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Burt, Sir Cyril - Two dimensions and three dimensions
Identifier
018582
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Sir Cyril Burt
Man’s natural conception of the universe, or rather of the restricted portion of it with which he has to cope, is that of a world of tangible objects of moderate size, moving along with moderate speeds in a visible three dimensional container under the impact of contact forces [the push and pull of simple mechanical interactions], all in accordance with fairly simple laws.
Until quite recently this has also been the conception of the universe adopted by the scientist.
His criteria for reality …. was that of the Doubting Thomas: what can be seen or touched.
Yet to suppose that on such a basis we can construct a complete and all inclusive picture of the universe is like supposing that a street plan of Rome will tell you what the Eternal City looks like when you get there.