Science is more than just a series of puzzles to solve.
Dear Students,
This week is Valentine's Day. There will much wearing of red and many outpourings on all things beautiful this week. It is timely then to share with you the protestations of a few students who pointed out that, for all my writing to you about science, I could also point out one important fact: science and mathematics possess great beauty.
I confess when I got in to science and math it was because it was challenging -- typical of a 16 year old who believes himself to be master of all. But as I learned throughout college about the greatest accomplishments of scientists and mathematicians, it was interesting to hear that they weren't so driven by the pleasure of being first or demonstrating their mastery, they were driven by their joy in sharing in some of nature's secrets (witness the famous photo of Nobel laureates Neils Bohr and Wofgang Pauli figuring out how a child's spinning top works).
Richard Feynman spoke eloquently of the beauty he saw in the mathematical and natural descriptions of the Earth, the Universe, or the cells in a flower (a short interview may be found here) when he wrote The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (full version here). Such descriptions abound. A colleague recently shared a video of artist Theo Jansson who creates amazing moving wind-powered sculptures in part to better understand the organizational strategies of walking organisms. I remember being very moved by a PBS documentary The Creation of the Universe that interviewed noted cosmologists and physicists Stephen Hawking, Steven Weinberg, Murray Gell-Mann and others, all of whom spoke of their desire to know, if not the "why," at least the "how" of the laws that describe nature.
I am always pained by attempts to put scientific inquiry at odds with religion. As the PBS documentary conveyed, science is another of humankind's expressions of curiosity. Science, history, philosophy and religion all attempt to better understand different aspects of our world and ourselves. All are imperfect, subject at some level to human biases and limitations, but all can exhibit great beauty.
We may have a combination of other Valentine's or midterm exams demands this week, but just remember that side of your brain that has the capacity to discover great and beautiful things.
Happy Valentine's Day,
Dr. Kopp
PS: CNS has a limited number of scholarships to be awarded based on merit and need, including scholarships given through the Dean’s Office, Health Profession Scholarships and Out-of-State Tuition Waivers. Students can access the online application via http://cns.utexas.edu/honors-scholarships/scholarships-fellowships. In addition to the online application, students must request at least one (1) faculty letter of recommendation to be submitted electronically. Letter writers will be provided a link for upload once student application is completed. The deadline for both the online application and letter(s) of recommendation is April 15, 2012. Students are notified of their award status after the end of the spring semester. Please contact Adrianne Chacon (adrianne.chacon@cns.utexas.edu) with questions.
PPS: If you are still seeking a student org to participate in, here is one I've heard of recently: Texas Impact.
Impact is a volunteer organization dedicated to going out into the community and helping the homeless, the poor, mentally ill, and the underprivileged. Find out more via email at impactatx@gmail.com or their website is impactatx.blogspot.com.
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