Poetry and science

Came across this quote from my favourite poet, Philip Larkin, in The Week (itself quoting The Independent)

I search myself for illusions like a monkey looking for fleas.

Two days later I found myself browsing Edward Tufte on the Columbia disaster, where he quotes Richard Feynman's famous (and, it apears, sadly ignored) conclusion to his appendix to the Challenger commission report

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.

Just one of those pleasing coincidences.