Richard P. Feynman, in his book "The Meaning of It All - Thoughts of a Citizen-Scientist", a collection of three lectures given at the University of Washington, writes on page 29 of a vision that describes thoughts that also have occurred to me (and without doubt to many others as well):
"It is a great adventure to contemplate the universe, beyond man, to contemplate what it would be like without man, as it was in the great part of its long history and as it is in a great majority of places. When this objective view is finally attained, and the mystery and majesty of matter are fully appreciated, to then turn the objective eye back on man viewed as matter, to view life as part of this universal mystery of greatest depth, is to sense an experience which is very rare, and very exciting."
From his PBS television series "Cosmos" based on his book of the same title, Carl Sagan in the following clips gives a vivid account to illustrate (in Feynman's words) "the mystery and majesty" of the universe, of our planet Earth and of how life arose:
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Putting our search in perspective
Carl Sagan in the PBS Cosmos series puts the reality of Earth, life and humans with great clarity
<br /> In another view, Paul Davies, in his book "The Fifth Miracle - The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life" on p.29 describes life as:
"The living cell is the most complex system of its size known to mankind. Its host of specialized molecules, many found nowhere else but within living material, are themselves already enormously complex. They execute a dance of exquisite fidelity, orchestrated with breathtaking precision. Vastly more elaborate than the most complicated ballet, the dance of life encompasses countless molecular performers in synergetic coordination. Yet this is a dance with no sign of a choreographer. No intelligent supervisor, no mystic force, no conscious controlling agency swings the molecules into place at the right time, chooses the appropriate players, closes the links, uncouples the partners, moves them on. The dance of life is spontaneous, self-sustaining and self-creating."
<br /> In another view, Paul Davies, in his book "The Fifth Miracle - The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life" on p.29 describes life as:
"The living cell is the most complex system of its size known to mankind. Its host of specialized molecules, many found nowhere else but within living material, are themselves already enormously complex. They execute a dance of exquisite fidelity, orchestrated with breathtaking precision. Vastly more elaborate than the most complicated ballet, the dance of life encompasses countless molecular performers in synergetic coordination. Yet this is a dance with no sign of a choreographer. No intelligent supervisor, no mystic force, no conscious controlling agency swings the molecules into place at the right time, chooses the appropriate players, closes the links, uncouples the partners, moves them on. The dance of life is spontaneous, self-sustaining and self-creating."
Blue Dot - the ultimate search
The ultimate search of humanity - Carl Sagan shows us better than anyone else
"Now here is the naturalistic, and I believe correct, diagnosis of old Homo Sapiens. our familiar"wise man":
Cultural. With indeterminate intellectual potential but biologically constrained. Basically a primate species in body and emotional repertory (member of the Order Primates, Infraorder Catarrhini, Family Hominidae). Huge compared to other animals, parvihirsute, bipedal, porous, squishy, composed mostly of water. Runs on millions of coordinated delicate biochemical reactions. Easily shut down by trace toxins and transit of pea-sized projectiles. Short-lived, emotionally fragile. Dependent in body and mind on other earth-bound organisms. Colonization of space impossible without massive supply lines. Starting to regret deeply the loss of Nature and all those other species."
Edward O. Wilson, "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge" pp.278-279
"Now here is the naturalistic, and I believe correct, diagnosis of old Homo Sapiens. our familiar"wise man":
Cultural. With indeterminate intellectual potential but biologically constrained. Basically a primate species in body and emotional repertory (member of the Order Primates, Infraorder Catarrhini, Family Hominidae). Huge compared to other animals, parvihirsute, bipedal, porous, squishy, composed mostly of water. Runs on millions of coordinated delicate biochemical reactions. Easily shut down by trace toxins and transit of pea-sized projectiles. Short-lived, emotionally fragile. Dependent in body and mind on other earth-bound organisms. Colonization of space impossible without massive supply lines. Starting to regret deeply the loss of Nature and all those other species."
Edward O. Wilson, "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge" pp.278-279
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)