Few things can get me more cross than the, often unspoken, assumption that creativity equals the Arts. That to encourage creativity in children they should be set to writing poems (only). Or to read novels (only) to stimulate their imaginations. It can still make me quite angry and/or upset that there were no commonly available groups, magazines or clubs – not even Girl Guide badges – for children – especially perhaps not girls – who were interested in the magic of number or mathematics. That we could go through 13 years of education without being introduced to any mathematics that was not already known in the 18th century
HERMANN LUDWIG FERDINAND VON HELMHOLTZ
Hermann Helmholtz said the problem facing
The scientist is this:
Reduce a creek, a kiss,
A flaming coal from this random tracing
To some irreducible final text
Dancing to the air
Of the inverse square,
And we are left with a question: what next?
But there is also another layer
Above, beyond, below
The last answer we know
The scientist & poet shape their prayer
With Newton & Frost, who searched for order
Instead of answers & found
Such grace in number & sound
They glorify the spell of light on water
Peter Meinke
