The Alchemy of Science and Poetic Art: Exploring and Expressing our Place in Space and Time

Abstract:

The partnership of science and poetry has a long history - they both offer that ‘A-ha!’ moment where epiphanies dawn [1]. Science and poetry empower each other through their very nature, creating new pathways to truth, excitement, pathos, joy, and ultimately new understandings [2]. Using examples from the art of science poetry (including formal, concrete, and visual poetry) this presentation will provide a practical and entertaining exploration of the dynamic nexus where we grapple with and share the nature and themes of science through poetic craft [3,4].

One example is the poem “Integration,” in which I describe two different moments in the lab studying meteorites. My colleague had said he “ate the Moon” because he’d accidentally gotten Moon dust in his mouth during the Apollo era. In fact, all of us who dream of space have eaten the Moon. Through the poem, we come to a better understanding of science through the literal story of the fate of lunar meteorites. The poem also leads us through an emotional story where the reader is an integral part. The reader is invited into the lab to figuratively taste and breathe the samples, and in doing so, they share in the scientist’s deep desire and curiosity, and their need to be a part of the larger story of the universe. The reader comes to see themselves as the one who ate the Moon - the one who dreams, who learns, who understands, and who in the end “becomes.” This is the same theme which Carl Sagan used to enthrall a generation with space science, “The Cosmos is within us. We are made of starstuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” [5]

This presentation will include ideas, resources, and inspiration for new communications strategies and innovative perspectives on public engagement through the blending of science and poetic art [6, 7]. This nexus can be as straightforward as a topic that hints at awe, or as complex as a narrative structure that follows the path of evidence-based thinking. Together they become more interesting, powerful, and relevant to the society we hope to engage, educate, and enlighten [8].

[1] Colfax, E. and Gorrell, N. 2012, Equinox. [2] Friedman, B. 2016, Parafine. [3] Le Guin, U.K. 1998, 2015, Mariner. [4] Drury, J. 2006, Writer’s Digest. [5] Sagan, C. 1980, Random House. [6] Brown, K (Ed). 2018, Univ. of Geo. [7] Coppens, K., et al. 2018, Trumblehome. [8] Jahren, H. 2017, Vintage.