Ways of Knowing - March 31 2023

Ways of Knowing

March 31 2023

The “illusion of explanatory depth”

is the fancy way of saying

we don't know as much as we think.

Try explaining how a toilet works

and you'll see.

But explanation

is not the same as wonder,

and there are more ways of knowing

than balancing equations

and physical laws.

And that cold clear night

when I glanced up at the sky

and saw a shimmering curtain of northern lights

dancing in the heavens,

I didn’t care

about solar radiation

and magnetic fields

I really know nothing about,

nor all the other abstract teachings

of hard science.

I cared about the visceral things

I know

by sight and sound and touch.

Especially when beauty can't be quantified

and numbers often lie.

I felt small, looking up.

Not proud of my ignorance

but simply humble;

a vast indifferent universe

unfolding above me

in real time.

No need

to master, control

or even understand.

I was merely a witness,

surrendering to its mystery

and ineffable awe.

I just hope this won't be read as a celebration of ignorance. And there is also beauty in making sense of the universe's mysteries: its perfection, intricacy, and complexity.