The Accidental Universe by Alan Lightman

Author:Alan Lightman [Lightman, Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-90859-9
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2014-01-13T16:00:00+00:00

But why are we attracted to symmetry? Why do we human beings delight in seeing perfectly round planets through the lens of a telescope and six-sided snowflakes on a cold winter day? The answer must be partly psychological. I would claim that symmetry represents order, and we crave order in this strange universe we find ourselves in. The search for symmetry, and the emotional pleasure we derive when we find it, must help us make sense of the world around us, just as we find satisfaction in the repetition of the seasons and the reliability of friendships. Symmetry is also economy. Symmetry is simplicity. Symmetry is elegance.

And however we define the mysterious quality that we call beauty, we associate symmetry with beauty. Both Darwin and Freud have argued that our sense of beauty and the appeal of beauty originated with the imperative for sexual reproduction and the association of beauty with a vibrant mate. As Darwin wrote in the Descent of Man,

A sense of beauty has been declared to be peculiar to man. But when we behold male birds elaborately displaying their plumes and splendid colors before the females, while other birds not so decorated make no such display, it is impossible to doubt that the females admire the beauty of their male partners. As women everywhere deck themselves with these plumes, the beauty of such ornaments cannot be disputed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.