Reading Questions- Science and Beauty

1. What is Asimov’s thesis and how does he support it?

Asimov’s theory is “But what I see–those quiet, twinkling points of light–is not all the beauty
there is.” His thesis is that the beauty of science is the same as the beauty of nature. His thesis is
supported throughout his essay because he refers to the universe and the composition of stars.
Asimov also touched on how stars are not just beauty but more. He explains how the stars are
beauty by writing, “Some of them are incomparable grandeur, each glowing with the light of a
thousand suns like ours, some of them merely red-hot doling out of their energy stingily.”
Asimov also briefly explains how stars were made and the vast happenings in nature and the
universe.

2. Outline the facts that Asimov presents about the planet, stars, galaxy, and universe that
support his thesis.
Asimov supports his thesis with multiple facts about the planets, stars, galaxy, and the universe.
He references how some stars are planets “with thick atmospheres of carbon dioxide and
sulphuric acid.” He then describes the stars as “worlds” and talks about the rough surface and
volcanoes that “could gulp down the whole earth.” Asimov then writes about the stars are like
our sun in which some are “merely red-hot coals doling out their energy stingily.” He also
mentions some facts like how some suns have the mass of our sun that was “squeezed into a ball
smaller than the earth” and how “some are more compact still, with the mass of the sun squeezed
down into the volume of a small asteroid.”

3. What is the purpose of Asimov’s rhetorical questions?

The purpose of Asimov’s rhetorical question is to add an effect to make the audience ask
themselves and allow them to see the facts presented in a different perspective. It is also to make
the readers contemplate about what is being presented rather than dismissing the thoughts. He
relates the rhetorical questions, “Should I stare lovingly at a single leaf and willingly remain
ignorant of the forest?” to the beauty of nature compared to the science of nature because he is
trying to say, why just stare at a single star or a group of stars while being blindsides to how the
beauty was created. This influences the audience as the question with no answer is provided for
the effect.

4. “Find one example of logos, pathos, and ethos in this essay and explain how Asimov
uses each one as support for his thesis. For each example, why do you think he used the
mode of persuasion where he did?
 Logos- “Those bright sports in the sky that we call planets are worlds. There are worlds with
thick atmospheres of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid…” When Asimov wrote this, he was
using logos since he included facts and evidence about stars. Asimov used logos to show
readers the science and beauty behind the stars and the universe.
 Ethos- “I imagined that many people reading those lines tell themselves, exultantly, “How
true! Science just sucks all the beauty out of everything, reducing it all to numbers and tables
and measurements! Why bother learning all that junk when I can go out and look at all the
stars?”” When Asimov wrote this, he was using ethos to relate to the characters and build his
moral character to connect to the readers. He used ethos to get the readers to trust and
connect to his opinions and perspective.
 Pathos- “The universe may expand forever or the day may come when the expansion slows
and turns back into a contraction to reform the tiny sphere and begin the game all over again
 Reading Questions- Science and Beauty

so that the whole universe is exhaling and inhaling in breaths that are perhaps a trillion years
long.” When Asimov wrote this, he was using pathos because it changes the readers emotions
and makes them feel worried and possibly scared that our world is old, and how the world
could start over and start new lives. He used pathos to touch the readers so that they can use
their feelings and pay more attention at certain points that the author wants the most
attention.

5. In thinking about the decision that writers make, what might be some pros and cons of
using more than one mode of persuasion in a piece of writing?
Some pros of using more than one mode of persuasion may include being able to reach different
larger audiences. One can also address the audience with a variety of methods of thinking and
analyzing as well as putting one’s own twist on the information. At the same time, there are cons
like for example, some readers may dismiss the specific ways of thinking and accidentally miss
the info, or some may also dismiss the information presented because some may disagree with
the method of delivery.

6. Which mode of persuasion (logos, pathos or ethos) do you rely on most when you are
writing an essay?  Why?  Which mode do you rely on least and why?
When writing an essay, I personally think that I rely most on pathos because most readers are
often moved their emotions rather than logic. As a writer, it is important to make the audience
feel connected with the topic of the essay. Pathos can affect one’s ethos or credibility if misused,
therefore pathos can influence the presentation of other modes of persuasion.
On the contrary, I think that mode of persuasion I rely on the least is ethos because credibility
can be established as one write since pathos and logos can influence credibility.
 Work Cited

Asimov, Isaac. “Science and Beauty.” The Roving Mind, Prometheus Books, 1983, pp. 113–116.