Difference between revisions of "Nature"
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==Beauty in nature== | ==Beauty in nature== | ||
| − | Beauty in nature is has long been a common theme in life and in art, and books emphasizing beauty in nature fill large sections of libraries and bookstores. That nature has been depicted and celebrated by so much [[art]], [[photography]], [[poetry]] and other literature shows the strength with which many people associate nature and beauty. Why this association exists, and what the association consists of, is studied by the branch of philosophy called [[aesthetics]]. Beyond certain basic characteristics that many philosophers agree about to explain what is seen as beautiful, the opinions are virtually endless. | + | Beauty in nature is has long been a common theme in life and in art, and books emphasizing beauty in nature fill large sections of libraries and bookstores. That nature has been depicted and celebrated by so much [[art]], [[photography]], [[poetry]] and other literature shows the strength with which many people associate nature and beauty. Why this association exists, and what the association consists of, is studied by the branch of philosophy called [[aesthetics]]. Beyond certain basic characteristics that many philosophers agree about to explain what is seen as beautiful, the opinions are virtually endless. For an example of a range of opinions, see: [http://www.wilderness.org/Library/Documents/Beauty_Quotes.cfm] [http://www.emersoncentral.com/beauty.htm] |
| − | Looked at through the lens of the [[visual arts]], nature and wildness have been important subjects in various epochs of world history. An early tradition of [[landscape art]] began in [[China]] during the [[Tang Dynasty art|Tang Dynasty]] (618-907). The tradition of representing nature ''as it is'' became one of the aims of [[Chinese painting]] and was a significant influence in Asian art. Artists learned to depict mountains and rivers "from the perspective of nature as a whole and on the basis of their understanding of the laws of nature … as if seen through the eyes of a bird." In the 13th century, the [[Song Dynasty]] artist [[Shi Erji]] listed "scenes lacking any places made inaccessible by nature," as one of the 12 things to avoid in painting. | + | Looked at through the lens of the [[visual arts]], nature and wildness have been important subjects in various epochs of world history. An early tradition of [[landscape art]] began in [[China]] during the [[Tang Dynasty art|Tang Dynasty]] (618-907). The tradition of representing nature ''as it is'' became one of the aims of [[Chinese painting]] and was a significant influence in Asian art. Artists learned to depict mountains and rivers "from the perspective of nature as a whole and on the basis of their understanding of the laws of nature … as if seen through the eyes of a bird." In the 13th century, the [[Song Dynasty]] artist [[Shi Erji]] listed "scenes lacking any places made inaccessible by nature," as one of the 12 things to avoid in painting.[http://www.asia-art.net/chinese_tech_brush.html Chinese brush painting] |
| − | In the [[Western culture|Western world]] the idea of wilderness having intrinsic value emerged in the 1800s, especially in the works of the [[Romantic movement]]. [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] artists [[John Constable]] and [[JMW Turner]] turned their attention to capturing the beauty of the natural world in their paintings. Before that, paintings had been primarily of religious scenes or of human beings. [[William Wordsworth|William Wordsworth’s]] poetry described the wonder of the natural world, which had formerly been viewed as a threatening place. Increasingly the valuing of nature became an aspect of Western culture. | + | In the [[Western culture|Western world]] the idea of wilderness having intrinsic value emerged in the 1800s, especially in the works of the [[Romantic movement]]. [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] artists [[John Constable]] and [[JMW Turner]] turned their attention to capturing the beauty of the natural world in their paintings. Before that, paintings had been primarily of religious scenes or of human beings. [[William Wordsworth|William Wordsworth’s]] poetry described the wonder of the natural world, which had formerly been viewed as a threatening place. Increasingly the valuing of nature became an aspect of Western culture.[http://www.spacesfornature.org/greatspaces/conservation.html] This artistic movement also coincided with the [[Transcendentalism|Transcendentalist movement]] in the Western world. |
| − | Many scientists, who study nature in more specific and organized ways, also share the conviction that nature is beautiful; the French mathematician, [[Henri Poincaré|Jules Henri Poincaré]] (1854-1912) said:<blockquote>The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.</br>If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living. Of course I do not here speak of that beauty which strikes the senses, the beauty of qualities and of appearance; not that I undervalue such beauty, far from it, but it has nothing to do with science; I mean that profounder beauty which comes from the harmonious order of the parts and which a pure intelligence can grasp. | + | Many scientists, who study nature in more specific and organized ways, also share the conviction that nature is beautiful; the French mathematician, [[Henri Poincaré|Jules Henri Poincaré]] (1854-1912) said:<blockquote>The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.</br>If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living. Of course I do not here speak of that beauty which strikes the senses, the beauty of qualities and of appearance; not that I undervalue such beauty, far from it, but it has nothing to do with science; I mean that profounder beauty which comes from the harmonious order of the parts and which a pure intelligence can grasp. |
A common classical idea of beautiful art involves the word [[mimesis]], the imitation of nature. Also in the realm of ideas about beauty in nature is that the perfect is implied through symmetry, equal division, and other perfect mathematical [[forms]] and notions. | A common classical idea of beautiful art involves the word [[mimesis]], the imitation of nature. Also in the realm of ideas about beauty in nature is that the perfect is implied through symmetry, equal division, and other perfect mathematical [[forms]] and notions. | ||
Revision as of 17:51, 31 December 2007
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The term generally does not include manufactured objects and human interaction unless qualified in ways such as, e.g., "human nature" or "the whole of nature". Nature is also generally distinguished from the supernatural. It ranges in scale from the subatomic to the galactic.
Etymology
The word "nature" is derived from the Latin word natura, or "the course of things, natural character."[1] Natura was a Latin translation of the Greek word physis (φύσις), which originally related to the intrinsic characteristics that plants, animals, and other features of the world develop of their own accord. A useful though somewhat erratically presented account of the pre-Socratic use of the concept of φύσις may be found in Naddaf, Gerard The Greek Concept of Nature, SUNY Press, 2006. The word φύσις, while first used in connection with a plant in Homer (as we have seen), occurs very early in Greek philosophy, and in several senses. Generally, these senses match rather well the current senses in which the English word nature is used, as confirmed by Guthrie, W.K.C. Presocratic Tradition from Parmenides to Democritus (volume 2 of his History of Greek Philosophy, Cambridge UP, 1965). This is shown in the first written use of the word φύσις, in connection with a plant. The first known use of physis was by Homer in reference to the intrinsic qualities of a plant: ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας πόρε φάρμακον ἀργεϊφόντης ἐκ γαίης ἐρύσας, καί μοι φύσιν αὐτοῦ ἔδειξε. (So saying, Argeiphontes [=Hermes] gave me the herb, drawing it from the ground, and showed me its nature.) Odyssey 10.302-3 (ed. A.T. Murray). (The word is dealt with thoroughly in Liddell and Scott's Greek Lexicon.) For later but still very early Greek uses of the term, see related below. The concept of nature as a whole, the physical universe, is one of several expansions of the original notion; it began with certain core applications of the word φύσις by pre-Socratic philosophers, and has steadily gained currency ever since. This usage was confirmed during the advent of modern scientific method in the last several centuries. Isaac Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687), for example, is translated "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy", and reflects the then-current use of the words "natural philosophy", akin to "systematic study of nature." The etymology of the word "physical" shows its use as a synonym for "natural" in about the mid-15th century: [2]
Within the various uses of the word today, "nature" may refer to the general realm of various types of living plants and animals, and in some cases to the processes associated with inanimate objects; the way that particular types of things exist and change of their own accord, such as the weather and geology of the Earth, and the matter and energy of which all these things are composed. It is often taken to mean the "natural environment" or wilderness; wild animals, rocks, forest, beaches, and in general those things that have not been substantially altered by human intervention, or which persist despite human intervention. This more traditional concept of natural things which can still be found today implies a distinction between the natural and the artificial, with the latter being understood as that which has been brought into being by a human or human-like consciousness or mind.
Earth
Earth (or, "the earth") is the fifth largest planet in the solar system, third in order of distance from the Sun. It is the largest of its planetary system's terrestrial planets and the only place in the universe known to support life.
The most prominent features of the earth's climate are its two large polar regions, two relatively narrow temperate zones, and a wide equatorial tropical to subtropical region. An excellent summary description of global climate can be found at:[3] Precipitation patterns vary widely according to location, ranging from several metres of water per year to less than a millimetre. About 70 percent of the surface is covered by salt-water oceans. The remainder consists of continents and islands, with the vast majority of the inhabited land in the Northern Hemisphere.
Earth has evolved through geological and biological processes that have left traces of the original conditions. The outer surface is divided into several tectonic plates that gradually migrate across the surface over geologic time spans, which at least several times have changed relatively quickly. The interior of the planet remains active, with a thick layer of molten Earth mantle and an iron-filled core that generates a magnetic field.
The atmospheric conditions have been significantly altered from the original conditions by the presence of life forms, [4] which create an ecological balance that stabilizes the surface conditions. Despite the wide regional variations in climate by latitude and other geographic factors, the long-term average global climate is quite stable during interglacial periods,[5] and variations of a degree or two of average global temperature have historically had major effects on the ecological balance, and on the actual geography of the Earth.[6] [7]
Historical perspective
Based on the available evidence, scientists have reconstructed detailed information about the planet's past. Earth is estimated to have formed approximately 4.55 billion years ago out of the solar nebula, along with the Sun and other planets. (The Age of the Earth, ISBN 0-8047-1569-6) The moon formed relatively soon afterwards (roughly 20 million years later, or 4.53 billion years ago).
Initially molten, the outer layer of the planet cooled, resulting in the solid crust. Outgassing and volcanic activity produced the primordial atmosphere. Condensing water vapor, augmented by ice delivered by comets, produced the oceans.[8] The highly energetic chemistry is believed to have produced a self-replicating molecule around 4 billion years ago. [9]
Continents formed, then broke up and re-formed as the surface of Earth reshaped itself over the course of hundreds of millions of years, occasionally combining to make a supercontinent. Roughly 750 million years ago, the earliest known supercontinent Rodinia, began to break apart. The continents later recombined to form Pannotia which broke apart about 540 million years ago, then finally Pangaea, which broke apart about 180 million years ago.[10]
There is significant evidence, still being discussed among scientists, that a severe glacial action during the Neoproterozoic era covered much of the planet in a sheet of ice. This hypothesis has been termed the "Snowball Earth", and it is of particular interest as it precedes the Cambrian explosion in which multicellular life forms began to proliferate about 530-540 million years ago.[11] ISBN 0-521-36615-1
Since the Cambrian explosion there have been five distinctly identifiable mass extinctions. The last mass extinction occurred some 65 million years ago, when a meteorite collision probably triggered the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs and other large reptiles, but spared small animals such as mammals, which then resembled shrews. Over the past 65 million years, mammalian life diversified. ISBN 0-684-81326-2
Several million years ago, a species of small African ape gained the ability to stand upright.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag The exact nature of these components is still unknown and is currently under intensive investigation by physicists.
The behavior of matter and energy throughout the observable universe appears to follow well-defined physical laws. These laws have been employed to produce cosmological models that successfully explain the structure and the evolution of the universe we can observe. The mathematical expressions of the laws of physics employ a set of twenty physical constants[1] that appear to be static across the observable universe.[2] The values of these constants have been carefully measured, but the reason for their specific values remains a mystery.
Nature beyond Earth
Outer space, also simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. Outer space is used to distinguish it from airspace (and terrestrial locations). There is no discrete boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and space, as the atmosphere gradually attenuates with increasing altitude. Outer space within the solar system is called interplanetary space, which passes over into interstellar space at what is known as the heliopause.
Outer space is certainly spacious, but it is far from empty. Outer space is sparsely filled with several dozen types of organic molecules discovered to date by microwave spectroscopy, blackbody radiation left over from the big bang and the origin of the universe, and cosmic rays, which include ionized atomic nuclei and various subatomic particles. There is also some gas, plasma and dust, and small meteors. Additionally, there are signs of human life in outer space today, such as material left over from previous manned and unmanned launches which are a potential hazard to spacecraft. Some of this debris re-enters the atmosphere periodically.
Although the planet Earth is currently the only known body within the solar system to support life, current evidence suggests that in the distant past the planet Mars possessed bodies of liquid water on the surface.[3] For a brief period in Mars' history, it may have also been capable of forming life. At present though, most of the water remaining on Mars is frozen. If life exists at all on Mars, it is most likely to be located underground where liquid water can still exist.[4]
Conditions on the other terrestrial planets, Mercury and Venus, appears to be too harsh to support life as we know it. But it has been conjectured that Europa, the fourth-largest moon of Jupiter, may possess a sub-surface ocean of liquid water and could potentially host life.[5]
Recently, the team of Stéphane Udry have discovered a new planet named Gliese 581 c, which is an extrasolar planet orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581. Gliese 581 c appears to lay in the habitable zone of space surrounding the star, and therefore could possibly host life as we know it.
See also
Science:
Philosophy:
- Nature (philosophy)
- Mother Nature
- Naturalism (philosophy): any of several philosophical stances, typically those descended from Materialism and Pragmatism that do not distinguish the supernatural from nature. This includes the methodological naturalism of natural science, which makes the methodological assumption that observable events in nature are explained only by natural causes, without assuming either the existence or non-existence of the supernatural.
Media:
- Nature, by Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Nature, a prominent scientific journal
- Natural History, by Pliny the Elder
- Nature (TV series)
Organizations:
External links
- The Essence of Nature Magazine - An online magazine dedicated to nature, animals, and the environment.
- Historical photos of nature
- Some nature related activities for kids
