Constant Modeling and Simplifications

kilomentor | 07 January, 2011 19:30

Chemists manipulate atoms and molecules even though we never see them. We do this working with symbolic pictures. Sometimes we almost forget that these representations are only a type of crude model for a part of unfathomably complex, mysterious nature. I received the following poem from the late Dann Sargent when he taught with me in the Harvard Summer School. I keeps me always alert to this. I came upon this a copy when I was tidying up to move house.

In Broken Images

Robert Graves

He is quick, thinking in clear images;

I am slow, thinking in broken images.

He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images;

I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images.

Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance;

Mistrusting my images, I question their relevance.

Assuming their relevance, he assumes the fact;

Questioning their relevance, I question the fact.

When the fact fails him, he questions his senses;

When the fact fails me, I approve my senses.