Opposites are complementary
Apr 22, 2019
5 minutes
by Tim Dean
Illustration by Aida Novoa & Carlos Egan
In 1947, the Danish quantum physicist Niels Bohr faced a dilemma. The newly-minted King of Denmark, Frederick IX, had just surprised Bohr by announcing that he was to be awarded the Order of the Elephant, Denmark’s highest order of chivalry, in recognition of his contributions to science.This was a remarkable achievement, not least because the Order of the Elephant was normally reserved only for royalty and heads of state, and Bohr was a mere commoner. In fact, only one other scientist had ever been awarded the Order of the Elephant in its 500-year history, and that was the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (who had the advantage of already being nobility).
It takes multiple perspectives, often conflicting or contradictory, in order to make full sense of reality.
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