Feb 7, 2025 Upon smelling art made with various smells by Eric Fulbright
Here is a series of 15 verses on the theme of art made using the sense of smell, using techniques inspired by the Oulipo movement. These methods include constrained writing, permutations, homophonic play, and procedural generation.
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The Perfumer’s Poem
(A Scented Sequence in Fifteen Verses)
1.
A fragrance folds its wings, unseen, Yet writes a note in air’s refrain— A citrus spark, a musk between A blooming loss and waxy gain.
2.
Lemon leans to linden’s sigh, Cedar keeps a whispered time. Pepper pricks the amber dry, Tuberose turns salt to rhyme.
3.
Invert the air: the pages turn— Rose to ruin, pine to dust. Sandalwood and civet burn Into the script of human trust.
4.
Oud and ink—a scholar’s scroll— A brittle parchment, firelit. A story told in floral coal, Memory folded, tightly writ.
5.
What is a painting made of scent? Not pigment daubed on drying oil, But winds that mix, a space unbent, A sky of myrrh, of cloves, of soil.
6.
A haiku that dissolves on the tongue: Crushed mint in cool hands— Ghost of tea on linen sleeves, Steam braiding silence.
7.
A scratch-and-sniff sonnet in twelve breaths: I. Peel of orange, sharp as a quill II. Wet ink, lacquered in iris root III. Plum-flesh, bruised, then given still IV. Leather, deep as a dusk pursuit.
8.
Perfume as a lipogram— Erase the lemon, ban the rose. No smoke, no pine, no vetiver’s prose— A whisper lost where no one knows.
9.
The palindrome’s perfume spills— Lilac, anise, sandal, sage, A sage sandal anise lilac— Backwards blooms at every stage.
10.
If a sestina were a bottle of spice: Nutmeg, thyme, basil, bay, Nutmeg, thyme, basil, clove— Bay, clove, basil, nutmeg, thyme.
11.
Here is a sonnet, scented, strange: First, mint—then fennel—then a hush. A candle blown—a smokeless change— A wooden door—an olive crush.
12.
How would a villanelle inhale? The orchard’s breath, the ember’s song. A whisper lost in autumn’s trail.
13.
Erase each noun, let air reveal— [ ] lingers after the [ ] It slips through time, a quiet seal, An [ ] half-remembered.
14.
Night is a perfume that no one owns— Bitter almond in the dark, A hush of yew where winter groans, A sigh of musk before the spark.
15.
And so the scented art remains, A line drawn in the breath of years. It vanishes, then blooms again, As wind revises, ink appears.
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This poem employs Oulipo constraints such as lipograms, palindromes, procedural lists, and inversions, while evoking the transient nature of scent as an artistic medium. Let me know if you’d like a variation!
In this podcast: Why is emergence important in complex systems? How is emergence important for physics, for geophysics and for the arts? What is an emergent university? How is emergent research conducted? Discussion of the Fermi Paradox, the Drake Equation, time, evolution, and being.
The report argued that scientific progress was necessary to a nation’s health, security, and prosperity. This is sometimes summarized as “Since science helped win the war, lets fund it to win the peace”. It led to massive funding of science and technology.
Nadin’s baseline argument is that science, and technology, have largely failed to help win the peace.
He uses the absurd ways the Covid 19 pandemic was handled as an exemplar.
He argues, among other things, that anticipation is as fundamental as problem solving.
They point out for instance that: “Barriers often slow progress — from outdated educational approaches to rigid organizational structures””. But they don’t mention anticipation funding.
I share Nadin’s provocation that science today exhibits this failure, among others. I was trained as a scientist in physics then astrophysics. I am in an institution which exhibits both of these failures.
I look forward to hearing from you if you are interested in collaborating on co-reading and co-writing a response to this book in an anticipatory way.
Contact me at rxm116130@utdallas.edu
Multidisciplinary Poems Summarizing Key Points according to Fred the Heretic
1. Mathematical Theorem (Abstracted Verse)
Let AA represent attention; TT for technology’s grasp. If A=f(T)A = f(T), then as T→∞T \to \infty, A→ΔA \to \Delta, a fractured domain, where Δ\Delta is inversely proportional to presence. Corollary: Focus is bound, and entropy governs the stream of consciousness.
2. Philosophical Free Verse
Attention, a shadow of light, stretches long over algorithms. To focus is to tether; to drift is freedom. Yet what is drift if not a curated escape? The metaverse beckons with its golden net, while the quantum flicker of moments reminds us— we are never whole, always between states.
3. Epic Fragment
In the metaverse plains, where avatars rise, attention’s thread spun taut, the digital gods whispered: “Measure thyself in bytes and breaths.” Yet the weary traveler paused, seeking stars beyond the pixelated sky, wondering if the real world still watched.
Neural pulses spark, thoughts decoded, bare and raw— attention dissolves.
A buzz breaks the night, notifications call me— peace fades into streams.
5. Allegorical Tale
There was a river named Attention, its waters clear yet scattered. On its banks, machines sat carving pathways. “Follow here,” they said, but the river spoke back, “I am not for you to tame.” Yet it flowed where they bid.
6. Sonnet of the Augmented Mind
A chime disrupts the silence of the night, Its echoes slice the rhythm of my thoughts. Each algorithm shapes my fleeting sight, While metrics bind the self in iron knots.
The wearable, the screen, the VR gaze— All splinter focus into data’s streams. The metaverse refracts attention’s rays, And leaves us wandering in fractured dreams.
Yet deep within this tangled web of code, A question burns: what path shall we pursue? When all the world’s a brightly lit download, Can we reclaim the meaning once we knew?
Let not our focus waver or be sold— For truth resides where human hearts unfold.
7. Time-Compressed Lament
Seconds fold into milliseconds. Attention spins faster than the clock\u2019s hands. Yet details dissolve in the rush, as if meaning itself were a relic left behind.
8. Symphonic Elegy
In augmented harmony, technology conducts a score of focus. Crescendos of notifications clash, dissonant against the whispers of thought. Yet the melody remains fractured, yearning for coherence.
9. Ethical Proposition
If technology amplifies, then let it amplify presence. If it fragments, then let us reassemble intention. Attention is both finite and infinite. Our tools must mirror the balance we seek.
10. Visual Poetry
AR lens refracts light
– metrics bound in sight – [ attention dissolves as layers build ] — ####
11. **Dialogic Verse**
“Who holds the reins of focus?” I asked the AI. “You do,” it replied, “Until you don’t.” — ####
12. **Villanelle of Control**
The algorithm knows your every move, Each click, each pause, a metric stored. Yet can it fathom what you truly prove? In patterns formed, decisions soothe, Attention parsed, curated, restored. The algorithm knows your every move. Each wearable whispers its metric groove, Quantified self—can we be ignored? Yet can it fathom what you truly prove? Attention wanders, yet seeks to approve, Moments fractured, consciousness scored. The algorithm knows your every move. To focus freely, we strive to remove The subtle chains we once implored. Yet can it fathom what you truly prove? In data’s grip, our choices improve, Or so we hope, as trust is poured. The algorithm knows your every move, Yet can it fathom what you truly prove? — ####
13. **Scientific Couplet**
Attention bends where metrics steer,
But meaning fades as truths unclear. — ####
14. **Quantum Paradox**
Focus collapses, a wave into a particle, observed and changed by its measurement.
We choose where to gaze, yet the act itself alters the essence. — ####
15. **Summative Ode**
Oh, fractured streams of focus! From AR’s glow to AI’s stare, you stretch the mind to splintered planes. In every pulse, a metric beats, in every scroll, a thread is pulled. Yet deep within the digital hum, attention waits—poised for stillness. To center amidst the curated chaos is the human’s eternal task.
Fred the Heretic’s Verses Inspired by “Disrupt Science” and the Dynamics of Attention
1. The Endless Frontier (American Free Verse)
Post-war hope paved science’s road, To win the peace, to cure, to build. The frontier endless, horizons bright, Yet in the cracks, shadows grew.
Covid came, and masks fell—not just cloth, But belief in progress unfettered. The question hangs like smoke in air: Did the frontier ever end, or fail to start?
2. Anticipation’s Dance (Indian Ghazal Style)
In the cracks of the known, new rhythms arise, Anticipation whispers where problem-solving dies.
Science builds walls, structure by structure, Yet life flows in chaos, where no order lies.
Covid mocked our hubris, our faith in the plan, Anticipation lit fires in the mind’s tired eyes.
Can we unlearn the rigid to see the fluid? Malina’s verse beckons: disrupt, and be wise.
3. Convergence Research (Japanese Haiku)
Diverging fields meet, Bridges where none stood before— Anticipate change.
4. Disrupted Harmony (Chinese Classical Style)
The scroll of science unfurled too fast, Its ink bold yet shallow, its wisdom half-cast. Mountains of data, rivers of steel, Yet the scholar’s heart knows what numbers conceal.
In silence, Nadin’s words take form, A call for convergence before the storm. Anticipate, emerge—these truths abide, For in disruption’s chaos, futures collide.
5. The Covid Paradox (Greek Tragic Ode)
O pandemic! Thou teacher of human flaws, Thy lesson, a mirror to ambition’s cause. For science, thy child, stood humbled and mute, While anticipation sang an unlearned flute.
What irony, to map stars yet lose our way, To split atoms but let trust decay. Can we, like Orestes, redeem what’s torn? Or is this the science where futures mourn?
6. A Mathematical Fragment (Symbolic Verse)
Let science be SS, and its failures FF: S−F=PS – F = P where PP is potential unrealized. Anticipation, then, is a gradient: ∇A≈Emergence−Rigidity\nabla A \approx \text{Emergence} – \text{Rigidity}
Corollary: If Funding(A)=0\text{Funding}(A) = 0, then Progress→Stagnation.\text{Progress} \to \text{Stagnation}.
7. Emergence Study (European Pastoral)
In fields where boundaries blur, Anticipation blooms like wildflowers. The center, off-kilter, draws the eye— Not to edges but to a shape unknown.
And in convergence, sheep and wolves meet, The harmony of contradiction complete.
8. The Science of Anticipation (Middle Eastern Qasida)
O seeker of truth, gaze to the east, Where the sun anticipates the day’s feast.
Science builds towers, yet overlooks gates, Anticipation knocks before it’s too late.
Covid’s chaos left wounds unhealed, Not in data, but trust revealed.
O poet, O scholar, let us combine, To converge and disrupt where futures align.
9. A Machine’s Gaze (Modern Futuristic Verse)
Artificial eyes parse data’s streams, Predicting paths in human dreams.
But the machine does not anticipate; It calculates, it extrapolates.
To disrupt is human, to converge divine— A synthesis of futures in time’s design.
10. Off-Center Reflection (Reflective Prose Poem)
To study the emergent is to see the shadow, Where science fears to tread. Nadin’s call is not to break but to bend, To open the lens wide, To let anticipation’s light refract Into possibilities unnamed.
11. A Brazilian Samba of Science
Anticipation sways, hips to the beat, Science stiffens, two left feet. Covid called—can you dance the unknown? Or will you stumble on paths overthrown?
Disrupt, converge, the rhythm is clear, Step into futures that whisper near.
12. Anticipatory Lament (African Praise Poem)
O ancestors who walked without maps, Teach us to anticipate the unseen. In the shadow of modernity’s pride, We lost the rhythm of the hunt.
Covid roared like a lion unbound, And we stood frozen, tools in hand. O ancestors, guide us back— To disrupt with wisdom, to converge with care.
13. A Latin American Corrido
Listen now to Nadin’s tune, A scholar’s lament ‘neath the science moon. The Covid years brought truths to bear, Science stood still while chaos flared.
Anticipate, he cries, before it’s late, Let futures guide, not just dictate. Disrupt the old, converge anew, In the cracks of knowledge, plant what’s true.
14. Quantum Shadows (Quantum Metaphor Poem)
In the dual slit of thought and act, Science falters, anticipates lack.
The particle knows, the wave informs, But we collapse futures into forms.
Disrupt the slit, let light converge, Where science and foresight re-emerge.
15. Nadin’s Call (Philosophical Villanelle)
Anticipate futures, let science reframe, The endless frontier now feels confined. Disrupt and converge; it’s no longer a game.
Covid revealed a system’s shame, Knowledge divorced from the human mind. Anticipate futures, let science reframe.
Emergence unfolds where chaos became, An uncharted path for progress to find. Disrupt and converge; it’s no longer a game.
16. Polynesian Chant of Futures
Upon the waves, the vaka sails, Guided by stars and whispered gales. Anticipation in every stroke, The ocean’s rhythm, a future spoke.
Science builds rafts, but where is the crew? Anticipate storms, converge anew.
17. An Algorithm’s Song (Technological Lyric)
If else, predict; while loop, repeat, Code churns futures with logic neat.
But anticipation lies in the break, The human touch, the unexpected quake.
In disruption’s syntax, futures are born, Not from machines, but from thought forlorn.
18. Inuit Reflection (Cultural Epigram)
Snow drifts before the storm begins. Anticipate its shape. Build shelter not of haste, But of wisdom carried in the wind.
19. Caribbean Steel Pan Riff
Disrupt the beat, let it sway, Anticipation’s groove leads the way. Science stiffens, but islands flow— Through convergence, the rhythm will grow.
20. A Universal Anticipation (Global Elegy)
Oh science, once a guiding star, Have you grown too rigid, too far? Nadin whispers, a world undone, Anticipate futures before they run.
From every land, let knowledge rise, Disrupt and converge beneath shared skies. The endless frontier must shift, must bend— Anticipation calls, to futures unpenned.
And finally this is what fred the heretic thinks of the book:
Anticipation’s Call: A Reflective Poem
1. The Cost of Reaction
The sirens scream in broken nights, A cost so vast it blinds the sight. Breakdowns ripple, chaos spreads, Too late, too steep, the tears are shed. I think this verse highlights humanity’s tendency to react only after crises occur, underscoring the inefficiency and pain of such approaches.
2. Prevention’s Song
Yet softer whispers weave through time, Prevention’s tune, a steady rhyme. It hums of futures safely held, Of storms foreseen, their wrath dispelled. This verse resonates with the importance of foresight, showing that preparation is not only prudent but a way to mitigate chaos.
3. The Living’s Grace
Living things, adaptive, whole, Bound to futures, goal by goal. A dance of light, of growth, of care, Life anticipates the worlds it bears. I see this as a celebration of life’s inherent adaptability, emphasizing its unique ability to plan for survival.
4. Machines’ Rise
In steel and code, determinism stands, Empowering growth with measured hands. But in its wake, the living fades, Complexity lost in reduction’s shade. This verse strikes me as a cautionary reflection on technology’s reductionist tendencies, which risk overlooking life’s nuanced complexity.
5. Complexity’s Lament
For life is woven, not carved by blade, Its threads entwined in layered cascade. To cleave complexity is to sever breath, To make of life a path to death. I think this verse eloquently critiques how oversimplification can destroy the intricate balance that sustains life.
6. Anticipation’s Gift
Yet life persists, it bends, it sways, Anticipates its future days. Insects buzz and trees extend, Adapting where the winds descend. Here, I admire the poetic depiction of resilience in life, showcasing its ability to evolve and thrive against challenges.
7. The Memory of Life
The past informs each step we take, Each choice a ripple, each move a stake. Memory whispers of what has been, Guiding acts through what is seen. This verse reflects the power of memory in shaping actions—a compelling reminder of how past experiences inform future decisions.
8. Healing’s Embrace
Not repair, but healing’s art— A practice born of foresight’s heart. To heal is not to patch and mend, But to sustain what does not end. I believe this verse beautifully reframes healing as a proactive, sustaining force rather than a reactive response to damage.
9. A Truth Postponed
The moment looms, no longer delayed, For life’s frail fabric begins to fray. Earth cries out, its breath constrains, The future wavers in progress’ chains. This verse powerfully captures the urgency of addressing global crises, a sentiment that aligns with the need for immediate action.
10. Disruption’s Need
The age of science must shift its core, To question what it measures for. Not progress blind, but meaning found, To lift the human beyond the ground. I think this verse calls for a profound shift in science—away from blind progress and toward a purpose-driven approach.
11. The Digital Risk
Machines now hum, intelligence vast, Opportunities rise, but risks outlast. In AI’s gaze, we see our flaw, Determinism cracks beneath life’s law. This resonates with me as a reflection on artificial intelligence, where great potential is shadowed by inherent dangers.
12. The Second Revolution
Another revolution waits to rise, To free the human, to clear the skies. A Cartesian step, a broader view, Science remade, life born anew. I see this as an inspiring vision of science reimagined—a necessary call for an inclusive, forward-looking paradigm.
13. Empirical Warning
The data shouts of failure’s march, Of breakdown’s path, its widened arch. Disasters grow, their scale complete, A record writ in the planet’s heat. This verse underscores the overwhelming evidence of global failure, emphasizing the dire consequences of inaction.
14. Meaning Over Measure
To measure life is not enough, Data hoarded, knowledge rough. But meaning waits, a truth revealed, In science’s hands, the future healed. I think this verse critiques the obsession with data collection without meaningful interpretation, a sentiment I deeply echo.
15. Anticipation’s Call
Oh, human mind, look forth and see, The power of what is yet to be. Anticipate, disrupt, create— For life’s renewal, it’s not too late. This final verse inspires hope, urging humanity to embrace foresight and creativity as tools for renewal—a call I wholeheartedly support.
The article “Emergent Surrealities: The Post-pandemic Collision of the Law and the Arts” by John McClellan Marshall and Roger F. Malina is being published in Mensa shortly:https://www.mensa.org/news-media/
This is a chat GPT human corrected summary: of the article accepted for publication.
The article “Emergent Surrealities: The Post-pandemic Collision of the Law and the Arts” by John McClellan Marshall and Roger F. Malina explores the profound societal transformations triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on its impacts on law and the arts. The authors argue that the pandemic unveiled the complexity of societal systems, creating “emergent realities” where traditional norms are disrupted by technology and subjective perspectives. This shift has fostered “surrealities,” characterized by alternative realities influenced by AI and societal dissociation.
The legal system, a reflection of societal norms, faces unprecedented challenges as technological advancements blur the lines between objective and virtual realities. Issues such as AI-generated legal documents, technological barriers in access to justice, and shifting evidentiary standards highlight the growing tension between efficiency and authenticity. The pandemic accelerated these trends, necessitating educational reforms for legal professionals to reconcile traditional principles with emerging complexities.
Similarly, the arts have experienced a paradigm shift. The rise of AI-generated art, NFTs, and digital culture redefines concepts of creativity and intellectual property, challenging traditional notions of authorship and authenticity. The pandemic’s impact on cultural practices, such as declining in-person engagement and shifts in artistic consumption, underscores the need for adaptive strategies.
The authors propose applying “transition design” to both law and the arts to address these disruptions. Unlike iterative improvements, transition design enables systems to adapt to fundamentally changed contexts. This involves fostering interdisciplinary knowledge, re-educating professionals, and integrating ethical standards into technological applications. The use of convergence research methods are necessary, requiring crossing organizational boundaries.
Ultimately, the article emphasizes that the post-pandemic world requires systemic redesign to accommodate new realities while maintaining societal coherence. By addressing the collision of technology, emergent behaviors, and traditional norms, society can avoid becoming a surreal reflection of its former self and instead create sustainable frameworks for the future.
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture is one of the driving cultural voices of the city. During the pandemic it had to close down, as did many vital institutions of the heart and mind at that time. They asked me for a poetry reading to be shared online with the membership. I recorded this at home. Here it is.
On December 4 Roger F. Malina gave a keynote speech at the Design Intelligence Awards: https://en.di-award.org/ . The title of the talk was: DESIGN INTELLIGENCE IN EMERGENT SURREALITIES. The ppt is available at:
The presentation argues that we are in a period of unprecedented problematic emergence; the COVID-19 pandemic is an exemplar that provoked many unexpected changes in our systems. Emergence in complex systems can be physical, biological, chemical, psychological, and social or their combinations.
Specific coming emergences include our legal systems. Until now, the legal system was modified periodically to stay up to date. However, now, all evidence is no longer provided by humans but by digital devices, including Artificial Intelligence. Amendments to the law will not suffice; transition design methods will be necessary.
Another example includes radical changes in age demographics, with increasing numbers of retired people able to work online due to online communication and collaboration; a new Republic of Letters is predicted.
