Tuesday, November 24, 2009

High Math


Numbers have made it possible for us to construct -- literally -- the modern world we live in. Arithmetic. Calculus. Mathematics in general. Without these, we would still be living in caves -- and there are too many of us to go back to that.

Without math, we don't even know how many of us there are.

But math is just a symbol system we use for seeing the world a certain way. Language is the same thing -- a tool we use to see and "understand" the world a certain way.

The deepest "world," though, is the one that cannot be reached through numbers and words.

2 comments:

Dr. Mike said...

Mumbles

Four has arms crossed
Passing judgment.

Three dares anybody
To divide without fractions.

Two refuses to apologize
For constructing a binary universe.

One majestically squats
Contemplating the omphalos.

Zero is wishful thinking
Smiling madness.

As for imaginary
Numbers, there’s always
Somebody to mop up
What doesn’t exist.

[Disposable Poem November 24, 2009]
Dr. Mike

The Rambling Taoist said...

: )