Perception vs. Observation
Ron Gatrelle
gatrelle at tils-ttr.org
Sat Dec 15 13:04:47 EST 2001
----- Original Message -----
From: <mbpi at juno.com>
To: <LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2001 12:48 PM
Subject: Perception vs. Observation
> 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
>
Mary Beth -- They must have all been lumpers. A good splitter (how many
spots are on that wing) with a sweet tooth to boot, would have "collected"
the whole lot. Do you take mail orders?
Ron
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