I have been away on vacation, disconnected from all sources of electronic communication and trying  not to think about engineering.  Hence, I don’t have much to write about except to enthuse about magnificent coastal walks in Devon and Cornwall that provided opportunities to achieve the kind of mental detachment described in last week’s post.  In St Ives, the beauty and tranquillity of the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden impressed us so much that we went back for a second visit.  The title of this post is taken from a 1970 quote from Barbara Hepworth that was reproduced on the museum wall and reflects my reaction to her sculptures in their garden setting:  ‘I think the very nature of art is affirmative, and in being so it reflects the laws and evolution of the universe’.