In “The Age of Wonder”, Richard Holmes writes that “the idea of the exploratory voyage, often lonely and perilous, is in one form or another a central and defining metaphor of Romantic science.” Metaphors reveal truths and inspire action. We are still in the Romantic Age. And in some other Age as well, as yet unlabeled, one that recognizes that romance can be married to pragmatism.
Reference:
The Age of Wonder: The Romantic Generation and the Discovery of the Beauty and Terror of Science Paperback by Richard Holmes (2010) Vintage Press, New York, New York