I listen to podcasts about astronomy and I work in field dealing with human nature. My soul swoons at the mysteries of these ineffable entities. Of the two, human nature is far easier to explain; the mysteries of the universe are unfathomable. Only a fraction of the universe is visible measureable mass and light. The majority is something we can’t see or locate. Astronomers know it’s there as the total mass is not enough to account for the laws of physics. Either the laws of physics are wrong (perhaps) or something is missing(more likely). This dark and mysterious stuff is called ‘dark matter’ and it’s anyone’s guess what it is. The universe is full up of cosmic questions; they make me feel small and insignificant. I am not shocked or saddened by these revelations. I learned pretty quick in life as early as grade school how it is to feel small and insignificant so the verification of these truisms by the time I got to college was not at all a shock as it was to my peers who thought themselves the centre of the universe up until then.
Another bitter pill to swallow is we are probably alone in the universe (sorry sci-fi fans). Unless ‘they’ are purposely covering up their tracks there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of other beings. We only have ourselves which is of no comfort considering we generally don’t like each other.
The notion of a mostly dark and nothing0filled universe devoid of company could quickly lead to nihilism or depression but for me this is a sort of comfort. It helps me put things in perspective and not to waste time with the likes of seeing something outrageous on Twitter and wanting to to write an angry retort. Cosmic truths help me let go of the trivial claptrap that is society and social media to focus on my brief time in said universe to make Life what I will it to be.
15 comments
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May 14, 2019 at 12:56 PM
Ron
Oh I definitely believe we are not alone in the universe. I even believe that in our lifetimes we will be in contact with other intelligent lifeforms. Then perhaps the Great Question will be answered, why are we here?
May 14, 2019 at 1:01 PM
Urspo
I want that to be true. Alas the experts seem to all conclude it is not likely. Even if The Vulcans or The Volgons or The Borg should pop by I guess they too won’t have any good answers for us.
May 14, 2019 at 4:01 PM
thickethouse
Trying to articulate the ineffable? And articulation is the acid test of knowledge? We don’t know a lot, do we…That doesn’t bother me. Not sure why. I also believe we are alone in the universe, but I am an art major and my son who worked as an embedded engineer at NASA Glen for six years thinks we are not alone. We have to fashion our own rules for living and I think people have not done badly with the concepts. It’s the execution that we are often rather lacking in. But not always. (I can ramble very well, I think.)
May 14, 2019 at 4:06 PM
Urspo
I very much enjoyed reading your ‘ramble’ thank you!
May 14, 2019 at 7:01 PM
Blobby
there are hundreds of thousands of galaxies and billions of star in the universe……..it’s not that we’re alone, it’s just that they can’t find us.
May 14, 2019 at 8:02 PM
Urspo
That is one theory (and good one) why we can’t seem to locate anyone else and vice versa.
May 14, 2019 at 7:29 PM
Old Lurker
Yes, I agree with the others. Do the experts have an answer to the Fermi Paradox?
Of course, we are not alone at all. We have ants and elephants and octopi and corvids and tree and fungi, but we do not acknowledge their intelligences or even try to set up communications with them. How likely would we be to establish contact with an alien life form that does not share any of our DNA?
May 14, 2019 at 8:03 PM
Urspo
especially the corvids
May 14, 2019 at 10:01 PM
wcs
Right now there is no evidence of other intelligent life forms but us. But space is big. REALLY BIG. How arrogant of us to think we are alone. It’s like living on an island and thinking you’re the only people on earth because you don’t see anyone else when you look toward the horizon. We haven’t even begun to look.
May 15, 2019 at 6:30 AM
Urspo
The science bigwigs arguing for the ‘we are alone’ hypothesis are doing so not on we haven’t looked but the other way around. in Billions of years some race should have made enough splash to survive or reach out to us.
May 15, 2019 at 1:48 AM
Moving with Mitchell
I find it unlikely that we’re alone in the universe, but it’s probably a good thing we haven’t met up… for both parties.
May 15, 2019 at 6:31 AM
Urspo
Mr Hawkings said such. If they are out there let’s walk past their door without knocking. Mostly about exposure to disease seeing us as North American Natives contacting the Spaniards.
May 15, 2019 at 4:22 AM
David Godfrey
I get frustrated by “science” that lacks careful scientific method and careful phrasing. When they speculate that a planet is not capable of supporting life, they leave off “as we know it.” My brain interprets those omissions as junk science and hence the speakers lack all credibility. I had to stop watching law and order when I was in law school because I was ranting at the TV, THAT IS NOT RIGHT, OBJECTION! Most of the “science” shows on TV have the same effect on me, they offer speculation or theory as fact without including the needed qualifiers. Personally, I spend little time thinking about what is beyond our planet. By the time I finish exploring this planet I will be too old to explore the next one.
May 15, 2019 at 6:32 AM
Urspo
I too avoid pseudo-science and show-stuff as they give proper science a bad reputation. By the way I don’t watch TV but the last thing I would watch is a medical show.
May 15, 2019 at 8:30 AM
Raybeard
Dark Matter is the current number one conundrum, probably the reason why the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. I can tell you now that I’ll be mighty peeved if I die before someone comes up with a plausible suggestion of just what and where it is.