. So does a good life”
On my way to the bookstore to take a closer look at this book! Thanks, Bill!
OK, I’m opening my mouth (and eyes) a little wider today!
So here’s the deal. If you google “fractals in nature” you’ll see how Nature, with the big N really does reuse geometric shapes as I guess the Quantum Physicists are telling us. There is also that wonderful study from Japan (Dr.’s name I can’t remember, and is not coming up on the internet) on the effects of spoken words and music on ice crystals. Same type of thing. Crytalline shapes, but repeated in a way that reflects the energy, I suppose, of what they are exposed to. Interconnectedness (is that a word???) in the universe. So why wouldn’t a deep see jellyfish who experieinces great pressure underwater, not need a geometric structure similar to a nebula in space that experiences no pressure at all?
Nature has had lots of practice playing with shapes, and we are just beginning to see there are indeed dots to be connected. What an adventure life is when you consider this.
“the effects of spoken words and music on ice crystals.”
Wow and your post Bill…Wow. To keep a child’s heart where each new day is filled with new possibilities and wonder!
Thanks.