Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Q&A about words Xtraordinary flare let rip
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5
OP
OP
The quote was a scientist's report on astronomical observations and it concluded with this vivid imagery "the most extraordinary flare let rip".
The flaring of that phrase in an otherwise droll scientific report was as startling as the celestial phenomenon the scientist was describing.
In that other thread, someone described the phrase as "a bit pesante for a science journal".
I would have thought that cogency in a scientfic journal was improved not devalued by poetic imagery.
I wonder what others think?
It happens that creative imagination has acquired a new cachet in business circles as a recent article in the Harvard Business Review attests.
HBR says "a Master of Fine Arts has become the new MBA."
See this review:
" ... The Harvard Business Review, in its look at breakthrough business ideas for 2004, suggests that the MFA -- Masters of Fine Arts degree -- has become the new MBA, essential currency for a business career.
U.S. corporate recruiters have begun visiting the arts grad schools such as the Rhode Island School of Design and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in search of talent.
"Businesses are realizing that the only way to differentiate their goods and services in today's overstocked, materially abundant marketplace is to make their offerings transcendent -- physically beautiful and emotionally compelling," says author Daniel Pink."
If business has suddenly discovered poetic imagination, is it time for science to discover poetic imagination?
Is that such a radical idea, I wonder?
After all, the business of science has become the business of all of us, so why shouldn't it become palatable to all of us? At least, accessible to all of us?
Maybe if we had more scientists writing for real readers, we would have more readers, including students, becoming scientists.
Full article:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040319/CASCAN19/TPBusiness/General
a rare CEO who pays any attention to his MFA. And I should
think only a fairly narrow range of companies could use one.
What would NASA do with one?
OP
I'm glad you asked.
NASA, in particular, needs a whole galaxy of MFA's, wwh.
They would put them to work lobbying elected representatives for badly needed funding, and crafting communications pieces to fire the imaginations of ordinary people who don't understand why tax dollars should be wasted on a mission to Mars.
An MFA is arguably worth far more to NASA than a dozen PHd's in astrophysics.
Without the necessary budget allocations, the Mars mission is nothing more than a pipe dream.
When McDonald's introduces a new hamburger, they sell the sizzle, not the meat. Maybe NASA has something to learn from Hamburg U.
If you want to lead, you need a vision to light the way. [At least, so it seems to me, wwh.]
It was a poet after all who originally pointed the way to the stars. Virgil, I believe*: Sic itur ad astra.
*Yes, it was Virgil.
Virgil wrote in _Aeneid_ Book 9:
Macte nova virtute, sic itur ad astra.
"Blessings on your young courage, boy; that's the way to the stars."
works of art onto ablative tiles of Challenger, and gotten
blame for tile failure.
actually, I think that's pretty boring poetry. I have no problems at all with imagic writing in science, but extraordinary? that's poetry? a flare let rip? poetry? maybe on a bathroom wall...
formerly known as etaoin...
OP
Well, I guess we're on the same wavelength after all, Etaoin.
You have to admit the phrase did stand out ... even if it isn't outstanding.
OP
works of art onto ablative tiles
More likely he would have put latin text onto ablative tiles, wwh.
to change tiles with new texxt after every flight,
he would have saved Challenger.
Per aspera ad astra.
OP
Quite true, wwh.
If an MFA inscribed a politician's name on every tile, you can be certain those tiles would never wear out.
An MFA understands that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
It is true that imagination can take flight, but it takes hubris to keep it in orbit.
And who has more of that than a politician?
On 2nd thought, don't answer that, wwh.
OP
My wings have been clipped.
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 458 guests, and 1 robot.
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org
