It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
Ellen and I highly recommend the new book, The Magic of Reality: How we know what's really true by Richard Dawkins and illustrated by Dave McKean. (Kids of all ages will recognize the illustrations from some of their favorite Harry Potter movies.)
The ant lion makes an appearance; as do dogs, dolphins, and the Doppler shift. It's all in the explanation; rainbows, plate tectonics, seasons, atomic theory, DNA. Wow. If all this can (finally and/or again) be made clear to me, it can be made clear to the average 8-year-old.
And a bonus video that Carl Sagan (who said the above) would have loved.
And a bonus video that Carl Sagan (who said the above) would have loved.
. . . yes, but only with the help of the poet -- re reality vs delusion.
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