Natural Science by Rush is one of the songs I come back to time and again. Neil Peart is a great lyricist but he is often found quoting, paraphrasing, or otherwise borrowing from other sources (Shakespeare, Ayn Rand, Sartre, Simon and Garfunkel, etc.). Natural Science to my knowledge is free of this and I like the lyrics of this song on so many levels. bq. I. tide poolsWhen the ebbing tide retreatsAlong the rocky shorelineIt leaves a trail of tidal poolsIn a short-lived galaxyEach microcosmic planetA complete societybq. A simple kind mirrorTo reflect upon our ownAll the busy little creaturesChasing out their destiniesLiving in their poolsThey soon forget about the sea...bq. Wheels within wheelsIn a spiral arrayA pattern so grandAnd complexTime after timeWe lose sight of the wayOur causes cant seeTheir effectsbq. Ii. hyperspaceA quantum leap forwardIn time and in spaceThe universe learned to expandbq. The mess and the magicTriumphant and tragicA mechanized world, out of handbq. Computerized clinicFor superior cynicsWho dance to a synthetic bandbq. In their own imageTheir world is fashioned ---No wonder they dont understandbq. Wheels within wheelsIn a spiral arrayA pattern so grandAnd complexTime after timeWe lose sight of the wayOur causes cant seeTheir effectsbq. Iii. permanent wavesScience, like natureMust also be tamedWith a view towards its preservationGiven the sameState of integrityIt will surely serve us wellbq. Art as expression ---Not as market campaignsWill still capture our imaginationsGiven the sameState of integrityIt will surely help us alongbq. The most endangered species -The honest manWill still survive annihilationForming a world -State of integritySensitive, open, and strongbq. Wave after waveWill flow with the tideAnd bury the world as it doesTide after tideWill flow and recedeLeaving life to go onAs it was...I love exploring tide pools on rocky coasts and looking for the creatures living inside of them, so this song's opening returns to me when I'm doing this. Having this picture next to the picture of expanding technology brings out the title's true meaning, "Natural Science." When I hear Geddy Lee sing, "Science, like nature, must also be tamed ...," it reminds me of how pointless debates of Science vs. Religion (or Nature vs. Technology) can be. Luckily, I grew up in a place where both my scientific and religious instruction were liberal enough to allow (actually, teach!) that science and religion were in no way contradictory. Whenever I hear the words "creation science" or the belittling of religious views by scientists, both sides of the debate seem to be completely oblivious to the other side.Is anybody else as tired as I am of hearing religious groups claim that the only true authority is their selected text? but also as tired as I am of scientists failing to see the limits of science and seeing no importance in art, philosophy and mysticism in giving true understanding of the world? Religion, science, and art are all human endeavors with all the greatness and fallibility that comes with being human.Science and technology are parts of nature. I use the useful tool of science in my job everyday but it would get me nowhere without reaching out and seeing other people's perspectives.