Monthly Archives: August 2010
It is difficult to take in all the glory of the Dandilion
Words like improvisation and imagination can sound awkward in the context of science. But these are the very abilities that we need to be able to see past and beyond the details — this species is here, that process is there — to create and understand how a vast and majestic thing works and how it might change. Perspective is another important word — a sense of what you VALUE in the picture you are creating. The Dandilion seeds are close up in Burchfield’s picture. He values them. You need to see the patterns and perspective and not only the details; the beating of the heart and not just the heart’s location in the chest. How do you “take in” a complicated multidimensional thing like a mountain? With an act of scientific imagination. Continue reading
