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As a second, real post, I was watching the movie "Big Fish" yesterday with my room mate and I was struck by one of the lines of dialogue from the film. The movie tells the story of a man who always tells stories about his life and his son reconciling with him as he is dying. At one point the son gets frustrated and demands facts from his father who replies, "I've told you a thousand facts, Will, that's what I do. I tell stories."

As I heard this line it struck me that, that was the big distinction between literature and science. Science is liek the stories told by the son, fantastic but full of details and facts because that is what he thinks is important. Science must verify the story, quantify it and prove that that story is 100% true. Literature is like the father, it tells stories because it thinks it is more interesting that way. Literature wants to gives truths in its storytelling but it weaves it in in a way that can never be repeated or quantified.

Towards the end of the film the son talks to the doctor who delivered him as a baby. And this exchange takes place which, for me, exemplifies why stories in general are important and literature is often more loved than science.

Dr. Bennett: Did your father ever tell you about the day you were born?
Will Bloom: A thousand times. He caught an uncatchable fish.

Dr. Bennett: Not that one. The real story. Did he ever tell you that?
Will Bloom: No.
Dr. Bennett: Your mother came in about three in the afternoon. Her neighbor drove her, on account of your father was on business in Wichita. You were born a week early, but there were no complications. It was a perfect delivery. Now, your father was sorry to miss it, but it wasn't the custom for the men to be in the room for deliveries then, so I can't see as it would have been much different had he been there. And that's the real story of how you were born. Not very exciting, is it? And I suppose if I had to choose between the true version and an elaborate one involving a fish and a wedding ring, I might choose the fancy version. But that's just me.