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Aspect (Its meaning) | Wondersful Laws | Some Wonders | Instances and Quotations | |
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Quantitative aspect (Discrete amount) | Laws of arithmetic and their derivatives. |
The sequence of numbers, and its utter reliability. That the laws of arithmetic work universally.
The challenging mystery of prime numbers. That there are some numbers that we can never get to by arithmetic laws alone (such as irrational, transcendental numbers). And that mathematics, though seen as a foundation on which all rests, has the humility to prove itself to be incomplete.
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That e (i * Pi) = -1 - and that it is so beautiful to prove.
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Spatial aspect | Laws of continuous extension, of geometry, trigonometry and dimensionality. |
Surprises in geometry (see diagram).
Flat and spherical geometry. That we can think about angles and lengths with numbers (trigonometry) as well as pictures (geometry). That irrational numbers (e.g. square root of 2) become meaningful rather than just speculative imaginations.
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Example wonder of geometry: The angle susbtended at any point P on circle is always 90 degrees, wherever P is, even though you might expect otherwise. What is more wonderful is that it is so easy to prove. (See Exploring the Wonders of Geometry with David Acheson.)
(Except of course for spherical geometry!) | |
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Kinematic aspect (Flowing movement) | Laws of movement. |
Paths, routes.
Topology Change. The arrow of Time (forwards, backwards). The wonders of Calculus
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Calculus of variations.
(Others to be added.) | |
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Physical aspect (Forces, energy, mass) | Laws of forces, fields, energy, causality, persistence. |
Galaxies and black holes.
Quantum scale: photons, atoms and their constituents. At our scale, materials, crystals, gases, liquids. Fluid dynamics. The Periodic Table.
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Water: an almost universal solvent, with unique properties such as that ice is less dense than cold water and floats.
"Because iron need only combine with oxygen to form the hydroxide, IT IS A WONDER that we can use iron at all when it is exposed to air. The main reason that ..." We are still trying to find a Unified Theory - a theory that accounts for all the laws of the economic aspect, from quantum to galactic scales, from sub-atomic forces to gravity. | |
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Biotic/organic aspect (Life, organism) | Laws of life, organisms and ecology. |
That organisms can maintain and repair themselves, reproduce their kind, all within a random environment.
Plant resilience and adaptation. Plant variety. Photosynthesis. Fungi and symbiosis. Ecosystems. The utter poetry that is biodiversity. Ecosystems: That a multitude of livng things (trees, small plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, etc.) can create the environment that enables them to thrive. The ecosystems around deep-ocean hydrothermal vents.
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Plants thousands of years old. Carnivorous plants, like Sundew, Venus Fly Trap, Pitcher Plants.
"IT IS A WONDER that we can get anything to grow ..." - seeds that germinate after decades, or in very hostile conditions. | |
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Sensitive/psychic aspect (Sensing, feeling, emotion) |
Laws of sentience, interaction, behaviour and instinct - and of the way nervous systems work. |
Pattern recognition. Neurones' ability to send signals to distant parts of the organism, not just near parts (as in plants).
Mimicry. Camouflage. Mutualism. The sensitivity of eyes, able ultimately to detect single photons of light - and the multiple protections of this in ordinary light.
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"IT IS A WONDER that we can look up to such heights without being overcome. Some have calculated that it would take five hundred years1 to reach the stars. "
The animal kingdom "in all its vast array." Beavers making dams. Bees making hives. Spiders making webs with a material stronger than steel. Humming birds hovering and accessing nectar. Gulls and Jackdaws gliding in the gale. Termites and their intricate cities. Pufferfish and their poison. Many birds weaving nests. Bird migration. The Arctic Tern migrating from pole to pole. All by instinct.
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Analytical aspect (Distinction, concepts Abstraction, logic) | Laws of distinction-making, conceptualization, logic. |
That we can form concepts and reflect on (reason about) them. And that such reasoning can be valid.
Even in the midst of uncertainty and lacking information (fuzzy logic). Understandability, theories. That we can separate ourselves from what we are thinking about. That there are multiple kinds of rationalty, such that what makes sense in one aspect (e.g. economics) does not make sense in another (e.g. religion). And yet that they donot contradict each other. See Aspectual Rationality.
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"IT IS A WONDER that we can understand anything of the cosmos€- a tribute to the fact that He has made this physical realm according to real laws and ordinances that can be discovered ..." Wallace G. Smith.
"IT IS A WONDER that we can concentrate for even five seconds at all with the perpetual distractions that are going on. As you are reading this, something ..." | |
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Formative aspect (Deliberate shaping, Technology, skill, history) | Laws of human achievement, of innovation. |
The Seven Wonders of the World - and many others like them, ancient and modern.
The planning and achievement of space travel, such as those spacecraft that visit many planets, and those that are still sending messages back even though they have left the Solar System. Technology. The various technologies that have developed over the centuries, from agriculture to artificial intelligence and how they can magnify human activity - as long as it is Good. (Sadly, might arrogant humanity be entering a new Babel?)
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Tiny bots used in surgery.
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Lingual aspect (Symbolic signification) | Laws of signification, expression, communication. |
That we can set down our thoughts and meanings outside ourselves, as symbols, so they can persist even though we forget them.
That we can signify (symbolize) many types of meaning, descriptions, commands, wishes, questions, etc. and about a host of topics. That what we express can be from our imagination and not just actual things, and can even be about impossible things such as a square circle. That we can deliberately express what we mean even though never perfectly, in a way that others can understand. And that the expressed meaning can be complex and nuanced, and sensitive to context. That there are so many types of medium: writing, drawing, speaking, song, gesturing, even setting up a boundary stone. That a baby naturally wants to learn to communicate. And then all this is enriched by the social aspect ...
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"IT IS A WONDER that we can write since it allows us to transcend time and space. Once upon a time, you could only convey your thoughts to people who were with you, in a particular time and at a particular place. Writing released us from such constraints. Now, though, I can know the thoughts of someone long dead who lived in a very different world to mine. Writing is time travel. It's a wonder." David Murray
"IT IS A WONDER that we can communicate at all. That even this sensation can be conveyed is ..." Aron Wiesenfeld "Couple those thoughts with all of the physical and intellectual reasons for miscommunication and we realize IT IS A WONDER that we can effectively communicate at all." David Kirk "Something I love about writing, is that it can be revealing of your own feelings. " Rachel Mander | |
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Social aspect (Relationships, roles) | Laws of agreeing, relating and working together. |
The wonders of human relationships - families, friends, lovers, teams, professional relationships, religious congregations, and so on. How they start, how they are maintained, what they achieve.
Organisations and roles of people in them. The formation and continuance of cultures. How worldviews operate, or paradigms in science, or ground-motives over the longer term.
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Architectural wonders of the world that require intricate working-together, like the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, Stonehenge, Cluny Abbey, Taj Mahal, Petra, and so on.
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Economic aspect (Respect for objects) | Laws of resourcing, frugality, self-control. |
Frugality, economising.
Markets. Management. Money.
| I recall a visit to the Red Squirrel Sanctuary at Formby. I found bushes whose bark had been totally stripped by the squirrels, thus killing them. Animals seem to just eat when food is available. Humans, on the other hand, can economize, be frugal - and thus protect the future. | |
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Aesthetic aspect (Harmony, delight) | Laws of harmonising, enjoying, playing, resting. |
Harmony. Holism.
Enjoyment. Beauty. Leisure, Sabbath. Humour. 'The Arts' - painting, poetry, sculpture, music, theatre, dance, and so on. Games, sport. That beauty, enjoyment, rest and harmony can be found in all life's functioning, not just in high art, and thus aesthetics is available to all, not just the wealthy.
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Juridical aspect ('Due', appropriateness; Rights, responsibilities) | Laws of doing justly, appropriately, of proportionality. |
That all types and conditions of people get what is due to them, whatever their rank or wealth. That even animals can get justice. Equality of dignity.
Reward and punishment rather than favouritism and revenge. That justice transcends the individual, i.e. the wealth or gifted need not be given preference.
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Ethical aspect (Attitude, Self-giving love) | Laws of self-sacrifice and self-giving. |
Goodness.
Generosity. Self-sacrifice. Forgiveness and mercy.
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That apologizing usually defuses situations between individuals rather than being taken advantage of.
An American Christian went to the Iraqis who had lost 13 civilians in an American strike, said he was sorry - but nothing happened. "What do I do now, Lord Jesus?" "Pray!" He got down on his knees. Then said "You can shoot me in the head. I give my life for one of yours." That made the difference. "You are Family!" the Iraqis told him.
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Pistic/Faith aspect (Faith, commitment, belief. Meaningfulness; Identity (who we are.)) | Laws of believing, committing and being meaningful, and openness to the Divine. |
Belief. Expectations, aspirations. Motivation.
Taking things for granted: Assumptions, presuppositions. Commitment. Courage and perseverance. Martyrdom. Hope. And of course, in all these, Jesus Himself.
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"IT IS A WONDER that we can smile at all. And yet, the prophet says: even though I walk through the valley of this shadow of death I will fear no evil ..."
"IT IS A WONDER that we can believe in Jesus and love Him whom we have never seen. If we were threatened and persecuted unto martyrdom, we still could not deny that we believe in Jesus and love Him." Witness Lee. Perseverance through hardship of those called by God to expend their lives for others, especially on the so-called Mission FIeld. Examples: Paul; Hudson Taylor, James Fraser, Gladys Aylward. The commitment of those God calls to a different pattern of life or belief. Examples: Francis of Assissi; Martin Luther; John Wesley.
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