Insignificance?
Over the years most of us have seen an image containing thousands of galaxies similar to the one included. In the relatively recent course of scientific research we have learned the universe contains billions if not trillions of such galaxies, each one filled with billions upon billions of stars, many of which have planetary systems. This view into the cosmos is always humbling. We view each dot, each spec of light with the understanding that, based on probability, immeasurable forms of life exist throughout the depth of all that began with the Big Bang (not the TV show) around 14 billion years ago.
What I am continually struck by is how insignificant our petty and absurd internal battles seem in this context. But at the same time I’m awestruck by our species’ extraordinary ability and our personal luck to have been born at a time when we can view this image. We can observe not only the phenomenal wonders of space but comprehend we are looking at light that left its source before life on earth began. Plus the fact that our minds are, for the most part, able to actually comprehend this miracle of science is an astounding testament to our evolution.
I’m not a religious person and yet it feels like Homo sapiens have been given a gift. It is the gift of curiosity and the means by which to delve into everything from subatomic particles to massive black holes that swallow light and slow time itself.
So when I take a moment and stare into the abyss represented by the NASA photo above, the thought of the insignificance of our problems is both profound and overwhelming. And just as momentous as this photograph can be, the other side of the coin notes that there are many people, perhaps a majority of those on earth, who will continue to believe we are the center of all of this. That some omniscient Being chose our planet to create a creature born in his/her own image and that we are uniquely entitled within the context of the entirety of the universe.
I have an easier time grasping quantum mechanics (sort of) than I do the idea that anyone can believe humanity is so special that we were created as the sole heir of this almost infinite kingdom. To me, this is inconceivable (as Wally Shawn’s Vizzini so eloquently stated.) The complete disconnect is that I cannot comprehend how the very same mammalian animal can produce people like Albert Einstein, Vincent Van Gogh, Margaret Atwood, Carl Sagan, André Watts, and so many other brilliant minds and still have chosen to be under the governance of a dimwitted moron like Trump.
Certainly there are hundreds if not thousands of theories that have been offered about the rise of fascist leaders over the course of history. I’m not sure if we really have a complete handle on how this happens over and over again, but we continue to ponder and pontificate as to how we might avoid extinction while remaining in the clutches of the utterly stupid.
Ultimately, looking up into the night sky will always give me a feeling of awe, wonderment, and a sense of insignificance within the context of all that exists. I also know that here, on our own speck of dust floating in this immense cosmos, we are indeed significant. But that significance is only fleeting if we cannot get through the bottleneck of our own ignorance without self-destructing. IF we can, it will be our curiosity that will allow us to continue discovering, creating, arguing, and delving into mysteries we have yet to conceive.
The universe is vast, almost beyond comprehension, but seemingly so is our imagination. And even if we will never reach another galaxy or even another star system, we have the capacity to continue to grow and enrich our minds. Knowing that we have accomplished so many extraordinary things and we still have this amazing potential is what I find so incredibly sad as I react to the news each morning. I want to shake the billions of my fellow members of my species who don't get this and say, WAKE THE FUCK UP!
But I probably won’t.
So beautifully stated, Tobin — in both the awestruck words and the lashing out words. I could not have said it as well. I’ll simply let myself resonate with it. Then take a deep breath, shake my head, and click on another email.
Resonating is a good thing. And thank you again for your kind words.
In some ways it feels as if we are all lost in the stars.
Tobin this and similar meditations are precisely what is needed to keep us sane and grounded to what matters, a sense of proportion, the scale of things, our diminutive yet potentially important role in the larger scheme of things. As you note, all hinges upon our survival, getting past the bottle-neck of our collective ignorance.
Having been born and bred in the cradle of Evangelicalism, I immediately noted that the shock-troops that provided the impetus for the Orange-one’s election a second time to the White House are none other than those who have not the slightest doubt that homo sapiens are “imago dei” entitled to rule, to subdivide the earth. That’s chilling but a brute description of America’s and the dilemma which the world finds itself now.
How has this happened? I suspect that the important lessons must be learned by trial and error. Pain is a effective teacher. Much pain is in store, as Nature herself has the veto to the attitudes and policies of the current administration. There is sure to be a regression in population as natural systems are effected by the anti-science policies of America.
At some future time those who survive will ask “who among us has the imagination and the will to marshal collective ingenuity to direct our common affairs?” Put another way who is able to intuit what holds value for the survival of our home, and to ‘take the point’ as a leader in self-discovery?
Yes, to wake up is necessary. Also, I keep asking myself, “Wake up to what?” Perhaps it is our responsibility to do what we can to conceive of an entirely different basis for organizing society, and for the exercise of power to administer our collective needs/goals…
Jerry – Sorry for the delay in responding. Strange Days Indeed!!! In your comment you noted, “At some future time those who survive will ask ‘who among us has the imagination and the will to marshal collective ingenuity to direct our common affairs?’ ” When I read your words what came to mind is that over the past 3,000 years there have been many who have asked similar questions, who have done their best to lead and rally the rational to create a better world. Most often they are branded as heretics or traitors and summarily executed.
I wonder, in a very cynical manner, if it’s possible to sustain that kind of ideology, especially in a post-apocalyptic world. Does our species actually have the capacity, en masse, to stop for a moment to consider what might be best for survival or will they continue to believe that either some deity will save them or that the strongest (most vocal) among them will forge a way forward? As much as I want to have faith in the basic goodness of humanity, I can’t help but see our future in our past. We repeat the same mistakes over and over and over again and unless there is some evolutionary breakthrough with regard to our behavior and basic brain function, how can we possibly move through that bottleneck of ignorance?
If some form of human does manage to make it past the present era, I hope there will be enough evidence left to let them know that not everyone was completely oblivious to the issues we face. But that doesn’t do us much good at the moment.
Tobin, boy oh boy does this resonate and in many respects – you are shaking some by your contributions and your example. Sadly, the deity issue will not go away in our lifetime and I believe we ultimately will self destruct. However, we can forge ahead and “do what WE can do!” Trite? Maybe ~ but I prefer to think that we all can make a difference and I believe you truly are.