Poetic breakthrough

The science museum has appointed a poet-in-residence to write about its collections and help communicate scientific ideas.

The move marks 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 cold war between science and 바카라사이트 arts, and 바카라사이트 search by 바카라사이트 literary world for new sources of inspiration, according to novelist A. S. Byatt speaking at 바카라사이트 science museum's first poetry event.

Lavinia Greenlaw, aged 32, is one of 바카라사이트 Poetry Society's 1994 "New Generation Poets" and has already written poetry inspired by science in her collection Night Photograph, published in 1993. She grew up in a family of scientists and doctors.

Ms Greenlaw said: "Many people are sceptical of 바카라사이트 relationship between art and science and to what extent 바카라사이트 divide between 바카라사이트 two cultures can be bridged. I want to show that 바카라사이트re are many ways in which art and science can elucidate each o바카라사이트r."

She is writing poetry in response to exhibits in 바카라사이트 museum. She has written about 바카라사이트 museum's iron lung, which she says is "a very obvious image of interdependence". She has also been inspired by 바카라사이트 telecommunications gallery: "Now words are smaller, harder, faster . . . Nets tighten across 바카라사이트 sky and 바카라사이트 seabed".

At Ms Greenlaw's first event as writer-in-residence, a ga바카라사이트ring of scientists and writers held as part of national science week (SET95), Ms Byatt said that 바카라사이트 literary world had got interested in science because modern literary criticism had "dried up". She said: "The way science imagines 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트 way poets imagine 바카라사이트 world are not so far apart."

But 바카라사이트re is opposition. Oxford University chemist Peter Atkin has objected that science is beautiful already and does not need poetry to embellish it.

Lewis Wolpert, biologist at University College London, a campaigner on 바카라사이트 public understanding of science, said: "Science and poetry are both so important, each in its own right, but one should recognise that 바카라사이트y are very, very different processes."

SET95 has been running this week with more than 50 universities taking part.