The Poetry and Music of Science: Comparing Creativity in Science and Art

This book challenges the assumption that doing science is less creative than art, music, or fictional writing and poetry. It explores commonalities between the creative processes of science and art, such as the desire for a goal, frustration, insight, and the experience of the beautiful or sublime. It also draws on medieval philosophy to show how the principles of creativity within constraint can apply to scientific imagination as a parallel of poetry.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 19 May 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Scientific discovery requires a unique blend of human qualities that go beyond imagination and creativity. While these qualities are often associated with artistic endeavors, they play a crucial role in scientific inquiry. In this book, we challenge the notion that scientific research is less creative than art, music, or fiction writing. Instead, we explore the commonalities between the creative process in science and the arts.

The scientific method, a rigorous methodological process, provides us with tools to test ideas and validate hypotheses. However, it does not guide us in generating initial hypotheses. The stories of scientists and artists reveal common threads in their creative journeys. They exhibit a desire for a goal, the experience of frustration and failure, the incubation of problems, moments of sudden insight, and the appreciation of beauty or the sublime.

Selected themes weave the practice of science and art together, highlighting the role of visual thinking, metaphor, the transcendence of music and mathematics, the rise of the English novel and experimental science, and the significance of aesthetics and desire in the creative process. Artists and scientists make insightful comparisons, drawing parallels between figures such as Defoe and Boyle, Emmerson and Humboldt, Monet and Einstein, and Schumann and Hadamard.

The book draws upon medieval philosophy, particularly the concept of the "mystery of how something is mentally brought out from nothing," as a source of inspiration. By examining the phenomenon of the rainbow, we can see how the principles of creativity within constraint apply to scientific imagination, which can be seen as a parallel to poetry.

In conclusion, scientific discovery requires a combination of analytical thinking, creativity, and a deep understanding of the subject matter. By recognizing the similarities between the creative process in science and the arts, we can foster a greater appreciation for the contributions of both disciplines and inspire future generations of scientists and artists to push the boundaries of knowledge and creativity.

Weight: 594g
Dimension: 139 x 216 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192845375