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. 2021 Oct;1501(1):10-29.
doi: 10.1111/nyas.14317. Epub 2020 Jun 9.

Unpacking wonder: from curiosity to comprehension

Steve Paulson  1 , Michelle Lani Shiota  2 , Caspar Henderson  3 , Alexei V Filippenko  4
Affiliations

Unpacking wonder: from curiosity to comprehension

Steve Paulson et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

From the macrocosm of the universe to the microcosm of the human body, our discoveries about ourselves and the natural world continue to spark our experience of awe and wonder. But how exactly does science define and explain the experience of awe and wonder? Social psychologist Michelle Shiota, writer Caspar Henderson, and astrophysicist Alex Filippenko unpack the emerging science behind the emotions of awe and wonder, including their role in our ongoing quest for understanding and knowledge.

Keywords: Einstein; awe; dark matter; disenchantment; imagination; nature; wonder.

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References

References for further reading

    1. Burke, E. 1757/2015. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Paul Guyer, Oxford World's Classics. Oxford University Press.
    1. Carson, R. 1956. The Sense of Wonder: A Celebration of Nature for Parents and Children. Harper Perennial.
    1. Daston, L. & K. Park. 2001. Wonders and the Order of Nature, 1150-1750. New York: Zone Books.
    1. Dillard, A. 2013. An American Childhood. Harper Perennial.
    1. Feynman, R.P. 1998. The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen-Scientist. Reading MA: Perseus Books.

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