"not upon the universe revealed by the marvels of technologies" vs. "not upon the universe as it is revealed through the marvels of technologies"

[GoodTaste]

The universe has no single history, nor even an independent existence. This might sound to be a radical idea, even to some physicists, and it appears to violate common sense. But common sense is based upon everyday experience, not upon the universe revealed by the marvels of technologies such as those that allow us to gaze deep into the atom or back to the early universe.

(Source: It is a version from my memory of Stephen Hawking's The Grand Design. What actually says in the book is as below)

... the idea that the universe itself has no single history, nor even an independent existence. That seems like a radical idea, even to many physicists. Indeed, like many notions in today's science, it appears to violate common sense. But common sense is based upon everyday experience, not upon the universe as it is revealed through the marvels of technologies such as those that allow us to gaze deep into the atom or back to the early universe.

My question is what is the difference between "the universe revealed by x" and "the universe as it is revealed through x". Are they interchangeable?

 

[SoothingDave]

There is no need to add extra words.

 

[jutfrank]

You're asking about what the 'as' phrase means. You can loosely paraphrase 'as' to mean 'in a way in which'.

There are different ways of understanding the universe. You can understand it as it is revealed through scientific instruments, you can understand it as it is revealed through the sense organs, you can understand it as it is revealed through religious scripture, or through artistic representation, and so on.

 

[GoodTaste]

There is no need to add extra words.

Do you mean that "as it is" there is "extra words"?

 

[SoothingDave]

Do you mean that "as it is" there is "extra words"?

Yes.