2.6.1 Ralph Waldon Emerson defined poetry as "saying the most important things in the simplest way." By that definition Einstein became and will probably remain history's greatest poet- for who could say so much so simply as did Einstein when he described physical Universe as E=Mc2? (Fuller, 1973, pg. 57)

2.6.2 In Nine Chains to the Moon, Fuller discusses how the theory of relativity affects housing, capitalism, art, and production. [3] It is at once a critique of the state of architecture and the state of mind of the 'Murphy's' being prevented from understanding the effects of science on the world by politicians and the privileged. "So long as Murphy could be so controlled, even though he might be "educated,' their apple cart concessions would not be overturned by science." (Fuller, 1938, pg. 8)

2.6.3 The chapters in the book that specifically referenced Einstein were initially turned down by the publishers, [4] who felt that he did not have the appropriate background to comment on physics. But this did not stop Fuller. He wrote to Einstein directly, sent him the manuscript, and subsequently met with him. Einstein approved of the text and commented that he never considered that his work would have an impact on the "Murphy's" and was delighted by Fuller's interpretation of the theory of relativity. He was quoted as saying "I have propounded my theories only for the consideration of cosmogonists and astrophysicists in their broad account of an energy universe.² (Marks, 1960, pg. 7) In his own account of their meeting, Fuller writes,

2.6.4 When Einstein said to me 'young man, you amahsse me . . . I can't imagine any of my ideas having even the slightest practical applications." He wrote his theories for a small audience of astrophysicists and cosmoginists. But it was his original idea of getting energy out of matter that led the scientists to seek his authority in warning President Roosevelt about the heavy water research the Germans were doing...and that eventually led to the bomb in Hiroshima. (Synergestics Dictionary, pg. 137. World Game workshop. Phila. PA 1977.)

2.6.5 Fuller frequently juxtaposed the artist and scientist: "The great scientists and great artists are not only subjective and pure but also objective and responsible inventors." He believed that artists had a unique position because of their comprehensive training that frequently gave the artists a broader viewpoint: "I feel that it is the artists who keep the integrity of childhood alive until we reach the bridge between the arts and sciences." He also felt that the broad outlook artists are privy to is their greatest strength: "Artists haven't painted themselves into the special corner. Because of a comprehensive outlook, their art reflects the many disciplines, especially science."; "The only ones who don't get trained for specialisation are artists, they want to be whole." Fuller often stressed the importance of blurring the artist and scientist: "The artist frequently conceives of a pattern in his imagination before the scientist finds it in nature." But at the core, his vision was that these two opposite sides of the pendulum eventually come together: "Really great artists are scientists and really great scientists are artists and both are inventors. I call them artist-scientist-inventors." (BFI, 1997) Fuller was perfectly aware that this was not an entirely new thought, as he himself quoted Leonardo Da Vinci, "painter, sculptor, architect, engineer and inventor of the wheelbarrow, and other useful instruments from the speaking tube to the mechanically gyp-proof whore-house," who wrote that "the further art advances the closer it approaches science, the further science advances the closer it approaches art." (Fuller, 1938, pg. 101) [top]

Notes:

3. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are characters Fuller developed in his book, Nine Chains to the Moon (1938). They are the 'ordinary folks', whose lives are influences by scientific inventions and the decisions of politicians. They appear throughout the narrative of the book that is centred on the influence of Einstein's theory of Relativity on the everyday life. [back]

4. Fuller writes about this in his notes: "Christopher Morley has persuaded Linpicott, here in Philadelphia to publish my book, but they balked at the chapter on Einstein. They said "there is a list of only 12 people who understood Einstein and you're not on the list!" So I asked Linpicott if they would send a chapter to Einstein in Princeton and after he had read it he agreed to meet with me one evening at the apartment of Dr. Fishbein on Riverside Drive in New York." (Synergetic Dictionary. World Game workshop, Phila, PA, June 22, 1977. Synergetic Dictionary pg. 137.) [back]