Ever since Carl Sagan died I’ve been looking for another voice like his — it was a combination of science and philosophy with the common man or woman as a target. Sagan put mind-melting concepts into somewhat simpler terms, just enough for us to get a taste of what it means to live on a planet that sits, quiet and unassuming, in one of billions and billions of galaxies.
I’m late to the game in pointing out the work of Neil deGrasse Tyson. You can read about him in Star Power, an article from our friends at the Washington Post. You may also recognize him from The Daily Show or several other TV programs. I’ve seen him pop up on TV a few times but never followed up until today.
Also take a look at Tyson’s Favorite Top Ten Favorite Facts about the Universe.
Some cool concepts there. I like #1: “With chemical elements forged over 14 billion years in the fires of high-mass stars that exploded into space, and with these elements enriching subsequent generations of stars with carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and other basic ingredients of life itself, we are not just figuratively but literally made of stardust.”
I could sit and write about this stuff all day. Tomorrow I’ll post pictures (if Sunday is becoming link day, maybe Monday will be picture day) of some South Carolina critters for you to marvel at…keep some of these cosmo-concepts in mind as you look at the pics and the world around you. I definitely think a lot more about how odd it is, how we’re rushing around on this planet with all these strange creatures around us, after reading Sagan’s, and now Tyson’s, work.
It’s the most basic question of all: What are we doing here?
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