Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Rational Disbelief


Rational Disbelief

The rational world
is divided into quarks
subatomic probabilities
particles riding on
waves of matter
throwing logic in its wake
like so much
flotsam and jetsam
The rational world
is full of irrational numbers
and nonsensical ideas of
a universal elegance
in a universe
too big to view
with anything less
than infinite scope

and all the while
the space between two points of nothing
and everything in between
is as screwed up
contrarian
counter-intuitive
and diabolically mysterious
as
tiny bosons spinning
away
and polarising all
your favourite assumptions.


A J Ponder 



This poem came from some kind of discussion where someone mentioned they "believed in science" and I thought it was an odd thing to say.  All I could think was - science isn't about belief - because where science falls over is in faulty assumptions, methodologies and dogma. It totally fails when people say something is true and we believe them because of their stature.  So I felt obliged to point the poor unsuspecting believer to the bizarrely compelling and almost unbelievable Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, where he slams the hollow appearance of learning (rote learning) in favour of asking questions and discovering the answers for yourself. So please - whatever you do - don't believe in science and definitely when it comes to science don't believe a word I say - because I say  "if you believe in science you're doing it wrong."

And lastly-

Fun week, very busy - does it ever stop - or as you get older does life run away faster than a dish with a spoon fixation?  I suppose it must - but before the dog gets carried away or the cow jumps over the moon how about sailing through this far less daunting portal to make your way to the lovely poets in the Tuesday Poem blog. 

A.J.

A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus and good Wellington bookstores.

6 comments:

  1. I like the tiny space in between where everything is screwed up -- or possibly perfect? It's the spaces in between where all the possibilities lie, right? Nice thing to think about today, and yes well, belief is an odd thing, whether about science or any other thing, once it goes off the (inevitable) dogmatic deep end.

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    1. Cheers Michelle - love your comment - and you even picked my favourite line!!!!!!!

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    2. A good poem and good science too - a rare combination - I really like this, Alicia!

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    3. thanks Tim, maybe I should dust off the old science hat a bit more often :)

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  2. Thanks for making me think. I like the idea around infinite scope.

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  3. Cheers. Yes, it's a cute idea - but I'm warning you - pull back now before your brain explodes! ;) I know mine always approaches the idea of infinity as if it were red and bright and shiny - and has the words ACME on the side - and then...

    More seriously, thanks for dropping by. Much appreciated.

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