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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Check It Out: Signs of human understanding

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&quot;The Secrets of the Universe in 100 Symbols&quot; by Sarah Bartlett (Fair Winds Press, 256 pages)
"The Secrets of the Universe in 100 Symbols" by Sarah Bartlett (Fair Winds Press, 256 pages) Photo Gallery

Will mankind ever be able to fully unlock the mysteries of the universe? Because it’s a pretty big place, I’m thinking probably not.

I’m also thinking that inscrutability isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, the very essence of mysteriousness is likely what keeps the human quest for information and knowledge alive. Perhaps Neil Armstrong says it best: “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”

To understand — that’s really what we want, right? Galileo and Isaac Newton wanted to understand more about the world around — and above — them, so they applied scientific thought to their learning process. In more modern times intellectuals like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking have pushed through our knowledge boundaries by developing accepted theories for previously incomprehensible concepts. No doubt about it: without the scientific process, we earthlings would be “in the dark” much more than we are now.

But even with scientific tools at our disposal — not to mention some really smart people — there always have been and always will be puzzles to be puzzled out. One of the truly fascinating hallmarks about being human is that we want to explain the world around us even when we can’t. Throughout history — from the time of early man to present day — there has existed an almost primal need to communicate our experiences and our ideas. In the introduction to this week’s book, “The Secrets of the Universe in 100 Symbols,” Sarah Bartlett says this: “Humankind has always had an innate urge to express core experiences, such as childhood, virility, fertility, death, sacrifice, and love, through myths and legends, art and architecture, and belief systems. And every culture from every part of the world and every era has used symbols to express those experiences in a universal language that transcends all.” While the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” suffers from over-use, the message continues to ring true.

Four broad categories

Within the pages of this engaging compendium, Ms. Bartlett offers descriptions as well as historical context for a bevy of symbols categorized into four broad categories: the natural world, the divine world, signs and systems, and finally, the mystic world. And it’s a satisfying read whether you start at Page 1 and read straight through to the end, or take a more random approach, dipping in and out as you please.

In this case I’m more of a dipper, so let me entice you with a few tidbits — chosen quite at random. Did you know that the hummingbird is considered a symbol of resurrection? While it sleeps, this tiny bird loses body heat, but upon the rising of the sun, body heat is restored.

Then there’s infinity. Sure, we all know that there’s no end in sight when it comes to infinity (ha, ha), and we all know that a sideways figure eight represents the “no-end-in-sight” in mathematics. But can we go beyond the obvious number resemblance and recognize that this symbol also “resembles a snake coiled upon itself, reminding us of its ability to be reborn?” Not surprisingly, the image of a snake “coiled upon itself” appears as a mystic symbol long before it morphs into the sidelong mathematical “eight” we know today.

Speaking of numbers, I discovered that a big, fat zero has unsuspected depth. “To the ancient Greek philosophers,” writes Bartlett, “… it seems that the question of zero being a number was something that caused them great confusion and concern.” After all, “how can nothing be something?” But rather than leaving zero with zilch, those ancient Greeks, along with Egyptians, Indians and Babylonians, propelled zero to high symbolic status, denoting “absence of all magnitude or quantity” while also representing a perfect form, even beauty.

Did I mention that “The Secrets of the Universe in 100 Symbols” is engaging? Well, it is, and here’s something else: it just might spur some deep thinking. The universe may be an ever-expanding puzzle, but the library — and this week’s book — are reasonable starting points for puzzle-solvers everywhere.

Jan Johnston is the collection development coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.

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