The power of wonder

Discussions about wonder and awe began many centuries ago; here, we mention, among others, important contributors to that discussion, Carson, Keats, and Einstein. Our focus, however, are with three panel discussions that constitute the series "The Power of Wonder: Modern Marvels in the Age of Science."

The enigma of life: confronting marvels at the edges of science

Einstein famously claimed that "the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible." This statement suggests that no amount of scientific explanation will suffice to make sense of the bizarre situation of the human mind within the universe. So what are the actual roles of awe and wonder within the framework of contemporary science? How, for instance, do awe and wonder inform scientists' understanding of the phenomena they are researching? What aspects of contemporary science are more likely to elicit wonder, and why? Is science rechanneling our innate thirst for knowledge and understanding toward more concrete and palpable realities, or is it aggravating the tension between truth and meaning by revealing the scope of our ignorance when it comes to probing the ultimate nature of reality? Physicist Marcelo Gleiser, experimental psychologist Tania Lombrozo, and physician Gavin Francis analyze the impact of awe and wonder on their own work and on the mindsets of their colleagues carrying out leading-edge scientific research.

Pesticides, pollution and the UK's silent spring, 1963-1964: Poison in the Garden of England

Despite being characterized as 'one of the worst agricultural accidents in Britain in the 1960s', the 'Smarden incident' has never been subjected to a complete historical analysis. In 1963, a toxic waste spill in Kent coincided with the publication of the British edition of Rachel Carson's Silent spring. This essay argues that these events combined to 'galvanize' nascent toxic and environmental consciousness. A seemingly parochial toxic waste incident became part of a national phenomenon. The Smarden incident was considered to be indicative of the toxic hazards that were born of technocracy. It highlighted the inadequacies of existent concepts and practices for dealing with such hazards. As such, it was part of the fracturing of the consensus of progress: it made disagreements in expertise publicly visible. By the completion of the episode, 10 different governmental ministries were involved. Douglas Good, a local veterinary surgeon, helped to effect the 'reception' of Silent spring in the UK by telling the 'Smarden story' through local and national media and through the publications of anti-statist organizations.