The Unseen Here and Now

As humans it seems like we are forever strutting around with our chest out thinking we have things pretty much licked, and then some unthinkable discovery takes place proving that we are not quite the rocket scientist we thought we were.

It's truly amazing how quickly we can lose our perspective both as individuals and as a species:

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy."
--Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859
"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
--Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau."
--Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929
"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
--Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre
"640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981

Not only do we think we have it all figured out but we tend to forget just how little removed we are from our own extraordinary ignorance. Our modern picture of the universe dates back to 1924 -- a whopping 76 years ago when American astronomer Edwin Hubble demonstrated that ours was not the only galaxy.

Let me clarify: We now know that our galaxy is only one of some hundred thousand million that can be seen using modern telescopes. EACH GALAXY ITSELF contains some hundred thousand million stars. The galaxy that we happen to live in -- the 1 of one hundred thousand million, that is -- is about 100,000 light years across and is slowly (relatively speaking) rotating. The stars in its spiral arms orbit around its center about once every several hundred million years. By all accounts its a pretty ordinary galaxy.

But if you're like me you don't live like it. Because somehow you just don't FEEL like it. Which is itself also true -- as long as you believe in a loving and caring creator. If you don't, you can go back to feeling small again. But not to worry, your random sub-atomic particles will likely soon forget all this and you'll feel better in a little while.

One of the most amazing things about such knowledge of the cosmos is that we tend not to think much about it at all. In general we calmly go about our day-to-day lives without any real understanding of just who we are and where we are and why we are here in the first place. It's as though evolution -- dare I use that word in such matters -- has provided a mechanism by which we can simply turn off those realities that might otherwise allow us to consume ourselves with fear and doubt and wonder.

You could adopt a third view that while God created us, it was by evolving through creation itself that we inherited this ability to brush such overwhelming questions to the side. Whatever the reason, the trait isn't such a bad one. I don't suppose life as we know it would have ever come about if our ancestors had stood around for days on end with their heads tilted back, looking up, mouth open, drooling beneath the stars. Odds are something would have eaten them if they had.

But a little reflection on the grand scheme of things is certainly more healthy than not. Some of us, however, "go places" in considering the universe and our place in it that are a bit on the far side. If you had awoken last Tuesday from a 100-year sleep and spent this past week listening to the media as well as meandering through a grocery checkout or two, you'd probably feel like any minute some little critter was going to walk up and say, "Hey -- Hello -- How ya doing." He would then proceed to "meld your brain" or "transport your spirit" or "assume your body" or some such thing. Yes sir, as Americans we sure run the gambit of astronomical persuasion.

When the Hubble Space Telescope was fired up for the first time with its new corrective lenses, many in the scientific community thought we could very well be on the verge of something even more extraordinary than looking several million light years out there. For those of you who haven't delved too far into the cosmology end of things I will remind you that the further you look into space the further you are looking back in time. Simply put, light that travels from the nearest star takes about 4.5 years to reach us. Therefore, you are seeing that star as it was 4.5 years ago. When we look at objects whose light takes millions of years to reach us we are seeing that object as it was millions of years ago.

The scientists who were about to wet their britches over the Hubble Telescope felt there was a possibility that we would see back to the very beginning of time. (If there is such a thing.) And I for one would not have faulted them for a moment if they had danced all around those big domes and dishes they work in, because that certainly would have been something else indeed.

But wouldn't you know it that when they finished their "Deep Space" analysis they concluded that if they could just see a leeeeeeeetle bit further, they'd see the very beginning of time. I was betting that if they could see all the way back they would find a sign that read, "This is the beginning of Creation -- I'll be back in a little while."

A. What I said is true : We will always think we "pretty much just about have it."

B. By allowing scientist to the edge, God has an even better sense of humor than we thought he did.

Personally I think it is C. Been thinking that ever since I heard Ringo Starr referred to as a "musician" and Tonya Harding broke her shoe lace in Lillihammer.

It's a very, very, very big world out there. We'd all do well to think about it every now and then.

	The Unseen Here and Now . . .

2002 Archives 2001 Archives 2000 Archives			Stuart Revercomb Stuart Revercomb is a marketing consultant and joyously married father of four children. He seems to remember someone once telling him he ought to be a writer. "The Unseen Here and Now" -- Thursdays. E-MAIL Click Here to subscribe to "Thursday's Fare"
		JAN 27, 2000 The BIG Scheme of Things We're pretty smart, aren't we. At least we continually seem to think so. As humans it seems like we are forever strutting around with our chest out thinking we have things pretty much licked, and then some unthinkable discovery takes place proving that we are not quite the rocket scientist we thought we were. It's truly amazing how quickly we can lose our perspective both as individuals and as a species: "Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." --Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859 "Everything that can be invented has been invented." --Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899 "Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." --Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929 "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." --Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre "640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981 Not only do we think we have it all figured out but we tend to forget just how little removed we are from our own extraordinary ignorance. Our modern picture of the universe dates back to 1924 -- a whopping 76 years ago when American astronomer Edwin Hubble demonstrated that ours was not the only galaxy. Galaxy? In 1924 they thought things might end at the galaxy? Yup. Let me clarify: We now know that our galaxy is only one of some hundred thousand million that can be seen using modern telescopes. EACH GALAXY ITSELF contains some hundred thousand million stars. The galaxy that we happen to live in -- the 1 of one hundred thousand million, that is -- is about 100,000 light years across and is slowly (relatively speaking) rotating. The stars in its spiral arms orbit around its center about once every several hundred million years. By all accounts its a pretty ordinary galaxy. Feeling small? Good. Because you are. But if you're like me you don't live like it. Because somehow you just don't FEEL like it. Which is itself also true -- as long as you believe in a loving and caring creator. If you don't, you can go back to feeling small again. But not to worry, your random sub-atomic particles will likely soon forget all this and you'll feel better in a little while. One of the most amazing things about such knowledge of the cosmos is that we tend not to think much about it at all. In general we calmly go about our day-to-day lives without any real understanding of just who we are and where we are and why we are here in the first place. It's as though evolution -- dare I use that word in such matters -- has provided a mechanism by which we can simply turn off those realities that might otherwise allow us to consume ourselves with fear and doubt and wonder. Or is it God who made us that way for our own good? You could adopt a third view that while God created us, it was by evolving through creation itself that we inherited this ability to brush such overwhelming questions to the side. Whatever the reason, the trait isn't such a bad one. I don't suppose life as we know it would have ever come about if our ancestors had stood around for days on end with their heads tilted back, looking up, mouth open, drooling beneath the stars. Odds are something would have eaten them if they had. But a little reflection on the grand scheme of things is certainly more healthy than not. Some of us, however, "go places" in considering the universe and our place in it that are a bit on the far side. If you had awoken last Tuesday from a 100-year sleep and spent this past week listening to the media as well as meandering through a grocery checkout or two, you'd probably feel like any minute some little critter was going to walk up and say, "Hey -- Hello -- How ya doing." He would then proceed to "meld your brain" or "transport your spirit" or "assume your body" or some such thing. Yes sir, as Americans we sure run the gambit of astronomical persuasion. When the Hubble Space Telescope was fired up for the first time with its new corrective lenses, many in the scientific community thought we could very well be on the verge of something even more extraordinary than looking several million light years out there. For those of you who haven't delved too far into the cosmology end of things I will remind you that the further you look into space the further you are looking back in time. Simply put, light that travels from the nearest star takes about 4.5 years to reach us. Therefore, you are seeing that star as it was 4.5 years ago. When we look at objects whose light takes millions of years to reach us we are seeing that object as it was millions of years ago. The scientists who were about to wet their britches over the Hubble Telescope felt there was a possibility that we would see back to the very beginning of time. (If there is such a thing.) And I for one would not have faulted them for a moment if they had danced all around those big domes and dishes they work in, because that certainly would have been something else indeed. But wouldn't you know it that when they finished their "Deep Space" analysis they concluded that if they could just see a leeeeeeeetle bit further, they'd see the very beginning of time. I was betting that if they could see all the way back they would find a sign that read, "This is the beginning of Creation -- I'll be back in a little while." Again, I think we are faced with 3 possibilities: A. What I said is true : We will always think we "pretty much just about have it." B. By allowing scientist to the edge, God has an even better sense of humor than we thought he did. C. Both Personally I think it is C. Been thinking that ever since I heard Ringo Starr referred to as a "musician" and Tonya Harding broke her shoe lace in Lillihammer. It's a very, very, very big world out there. We'd all do well to think about it every now and then.

The BIG Scheme of Things