In an outer arm of the spiralling Milky Way galaxy can be seen an insignificant speck. This is our home, planet Earth. Its skies, clouds, lands and seas, and indeed life itself have long drawn the interest of scientists and artists alike. Our cultural and scientific history is evidence enough that curiosity and wonder are the twin drivers of both scientific and artistic imaginations. In Science and Sensibility, David Howe unveils the stories of the scientists who helped to make sense of the stars, clouds, life, rocks, and the elements, and weaves their tales with the thoughts and feelings of artists who found meaning as they experienced nature's beauty, grandeur and mystery. Scientific greats such as James Hutton, Charles Darwin, Dmitri Mendeleev, Gregor Mendel and Annie Jump Cannon all the way up to today's leading scientists are complemented by the literary insights of people such as William Wordsworth, Jorge Luis Borges and Iris Murdoch. Readers are encouraged to embrace what the sciences and the arts can reveal together. In doing so, the earth below and the heavens above become brighter and richer. The wonder and curiosity embodied in Science and Sensibility could perhaps take us a step closer to holding 'Infinity in the palm of your hand / and Eternity in an hour'.



by David Howe



Acknowledgements Part I: Order and Romance 1. Wondering High and Low 2. Order and Meaning Part II: Stars 3. Star Struck 4. Let Me Play among the Stars Part III: Clouds 5. Head in the Clouds 6. Weather Forecasts and Cloudy Thinking Part IV: Rocks 7. Down to Earth 8. Mary Anning and 'Strata' Smith 9. Geological Time and the Restless Planet Part V: Life 10. Plants and Animals 11. On the Origin of Species 12. Genetics Part VI: Elements 13. The Philosopher's Stone 14. The Rise of the Chemist 15. In Their Element 16. The Periodic Table 17. Sentient Stardust Part VII: One World 18. It Takes All Sorts 19. Sense and Sensibility 20. The Art of Science Endnotes Bibliography Index