Schrodinger: Risking Mystery and Creativity in Science
by Jim Malone
Jim Malone is Robert Boyle Professor (Emeritus) of Medical Physics and was Dean of the Medical School/Faculty of Health Sciences at Trinity College, Dublin. He regularly consults for the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna. He directed two Merriman Summer Schools, has wide interests in spirituality, the humanities, and the arts, and has published and lectured regularly in these areas. He has published previously in ARTS: see “Egon Schiele: A Spiritual Searcher amid Social Disintegration” in ARTS 24.2 (2013), 4-17. This essay draws on a paper given to the 2010 Arts and Christianity Ireland (ACI) conference in Ireland, and also on an article published by the author, “Malone J. Schrodinger in the Hand of God: A Reflection on the Painting,” in Spirituality 9 (2003), 297-300.
Risking mystery is an essential part of the spiritual journey; it leaves one open to the inexplicable and transcendent. It is not confined to the spiritual life and many identify similar experiences in the arts. Less common is describing the revelations of science in this type of language. However, it is also plausible to account for some of the great and improbable discoveries of science in terms of revelation, mystery and risk. One has only to mention Galileo and Darwin to be aware of the risk dimension in science. The risk/mystery narrative is particularly apt for the early twentieth century and quasi-mystical insights into the nature of the physical world that arise, for example, from Einstein’s relativity or from quantum physics.
The centre of gravity of this essay is an exceptional but little known painting, Schrodinger in the Hand of God.1 An account is provided of the artist (John Synge) and the subject (Erwin Schrodinger), followed by a limited exploration of selected images that seems to draw on the iconography of the Hand of God. The composition of the picture is then described as a prelude to a meditation/reflection exploring a creative moment in science.2 The reflection provides a reading of the picture and suggests one way some of the most profound theoretical physics of the twentieth century might have come about. Creativity, a contemplative spirit, and their importance in science are examined in the light of what the picture suggests. Finally, some social and political considerations flowing from these reflections are considered.
Schrodinger and Synge
Figure 1a-b presents photographs of Schrodinger and Synge, the artist. Both enjoyed great eminence as scholars in their respective fields, although neither was a household name at the time. Erwin Schrodinger (1887-1961), of Austrian extraction, came to prominence during the 1920 to 1950 period. He was responsible for key insights in modern physics that combine beauty, mystery, and arguably internal contradiction. After some resistance, his work was recognized and he received the Nobel Prize.
Possibly not widely known is the fact that he worked in Ireland over a long period, having had to flee Austria during the Nazi regime.3 He had a profound sense of beauty, a mystical sense of the unity of things, and was attracted to eastern religions. It is plausible that his insight drew on experience close to the mystical and it is possible to read the painting in this way. In addition, his theory is in some ways so improbable that it can only have been arrived at after a process that must have been fraught with risk to career and livelihood. For example, Einstein never accepted it.4
Figure 1a. Photograph of Schrodinger. Reproduced, by courtesy of Cambridge University Press.
Figure 1b. Photograph of Synge (right) with A. J. McConnell (left) to whom he gave the picture. Reproduced by courtesy of Petros Florides. The photo was taken on the occasion of Synge’s 90th birthday.
His contribution is based on an abstract, conceptual, and imaginative mathematical formulation of physics which blurred the traditional distinction between waves and particles and described the fundamental nature of matter in a way that was deeply counter-intuitive. It appeared to involve things being both there and not there at the same time, and dented the notion of causality in an enduring way. His work was profoundly counter intuitive, mathematically beautiful, or as the mathematicians say, elegant. His central idea is captured in an equation referred to as Schrodinger’s equation, which to the mathematically literate has a kind of beauty and completeness (see Figure 2). It is illustrated here not to explain it, but simply to present it as a visual object which, like E = mc2, should be a visual icon of our times. Blackboards are still used by mathematicians and theoretical physicists, and it is difficult to reproduce the impact of a blackboard full of equations with any modern communication aid.
Figure 2. Schrodinger’s equation on a blackboard.
Schrodinger’s Equation, almost 90 years on, is among the most useful and tested in physics. It provides the best and most reliable descriptions of the physical world at the atomic and subatomic levels and has given us much, from computers to lasers to smart phones, and even tells us something of why the sun shines. Thus, his approach still stands and is the key to much of our understanding of the nature of matter and of the technology we use without thought every day.5 It is also widely referenced in popular culture through a thought experiment he devised referred to as Schrodinger’s cat.6
John Lighton Synge (1897-1995) painted Schrodinger in the Hand of God (see Figure 3) and was also a professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies. He was a distinguished mathematician/theoretical physicist active in many fields including relativity, and the then quest for the Holy Grail of physics, unified field theory.7 Schrodinger also worked on this topic although they did not collaborate for technical reasons.8 Synge was a nephew of John Millington Synge, the playwright, and was an accomplished painter. He admired Schrodinger’s work and this painting is a tribute from a mathematically literate “insider” who would have understood both the penetrating insight and the beauty of Schrodinger’s work. This lends exceptional authority to the composition and intent of the painting. It is also of interest that Synge was an atheist who could, at times, be rather evangelical and forceful with his opinions.9
Figure 3. Schrodinger in the Hand of God by John Synge . The picture is also sometimes known as God and Schrodinger. Reproduced courtesy of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies and the author. The original is about A5 sized oil on stretched canvas. The versions normally seen are photographic reproductions as described in the text.
The Picture: Schrodinger in the Hand of God
A rather dull, black and white reproduction of this picture moved me to seek out the original.10 It appeared to be lost, or at least not in the place(s) one might expect to find it.11 A protracted, intriguing, and circuitous search eventually led to it. The story of its disappearance arises in part from misgivings Synge had about presenting it to Schrodinger, who was nominally Protestant, but attracted to Eastern religions, and had little affinity with the idea of a personal God. Thus it is thought that Synge felt that he might take offense at the anthropomorphic nature of the God image in the picture. Instead he presented it to the then Provost of Trinity College Dublin, A. J. McConnell, who was also a mathematician and his former student (see Figure 1). It appears that McConnell, also Protestant, did not like it. This ultimately contributed to its being mislaid and then lost some thirty years later. It may well be that McConnell’s distaste drew on the traditional Protestant aversion to religious imagery.
Around 1991, the picture was recovered and cleaned, as it had become very dirty. It was then photographed with the help of David Smith, the Medical Photographer at St. James’s Hospital and almost all representations of the picture seen today are based on these photographs. The original is now to be seen at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Dublin. Large framed copies are sometimes on display in the Physics Department in Trinity College, the Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering at St. James’s Hospital, and in my home. I have used slides of it many times in lectures to convey a sense of the “numinous” in science. In enlarged photographs, the picture acquires a more forceful presence that is not evident in the smaller original. It seems that, for full impact, the composition requires the larger scale.
The Hand of God
Before further examining the composition of the painting, it is helpful briefly to consider imagery associated with the Hand of God theme in art and popular culture. This is not intended to be a comprehensive review; rather, it is hoped to note a popular culture context for reflection.
Michelangelo, The Sistine Chapel
The creation of Adam as visualized by Michelangelo on the roof of the Sistine Chapel is an almost universally known image in which the right hand of God the Father, bringing life to Adam, features powerfully. More often than not, references to the hand of God are to the right hand. It is easy to see how diverse images of very diverse types of God could arise from the composition of Michelangelo’s painting. For example, reports of a recent American Study found the images of God held by the public were authoritative (28%); benevolent (22%); critical (21%); and distant (24%).12 Images of the hand of God will inevitably reflect this diversity.
For another perspective, biblical references to the hand of God, and/or the right hand of God, surprisingly, in the main, lack reassurance and comfort. They are frequently associated with power and are sometimes bloodthirsty, vengeful, and worryingly refer to striking down or otherwise dealing a decisive blow against one’s enemies.13 However, there are some reassuring references that are comforting, including one from Isaiah.
Medical Cartoon Sketch
Figure 4 presents a cartoon sketch that appeared on the cover of a medical magazine about the same time as the Schrodinger picture went on display in Trinity College.14 There are clear parallels with the composition of Synge’s picture in Figure 3. However, the artist, Maeve Doyle, then a young Doctor in St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, was not conscious of influence. The face is obviously that of the Professor of Medicine in the Trinity College Medical School at the time. For young doctors, medical students, and many others, Schrodinger was an authority figure, not far removed from God, and here he is represented considering the dispensation of pharmaceuticals, a source for good living and life everlasting. The pharmaceuticals are suspended in a virtual fashion above his right hand. Damien Hirst has often invested pharmaceuticals with powerful religious associations.15
Figure 4. Untitled by Maeve Doyle, reproduced with the permission of the artist.
Rodin, Quinn: More Recent Sculptors
The hand of God the creator is powerfully and caringly represented by Rodin. Toward the end of his career, he began to use giant hands in a series of original and idiosyncratic arrangements, with titles such as The Hand of God, The Hand of the Devil (1903), The Cathedral (1908), and The Secret (ca. 1910). For example, one represents creation of man and woman and is a variation on the Sistine Chapel approach: rough stone is both primeval matter and the sculptor’s medium; smooth, white, emerging new life is held by the great hand.
Lorenzo Quinn (born May 7, 1966) is Italian and son of the actor Anthony Quinn. At the age of 21, he gained the respect of the New York art community when he received commissions from the United Nations, and has undertaken work with figures nestled in large hands. Unusually, he uses the left hand. With both Rodin and Quinn, the figures in some of their compositions seem secure and cared for. Examples can be seen at the web links given below.16
Images from the Corporate World
There are a surprising number of works from the corporate world and popular culture that seem to reference the idea of the hand of God. However, there is often little or no explicit reference to God. A good example can be seen at the Department of Education and Science in Dublin. Figure 5 presents a view of the piazza at its main entrance. The large hand was created by sculptor, Linda Brunker. It is known as Grow for Me, after a line in a poem by Brendan Kennelly, and is also known as The Wishing Hand.17 The relevant lines from the poem are:
Grow for me
You know you can grow
Into your own beauty.
Whose hand is represented is unspecified, although it is a right hand and borrows something from the iconography of the hand of God. Although it is positioned to make a corporate statement, it also owes something to popular culture and is designed to be an interactive piece on which children can easily sit. So, in a sense, the right hand is protective of the children.
Figure 5. Grow for Me by Linda Brunker, reproduced with the permission of the Department of Education and Skills, Dublin, Ireland. Bronze with stainless steel fittings. Maximum dimensions: 2.3m (height), 3m (length) and 1.5m (width); Sitting point is 0.48m high.
Figure 6 illustrates the logo of the Radiological Institute of Ireland. It might easily be read as the globe resting secure and protected in the hands (of God?). However, it can equally be interpreted as the protective hands of the Institute shielding the population from the emissions from a radioactive atom. Neither case references God.
Figure 6. The corporate logo for the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) reproduced courtesy of the Institute.
Finally, it is not uncommon now to see logos for large caring organizations that reference a dove being released from a caring hand. This is the case, for example, with the logo for the government Department of Social Protection in Dublin. A dove is being released from the caring hand to liberty and freedom in a world in which it will be able to care for itself. This clearly references many religious themes and images, including those in which the hand offers security, care, and nurture.
The Composition of Synge’s Picture
The picture (Fig. 3) is small, approximately the size of an A5 sheet [roughly 6” x 8”] and is almost completely covered in various shades of off-white, gray, and blue. Its content is, at one level, almost primitive with a somewhat distorted partial representation of a face filling the right side. The face, though fatherly, is concentrated in its gaze and directed towards a large right hand, the focal point of the work. The hand clearly belongs to the same “person” as the face and is represented with more detail and possibly with more emotion. Cradled in the hand is a desk set in a triangular field of light from a standard lamp. A man (Schrodinger) is bent over the desk absorbed in his task, and is possibly smoking a pipe. The background of gray-blue suggests the cosmos with hints of stars (center) planetary systems (top left), and heavenly bodies such as the sun, earth, or moon (bottom left). Throughout the cosmos, the inspired flow of equations passes between God and Schrodinger. The equations look authentic and are of a type that would have occurred in theoretical physics at the time.18
A Reflection/Meditation on the Picture
One of the most striking things about the picture (Fig. 3) is its mood.19 It is simultaneously somber, solemn, quiet and restful, and evokes a sense of stillness and solitude. There is stillness in the cosmos through which the inspired equations flow. There is a stillness and an intimacy about both God and the man at the desk encompassed in His hand. These qualities provide the safe space in which the risky business of creativity and communication can and do occur, and nudge the equations to unfold. Thus the painting conveys a sense of communication against a breathtaking background that is both vast and still.
The equations are a representation of a truth passing through the aether. They are suspended between God and Schrodinger like a tune barely grasped, heard only by one who has learned to listen. They will later have to be recaptured and replayed by ear without the benefit of a score to aid recall. They are not yet clear in the painting, and it is easy to see how they could become obscured or lost in turbulence, either in the cosmos or in the mind and spirit of the person trying to attend to them. Openness and stillness are essential for communication with God or nature through this type of channel. Profound new scientific insights require complete openness that parallels the openness of a contemplative mystical state, something also shared by artistic creation.
The cartoon-like depiction of the profile and the right hand of God are compelling. The profile is an archetypal Mr. Punch father-like image and so, in some ways, is an authority figure. The focused and possibly aspirational quality to the facial expression suggests that God hopes, or at least wishes, that the man might be open to what is to pass between them. The hand is different in style, is primitive, and evokes a sense of aloneness against an overwhelming backdrop. However, despite authority and aloneness, there is nothing of alienation here. Rather, there is warmth and care in the eyes and in the protective manner in which the hand cradles the man and the desk, shielding them from the immensity and solitude of the cosmos. The man is ostensibly working in the glow of the light by his desk and looks as though he is so completely absorbed in his task that he is unconscious of the inspiration he is about to be touched by and where it is coming from. This unawareness is emphasised in the composition by positioning him within the cosmos, with his back to God.
Other elements of the picture deepen a sense of the mysterious and the cosmologically provocative. There are references to stars and zodiacal signs. The concentric circles evoke planets such as Saturn, electron cloud distributions around an atom as predicted by Schrodinger’s equation, Celtic themes such as those seen on the stones at Newgrange, or even the diffusing obscuring effect of a dimpled glass window. The more solid heavenly bodies such as the Sun, the Moon, or the Earth are also suggested. All of these are enveloped in the deep blue-gray of ultimate mystery.
Synge’s Picture; Creativity, Contemplation, and Risk
The themes from Synge’s picture find resonances with other works in twentieth-century art and scientific literature. Before moving to a conclusion, I will briefly explore a handful of these which seem to complement the mood of Synge’s work in areas such as creativity, contemplation, and risk as they relate to scientific insight. Finally we deal with what favors these and helps them flourish, what gets in their way, and the risk that inevitably accompanies them. Many other areas could be chosen and other examples could be given. Those selected here simply open the door to other possibilities.
Peter Doig’s Blotter
Peter Doig’s Blotter (see Figure 7), was painted from a photograph, and shows the artist’s brother standing on a frozen pond. The reflection was enhanced by pumping water onto the ice. Of the painting, Doig has said: “The title refers to (amongst other things) the notion of one’s being absorbed into a place or landscape. The figure is deliberately shown looking down into the reflection; this is to suggest inward thought.” The painting is an illustration of totally absorbed contemplative presence. It might also be used as a compelling example of mindfulness, and could be taken as an interesting new reading of Matthew’s injunction, “become like little children” (Matthew 18:3).20 Here, the child is totally absorbed in, and present to, whatever has taken his attention. It is this quality of attention, without ego or agenda, that characterizes contemplative prayer, and it would be valuable to bring this quality more consciously to discussions of the scientific method. Stillness before the object of enquiry is, at least some of the time, preferable to aggressive probing that may be generated by, for example, obligations to funding agencies or corporate influences.
Figure 7. Blotter by Peter Doig. Oil on canvas, 249 x 199cm. Can be seen at the Walker Gallery, Liverpool. Reproduced with permission from the Victoria Miro Gallery, London. Blotterwon the first prize in the 1993 John Moores exhibition.
Lyanda Lynn Haupt and Darwin
A parallel, if slightly different, version of a silent and still presence, is found in Darwin’s work and highlighted by Lyanda Lynn Haupt in Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent. She makes the case for reading his work through a spiritual dimension. Darwin, in his 1833 notebook, writes, “This bird frequents the most gloomy and retired spots in the humid forests . . . and some times, although its cry may be heard, it cannot with the greatest attention be seen; but generally by standing motionless, in the wood, it will approach within a few feet, in the most familiar manner.” Haupt comments, “Here, in patience, in stillness, the birds show themselves and tell their secrets.”21
Miro’s The Birth of the World
Miro’s The Birth of the World (see Figure 8) has a more secular but nonetheless mystical sense of revelation. The work has an ethereal quality. Definite shapes have a precise scientific clarity and appear to emerge from the obscured, slightly ordered, but murky chaos—possibly through the creativity of the artist, or maybe revealed by forces working directly in the universe, or through the action of God, or even a graced combination of these. Eventually the real emerges, sometimes not fully clarified, symbolized here by the bird, or a kite, or a balloon on a string, or is it a sperm? Even in the hands of non-believers, the emergence of truth often appears to be something given, something inspired, which we receive almost passively. In this, and in other work, a sense of the mystical is evident, as is connectedness with knowledge of the world.22
Figure 8. Joan Miro’s The Birth of the World (1925), © Successió Miró / ADAGP, Paris and DACS London 2013; DIGITAL IMAGE © (Oct. 2013) The Museum of Modern Art/Scala, Florence. Oil on canvas, 250.8 x 200 cm.
The Big Bang Theory and Commitment in Science
On a lighter note, The Big Bang Theory, as well as being a theory of the origin of the universe, is a TV sitcom involving a group of physicists and space researchers, all definitively geeks. The lead character, Sheldon, is about 65 kilos of decency blessed (or cursed) with 2 left brains. He is an academic physicist and in one episode refuses his department head’s request to meet with its benefactors. The reason given is that he is too busy. Doing what? He replies: “We are tearing the mask from nature and staring at the face of God.” This may sound pretentious and, while it may be necessary to tear the mask away, there are gentler approaches that are no less revealing. Either way, once the mask is torn away, the scientist must become more contemplative to allow the face of God, or Nature, to reveal itself.
Connectedness of Physics
Surprisingly even though physics is often felt to be exotic, esoteric, or isolated, it is, on the basis of an interactive feature published in the Scientific American, well connected for a scientific discipline.23 The study shows, for example, that those who are intrigued by physics are also interested in computer science, and have robust links to technology, general science, media, business, engineering, environment, and disasters, among others. Also, they are crazy about fashion, which is not evident from the dress sense of physicists. On the other hand, chemistry, religion, and travel are both poorly linked and almost stand alone. This does not mean they are not popular; rather, they tend to stand alone in relative isolation, even if we use the product of these fields every day. Physics, on the other hand, seems to establish relationships almost across the board, which suggests that lessons drawn from it may have a better chance of diffusing into popular culture. Synge’s painting and other paintings mentioned here illustrate this. Perhaps this has to do with a fundamental searching curiosity.
Risk and Mystery
It is not a big step from reflection on Synge’s picture and these images (although it is a step) to assert an important role for a contemplative spirit (and mindfulness) at the heart of science. The openness to truth that these bring is inevitably partnered by the riskiness. The silence and stillness suggested here in Synge, Miro, Doig, and Haupt contrast sharply with the business plans, targets, goals, and milestones that are the bread and butter of much of current scientific life.24 There comes a point where you have to forget about the funding agency, the targets, and the milestones, and let openness to whatever the work is revealing direct it. The same applies to commissioned work in the arts and in a different way to contemplative prayer, which the church acknowledges but often doesn’t quite trust. God or nature, as the case may be, must be allowed to speak. The paymaster cannot be allowed to determine what is found or the conclusions reached, and this is a big problem in science. Ultimately, real science is not manageable, any more than the arts or prayer are manageable. Large research contracts tempt researchers to find what the sponsor wants to hear, and exert a huge pressure to conform.
In practice, not all scientists or artists have the independence of mind and spirit needed to risk facing the mystery of the unknown and finding the truth, or at least a part of it. The risk to an open contemplative spirit arises not just in profound new discoveries in science. It is present in everyday science, even in drawing a simple graph. The contemplative spirit and respect for truth/mystery will allow the data or reality a much better chance to speak, and will not be influenced by other agendas or ego. Even with something as simple as a graph, there are usually many ways it can be drawn. At a more serious level, science is often asked to answer the most critical of questions and getting the right answer, when it does not suit our masters, can be both expensive and dangerous. This did not stop with Galileo, and possibly, unconsciously, contributes to the high level of connectedness of physics.
In the lead up to the Iraqi war inspectors from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) were sent to see if weapons of mass destruction were to be found there.25 When the inspectors, after exhaustive investigation, reported to the UN general assembly that weapons and the capacity to build them were not to be found in Iraq, the organization and its officials came under pressure from some governments, seriously interfering with the life, functions, and integrity of the agency. Somewhat later, in 2005, the Director General and the Agency shared the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is difficult to believe that their work on this matter was not a consideration.26 Dr. David Kelly, a UK microbiologist, was not so lucky. He was also an inspector sent to Iraq to report for the UK Ministry of Defense on the presence or otherwise of lethal biological weapons. On his return, he felt that the government position on the issue was being seriously overstated. He leaked his opinion to the BBC. The outcome was his being ridiculed before a parliamentary committee, and being advised that he was likely to lose both his job and his pension. A short time later he was found dead in a field, near his home in Cambridge, in circumstances that never received a satisfactory explanation.27
Science and the arts in all their plurality, when pursued creatively, brings us as close to God as anything can. They share in God’s expression of creation and there is no more valid expression of this than to try and articulate small or large truths of the world we live in. And this is especially so when we find contradictions and things that are counter intuitive (for example, the Trinity). Schrodinger’s equation is simultaneously the face of the most successful and the most baffling theory. It is cheerfully used by physicists, day in day out, while they equally cheerfully ignore the deep and contradictory questions about what it actually means. But mathematics is a language that can contain the contradictions without difficulty. Scientists caught in language or organizational constraints have a lot in common with women mystics in the church. Both are aware of profound experiences at a personal level, but are often unable to articulate them in a way that would win validation and approval of their peers and elders.
Conclusions
I have learned a lot directly from the Synge painting, and it has inspired even more exploration. In conclusion, I will mention just two of these lessons. First, as far as can be seen at the moment, archetypal images of the hand of God are highly varied and not strongly supported biblically. They seem to emerge more clearly in the artistic tradition. Second, some parts of science appear more connected to other parts of culture than might be expected, and strangely, this connectedness seems to include the contemplative and mystical. Science, in general, might benefit from adopting this approach more often. The immediate impetus for these views is one painting from a seminal time in physics. It was executed with exceptional authority by a practicing scientist who was also a confirmed atheist. The view is all the more convincing for that and can be reinforced by many illustrations from art and life today.
NOTES
1. See Figure 3 and footnote 10.
2. The popular view on the philosophy of science divides it into 3 steps: proposing
a hypothesis or a theory, exploring its implications, and gathering evidence to support or disprove. In practice it is seldom as tidy as this and, for example, creation of a theory can be a far from logical process. It can have steps that are highly creative and/or quasi-mystical.
3. W. Moore, Schrodinger (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1989). Schrodinger was invited to join the newly formed Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) in the late 1930s by the then Irish Prime Minister, Eamon de Valera. From then until the mid 50s, he lived in a north city suburb, close to my family home, and was to be seen cycling to and from the Institute.
4. See, for example: J. Gribbin, In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality (London, Black Swan, 1991).
5. M. Chown, “Ghost in the Atom,” in New Scientist (28 July 2012), 29-31.
6. Gribbin.
7. This continues to be an elusive goal.
8. P. S. Florides, “John Lighton Synge. 23 March 1897 – 30 March 1995,” in Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 58 (2008), 401-424. Synge felt unschooled in quantum mechanics which would render collaboration with Schrodinger difficult.
9. Florides, 401-424. Synge’s daughter refers to him as a “Hellfire Atheist,” but also relates that he was capable of concession.
10. I first came across a dull black and white reproduction of Schrodinger in the Hand of God in about 1990 in Moore’s then definitive biography of Schrodinger cited in note 3. I was drawn to its composition and set about trying to find it.
11. The picture was eventually located with the combined persistence of the author and the then librarian at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ann Goldsmith.
12. Cathy Lynn Grossman, “Americans’ Views of God Shape Attitudes on Key Issues,” in USA Today (10 July 2010; http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-10-07-1Agod07_CV_N.htm; accessed 19 Aug 2013).
13. See, for example: http://www.whatthebiblesays.info/TheRightHandofGod.html; accessed 19 August 2013.
14. Maeve Doyle, artist and doctor, frequently provided artwork for the medical periodical: Modern Medicine.
15. See, for example: J. Baldessari J. and M. Cranston, 100 Artists See God, published to accompany the exhibition of the same name at the Institute for Contemporary Arts, London (New York: Independent Curators, 2004).
16. See, for example: http://www.rodin-web.org/works/1898_hand_god.htm or http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/collections/sculptures/hand-god and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDeUKgZml0U and http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_j_b/6070251220/; accessed 9 Sept 2013.
17. Brendan Kennelly’s poem, A Man Speaks to Flowers.
18. Correspondence with David Malone, 2003. Equations of this type arise in relativity or in research on unified field theory, which both Synge and Schrodinger worked on. It is reasonable to speculate that most viewing the picture would see a message of mystery unfolding.
19. The meditation is what the picture suggests to me, i.e., this is my reading of it. It does not imply that this is what happened, any more than the picture itself purports to be a literal truth. Likewise, it does not imply that this is what Synge had in mind. The meditation may relate to Schrodinger’s early work on quantum mechanics or to the work that was ongoing at the time at the Institute in Dublin.
20. See the Walker Gallery, Liverpool: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/collections/20c/doig.aspx; accessed 9 December 2012.
21. See: L. L. Haupt, Pilgrims on the Great Bird Continent (New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2006). Michael O’Sullivan of All Hallows College Dublin introduced me to this connection.
22. See also, for example, Matta’s The Vertigo of Eros (1944). http://www.moma.org/collection/provenance/provenance_object.php?object_id=78651.
23. Mark Fischetti, “Physics or Fashion? What Science Lovers Link to Most,” Scientific American interactive feature (Dec. 2011; http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=graphic-science-science-lovers-web-traffic; accessed 2 August 2013).
24. Much of science is funded through government agencies and/or corporate contracts that carry with a large overhead of management. This can and does create pressures that distract from the scientific enterprise.
25. The IAEA, one of the UN family of organizations, with responsibilities for nuclear safety, also has a large aid program for developing countries related to peaceful, e.g., medical, applications of radiation.
26. See, for example: http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2005/nobelprize2005.html; accessed 2 August 2013.
27. Norman Baker, The Strange Death of David Kelly (York: Methuen, 2007). The author, Norman Baker, was also a member of the British parliament. Salman Rushdie is an example of an artist that experienced official attempts to constrain him and tells us in a BBC radio interview on 17 September 2012: “[The life of the mind] dies a little, that’s what happens. The imagination only works when it’s free. There’s no way of dreaming in chains—so it’s very important that we be allowed the freedom of our own human nature.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mnr5k; accessed 9 September 2013.
Jim Malone is Robert Boyle Professor (Emeritus) of Medical Physics and was Dean of the Medical School/Faculty of Health Sciences at Trinity College, Dublin. He regularly consults for the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna. He directed two Merriman Summer Schools, has wide interests in spirituality, the humanities, and the arts, and has published and lectured regularly in these areas. He has published previously in ARTS: see “Egon Schiele: A Spiritual Searcher amid Social Disintegration” in ARTS 24.2 (2013), 4-17. This essay draws on a paper given to the 2010 Arts and Christianity Ireland (ACI) conference in Ireland, and also on an article published by the author, “Malone J. Schrodinger in the Hand of God: A Reflection on the Painting,” in Spirituality 9 (2003), 297-300.
Risking mystery is an essential part of the spiritual journey; it leaves one open to the inexplicable and transcendent. It is not confined to the spiritual life and many identify similar experiences in the arts. Less common is describing the revelations of science in this type of language. However, it is also plausible to account for some of the great and improbable discoveries of science in terms of revelation, mystery and risk. One has only to mention Galileo and Darwin to be aware of the risk dimension in science. The risk/mystery narrative is particularly apt for the early twentieth century and quasi-mystical insights into the nature of the physical world that arise, for example, from Einstein’s relativity or from quantum physics.
The centre of gravity of this essay is an exceptional but little known painting, Schrodinger in the Hand of God.1 An account is provided of the artist (John Synge) and the subject (Erwin Schrodinger), followed by a limited exploration of selected images that seems to draw on the iconography of the Hand of God. The composition of the picture is then described as a prelude to a meditation/reflection exploring a creative moment in science.2 The reflection provides a reading of the picture and suggests one way some of the most profound theoretical physics of the twentieth century might have come about. Creativity, a contemplative spirit, and their importance in science are examined in the light of what the picture suggests. Finally, some social and political considerations flowing from these reflections are considered.
Schrodinger and Synge
Figure 1a-b presents photographs of Schrodinger and Synge, the artist. Both enjoyed great eminence as scholars in their respective fields, although neither was a household name at the time. Erwin Schrodinger (1887-1961), of Austrian extraction, came to prominence during the 1920 to 1950 period. He was responsible for key insights in modern physics that combine beauty, mystery, and arguably internal contradiction. After some resistance, his work was recognized and he received the Nobel Prize.
Possibly not widely known is the fact that he worked in Ireland over a long period, having had to flee Austria during the Nazi regime.3 He had a profound sense of beauty, a mystical sense of the unity of things, and was attracted to eastern religions. It is plausible that his insight drew on experience close to the mystical and it is possible to read the painting in this way. In addition, his theory is in some ways so improbable that it can only have been arrived at after a process that must have been fraught with risk to career and livelihood. For example, Einstein never accepted it.4
Figure 1a. Photograph of Schrodinger. Reproduced, by courtesy of Cambridge University Press.
Figure 1b. Photograph of Synge (right) with A. J. McConnell (left) to whom he gave the picture. Reproduced by courtesy of Petros Florides. The photo was taken on the occasion of Synge’s 90th birthday.
His contribution is based on an abstract, conceptual, and imaginative mathematical formulation of physics which blurred the traditional distinction between waves and particles and described the fundamental nature of matter in a way that was deeply counter-intuitive. It appeared to involve things being both there and not there at the same time, and dented the notion of causality in an enduring way. His work was profoundly counter intuitive, mathematically beautiful, or as the mathematicians say, elegant. His central idea is captured in an equation referred to as Schrodinger’s equation, which to the mathematically literate has a kind of beauty and completeness (see Figure 2). It is illustrated here not to explain it, but simply to present it as a visual object which, like E = mc2, should be a visual icon of our times. Blackboards are still used by mathematicians and theoretical physicists, and it is difficult to reproduce the impact of a blackboard full of equations with any modern communication aid.
Figure 2. Schrodinger’s equation on a blackboard.
Schrodinger’s Equation, almost 90 years on, is among the most useful and tested in physics. It provides the best and most reliable descriptions of the physical world at the atomic and subatomic levels and has given us much, from computers to lasers to smart phones, and even tells us something of why the sun shines. Thus, his approach still stands and is the key to much of our understanding of the nature of matter and of the technology we use without thought every day.5 It is also widely referenced in popular culture through a thought experiment he devised referred to as Schrodinger’s cat.6
John Lighton Synge (1897-1995) painted Schrodinger in the Hand of God (see Figure 3) and was also a professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies. He was a distinguished mathematician/theoretical physicist active in many fields including relativity, and the then quest for the Holy Grail of physics, unified field theory.7 Schrodinger also worked on this topic although they did not collaborate for technical reasons.8 Synge was a nephew of John Millington Synge, the playwright, and was an accomplished painter. He admired Schrodinger’s work and this painting is a tribute from a mathematically literate “insider” who would have understood both the penetrating insight and the beauty of Schrodinger’s work. This lends exceptional authority to the composition and intent of the painting. It is also of interest that Synge was an atheist who could, at times, be rather evangelical and forceful with his opinions.9
Figure 3. Schrodinger in the Hand of God by John Synge . The picture is also sometimes known as God and Schrodinger. Reproduced courtesy of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies and the author. The original is about A5 sized oil on stretched canvas. The versions normally seen are photographic reproductions as described in the text.
The Picture: Schrodinger in the Hand of God
A rather dull, black and white reproduction of this picture moved me to seek out the original.10 It appeared to be lost, or at least not in the place(s) one might expect to find it.11 A protracted, intriguing, and circuitous search eventually led to it. The story of its disappearance arises in part from misgivings Synge had about presenting it to Schrodinger, who was nominally Protestant, but attracted to Eastern religions, and had little affinity with the idea of a personal God. Thus it is thought that Synge felt that he might take offense at the anthropomorphic nature of the God image in the picture. Instead he presented it to the then Provost of Trinity College Dublin, A. J. McConnell, who was also a mathematician and his former student (see Figure 1). It appears that McConnell, also Protestant, did not like it. This ultimately contributed to its being mislaid and then lost some thirty years later. It may well be that McConnell’s distaste drew on the traditional Protestant aversion to religious imagery.
Around 1991, the picture was recovered and cleaned, as it had become very dirty. It was then photographed with the help of David Smith, the Medical Photographer at St. James’s Hospital and almost all representations of the picture seen today are based on these photographs. The original is now to be seen at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Dublin. Large framed copies are sometimes on display in the Physics Department in Trinity College, the Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering at St. James’s Hospital, and in my home. I have used slides of it many times in lectures to convey a sense of the “numinous” in science. In enlarged photographs, the picture acquires a more forceful presence that is not evident in the smaller original. It seems that, for full impact, the composition requires the larger scale.
The Hand of God
Before further examining the composition of the painting, it is helpful briefly to consider imagery associated with the Hand of God theme in art and popular culture. This is not intended to be a comprehensive review; rather, it is hoped to note a popular culture context for reflection.
Michelangelo, The Sistine Chapel
The creation of Adam as visualized by Michelangelo on the roof of the Sistine Chapel is an almost universally known image in which the right hand of God the Father, bringing life to Adam, features powerfully. More often than not, references to the hand of God are to the right hand. It is easy to see how diverse images of very diverse types of God could arise from the composition of Michelangelo’s painting. For example, reports of a recent American Study found the images of God held by the public were authoritative (28%); benevolent (22%); critical (21%); and distant (24%).12 Images of the hand of God will inevitably reflect this diversity.
For another perspective, biblical references to the hand of God, and/or the right hand of God, surprisingly, in the main, lack reassurance and comfort. They are frequently associated with power and are sometimes bloodthirsty, vengeful, and worryingly refer to striking down or otherwise dealing a decisive blow against one’s enemies.13 However, there are some reassuring references that are comforting, including one from Isaiah.
Medical Cartoon Sketch
Figure 4 presents a cartoon sketch that appeared on the cover of a medical magazine about the same time as the Schrodinger picture went on display in Trinity College.14 There are clear parallels with the composition of Synge’s picture in Figure 3. However, the artist, Maeve Doyle, then a young Doctor in St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, was not conscious of influence. The face is obviously that of the Professor of Medicine in the Trinity College Medical School at the time. For young doctors, medical students, and many others, Schrodinger was an authority figure, not far removed from God, and here he is represented considering the dispensation of pharmaceuticals, a source for good living and life everlasting. The pharmaceuticals are suspended in a virtual fashion above his right hand. Damien Hirst has often invested pharmaceuticals with powerful religious associations.15
Figure 4. Untitled by Maeve Doyle, reproduced with the permission of the artist.
Rodin, Quinn: More Recent Sculptors
The hand of God the creator is powerfully and caringly represented by Rodin. Toward the end of his career, he began to use giant hands in a series of original and idiosyncratic arrangements, with titles such as The Hand of God, The Hand of the Devil (1903), The Cathedral (1908), and The Secret (ca. 1910). For example, one represents creation of man and woman and is a variation on the Sistine Chapel approach: rough stone is both primeval matter and the sculptor’s medium; smooth, white, emerging new life is held by the great hand.
Lorenzo Quinn (born May 7, 1966) is Italian and son of the actor Anthony Quinn. At the age of 21, he gained the respect of the New York art community when he received commissions from the United Nations, and has undertaken work with figures nestled in large hands. Unusually, he uses the left hand. With both Rodin and Quinn, the figures in some of their compositions seem secure and cared for. Examples can be seen at the web links given below.16
Images from the Corporate World
There are a surprising number of works from the corporate world and popular culture that seem to reference the idea of the hand of God. However, there is often little or no explicit reference to God. A good example can be seen at the Department of Education and Science in Dublin. Figure 5 presents a view of the piazza at its main entrance. The large hand was created by sculptor, Linda Brunker. It is known as Grow for Me, after a line in a poem by Brendan Kennelly, and is also known as The Wishing Hand.17 The relevant lines from the poem are:
Grow for me
You know you can grow
Into your own beauty.
Whose hand is represented is unspecified, although it is a right hand and borrows something from the iconography of the hand of God. Although it is positioned to make a corporate statement, it also owes something to popular culture and is designed to be an interactive piece on which children can easily sit. So, in a sense, the right hand is protective of the children.
Figure 5. Grow for Me by Linda Brunker, reproduced with the permission of the Department of Education and Skills, Dublin, Ireland. Bronze with stainless steel fittings. Maximum dimensions: 2.3m (height), 3m (length) and 1.5m (width); Sitting point is 0.48m high.
Figure 6 illustrates the logo of the Radiological Institute of Ireland. It might easily be read as the globe resting secure and protected in the hands (of God?). However, it can equally be interpreted as the protective hands of the Institute shielding the population from the emissions from a radioactive atom. Neither case references God.
Figure 6. The corporate logo for the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) reproduced courtesy of the Institute.
Finally, it is not uncommon now to see logos for large caring organizations that reference a dove being released from a caring hand. This is the case, for example, with the logo for the government Department of Social Protection in Dublin. A dove is being released from the caring hand to liberty and freedom in a world in which it will be able to care for itself. This clearly references many religious themes and images, including those in which the hand offers security, care, and nurture.
The Composition of Synge’s Picture
The picture (Fig. 3) is small, approximately the size of an A5 sheet [roughly 6” x 8”] and is almost completely covered in various shades of off-white, gray, and blue. Its content is, at one level, almost primitive with a somewhat distorted partial representation of a face filling the right side. The face, though fatherly, is concentrated in its gaze and directed towards a large right hand, the focal point of the work. The hand clearly belongs to the same “person” as the face and is represented with more detail and possibly with more emotion. Cradled in the hand is a desk set in a triangular field of light from a standard lamp. A man (Schrodinger) is bent over the desk absorbed in his task, and is possibly smoking a pipe. The background of gray-blue suggests the cosmos with hints of stars (center) planetary systems (top left), and heavenly bodies such as the sun, earth, or moon (bottom left). Throughout the cosmos, the inspired flow of equations passes between God and Schrodinger. The equations look authentic and are of a type that would have occurred in theoretical physics at the time.18
A Reflection/Meditation on the Picture
One of the most striking things about the picture (Fig. 3) is its mood.19 It is simultaneously somber, solemn, quiet and restful, and evokes a sense of stillness and solitude. There is stillness in the cosmos through which the inspired equations flow. There is a stillness and an intimacy about both God and the man at the desk encompassed in His hand. These qualities provide the safe space in which the risky business of creativity and communication can and do occur, and nudge the equations to unfold. Thus the painting conveys a sense of communication against a breathtaking background that is both vast and still.
The equations are a representation of a truth passing through the aether. They are suspended between God and Schrodinger like a tune barely grasped, heard only by one who has learned to listen. They will later have to be recaptured and replayed by ear without the benefit of a score to aid recall. They are not yet clear in the painting, and it is easy to see how they could become obscured or lost in turbulence, either in the cosmos or in the mind and spirit of the person trying to attend to them. Openness and stillness are essential for communication with God or nature through this type of channel. Profound new scientific insights require complete openness that parallels the openness of a contemplative mystical state, something also shared by artistic creation.
The cartoon-like depiction of the profile and the right hand of God are compelling. The profile is an archetypal Mr. Punch father-like image and so, in some ways, is an authority figure. The focused and possibly aspirational quality to the facial expression suggests that God hopes, or at least wishes, that the man might be open to what is to pass between them. The hand is different in style, is primitive, and evokes a sense of aloneness against an overwhelming backdrop. However, despite authority and aloneness, there is nothing of alienation here. Rather, there is warmth and care in the eyes and in the protective manner in which the hand cradles the man and the desk, shielding them from the immensity and solitude of the cosmos. The man is ostensibly working in the glow of the light by his desk and looks as though he is so completely absorbed in his task that he is unconscious of the inspiration he is about to be touched by and where it is coming from. This unawareness is emphasised in the composition by positioning him within the cosmos, with his back to God.
Other elements of the picture deepen a sense of the mysterious and the cosmologically provocative. There are references to stars and zodiacal signs. The concentric circles evoke planets such as Saturn, electron cloud distributions around an atom as predicted by Schrodinger’s equation, Celtic themes such as those seen on the stones at Newgrange, or even the diffusing obscuring effect of a dimpled glass window. The more solid heavenly bodies such as the Sun, the Moon, or the Earth are also suggested. All of these are enveloped in the deep blue-gray of ultimate mystery.
Synge’s Picture; Creativity, Contemplation, and Risk
The themes from Synge’s picture find resonances with other works in twentieth-century art and scientific literature. Before moving to a conclusion, I will briefly explore a handful of these which seem to complement the mood of Synge’s work in areas such as creativity, contemplation, and risk as they relate to scientific insight. Finally we deal with what favors these and helps them flourish, what gets in their way, and the risk that inevitably accompanies them. Many other areas could be chosen and other examples could be given. Those selected here simply open the door to other possibilities.
Peter Doig’s Blotter
Peter Doig’s Blotter (see Figure 7), was painted from a photograph, and shows the artist’s brother standing on a frozen pond. The reflection was enhanced by pumping water onto the ice. Of the painting, Doig has said: “The title refers to (amongst other things) the notion of one’s being absorbed into a place or landscape. The figure is deliberately shown looking down into the reflection; this is to suggest inward thought.” The painting is an illustration of totally absorbed contemplative presence. It might also be used as a compelling example of mindfulness, and could be taken as an interesting new reading of Matthew’s injunction, “become like little children” (Matthew 18:3).20 Here, the child is totally absorbed in, and present to, whatever has taken his attention. It is this quality of attention, without ego or agenda, that characterizes contemplative prayer, and it would be valuable to bring this quality more consciously to discussions of the scientific method. Stillness before the object of enquiry is, at least some of the time, preferable to aggressive probing that may be generated by, for example, obligations to funding agencies or corporate influences.
Figure 7. Blotter by Peter Doig. Oil on canvas, 249 x 199cm. Can be seen at the Walker Gallery, Liverpool. Reproduced with permission from the Victoria Miro Gallery, London. Blotterwon the first prize in the 1993 John Moores exhibition.
Lyanda Lynn Haupt and Darwin
A parallel, if slightly different, version of a silent and still presence, is found in Darwin’s work and highlighted by Lyanda Lynn Haupt in Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent. She makes the case for reading his work through a spiritual dimension. Darwin, in his 1833 notebook, writes, “This bird frequents the most gloomy and retired spots in the humid forests . . . and some times, although its cry may be heard, it cannot with the greatest attention be seen; but generally by standing motionless, in the wood, it will approach within a few feet, in the most familiar manner.” Haupt comments, “Here, in patience, in stillness, the birds show themselves and tell their secrets.”21
Miro’s The Birth of the World
Miro’s The Birth of the World (see Figure 8) has a more secular but nonetheless mystical sense of revelation. The work has an ethereal quality. Definite shapes have a precise scientific clarity and appear to emerge from the obscured, slightly ordered, but murky chaos—possibly through the creativity of the artist, or maybe revealed by forces working directly in the universe, or through the action of God, or even a graced combination of these. Eventually the real emerges, sometimes not fully clarified, symbolized here by the bird, or a kite, or a balloon on a string, or is it a sperm? Even in the hands of non-believers, the emergence of truth often appears to be something given, something inspired, which we receive almost passively. In this, and in other work, a sense of the mystical is evident, as is connectedness with knowledge of the world.22
Figure 8. Joan Miro’s The Birth of the World (1925), © Successió Miró / ADAGP, Paris and DACS London 2013; DIGITAL IMAGE © (Oct. 2013) The Museum of Modern Art/Scala, Florence. Oil on canvas, 250.8 x 200 cm.
The Big Bang Theory and Commitment in Science
On a lighter note, The Big Bang Theory, as well as being a theory of the origin of the universe, is a TV sitcom involving a group of physicists and space researchers, all definitively geeks. The lead character, Sheldon, is about 65 kilos of decency blessed (or cursed) with 2 left brains. He is an academic physicist and in one episode refuses his department head’s request to meet with its benefactors. The reason given is that he is too busy. Doing what? He replies: “We are tearing the mask from nature and staring at the face of God.” This may sound pretentious and, while it may be necessary to tear the mask away, there are gentler approaches that are no less revealing. Either way, once the mask is torn away, the scientist must become more contemplative to allow the face of God, or Nature, to reveal itself.
Connectedness of Physics
Surprisingly even though physics is often felt to be exotic, esoteric, or isolated, it is, on the basis of an interactive feature published in the Scientific American, well connected for a scientific discipline.23 The study shows, for example, that those who are intrigued by physics are also interested in computer science, and have robust links to technology, general science, media, business, engineering, environment, and disasters, among others. Also, they are crazy about fashion, which is not evident from the dress sense of physicists. On the other hand, chemistry, religion, and travel are both poorly linked and almost stand alone. This does not mean they are not popular; rather, they tend to stand alone in relative isolation, even if we use the product of these fields every day. Physics, on the other hand, seems to establish relationships almost across the board, which suggests that lessons drawn from it may have a better chance of diffusing into popular culture. Synge’s painting and other paintings mentioned here illustrate this. Perhaps this has to do with a fundamental searching curiosity.
Risk and Mystery
It is not a big step from reflection on Synge’s picture and these images (although it is a step) to assert an important role for a contemplative spirit (and mindfulness) at the heart of science. The openness to truth that these bring is inevitably partnered by the riskiness. The silence and stillness suggested here in Synge, Miro, Doig, and Haupt contrast sharply with the business plans, targets, goals, and milestones that are the bread and butter of much of current scientific life.24 There comes a point where you have to forget about the funding agency, the targets, and the milestones, and let openness to whatever the work is revealing direct it. The same applies to commissioned work in the arts and in a different way to contemplative prayer, which the church acknowledges but often doesn’t quite trust. God or nature, as the case may be, must be allowed to speak. The paymaster cannot be allowed to determine what is found or the conclusions reached, and this is a big problem in science. Ultimately, real science is not manageable, any more than the arts or prayer are manageable. Large research contracts tempt researchers to find what the sponsor wants to hear, and exert a huge pressure to conform.
In practice, not all scientists or artists have the independence of mind and spirit needed to risk facing the mystery of the unknown and finding the truth, or at least a part of it. The risk to an open contemplative spirit arises not just in profound new discoveries in science. It is present in everyday science, even in drawing a simple graph. The contemplative spirit and respect for truth/mystery will allow the data or reality a much better chance to speak, and will not be influenced by other agendas or ego. Even with something as simple as a graph, there are usually many ways it can be drawn. At a more serious level, science is often asked to answer the most critical of questions and getting the right answer, when it does not suit our masters, can be both expensive and dangerous. This did not stop with Galileo, and possibly, unconsciously, contributes to the high level of connectedness of physics.
In the lead up to the Iraqi war inspectors from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) were sent to see if weapons of mass destruction were to be found there.25 When the inspectors, after exhaustive investigation, reported to the UN general assembly that weapons and the capacity to build them were not to be found in Iraq, the organization and its officials came under pressure from some governments, seriously interfering with the life, functions, and integrity of the agency. Somewhat later, in 2005, the Director General and the Agency shared the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is difficult to believe that their work on this matter was not a consideration.26 Dr. David Kelly, a UK microbiologist, was not so lucky. He was also an inspector sent to Iraq to report for the UK Ministry of Defense on the presence or otherwise of lethal biological weapons. On his return, he felt that the government position on the issue was being seriously overstated. He leaked his opinion to the BBC. The outcome was his being ridiculed before a parliamentary committee, and being advised that he was likely to lose both his job and his pension. A short time later he was found dead in a field, near his home in Cambridge, in circumstances that never received a satisfactory explanation.27
Science and the arts in all their plurality, when pursued creatively, brings us as close to God as anything can. They share in God’s expression of creation and there is no more valid expression of this than to try and articulate small or large truths of the world we live in. And this is especially so when we find contradictions and things that are counter intuitive (for example, the Trinity). Schrodinger’s equation is simultaneously the face of the most successful and the most baffling theory. It is cheerfully used by physicists, day in day out, while they equally cheerfully ignore the deep and contradictory questions about what it actually means. But mathematics is a language that can contain the contradictions without difficulty. Scientists caught in language or organizational constraints have a lot in common with women mystics in the church. Both are aware of profound experiences at a personal level, but are often unable to articulate them in a way that would win validation and approval of their peers and elders.
Conclusions
I have learned a lot directly from the Synge painting, and it has inspired even more exploration. In conclusion, I will mention just two of these lessons. First, as far as can be seen at the moment, archetypal images of the hand of God are highly varied and not strongly supported biblically. They seem to emerge more clearly in the artistic tradition. Second, some parts of science appear more connected to other parts of culture than might be expected, and strangely, this connectedness seems to include the contemplative and mystical. Science, in general, might benefit from adopting this approach more often. The immediate impetus for these views is one painting from a seminal time in physics. It was executed with exceptional authority by a practicing scientist who was also a confirmed atheist. The view is all the more convincing for that and can be reinforced by many illustrations from art and life today.
NOTES
1. See Figure 3 and footnote 10.
2. The popular view on the philosophy of science divides it into 3 steps: proposing
a hypothesis or a theory, exploring its implications, and gathering evidence to support or disprove. In practice it is seldom as tidy as this and, for example, creation of a theory can be a far from logical process. It can have steps that are highly creative and/or quasi-mystical.
3. W. Moore, Schrodinger (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1989). Schrodinger was invited to join the newly formed Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) in the late 1930s by the then Irish Prime Minister, Eamon de Valera. From then until the mid 50s, he lived in a north city suburb, close to my family home, and was to be seen cycling to and from the Institute.
4. See, for example: J. Gribbin, In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality (London, Black Swan, 1991).
5. M. Chown, “Ghost in the Atom,” in New Scientist (28 July 2012), 29-31.
6. Gribbin.
7. This continues to be an elusive goal.
8. P. S. Florides, “John Lighton Synge. 23 March 1897 – 30 March 1995,” in Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 58 (2008), 401-424. Synge felt unschooled in quantum mechanics which would render collaboration with Schrodinger difficult.
9. Florides, 401-424. Synge’s daughter refers to him as a “Hellfire Atheist,” but also relates that he was capable of concession.
10. I first came across a dull black and white reproduction of Schrodinger in the Hand of God in about 1990 in Moore’s then definitive biography of Schrodinger cited in note 3. I was drawn to its composition and set about trying to find it.
11. The picture was eventually located with the combined persistence of the author and the then librarian at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ann Goldsmith.
12. Cathy Lynn Grossman, “Americans’ Views of God Shape Attitudes on Key Issues,” in USA Today (10 July 2010; http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-10-07-1Agod07_CV_N.htm; accessed 19 Aug 2013).
13. See, for example: http://www.whatthebiblesays.info/TheRightHandofGod.html; accessed 19 August 2013.
14. Maeve Doyle, artist and doctor, frequently provided artwork for the medical periodical: Modern Medicine.
15. See, for example: J. Baldessari J. and M. Cranston, 100 Artists See God, published to accompany the exhibition of the same name at the Institute for Contemporary Arts, London (New York: Independent Curators, 2004).
16. See, for example: http://www.rodin-web.org/works/1898_hand_god.htm or http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/collections/sculptures/hand-god and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDeUKgZml0U and http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_j_b/6070251220/; accessed 9 Sept 2013.
17. Brendan Kennelly’s poem, A Man Speaks to Flowers.
18. Correspondence with David Malone, 2003. Equations of this type arise in relativity or in research on unified field theory, which both Synge and Schrodinger worked on. It is reasonable to speculate that most viewing the picture would see a message of mystery unfolding.
19. The meditation is what the picture suggests to me, i.e., this is my reading of it. It does not imply that this is what happened, any more than the picture itself purports to be a literal truth. Likewise, it does not imply that this is what Synge had in mind. The meditation may relate to Schrodinger’s early work on quantum mechanics or to the work that was ongoing at the time at the Institute in Dublin.
20. See the Walker Gallery, Liverpool: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/collections/20c/doig.aspx; accessed 9 December 2012.
21. See: L. L. Haupt, Pilgrims on the Great Bird Continent (New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2006). Michael O’Sullivan of All Hallows College Dublin introduced me to this connection.
22. See also, for example, Matta’s The Vertigo of Eros (1944). http://www.moma.org/collection/provenance/provenance_object.php?object_id=78651.
23. Mark Fischetti, “Physics or Fashion? What Science Lovers Link to Most,” Scientific American interactive feature (Dec. 2011; http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=graphic-science-science-lovers-web-traffic; accessed 2 August 2013).
24. Much of science is funded through government agencies and/or corporate contracts that carry with a large overhead of management. This can and does create pressures that distract from the scientific enterprise.
25. The IAEA, one of the UN family of organizations, with responsibilities for nuclear safety, also has a large aid program for developing countries related to peaceful, e.g., medical, applications of radiation.
26. See, for example: http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2005/nobelprize2005.html; accessed 2 August 2013.
27. Norman Baker, The Strange Death of David Kelly (York: Methuen, 2007). The author, Norman Baker, was also a member of the British parliament. Salman Rushdie is an example of an artist that experienced official attempts to constrain him and tells us in a BBC radio interview on 17 September 2012: “[The life of the mind] dies a little, that’s what happens. The imagination only works when it’s free. There’s no way of dreaming in chains—so it’s very important that we be allowed the freedom of our own human nature.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mnr5k; accessed 9 September 2013.
