There is certainly a great schism which has divided the physical sciences from the realms of metaphysics. It was the resounding success of science as a means of describing reality and discerning the truth, that has precipitated this widespread mistrust of metaphysics in the west. However, if our scientists and theologians are dealing with a common commodity - absolute truth - then real, quantifiable and practical relationships must exist between what may be simply viewed as different frames of reference.

It has often been said that the scientists have been concerned with the question of how, whereas the theologians have largely addressed the question of why; and you would naturally expect to get differing answers to dissimilar questions. But are such scholars really studying different aspects of the same fundamental question? If the layers of interpretation can be stripped away from what the scientists and theologians have discovered and reported, does an objective examination of the raw evidence reveal an underlying harmony?

A STICKY BUSINESS

A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience. - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Glue that doesn't stick properly may appear to be a ridiculous idea, but the inventor of this apparently useless substance actually made a small fortune. When applied to the top edges of little squares of yellow paper, the glue was the perfect consistency to hold a temporary hand-written message in place on the office desk. This observation led directly to the invention of the post-it notes without which the modern office would surely be a less colourful place.

This story provides us with an excellent example of what has become known as lateral-thinking; the technique has become widely recognised in business as a powerful tool for problem solving. Faced with particularly difficult problems, we can sometimes access the answer if we can first escape the normal limitations of our natural, forward-looking method of thought. Lateral thinking utilises a sort of perception shift in order to facilitate this sort of creativity.

Our conscious, logical mind prefers to operate utilising familiar linear patterns: this is not the only thought mechanism we posses - logical analysis belongs to the left side of the brain - but it has become extremely important within western culture. The processes of logic are linear; proceeding from a premise, we reason step by step to reach our conclusion. But sometimes our naturally preferred method of reasoning can actively obstruct us from finding the solutions to perplexing or unusual questions.

Edward De Bono, who invented the phrase, says that ‘the processes of humour are the same as those of lateral thinking10’. In joke-telling, the set-up consists of some story which provides us with a frame of reference, and the punch line, when delivered, forces us to look at the situation in a different way. The lateral thinker similarly forces an unusual, or impossible, situation or arrangement in order to consider the implications, and potential benefits.

De Bono11 uses the example of traffic lights and cigarettes. This is an unlikely pairing but when he considered the idea, he came up with the thought that cigarettes could be colour-coded with the traffic light colours. Smokers could then be encouraged to stub out their cigarettes when they were burned down to the red marking, because the last third of a cigarette contains more toxins than the first two thirds. This is a good example of how we can initiate, and benefit from, the process of lateral thinking; forcing the necessary perception shift with a provocative word-pairing device.