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Withinaweekofmycosmicbackgroundradiationtalk,IsentamemotoProfessorMaroaskinghertocoffee.ShesuggestedtheGrotto,asmallcafethatstoodacrossfromtherailroadtracksrunningalongtheNarrows,thebodyofwaterseparatingTacomafromtheOlympicPeninsula.Fordecadestherestauranthadbeentheonlyfoodestablishmentinthearea,butinthepreviousyearanInternationalHouseofPancakeshademergedthatblockedtheviewandlefttheGrottointheshadowseveryevening.Theskywasasolidgraycloudcoverthatmadetheseawhite.Thetidewasout,thebeachastretchofbrownsand.Asmallboatwithanoutboardmotorwasstrandedonland,tiltedtooneside.Brightgreenseaweed,flattenedinbunches,waitedforthewatertoreturn.Doloreshadfastenedherlonggrayhairwithabrightredrubberbandandlettheponytailfalldowntoherwaist.Theolderwaitressplunkeddowntwomugsthickenoughtobounceonconcrete.Shepouredourcoffeefromanovercookedglasspotandsaidshewouldkeepreturningforaslongaswewantedmore.Ibeganbyapologizing.ButastowhatIwasapologizingfor,Iwasn’tentirelyclear.Thatwasmyfirstquestionforher.WhathadIsaidthatwassoobjectionable?Beforeshecouldanswer,Iaddedthatwhateveritwas,itwasindeeddoneoutofconfusion,notcunning.Yousufferfromunconsciousintellectualarrogance,shesaid.Inyourquestforthetruecosmogony,youseenoneedtoconsultworksofphilosophyorpoetry.Butthat’swhyI’mhere,Isaid.IchosePugetSoundbecauseinterdisciplinaryresearchisencouraged.Isthatso?sheasked.Itwasthemaintopicatmyinterview.WithPresidentPhibbs.Ohhh!ThenIwaswrongaboutyou.Sheblinkedhereyes,smiling.Shewaslaughingatme.Notjustaprettyface.HermindcenteredonthecurrentofthoughttheseancientsofferedandsheexploredtheirideasbyrovingthroughpoemsandtreatiseswithoutneedingtoconsultthetextsassheunleashedastreamofsparklinginsightsintoPlatoorHomerorAristotle.Itookendlessnotes.Asshereveledinthepoweroftheseancientideas,ImarveledoverhowdifferentIfeltinthisancientGreekmind.OurmeetingsattheGrottobecamearegularfeatureofmynewlife.Attheendofeachsession,IstaggeredhomeandrelayedthehighlightsofwhatIwaslearningtoDenise.Ifoundmyselfswimminginanewworld.Hisintuitionsbroughttolifeamood,oraconsciousness,ormaybejustafeelingthatwasdifferentfromwhatIexperiencedinmystudyofcontemporarymathematicalcosmology.DoloresquotedAristotle’ssummationofPythagoras’scentralinsightas,heharmoniatonsphairon,themusicofthespheres.TheinstantIheardthephrase,mymindflared.Pythagorasandhiscolleagues,sheexplained,haddiscoveredafundamentalrelationshipbetweenmathematicsandtheorderoftheuniverse,aneerieconnectionbetweentheinnerexperienceoflisteningtopluckedstringsandthemathematicalratiosofthestringlengthsoutthereinthephysicalworld.Evenbeforeamusicianwouldplay,amathematiciancouldexaminetheluteandsaysomethingaccurateaboutwhatthesoundwouldfeelliketoalistener.Iftheratiosofthelengthsofthefretswererationalnumbers,afeelingofharmonyresulted.Iftheratioswerenot,anexperienceofdissonanceemerged.Fortheseancientminds,mathematicsbridgedtheouterorderoftheuniversewiththeinnerqualitiesofmindandsoul.Overjoyedwithhisunexpectedandevenbizarrediscovery,PythagorasleapttotheconvictionthatthecosmoscreatedmusicasharmoniousastheGreeklyre.Everythingintheuniverseworkedtogethertogivebirthtosong,asongutterableinthesymbolicformofmathematics.AsIreflectedonherwords,IcametounderstandanexperienceIhadhadyearsbefore.ThefreshmenofBellarminePrepwereofftoseethePacificScienceCenterinSeattle.WeparkedatthebaseoftheSpaceNeedle.Freedatlast,westumbledoffthebus,horsingaroundandcrackingjokes.ThoughIwantedtojoinin,Iheldback.Ithappenedtheinstantwereachedthewhitestepsofthegrandentrancetothecenter.Thearchitectshadconstructedhalfadozenmassivewhitebuildingsthatenclosedaspaciousnetworkofstreams.Knowingthatalltheknowledgeoftheuniversewasjustbeyondthosewhitewallsignitedathrillwithinme.Wemarchedsinglefileonasuspendedwalkway.Beneathuswatergushedskywardfromamonumentallibationvessel.Thepathledtothegroupoftowersinthecenteroftheplaza,andIwanderedinsideoneofthese.WhenIstaredup,Isawthedelicatelatticeworkatthetopofthetowerbecomepartofthebluesky.IthadtouchedsomethinginawordlesswaywhenIwaschild,butnow,underthetutelageofDoloresMaro,IthinkIunderstood.Thearchitectshadcreatedatempletoexperiencetheorderintheuniverse.Theblueskywasnotavastamorphousthing,asIhadthought.ThePacificScienceCenterwastheirwayforcontemplatingthissacredgeometricstructureoftheuniverse.PerhapsthatiswhatPythagoraswasreferringto.Ilikedthinkingthatmyworkwasrootedinanancientlineage.Butwerehisinsightsofanyvalueforcontemporaryscientists?Wasthereanyconnectionbetweenhisearlycosmologicalspeculationsandourcurrentworkofmappingtheuniverse?