" What is left is the dot, the realization we are not that big here, we are microscopic."
Funnily enough, Slip, a human being might be less than nanoscopic along that scale. But ... and this isn't merely funny ... that, each nano point ( such as Carl Sagan ) has the consciousness with capacity to include the terra - terra - terra ... universe within itself ! On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 6:44 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Strip it of the prose, the depth even, down to it's basic core. What > is left is the dot, the realization we are not that big here, we are > microscopic. Next comes the fact that it 'is' the only place we know > of that human life has taken place. The lives that have run the > course from the first to the present despite the range of peace and > brutality simply indicate our need to make change. We need to change > as a species. In the thousands of years of human history we still > have the same things going on, fighting and killing each other; its > almost all we've ever really learned and learned well. We started > throwing rocks and fighting with sticks; now we're setting off bombs > for more efficient mass killing. > Much could be said about the cooperation of a dozen mixed culture > people on a deserted island with limited resources. But globally we > don't think that way because we have all established our own islands > and resources, dislike and distrust the presence of intruders and > worse have a drive to attain others islands and resources in order to > create empires. > If it is depressing it is not on account of Sagan's presentation as > other presentations point to the same scenario. We could simply watch > world news and see it for ourselves; we could put together our own > presentation. > Fact is we are here, consciously and aware and share a physicality and > that is why we 'bother at all'. The moments of joy are what make > life worth living, especially those prolonged moments and long periods > of extended happiness that many of us experience. If only there were > a synchronicity element to life where all of humanity simultaneously, > absorbed the essence and came to the same conclusion after reading the > presentation. Don't forget, regardless of your gloom and somber > reflection you did 'bother' up until now. You can bother to reply if > you want; I'll be less joyful if you don't and others might wonder why > you didn't. Think about it. > > On Sep 24, 7:20 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > At first, I admired his prose/argument but then found it depressing. > > Why bother at all? > > > > On Sep 23, 7:36 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Oops! Try again: > > > > > Rigsy, I must inject this piece of what think is pertinent to a > > > portion of our interaction, if not of the whole. > > > Only because we all find so much significance to this world, > > > to this life when in all actuality it is so much the opposite. This is > > > from a speech Carl Sagan made at Cornell University on Oct. 13, 1994 > > > based on a photo from Voyager I in 1990 and also the title of Sagan's > > > 1994 book. "Pale Blue Dot". > > > > > Carl Sagan: > > > From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of > > > particular interest. But for us, it's different. Consider again that > > > dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. On it everyone you love, > > > everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who > > > ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and > > > suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic > > > doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every > > > creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every > > > young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor > > > and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every > > > "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the > > > history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a > > > sunbeam. > > > > > The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the > > > rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in > > > glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a > > > fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the > > > inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely > > > distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their > > > misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent > > > their hatreds. > > > > > Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we > > > have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this > > > point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great > > > enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there > > > is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from > > > ourselves. > > > > > The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is > > > nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could > > > migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment > > > the Earth is where we make our stand. > > > > > It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building > > > experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of > > > human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it > > > underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, > > > and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've > > > ever known. > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > But truthfully Rids, this photo, for me, has an enormous impact on the > > > consciousness. To imagine that all of this is taking place on a spec > > > of dust in the universe. > > > > >http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123614938 > > > > > Of course it begs the question "why?" > > > > > It is ultimately a study in consciousness. IMHO (take out the humble > > > part) LOL -- ASHOK TEWARI
