Life, the Universe, and Whatnot

Elizabeth was reading some materials by Neil DeGrasse Tyson 

and felt moved to write a piece about 

Life, the Universe, and Whatnot

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GUEST POSTER:  Liz

It's hard for me to believe that people could have thought that one person, one divine being, was able to create all of this wonder. That means that, technically, we, the people, have invented this wonderful world ourselves. I don't understand how could some people think that one person, one entity, just snapped the universe into existence?

This universe is too wonderful and mysterious and beautiful to have been created in just one second. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is perfect the first time. Whether you're painting a picture, doing your math homework, performing a play, or writing a blog post or an essay, nothing is perfect. Ever. 

We are able to see far out into space and we are able to see close up, being able to see tiny little cells. There are so many different creatures on this land and in the sea. There are so many things still to discover. There are so many types of plants and there are elements we haven't even discovered yet. There is so much still to learn.

There is so much to the universe, and we will never know all of it. There is always more to learn about the sky, the land, or the water.

I believe that we are all connected at the microscopic level. We are all connected to each other, to the plants, to the animals, and even more exciting, to the stars. In some small but significant way we are all connected to the stars.

The stars contain the building blocks of life that get thrown out into space when that aging star combusts.  When that star becomes unstable and that stardust... that... matter gets flung wide into the universe, after millions and billions of years, it becomes early galaxies. Then, it forms millions of solar systems, and planets.  This expelled stardust contains things like oxygen and nitrogen and carbon and such which, then, infuses the galaxies, solar systems, and planetary systems with this enriched material with the building blocks of life. Some of them can use those building blocks to create amazing creatures that can somehow, someway, then fathom the fact that there is a universe out there just waiting to be uncovered!  Isn't that amazing?!

We are in the universe, we are part of the universe, we are observing the universe, we are learning more and more about the place in which we live. I believe that there is universe in us. We have parts of the universe in us from these exploding stars.   That humbles and ennobles me.

So now, when I look up at the sky at night, or when I look up at the sky during the day, I don't feel small. I feel large. I feel like I am a part of something great. The universe in the most amazingly beautiful thing I have ever even been able to think about. I am amazed with us for being able to realize where we are in this amazing, natural world.

Now, something else I am unable to fathom... It's hard for me to believe that anyone could feel a sense of awe from a magical being snapping things into place. For me, there is a greater sense of wonder when I try to imagine the trillions of years it has taken for our universe to be as we see it now.  In fact, some believe that a magical being invented all of us. I think that story falls way short of the natural way of things. This Great Being, according to some, invented the uniqueness of this world as it is this very moment and and there is nothing that has never been different and most likely never will be.

I think the exact opposite. I believe that the universe will never be this way again. I believe it's constantly moving and changing and melding into something new. Even now, it's moving and changing and becoming something new that will soon change. It will never stop changing, and never is a very, very long time.



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