Recently I came across an
internet pic(aren't they all now?) that showed how small our planet is compared to some of the known celestial orbs floating around the universe. First it shows Earth next to the moon, Mars and Venus. Next is Earth next to Neptune and Uranus(teehee). Then Jupiter. Then our sun. From there it compares our sun to other stars found in the galaxy until our massive sun is about the size of a pixel. That period i just typed? That's about 4 pixels depending on the format your reading this. The next enormous star is then dwarfed by another star and another. The cycle ends but just because these are the only ones we've seen thus far. And by "seen", I mean the ones we've pointed the Hubble Telescope towards for an extended period of time. If you haven't been paying attention to astronomy's greatest instrument lately, then I'll let you know what it has been up to.
Back in 2003, scientists pointed it at a tiny section of outer space that didn't look like there was any visible light emanating from it. For 4 months. Basically the Hubble Telescope played the world's most intense game of "who'll blink first?" with the universe[citation needed]. The universe won. Or did we? What scientists found were about 10000 galaxies that shouldn't exist according to standard physics and astronomy laws. It's called Hubble Ultra Deep Field.
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| Farther than the TV remote during Nightline. |
When thinking about the trillions and trillions of galaxies that are or aren't out there (sometimes they die) and the existence of stars too large to comprehend correctly, I realized that, as a species, we will never land a hand on something that belongs to a different galaxy before we are wiped out. Look, i don't mean to sound so bleak about the demise of our species but that's the rub. I'll put it this way: planet earth is our universe. Everything we do in our separate lives is so important at the time of it happening that we aren't bothered by chance that another species somewhere is being eradicated. The cut between your fingernail and side of your finger that stings ever so slightly? Put a fucking band aid on it! NOW! OK, that's better. Beat that yellow light!! Solve that pesky financial riddle you call a budget! WAX THAT ASS!!! Everything we've done, are doing, and will do gives us what we want. Everything matters yet we can only be bothered by what's in front of us. And keep in mind, the trivial things we encounter will affect others.
I have a feeling psychologists, philosophers and deeper thinkers have a name or a theory for what I'm talking about. I don't want to know what it is. I just want to know if everyone else is capable of having an idea of what I'm talking about.
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| Fuck this, let's watch Nightline. Where's the remote? |
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