An early morning run on a Caribbean beach connects physics, running, and a language lesson.
On a trip to the Dominican Republic I went for an early morning run along the beach. As the sun peeked over the eastern horizon and illuminated the clouds breaking up from the previous night's storm, a beautiful rainbow formed over the ocean.
A local woman also doing her morning workout was the only other person on the beach. Not knowing the Spanish word for rainbow, I just pointed, as I passed her. When she said, "Es muy bonito", I lacked the Spanish skills to do more than simply agree. Despite lacking a common language we were able to communicate our appreciation of nature's beauty.
The rainbow added to my enjoyment of my run. As a scientist, I can also explain what causes the rainbow. (Perhaps some day I'll even learn enough Spanish to explain it to the woman on the beach.) Some might argue that dissecting how the light reflects internally in the raindrops and disperses as it refracts on the raindrops' surfaces spoils the simple beauty of a rainbow.
Just as knowing it was composed by a man losing his hearing can increase the sense of awe from hearing the Ode to Joy, understanding the physics behind natural phenomena enhances their beauty and increases one's sense of wonder at them.
Upon returning to the hotel, I asked at the desk and learned that the Spanish word for rainbow is "arco iris", which literally means "arc color".
Nature's simple gift enhanced my morning run, transcended a language barrier, and helped me learn a new Spanish word. Knowing what causes rainbows increases their beauty.
