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Victor Fet on symmetry in biology and VN
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[EDNOTE. Martin Gardner's book The Ambidextrous Universe also provides
fascinating reading on the subject of symmetry and asymmetry. -- SES]
On symmetry, phylogeny, and philology :
In biology, concept of symmetry is overwhelming, especially in external
morphology (body anatomy). Mirror images and duplications are a regular
component of symmetry in the biological world, well known to VN. Special
genes are in charge of symmetry such as layout of left and right sides.
Butterfly's wings are Rorschach-mirror-symmetry structures, as are any
two-sided (bilateral symmetry, foldable along long body axis) structures
on most animals.
Radial (rotational) symmetry of snowflakes, jellyfish and sea star is
also symmetry. Repeatable, redundant structures (segmentation of a
millipede or caterpillar) is also a special form of symmetry.
Branching of leaf veins or a tree branches is still another form of
symmetry.
Extended along time axis, it naturally becomes history of life in a
family tree (phylogeny).
Even asymmetry (a measure of chaos, to be sure) is interpreted simply as
break of symmetry (left-sided human heart as opposed to mirror-image
kidneys or eyes; two mirror-image human hands but only one being in
command of writing; brain hemispheres etc.). In other words, any
asymmetry in biology is derived from symmetry: disorder from order, not
other way round.
I suspect that all these enigmatic bio-math academic concepts (mirrors,
duplications, redundancy, branching, asymmetry, disorder/order) are
mirrored by existing philological terminology relevant to structure and
morphology of literary texts, about which I know much less but other
people may find it interesting to comment
Victor Fet
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fascinating reading on the subject of symmetry and asymmetry. -- SES]
On symmetry, phylogeny, and philology :
In biology, concept of symmetry is overwhelming, especially in external
morphology (body anatomy). Mirror images and duplications are a regular
component of symmetry in the biological world, well known to VN. Special
genes are in charge of symmetry such as layout of left and right sides.
Butterfly's wings are Rorschach-mirror-symmetry structures, as are any
two-sided (bilateral symmetry, foldable along long body axis) structures
on most animals.
Radial (rotational) symmetry of snowflakes, jellyfish and sea star is
also symmetry. Repeatable, redundant structures (segmentation of a
millipede or caterpillar) is also a special form of symmetry.
Branching of leaf veins or a tree branches is still another form of
symmetry.
Extended along time axis, it naturally becomes history of life in a
family tree (phylogeny).
Even asymmetry (a measure of chaos, to be sure) is interpreted simply as
break of symmetry (left-sided human heart as opposed to mirror-image
kidneys or eyes; two mirror-image human hands but only one being in
command of writing; brain hemispheres etc.). In other words, any
asymmetry in biology is derived from symmetry: disorder from order, not
other way round.
I suspect that all these enigmatic bio-math academic concepts (mirrors,
duplications, redundancy, branching, asymmetry, disorder/order) are
mirrored by existing philological terminology relevant to structure and
morphology of literary texts, about which I know much less but other
people may find it interesting to comment
Victor Fet
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm