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to represent where the current scientific frontier is and where its next move might
be. Just imagine for a moment what if we don't have such an organizing structure to
work with.
Second, the structure of the universe provides an intellectual playground for
astronomers. It is clear that astronomers, as expected, do not devote their attention
evenly across the universe. Once we have developed a good understanding of our
local environment, the search is extended to other parts of the universe, literally far
and wide. The organizing metaphor in astronomy coincides with the universe. The
isomorphic relation raises a new question: is there a situation in which the nice and
intuitive structure may limit our creativity? Are there theories that are proven to
be valuable in one part of the universe would be potentially valuable if they were
applied to elsewhere in the universe? The visualization of the relevant literature
shows a different structure. In other words, the physical world and the conceptual
world have different structures. Things are connected not simply because they are
in proximity. Likewise, things separated by a vast space of void in the universe may
be close to each other in the conceptual world.
It seems more likely to be common rather than exceptional that we will deal with
multiple perspectives of the same phenomena and each perspective may lead to a
unique picture. What do we need to do to reconcile multiple perspectives? Do we
need to reconcile at all? What can we gain from having multiple views and what do
we have to lose?
2.4
Biological Maps
The most representative microscopic phenomenon is in the biological world.
Astronomers use powerful telescopes to probe stars that are so far away for our
naked eyes. Biologists use sophisticated microscopes to detect structures that are
too small to be invisible to our naked eyes. A good example is the services provided
at the website string-db.org, where one can search and navigate through some of the
most comprehensive information about proteins, including evidence and literature
and many other types of information.
2.4.1
DNA Double Helix
The history of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) research began with a Swiss biologist
Friedrich Miescher. In 1868 he carried out the first chemical studies on the nuclei
of cells. Miescher detected a substance that he called nuclein and showed that
nuclein consisted of an acidic portion, which included the DNA we know today
and other things. Later he found a similar substance in the heads of salmon sperm
cells. Although he separated the nucleic acid fraction and studied its properties,
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