Abstract
A beautiful fountain near Stockholm leads the author to analyse what is natural and unnatural about a sculpture. The dichotomy is undermined by a careful examination of every work of art, every social construction, every harmful or useful molecule synthesised. So, if the natural and the synthetic are intertwined, why do we scientists and others alike favour the work of Nature? Some of the reasons derive from romance, status alienation, pretence, scale and spirit. Scientists, appalled by seemingly irrational and fearful responses to the synthetic, would be well advised to ponder the ways to deal with fear – not only with reason, but also with compassion and empowerment.
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