Perception vs. Observation

[mbpi at juno.com]

Greetings, all!

I'm going to break the current thread of topics to make a reality
statement (!)

I've spent the last two months making "morphologically correct" butterfly
cookies to sell at a Christmas Bazaar at a "world class museum," with
MacArthur Scientists in employ, to boot.

What I discovered was this:  The few "scientific staff" that went through
the Bazaar were probably the most "unobservant" bunch of individuals in
the lot of people that showed up (!)  How they "discover" a new species
in a tropical Rain Forest, is anyone's guess...  My display was
overwhelmed by tables of huge, packaged "gift baskets" of cosmetics and
other various sundries, which were noticed, but not necessarily "bought."
 My "gems" which were "works of art" in themselves, were barely noticed
(!)  The scientific staff walked right by without even looking (!)

Oh, I sold a LOT, but not to the scientific staff:  I sold to the
"business staff" who recognized a good thing when they saw it (!)

As far as I'm concerned, this was a pretty SAD commentary on the
scientific community in general, coming from both a trained artist and
biologist in my own right.

Small wonder it took them so long to find a "new species" of butterfly in
Ireland.  I believe that OBSERVATION is the key to new discoveries...a
sadly lacking commodity.  It may be subtle, but it is THERE if you are
"open" to it...binoculars, knowledgeable comparisons, or even
"microscopic"...if you must.

I'm afraid that I am thoroughly disallusioned by you all...

M.B. Prondzinski
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