Shaggy Steed of Physics : Mathematical Beauty in the Physical World

The universe embraces with sensual presence. No thought, no word is needed to behold sky, sun, moon, stars. It is not in reflection but in experi- ence that one inhales the earthy smells of damp woods, becomes dizzy under the sweep of the starry night sky, basks in the sun's warmth, rolls in ocean breakers, tastes salt. The sensual universe is open, available, immediate. But beneath its sensuality, the universe has an interior landscape that lies hidden. Though veiled, the inner nature of the cosmos draws us. It invites us to find the underlying source of the motions of sun, moon, and stars, search out the primal form of all matter, and discover the unity beneath the diversity of the earthy substances that excite the senses. The inner nature of the cosmos is a landscape of exquisite beauty which appropriately underlies the exterior splendor of our experience. This interior landscape of matter and motion which lies both in and beyond the senses-the physical face of the universe-is mathematical.