The best scientific meetings that I have attended are those on Atmospheric
Optics, sometimes called Light and Color in Nature. Everyone is an aficionado,
friendly, and the meetings are never attended by any representative of a funding
agency. Thus, their tone is one of unadulterated joy. The third day of the 2007
meeting, organized by Joe Shaw had no talks, but instead, a trip to Yellowstone
Park. On the bus there, I sat with Joe and he asked me if I would write a poem
for this meeting as I had in 2004. I hadn’t thought of it, and decided that I
could not write another roast. I have become interested in what has motivated
people to become concerned with preserving the natural environment in the wake
of Al Gore’s influential book and movie, “An Inconvenient Truth”. It turns out
that most Prime Movers in saving the planet (such as John Muir and Rachel
Carson) were first lovers of the beauty of nature who, later in life grew
alarmed that our planet was being sadly abused. All who love the beauty of
nature, and point out that beauty to others may help save the planet and enrich
lives. And thus I discovered one more beautiful aspect of the lives and
importance of my colleagues and friends at the Optics Meetings.


Light and Color in Nature
Stanley David Gedzelman
30 June – 01 July 2007

Theme
We come to Light and Color in Nature meetings every 3 years from a world that has many troubles. During the intervening time, mostly alone we trudge on keeping and perhaps spreading the faith, which may well help lives of others. Then at the meeting we join forces, minds, intuitions and sightings and are renewed in a common spirit. Finally, we return to the world refreshed with renewed vigor and impact. Who will know what lives we and other similar aficionados save and what wars we prevent through our love.
 

We all are creatures so complex
Propelled by drives that make us wrecks
That nothing e’er can guarantee
To cleanse our souls and set us free
Still love of beauty gives us pause
To follow any evil cause
For any form of light is love
That links us with angels above
So, shedding light on others’ vision
Is our crucial, sacred mission

We each see with unaided eyes
Optical wonders in the skies
Rainbows, halos, c’ronas, glories
We root out their secret stories
Then turn our gaze to ponds below
Or on the myriad shapes of snow
So stay enthralled as Wordsworth’s child
With vision pure and undefiled
Yet when alone we do get tired
And sorely needs be reinspired. 

So each 3 years we reconverge
To satisfy the basic urge
To share our findings and renew
Our spirits with each others’ view 
Like DNA our souls unwind
So that our insights are combined
Then revived with souls uncurled
We head out for the sorry world
Spreading nature’s color and light.
And lo, we help it set aright.